Jehovah's Witnesses originated as a branch of the Bible Student movement, which developed in the United States in the 1870s.The Bible I read uses the name 'Yahweh' all the way through, and I find it quite trying, actually.
It is a term, rather than a name, imo. God doesn't need a name, to distinguish Himself from other gods. God IS -- whatever the name attached by human beings and their various faiths.
I know this is controversial but God doesn't require anyone to address Him as a named individual, except perhaps as a mark of respect -- as in Lord. God hears all sincere prayer, whatever the time or place or religion, whatever the name assigned. God doesn't have a 'name' imo
In English the 'name' should really be written as I AM. But LORD does the job, especially in parts like the Psalms.
I also do not believe it is justified to substitute the name Jehovah for LORD in the New Testament, which was written in Greek and did not even use the Hebrew tetragrammaton?
1530 in William Tyndale’s translation of the Pentateuch. God’s name at Genesis 15:2 He used the form “Iehouah.”.
The Authorized King James Version (1611) renders IEHOVAH at:
Psalms 83:18 That men may knowe, that thou, whose name alone is IEHOVAH: art the most High ouer all the earth.
Over time, the English language changed, and the spelling of the divine name was modernized. For example, in 1612, Henry Ainsworth used the form “Iehovah” throughout his translation of the book of Psalms. Then, in 1639, when that work was revised and printed with the Pentateuch, the form “Jehovah” was used.
This all happened long before the Jehovah's Witnesses became a group, in the 1870s.
The Hebrews may not pronounce the name of God, but they have never removed it from their Holy Scriptures In the Hebrew text, it is in there Today and it never has been removed since the time of Moses when it first was written. It is even written in the Hebrew new Testament.
IHOT (In English order)
Psalms 83:18 H3045 וידעו That may know H3588 כי that H859 אתה thou, H8034 שׁמך whose name H3068 יהוה JEHOVAH, H905 לבדך alone H5945 עליון the most high H5921 על over H3605 כל all H776 הארץ׃ the earth.
יהוה Hebrew Gospel of Matthew Chapter 1:
הִיא יֹלֶדֶת בֵּן וְקָרָאתָ אֶת־שְׁמוֹ יֵשׁוּעַ כִּי הוּא יוֹשִׁיעַ אֶת־עַמּוֹ מֵחַטֹּאתֵיהֶם׃ כא
וְכָל־זֹאת הָיְתָה לְמַלֹּאת אֵת אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּר יְהוָֹה בְּיַד־הַנָּבִיא לֵאמֹר׃ כב
הִנֵּה הָעַלְמָה הָרָה וְיֹלֶדֶת בֵּן וְקָרְאוּ שְׁמוֹ עִמָּנוּאֵל אֲשֶׁר יֵאָמֵר אֵל עִמָּנוּ׃ כג
וַיִּיקַץ יוֹסֵף מִשְּׁנָתוֹ וַיַּעַשׂ כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה אֹתוֹ מַלְאַךְ יְהוָֹה וַיִּקַּח אֶת־אִשְׁתּוֹ׃ כד
וְלֹא יָדַע אֹתָהּ עַד כִּי־יָלְדָה בֵּן אֶת־בְּכוֹרָהּ וַיִּקְרָא אֶת־שְׁמוֹ יֵשׁוּעַ׃ כה
Last edited: