People's Edit

God's Name in the Bible

Opinion | People's Edit | Neli Linus | 15-Sep-2021

1. YHWH or YAHWEH (also JHWH)

This is the personal name of the God of Israel. The Name of God was revealed to Moses in the Book of Exodus (Ex 3:14). The term YHWH or JHWH became popular as Yahweh or Jehovah in popular translation. The pronunciation “Yahweh” gradually derived from the Hebrew Bible comprising four consonants shown below.

 YHWH is the combination of four consonants of Hebrew words Y (Yod), H (Heh), W (Waw), and H (Heh), thus, combined consonants form as YHWH (YeHoWaHeh, known as tetragrammaton, that is, four-letter Hebrew word, which is read from right to left). Hence, the popular writing of the Divine Name: Yahweh, Yehovah, or Jehovah (note: “Jehovah” became common Martin Luther from German Bible translation). The meaning of the name is uncertain, and the suggestions are too numerous to cite here.

 2. Catholic Teaching on the Holy Name “Yahweh” (YHWH)

Pope Benedict banned on using God’s real name YAHWEH. In August 2008, the Holy See (the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments) issued a directive to all Bishops’ Conferences regarding the use of “Yahweh” in liturgical settings, sacred music and public prayer.  The Congregation instructed to use the Hebrew title “Adonai” or the Greek word “Kyrios” meaning “Lord”. Two reasons were given:

 Christians have never used this name to address God in public worship. Indeed, “Yahweh” first appeared in Catholic hymns in the early 1970s. This happened largely through the influence of The Jerusalem Bible, whose English translation appeared in 1966, and slowly many Catholic academics appreciated this innovative translation and began to use “Yahweh” in composed hymns and prayers instead of “Lord” and “God”.

 The actual oral pronunciation of “Yahweh” is considered potentially offensive to Jewish people. Recognizing the long-standing prohibition among Jewish people against uttering the Divine Name, some argued that Christians should respect the Jewish people and not do what they would consider objectionable, even sacrilegious.

 The Holy See explains that the Divine Name as revealed in the Old Testament is YHWH, and the Church holds the Holy Name of God unpronounceable as an expression of reverence for the infinite greatness and majesty of God (Divine Personal Name of God). Hence, the use of the name “Yahweh” (YHWH = tetragrammaton) is to be avoided in liturgical settings.

 3.  Historical Background

Historically, out of reverence, the Divine Name was rendered in Hebrew as Adonai (in Greek “Kyrios”, in Latin “Dominus’, in English “Lord”, in Italian “Signore”, in Spanish “Senõr”, in German “Herr”, in Portuguese “Seigneur”, etc.). There was a time when people read the biblical text aloud they always substituted “Adonai” (Lord) instead of pronouncing “YHWH” (God). It is noted that the first Christians called “Jesus by the term ‘Lord” (Kyrios in Greek)”.

 

The divine Name “Yahweh” also appears as part of a hyphenated construction of the name of a particular place: e.g. “Yahweh-yireh” (Gen 22:14), meaning “God / LORD provides,” and “Yahweh-shalom” (Jdg 6:24), meaning “God /LORD is peace.” Note the difference in biblical rendering of the Name YHWH, written in English translation as LORD (all in capital letters), and for the Adonai “Lord” (only the initial capital).

 4. Seven Names of God in Rabbinic Judaism

Rabbinic Judaism considers at least seven names of God (the names of God are so holy that, once written, they should not be erased: YHWH (God), El (God), Eloah (God), Elohim (God), Shaddai (Almighty), Ehyeh (I Am), and Tzevaot (of Hosts).

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5.  Pastoral Context in Our Region

Catholic Bibles and Liturgy do not use “Jehovah,” and not even “Yahweh” (until recently as mentioned above, and hence, the instruction from the Holy See prohibiting it). While God’s Name is not commendably pronounced for theological reasons, a down-to-earth spiritual relationship is introduced by our Lord Jesus Christ as “Abba, Father” (Mk 14:36; Rom 8:15) and “Our Father” (Mt 6:9; Lk 11:2). Hence, the reverential use of the Most Holy Name is indisputable.

 In Protestant dominated region, we frequently hear our separated brethren liberally invoking “Jehovah” in their prayers and public worship services.

 In our region, all faithful (especially Parish Priests, Preachers, Catechists, Church leaders and Bible Translators) should prudently avoid using the personal name of the Divine. It is recommendable that all informed Catholics share the teachings of the Church with other Catholic members.

 (The Author is a Senior Priest in the Archdiocese of Imphal. He is also the Episcopal Advisor of NECARF. Views expressed are his own)

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