Divine Name King James Version makes for a more accurate translation.

[JJoseph]

Should the Divine Name Jehovah be restored to Bible versions? The Bible doesn't say, "The Lord is my Shepherd", it says, "Jehovah is my Shepherd". That is how the Lord Jehovah wrote it through His Prophets. It doesn't say, "The Name of the Lord is a a strong tower". It says, "The Name of Jehovah is a strong tower." It doesn't say, "I, even I, am the Lord etc, but Jehovah and beside Me there is no Savior". And Jesus means Jehovah the Savior, as the Angel Gabriel told the Blessed Virgin Mary, "He shall be called Jesus (Jehovah the Savior), because He shall save His People from their sins". Jesus is Jehovah our Savior dwelling among us, our Emmanuel, and made flesh for our sake, to be our Savior.

Thoughts? This Divine Name King James Bible does precisely that, and an increasing number of Bible versions are being more faithful to the original: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/new-divine-name-king-james-version-makes-more-accurate-wright/

"While some scholars prefer the transliterated pronunciation “Yahweh,” others say the name Jehovah has already been established over centuries and preserves the four consonants of the original Divine Name in English (JHVH). Publishers of this latest effort to restore the Divine Name said, “The base text of the Authorized King James is in the public domain but the exclusive feature of restoring the name Jehovah or Yahweh to the otherwise unmodified content of the base text constitutes an important new literary expression.”
One example given of this “new literary expression” is at Isaiah 42:8 where the Divine Name KJV reads, “I am Jehovah: that is my name.” Numerous translations continue to insert “LORD” or “Lord” where the Divine Name originally appeared, a practice that is being challenged by adherents to more literal translations."

 

[wattie]

Should the Divine Name Jehovah be restored to Bible versions? The Bible doesn't say, "The Lord is my Shepherd", it says, "Jehovah is my Shepherd". That is how the Lord Jehovah wrote it through His Prophets. It doesn't say, "The Name of the Lord is a a strong tower". It says, "The Name of Jehovah is a strong tower." It doesn't say, "I, even I, am the Lord etc, but Jehovah and beside Me there is no Savior". And Jesus means Jehovah the Savior, as the Angel Gabriel told the Blessed Virgin Mary, "He shall be called Jesus (Jehovah the Savior), because He shall save His People from their sins". Jesus is Jehovah our Savior dwelling among us, our Emmanuel, and made flesh for our sake, to be our Savior.

Thoughts? This Divine Name King James Bible does precisely that, and an increasing number of Bible versions are being more faithful to the original: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/new-divine-name-king-james-version-makes-more-accurate-wright/

"While some scholars prefer the transliterated pronunciation “Yahweh,” others say the name Jehovah has already been established over centuries and preserves the four consonants of the original Divine Name in English (JHVH). Publishers of this latest effort to restore the Divine Name said, “The base text of the Authorized King James is in the public domain but the exclusive feature of restoring the name Jehovah or Yahweh to the otherwise unmodified content of the base text constitutes an important new literary expression.”
One example given of this “new literary expression” is at Isaiah 42:8 where the Divine Name KJV reads, “I am Jehovah: that is my name.” Numerous translations continue to insert “LORD” or “Lord” where the Divine Name originally appeared, a practice that is being challenged by adherents to more literal translations."

The reason for different names for God is the different roles He has. When He is in His creator, over arching, governing role, you can see a different name used. When He is interacting as God of Israel... a different name is used. When He is manifest as a man.. Jesus is used. So I would be curious where they made the name Jehovah replace another name. The reason for the different names affects context and the way God speaks to us.

 

[JJoseph]

"Then in the mid-20th century, something remarkable came to the attention of scholars—some very old fragments of the Greek Septuagint version that existed in Jesus’ day had been discovered. Those fragments contain the personal name of God, written in Hebrew characters." https://www.jw.org/en/library/magazines/wp20080801/name-in-new-testament/

And: "The divine name appears in its abbreviated form in the Greek Scriptures. At Revelation 19:1, 3, 4, 6, the divine name is embedded in the expression “Alleluia,” or “Hallelujah.” This expression literally means “Praise Jah, you people!” Jah is a contraction of the name Jehovah.

