A Curiosity

by ozziepost 32 Replies latest watchtower bible

  • Dark Knight
    Dark Knight

    But does anyone know why Byington would leave the publishing rights to the WTS?

    Did he become a JW later in life?

    DK

  • Stephanus
    Stephanus
    Curious too that the WTS should believe it has a mortgage on the use of the name "Jehovah". As others here have indicated, the name is not hidden from churchgoers. Quite the opposite in fact. One of my favourite old hymns is "Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah". Sung by Bryn Tyrfel it's just magic!

    Ozzie, one of the projects that is currently on my back burner and which I devote time to when I can, is listing "Christendom's" hymns and choruses that use the name Jehovah (and Jah, Yahweh, etc.) My hunch is that when complete, the list will be greater than that in the Dub "Hymnal" (especially when you consider that not all the Dub songs mention "the divine name").

    Just a small sample:

    Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah

    Jehovah Is Our Strength

    Great Jehovah, Mighty Lord

    Jehovah, God The Father, Bless (can't see the Dubs getting excited about THIS one )

    Sing To The Great Jehovah's Praise

    Jehovah is My Light

    Yahweh, God Of Holiness

  • Stephanus
    Stephanus

    BTW Ozzie, about 8 years ago I brought up the hymn you named to some Dub ladies who were claiming that only the 'Tower used "The Divine Name (tm)". Without even thinking (bad thing to do if you're a Dub) they immediately said, "Well, we don't use all that archaic, hard to understand language". To which I replied "You don't understand the meaning of 'Thou'"???

    It was that conversation that inspired the project I mentioned in the above post.

  • mustang
    mustang

    HS,

    The original Emphatic Diaglott (by Benjamin West) was left to the WTBTS under similar cirucmstances. Was this perhaps what you were thinking of?

    Mustang

  • hillary_step
    hillary_step

    Mustang,

    No, I am sure that Byington's translation ended up at the WTS Printery under the same circumstances. Byington, and again this is coming from a possibly flawed memory, was impressed at the WTS using 'Jehovah' in their translation and felt that they would protect the veracity of his translation. I would need to root out my notes to be sure though.

    HS

  • mustang
    mustang

    OK HS,

    Just checking

    BTW, these corporate creatures of the missionary/"on a mission" flavor had certain things in common: a belief in the mission (need to do the preaching), target audiences, orders to be filled and (sometimes) printing presses and capacity.

    So, sometimes one Church oriented organization would have another group do printing runs for them. Or, if the other organization had language capabilities that were needed, some such strange alliance of convenience would happen.

    "Professional" acquaintances and similar needs often make for "strange bedfellows". These circumstances often add to such "curiosities" as these.

    Mustang

    .

  • ozziepost
    ozziepost

    Contributing to the mystery is that the WT Publications Index only has a few references to it and then very little is revealed.

    I seem to recall that H.S. point about the will is correct. Even then, why publish it? If Byington is not a member of the F&DS, then how could his translation be promoted by "Jehovah's earthly organization"?

    It seems contradictory.

    Then again, they don't use it! It was produced in beautiful blue hardbinding, so one would have expected that it would endure. But no!

    Perhaps the will made a very large donation to the WTS?

    Yep, a curiosity.

    Cheers, Ozzie

    P.S. Mrs Ozzie says hi to ya H.S.

  • mizpah
    mizpah

    Ozzie:

    I think Hilary is right. As I recall, something was said about Byington's wife leaving the rights to the Watchtower Society so that his translation would be published and distributed as a memorial to him. But I don't remember the details.

  • RunningMan
    RunningMan

    I suspect that the reason that they published it was so that they would have an outside authority who agreed with them. Whenever I saw references to Byington, it was always phrased in a manner that would indicate that he was an objective, unrelated, authority who backed up their claims.

    Hey, if no one agrees with you, sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands, and create your own references.

  • Perry
    Perry

    Maybe it was as simple as Mizpah says. When you are a gigantic printing company, and this is the source of your income......you gotta keep those presses rolling. I'm sure the GB repented of their spiritual fornication after the first million copies.

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