# Jehovah?



## bookslover (Jan 17, 2011)

Question: Should the word "Jehovah" not be used as a name of God? His most basic name is Yahweh, right? And didn't the Jews, in OT times, invent the name Jehovah by revocalizing the divine name so that they superstitiously wouldn't pronounce it?

If that's the case, then Jehovah is not actually a name for God. So, we shouldn't use it. Am I right? Or am I missing something?


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## saintandsinner77 (Jan 17, 2011)

I was just reading on this topic: if you do a wikipedia search on Jehovah: Jehovah - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

it gives a lengthy discourse on the history of the name, as well as pro and con arguments...I feel as though I might need to take Hebrew courses to take an informed position on this- interesting to note that John Owen and John Gill were proponents of using the name Jehovah


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## VictorBravo (Jan 17, 2011)

Yahweh and Jehovah are two different English transliterations for the same word in Hebrew known as the "Tetragrammaton." (literally, 'four letter word") Either one is an acceptable try at it because we don't have vowell pointings for the word. When I read it in Hebrew, I tend to hear in my mind "Yeh-veh," myself. Scholars can argue for whatever pronunciation they think makes the most sense, but Jehovah is traditional.

The Jews substituted "Adonai" (translated "Lord) for the Tetragrammaton out of superstition, not Jehovah.

Edited to add: I'm baffled why the word "Tetragrammaton" isn't showing up before the paranthetical phrase above (the phrase "literally, 'four letter word'"). I've typed it several times and it doesn't show up.


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## Contra_Mundum (Jan 17, 2011)

Why do we call Jesus "Jesus"? Wow. Terrible to call Him whom we worship by a name-not-his, eh?
And Hezekiah? What an insult. When everyone knows his REAL name is Khizkiyahu. Arrogant English speakers.
Jeremiah? DON'T YOU DARE!!!! Yirmiyahu is how its done, and if I ever hear another mispronunciation...

Is this what we want? Who is being more arrogant, and insufferable? The ones who are blithely content with the versions of these names that are part of the heritage, part of the way that native English speakers conveniently say these foreign words, with their gutturals and glottlestops? Or the language-police, who vaunt their precision, and their cultural "sensititivity"?


Praise the name of JEHOVAH! And May Jesus Christ be praised.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Elimelek (Jan 18, 2011)

Dear Rev. Buchanan

Don't you think that the Tetragrammaton is a bit different from all the other names you mentioned? Jesus, "Iêsous," an easy deduction. Your transliteration is obscuring the actual pronunciation of especially Hezekiah's Hebrew name, it is very nearly the same. In all the cases mentioned, the person's names are quite common. 

The Tetragrammaton is however found unvocalised in Paleo-Hebrew Script in even the Greek scrolls of the Dead Sea. I always get the idea that God is revered by this practice. For me, Jesus' ordinary name and the reverence of the Tetragrammaton, shows how drastic God acted when He intervened into history - the unknowable God, became known! (Please take note that I subscribe 100% to the doctrine of the Trinity.)

The difference between the transliterations of Jehovah and Jahveh, lies in the non-sensical word created by placing the vocals of Adonai with the Tetragrammaton. Yes, Jehovah has become an English word referring to God. This is even the case in some of the African languages like Venda and Tsonga, therefore I believe it is not such a big issue to address God by this name. I just think that there should be more of a balance between the reverence to God in the use of the Tetragrammaton and our familiarity with Him. 

Kind regards


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## seajayrice (Jan 18, 2011)

El Shaddai (Lord God Almighty) 
El Elyon (The Most High God) 
Adonai (Lord, Master) 
Yahweh (Lord, Jehovah) 
Jehovah Nissi (The Lord My Banner) 
Jehovah-Raah (The Lord My Shepherd) 
Jehovah Rapha (The Lord That Heals) 
Jehovah Shammah (The Lord Is There) 
Jehovah Tsidkenu (The Lord Our Righteousness) 
Jehovah Mekoddishkem (The Lord Who Sanctifies You) 
El Olam (The Everlasting God) 
Elohim (God) 
Qanna (Jealous) 
Jehovah Jireh (The Lord Will Provide) 
Jehovah Shalom (The Lord Is Peace) 
Jehovah Sabaoth (The Lord of Hosts) 

I thought the OT Jews had many descriptive names for God.


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## Contra_Mundum (Jan 18, 2011)

Elimelek said:


> Dear Rev. Buchanan
> 
> Don't you think that the Tetragrammaton is a bit different from all the other names you mentioned?



No, not really. I think this whole business just binds ordinary Christians' consciences over nothing. The value of the name is in the meaning God ascribes to it. However we get to that, in our language, is all that matters. God doesn't care about four specific letters, or fourteen. He cares that we know what his name teaches us about himself.

Kind regards,

P.S. There are four variant spellings for Hezekiah:
חזקיּה / יחזקיּהוּ / יחזקיּה / חזקיּהוּ
chizqîyâh / chizqîyâhû / yechizqîyâh / yechizqîyâhû

Reactions: Like 2


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## Marrow Man (Jan 18, 2011)

VictorBravo said:


> When I read it in Hebrew, I tend to hear in my mind "Yeh-veh," myself.



And see, even that is different for different English speakers. My Hebrew prof pronounced the Hebrew letter as "waw" instead of "vav." So I hear "Yah-weh" in my head.


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## jwithnell (Jan 18, 2011)

It is in the far back of my mind that the name "Jehovah" was a goof somewhere. Regardless, its use in the KJV made it a standard replacement for YHWH. I love singing "Jehovah, great I am" in "The God of Abraham Praise."


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## VictorBravo (Jan 18, 2011)

Marrow Man said:


> VictorBravo said:
> 
> 
> > When I read it in Hebrew, I tend to hear in my mind "Yeh-veh," myself.
> ...


 
Exactly, Tim. I was thinking of that very distinction. We can't even be sure how Moses pronounced Waw (or Vav). The only reason I go with Vav is because I learned first from an old Jew who prefered that pronunciation. But I know a lot of folks like Waw. So it goes.

One thing I think is pretty clear is that Moses didn't have any particular compunction about using the name. Certainly he wrote it freely and often. The Scriptures were read aloud and we have nothing in the narrative passages or direct law saying that the name should not be pronounced out loud. I think we can only assume that this custom of avoiding the name came late and became a tradition that turned into a man-made rule.


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