Early Jewish writings indicate that Jewish Christians used the divine name in their writings. The Tosefta, a written collection of oral laws completed by about 300 C.E., says with regard to Christian writings that were burned on the Sabbath: “The books of the Evangelists and the books of the minim [thought to be Jewish Christians] they do not save from a fire. But they are allowed to burn where they are, . . . they and the references to the Divine Name which are in them.” This same source quotes Rabbi Yosé the Galilean, who lived at the beginning of the second century C.E., as saying that on other days of the week “one cuts out the references to the Divine Name which are in them [the Christian writings] and stores them away, and the rest burns.” Thus, there is strong evidence that the Jews living in the second century C.E. believed that Christians used Jehovah’s name in their writings."

 

[JJoseph]

The reason for different names for God is the different roles He has. When He is in His creator, over arching, governing role, you can see a different name used. When He is interacting as God of Israel... a different name is used. When He is manifest as a man.. Jesus is used. So I would be curious where they made the name Jehovah replace another name. The reason for the different names affects context and the way God speaks to us.

Yes, and there is Power in the Divine Jehovah. Just as there is Power when we say, Hallelujah, which means All Praise be to Jehovah. The point is that that Divine Name should not be masked or removed from the Bible by just rendering it as "Lord" where it says Jehovah. Where the Bible wanted to say Lord, it said it. Where the Bible wanted to say Jehovah, it said it. We should allow the Bible to speak for itself.

 

[ResidentAlien]

Should the Divine Name Jehovah be restored to Bible versions? The Bible doesn't say, "The Lord is my Shepherd", it says, "Jehovah is my Shepherd". That is how the Lord Jehovah wrote it through His Prophets. It doesn't say, "The Name of the Lord is a a strong tower". It says, "The Name of Jehovah is a strong tower." It doesn't say, "I, even I, am the Lord etc, but Jehovah and beside Me there is no Savior". And Jesus means Jehovah the Savior, as the Angel Gabriel told the Blessed Virgin Mary, "He shall be called Jesus (Jehovah the Savior), because He shall save His People from their sins". Jesus is Jehovah our Savior dwelling among us, our Emmanuel, and made flesh for our sake, to be our Savior.

Thoughts? This Divine Name King James Bible does precisely that, and an increasing number of Bible versions are being more faithful to the original: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/new-divine-name-king-james-version-makes-more-accurate-wright/

"While some scholars prefer the transliterated pronunciation “Yahweh,” others say the name Jehovah has already been established over centuries and preserves the four consonants of the original Divine Name in English (JHVH). Publishers of this latest effort to restore the Divine Name said, “The base text of the Authorized King James is in the public domain but the exclusive feature of restoring the name Jehovah or Yahweh to the otherwise unmodified content of the base text constitutes an important new literary expression.”
One example given of this “new literary expression” is at Isaiah 42:8 where the Divine Name KJV reads, “I am Jehovah: that is my name.” Numerous translations continue to insert “LORD” or “Lord” where the Divine Name originally appeared, a practice that is being challenged by adherents to more literal translations."

It's Yodh-Heh-Vau-Heh is it not? Why would Yodh be pronounced J?

 

[Blade]

I have a few different versions as many others do. For me I always go search see how it was originally written and even then those do not all agree.

 

[FollowerofShiloh]

Yahveh, is what the ancient Levitical Priests were afraid to pronounce. It's in the Mikvah and Talmud but unless you're a Jew and go through Mishnah most Gentile converted Christians will never know this information.

Best example:
Modern Torah:
3 and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name YHWH I made Me not known to them.

The Ancient Scrolls [Mikvah]:
3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God, the Almighty, but by my name The Eternal [YHVH] was I not made known to them.

