Bible Question:
Can anyone tell me if the original Greek and Hebrew texts of the NEW Testment used the name of Yahweh? If the answer is no, the what name did they use for GOD? Please identify your source references |
Bible Answer: Since there are no vowel letters in Hebrew like we have in English, some translating of words can not be exact in pronuciaton. Specificaly, the word "LORD" as seen first in Gen. 2:4 and throught the Old Testament, is the "Divine Name" of God used in Biblical Hebrew from four letters "yhwh" or "jhvh" (english letters)from the Hebrew letters/vowels "yud hay vav hay". It is a sort of "contraction" or "abbreviation" of an unspeakable name. There is no exact English transliteration and is never spoken by orthodox Jews. English bibles have translated it either by "Yahweh" or "Jehovah". Neither is absolutely correct, but either is as close as we can come in English. In the readings of scripture, Jews will substitute "Elohim" or "Adonay" for that "YHVH" when it appears. It is offensive and prohibitive to speak that "Divine Name" of God. It is that name "LORD" as we see it in the Old Testament. It is also known as the "Tetragrammatron". There is no such word in the Greek. |