Shemuel and the Revelation of YaHuWaH’s Name
A Name That Speaks: Shemuel, the Prophet
The story of Shemuel (Samuel) begins with a barren woman, Hannah, whose name means “favoured one.” In the bitterness of her soul, mocked and provoked by her rival, she turned not to retaliation, but to YaHuWaH. Her response was a deep and emotional prayer, marked by lament, supplication, and boldness.
And she prayed unto YaHuWaH, and wept much, and vowed a vow…” – 1 Shemuʼĕl (Samuel) 1:10-11
Hannah made a vow, a neder, a concrete promise to give her future son to YaHuWaH all the days of his life. In this moment of raw surrender, she used the Name of YaHuWaH twice, an act of bold faith and spiritual intimacy. YaHuWaH responded. He remembered her (Heb. zakar) and gave her a son.
And she called his name Shemuel, saying, ‘Because I have asked him of YaHuWaH.” – 1 Shemuʼĕl (Samuel) 1:20
The name Shemuel has two embedded meanings:
“El has heard” – because YaHuWaH listened to her petition.
“Name of our El” – Shem (Name), U (our), El (Mighty One).
Every time the covenant people said Shemuel, they were declaring: “Name of our El.” It was a prophetic utterance woven into his identity—His Name matters.
Do We Know the Name of Our El?
This brings us to a pivotal question raised by Scripture itself:
What is His Name, and what is His Son’s Name, if you know it?” – Mishlĕ (Proverbs) 30:4b
In this modern age, this question remains highly controversial, even among those who consider themselves “Hebrew roots” believers. There is widespread confusion over what to call the Father and the Son. We’re presented with a list of options, as if the Name of the Most High is a matter of personal preference:
Father: Jehovah, Yahweh, Yahveh, Yaweh, YaHuWaH, Yahuah…
Son: Jesus, Yeshua, Yehoshua, Yahshua, Yahusha…
This theological buffet reflects the same condition found at the end of the Book of Judges:
In those days there was no sovereign in Yisra’El – everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” – Shophetim (Judges) 21:25
Is it possible that many who claim covenant are not truly recognizing their Sovereign? Is the refusal to seek His true Name a form of rebellion, subtle, but deadly?
Among those who long to walk in Truth, we often hear the well-intended phrase, “Let’s agree to disagree.” But this approach falls short of the Scriptural standard. Unity in the Body is not built on compromise; it’s built on Truth. The Name of the Father and Son is not a secondary issue, it’s foundational to our worship, identity, authority, and salvation.
Neither is there deliverance in anyone else, for there is no other Name under the heaven given among men by which we need to be saved.” – Ma’asei (Acts) 4:12
Unity Must Be Rooted in Revelation
If we truly desire unity among believers, we must go beyond surface agreement and dig deep into the Word. If the Ruach ha’Qodesh (Set-Apart Spirit) was sent in His Name (John 14:26), and if the Messiah Himself revealed the Name of the Father (John 17:6), then we can be sure of this: He will not reveal different names to different people. His Name is One.
Because he cleaves to Me in love, therefore I deliver him; I set him on high, because he has known My Name.” – Tehillim (Psalm) 91:14
The bride knows her Husband’s Name. Not merely as a sound or syllable, but through yada, an intimate, covenant knowing that births obedience and reverence.
Shemuel’s name is not “Shemot-u-El” (Names of our El), but Shem-u-El: Name of our El. Singular. Set-apart. Declared. Believed.
Seeking the Name with All Our Heart
This isn’t about semantics. It’s about relationship, identity, and obedience. The prophet Shemuel was born out of a vow, a concrete promise rooted in belief in the Name of YaHuWaH. Today, we are called to the same kind of unwavering trust and reverence.
His Name is not hidden. It has been preserved through Scripture, embedded in ancient Hebrew manuscripts, echoed in the lives of the prophets, and proclaimed through the lips of those who walk in Truth.
So again we ask: Do we know the Name of our El?
Let us be like Hannah. Let us weep, pray, and vow with faith in His true Name. Let us declare, like the name Shemuel, every day with our lives:
“Name of our El.”