Most Sofers chose on purpose not to write G-D instead of God or "NN" instead of Yōd-Vav [YHVH] due to fear of unveiling the literal NAME of the LORD GOD.

 

[FollowerofShiloh]

It's Yodh-Heh-Vau-Heh is it not? Why would Yodh be pronounced J?

There's not even a J or W in the ancient Hebrew Aleppo/Aleph-Beta Alphabet. Nice post

 

[JJoseph]

It's Yodh-Heh-Vau-Heh is it not? Why would Yodh be pronounced J?

It's Yahweh in Hebrew and Jehovah in English, just like Yeshua in Hebrew is Jesus in English. You don't need to re-invent the wheel, but just accept the customary names. Also, the expression "HalleluJah" shows God's Name can be pronounced as Jah which is short for Jahovah.

Regarding the Talmud, that is a false Pharisaic or Rabbinic tradition which Christians should not follow. The Talmud also contains all sorts of insults against Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, calling Him an impostor, false messiah, burning in hell etc. God brought Judgment upon the Pharisees etc for rejecting and crucifying His Son, especially in 70 AD, when the Temple was destroyed. The Talmud is filled with errors.

If we go with the Bible, the Hebrew Prophets pronounced the Name of Jehovah and wrote it into their writings. Also, per the Talmudic idea, we should never pronounce the Name of the Lord Jesus either, because that too is the Name of God, of God Incarnate, or God the Son, which is obviously a false idea. There is Power in the Name of the Lord Jesus, as is evident in exorcisms etc and we are to use that Name. And similarly, there is Power in the Name of the Lord Jehovah, and that Name should be there in our Bible and we should pronounce and use it during our Bible reading. If the Hebrew Prophets wanted to use only Lord or God but not Jehovah, they would have.

 

[FollowerofShiloh]

It's Yahweh in Hebrew and Jehovah in English, just like Yeshua in Hebrew is Jesus in English. You don't need to re-invent the wheel, but just accept the customary names. Also, the expression "HalleluJah" shows God's Name can be pronounced as Jah which is short for Jahovah.

Regarding the Talmud, that is a false Pharisaic or Rabbinic tradition which Christians should not follow. The Talmud also contains all sorts of insults against Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, calling Him an impostor, false messiah, burning in hell etc. God brought Judgment upon the Pharisees etc for rejecting and crucifying His Son, especially in 70 AD, when the Temple was destroyed. The Talmud is filled with errors.

If we go with the Bible, the Hebrew Prophets pronounced the Name of Jehovah and wrote it into their writings. Also, per the Talmudic idea, we should never pronounce the Name of the Lord Jesus either, because that too is the Name of God, of God Incarnate, or God the Son, which is obviously a false idea. There is Power in the Name of the Lord Jesus, as is evident in exorcisms etc and we are to use that Name. And similarly, there is Power in the Name of the Lord Jehovah, and that Name should be there in our Bible and we should pronounce and use it during our Bible reading. If the Hebrew Prophets wanted to use only Lord or God but not Jehovah, they would have.

It's impossible the Prophets said Jehovah or Yahweh when J and W [DO NOT EXIST] in the Hebrew Alphabet!

 

[JJoseph]

Also, a lengthier form of Christ's Name is Jehoshua, extremely similar to Jehovah. Jehovah reveals Himself as the God Who is, as the One Supreme Being, Eternal and Self-Subsistent. That was the revelation most needed at the time when the whole world was steeped in polytheism and idolatry, falsely believing there were supposedly many gods, not One True God. And in the New Testament, God reveals Himself as the God Who saves, that's what Jesus means. Jesus is Jehovah Who saves in the flesh. Also because of the connection between the two names, the Name should be pronounced as written, not a meaningless "Lord" where the Bible has said otherwise. Anyone can call his god lord, but we call God the Father as Jehovah. God the Son, Who is God in the Flesh, is Jesus. Pronouncing God's Name, in either Old and New Testaments, is good and holy and brings blessings. It's a false rabbinic tradition of the Pharisees that claims or pretends otherwise. Btw, the Rabbis of the Talmud etc also won't pronounce the Lord's Name, Yeshua properly, instead calling Him "Yeshu" as a derogatory curse word, as appears in the Jewish polemic Sefer Toledot Yeshu. That work, however, like the evidence above, maintains that Jesus used the Divine Name, i.e. Yahweh or Jehovah.

 

[JJoseph]

It's impossible the Prophets said Jehovah or Yahweh when J and W [DO NOT EXIST] in the Hebrew Alphabet!

Following your logic, it's impossible the Apostles used the Name "Jesus" when they did not speak English, therefore let's not use it when we Exorcise etc. Wrong. They spoke their language, we speak English. In English, the Lord's OT Name is Jehovah.

 

[FollowerofShiloh]

Following your logic, it's impossible the Apostles used the Name "Jesus" when they did not speak English, therefore let's not use it when we Exorcise etc. Wrong. They spoke their language, we speak English. In English, the Lord's OT Name is Jehovah.

Jesus literal name is Yeshua!
in Greak they pronounced the Y as J and how we get Jesus.

4 Then Yeshua was led by the Ruach into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

 

[Nehemiah6]

Should the Divine Name Jehovah be restored to Bible versions? The Bible doesn't say, "The Lord is my Shepherd", it says, "Jehovah is my Shepherd".

Well let's take a closer look at this.

Psalm 23:1 (Westminster Codex Hebrew) מִזְמֹ֥ור לְדָוִ֑ד יְהוָ֥ה רֹ֝עִ֗י לֹ֣א אֶחְסָֽר׃
The literal interlinear translation (reading from right to left) is this:
A Psalm of David. Yahweh[is] my Shepherd, not I shall want.
KJV: A Psalm of David. The LORD is my Shepherd, I shall not want.
Strong's Concordance
Yhvh: the proper name of the God of Israel
Original Word: יְהוָֹה (YHVH)
Part of Speech: Proper Name
Transliteration: Yhvh
Phonetic Spelling: (yeh-ho-vaw')
Definition: the proper name of the God of Israel

There are several things to note here:
1. YHVH is generally written as YAHWEH even though the Hebrew "vav" is equivalent to "v".

2. There were no vowels in the original Hebrew so it would be just those consonants (YHVH) or

3. Even though Strong's says the "phonetiv spelling is "yeh-ho-vaw", that should then be Yehovah, but the KJV used the word "Jehovah" only a few times.

4. Why did the KJV resort to LORD? Because the Jews would not pronounce the sacred name YAHWEH. Instead they substituted "Adonai" which means "Lord". But Because the name is actually YHVH, the KJV went will small caps LORD to distinguish it from Adonai (Lord) which is also in the Bible.

5. So if you wish to go strictly by what is in the Hebrew and also include the consonants, you cannot say "Jehovah", but you can say "Yahweh". But the whole English speaking world know "the LORD" and therefore this is a futile exercise. Your attempts to "correct" this are also futile.

6. Almost all the other translations also have "the LORD". Only Darby's and Young's translations have "Jehovah" . Your claim about many resorting to "Jehovah" are false.
New International Version
A psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
New Living Translation
A psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need.
English Standard Version
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Berean Study Bible
A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
New American Standard Bible
A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
King James Bible
A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Holman Christian Standard Bible
A Davidic psalm. The LORD is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack.
International Standard Version
The LORD is the one who is shepherding me; I lack nothing.
NET Bible
A psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Lord Jehovah will shepherd me and I shall lack nothing.
GOD'S WORD® Translation
[A psalm by David.] The LORD is my shepherd. I am never in need.
Jubilee Bible 2000
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
King James 2000 Bible
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not lack.
American King James Version
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
American Standard Version
Jehovah is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Douay-Rheims Bible
A psalm for David. The Lord ruleth me: and I shall want nothing.
Darby Bible Translation
{A Psalm of David.} Jehovah is my shepherd; I shall not want. [Note: Darby really messed up. A Psalm of David is a part of that verse, and should not be bracketed. And It should be "Yahweh" not "Jehovah".]
English Revised Version
A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Webster's Bible Translation
A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
World English Bible
Yahweh is my shepherd: I shall lack nothing.
Young's Literal Translation
A Psalm of David. Jehovah is my shepherd, I do not lack, [Note: Young also messed up with an incomplete sentence. He could have said "I do not lack anything"]
The Afrikaans PWL actually has the Hebrew in it.

7. The Jehovah's Witnesses have made a big deal out of this, but their entire teaching is false, and they are regarded as a cult. The reject the deity of Christ and the Holy Trinity and Christ Himself is called "the LORD".

And Isa 42:8 goes like this: I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

 

[ResidentAlien]

It's Yahweh in Hebrew and Jehovah in English, just like Yeshua in Hebrew is Jesus in English. You don't need to re-invent the wheel, but just accept the customary names. Also, the expression "HalleluJah" shows God's Name can be pronounced as Jah which is short for Jahovah.

It's not necessarily Jehovah in English. As you already mentioned, some say it Yahweh. If you really want authenticity, why nut just render it YHVH; or better still, יהוה; then no one can say anyone is reinventing anything. Seems to me you want to replace one anglicized form with another anglicized form that is more to your liking.

 

[JJoseph]

Nehemiah, aren't you a King James onlyist? Here are a few places where the King James speaks of the Lord's Name as Jehovah, the Proper Name of God the Father, just as the Proper Name of God the Son is Jesus:

"3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name Jehovah was I not known to them." (Exodus 6:3)

"18 That men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, art the most high over all the earth." (Psalm 83:18)

"2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation." (Isaiah 12:2)

RA said: "It's not necessarily Jehovah in English."

Of course it is. Even Nehemiah said above: "Strong's says the "phonetiv spelling is "yeh-ho-vaw", that should then be Yehovah". Hebrew has no J, so when Yehovah is read in English it will be Jehovah. Also, the scholars who translated the KJV were among the best Scholars at the time, both in Hebrew and in English, and they rendered it Jehovah in some places. They just didn't do so consistently in the roughly 7,000 places where the DIVINE NAME occurs. So Jehovah is a perfectly legitimate translation of the Lord's Name in English just like Yeshua in Hebrew is Jesus in English. If you don't call the Lord by Name, you will miss out on some of His Power and Graces. The Bible encourages us to invoke the Lord by Name often, and His Name is Jehovah. His Name is not "the Lord" nor even "the LORD". His Name is Jehovah and God inspired the Bible writers to use that Name in nearly 7000 places in His Word. As I documented above, it was Pharisees, false Rabbis who rejected Christ and Christianity, who wanted to burn and erase the Name of the Lord Jehovah from Christian Books.

 

[ResidentAlien]

RA said: "It's not necessarily Jehovah in English."

Of course it is. Even Nehemiah said above: "Strong's says the "phonetiv spelling is "yeh-ho-vaw", that should then be Yehovah". Hebrew has no J, so when Yehovah is read in English it will be Jehovah. Also, the scholars who translated the KJV were among the best Scholars at the time, both in Hebrew and in English, and they rendered it Jehovah in some places. They just didn't do so consistently in the roughly 7,000 places where the DIVINE NAME occurs. So Jehovah is a perfectly legitimate translation of the Lord's Name in English just like Yeshua in Hebrew is Jesus in English. If you don't call the Lord by Name, you will miss out on some of His Power and Graces. The Bible encourages us to invoke the Lord by Name often, and His Name is Jehovah. His Name is not "the Lord" nor even "the LORD". His Name is Jehovah and God inspired the Bible writers to use that Name in nearly 7000 places in His Word. As I documented above, it was Pharisees, false Rabbis who rejected Christ and Christianity, who wanted to burn and erase the Name of the Lord Jehovah from Christian Books.

I'm not KJVO.

 

[Prodigal]

I struggled with this topic for a while early last year. I have quite a few biblical dictionaries and other helps for studying the original languages, but the divergence of opinion I found was a bit surprising and not much help.

So I finally just prayed about it. And the Lord led me to this scripture.

Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him. A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows,
Psalm 68:4-5

If I ever decide to grow some dreadlocks, I'll start pronouncing the hard J.
But for now at least, in my personal prayer time I address Him as Yah or Abba Yah, or simply Father.

I also try to give Christ Jesus the honor due His holy name, and address My Savior as Adonai Yeshua or Yeshua HaMaschiac. It seems to me more authentic. I will frequently use the English transliteration of Yeshua, but I rarely refer to the Lord Jesus Christ as simply Jesus.

Once we read beyond the book of Acts, the name Jesus is rarely found alone in scripture, but He is referred to by the Apostles as Jesus Christ, The Lord, The Lord Jesus Christ or simply Christ.
I did not discover this on my own, though I probably should have. But I believe it was brother A.W. Pink who brought it to my attention in his commentary on Hebrews. Which BTW, I highly recommend. It can be a difficult book to find, and its a rather lengthy volume, but well worth the effort.

It may not really matter what we call Him, as long as we call upon Him in sincerity, humility, and with frequency. I'm fairly certain He is far less concerned about this issue than we are.

That being said. It's nice to find a thread where everyone seems at least, to be trying their best to edify one another rather than the usual oneupmanship that seems to dominate this forum. I'm not above such foolishness, so no judgment here. But it's nice to actually feel for a change like I'm engaging in some type of fellowship vs. the intellectual MMA type atmosphere that seems so prevalent around here. Fellowship is why I came here, and if possible, to be of some kind of service, so thanks to all of you who have contributed so far, I actually learned a few things.

 

[Edify]

https://www.jw.org/en/library/magazines/wp20080801/name-in-new-testament/

Should I even bother to give a proper answer when this ungodly website is used? Uuhhh.... no.

 

[JJoseph]

As already mentioned, the 1611 KJV also uses "Jehovah" in some places, so it's not unique to JW's. I'm a Trinitarian and firmly believe in the Deity of Christ and the Holy Trinity, as I made clear in the OP: "Jesus means Jehovah the Savior, as the Angel Gabriel told the Blessed Virgin Mary, "He shall be called Jesus (Jehovah the Savior), because He shall save His People from their sins". Jesus is Jehovah our Savior dwelling among us, our Emmanuel, and made flesh for our sake, to be our Savior."

"Is the New World Translation the only Bible that restores God’s name when translating the Greek Scriptures? No. Based upon the above evidence, many Bible translators have felt that the divine name should be restored when they translate the New Testament.

For example, many African, American, Asian, and Pacific-island language versions of the New Testament use the divine name liberally. (See chart on page 21.) Some of these translations have appeared recently, such as the Rotuman Bible (1999), which uses the name Jihova 51 times in 48 verses of the New Testament, and the Batak-Toba version (1989) from Indonesia, which uses the name Jahowa 110 times in the New Testament. The divine name has appeared, too, in French, German, and Spanish translations. For instance, Pablo Besson translated the New Testament into Spanish in the early 20th century. His translation uses Jehová at Jude 14, and nearly 100 footnotes suggest the divine name as a likely rendering ...
Interestingly, under the heading “Tetragrammaton in the New Testament,” The Anchor Bible Dictionary makes this comment: “There is some evidence that the Tetragrammaton, the Divine Name, Yahweh, appeared in some or all of the O[ld] T[estament] quotations in the N[ew] T[estament] when the NT documents were first penned.” And scholar George Howard says: “Since the Tetragram was still written in the copies of the Greek Bible [the Septuagint] which made up the Scriptures of the early church, it is reasonable to believe that the N[ew] T[estament] writers, when quoting from Scripture, preserved the Tetragram within the biblical text."

So you have various other translations, various Biblical Scholars etc who defend putting back the Name of Jehovah in the Bible translations both in English and other languages.