Do you really believe his name is Jehovah?

by Why Georgia 34 Replies latest watchtower bible

• 

  Why Georgia

  I read an article somewhere when I first started studying with the JW's that said that the name Jehovah was actually just a hypothesis from a monk in the year 700 or some other thing.

  I don't remember if this is correct in the year or where I read it - I read so many things when I first learned what the witnesses were really about. Everything I could get my hands on.

  But for some reason I don't know why but calling God Jehovah just really bugs me and always makes me think of the witnesses.

  Does it bother anybody else and do you think if he exists his name really is Jehovah?
• 

  Satanus

  Jewish mythology is no more real than the greek or the roman. Sure there is something, but the egoist yhwh isn't it.

  S
• 

  Satanus

  You may be thinking of the catholic who invented the name. It's stated in the wt 'aide' book, pg 884, 885:

  The pronunciations "Jehovah" and "Yahweh"

  By combining the vowel signs of 'Adho

  ?n ay' and

  'Elo

  ? him' with the four consonants of the Tetragrammaton

  the pronunciations Yeho

  ?w ah' and Yeho

  wih' were formed . The first of these provided the basis

  for the Latinized form "Jehova (h) ." The first recorded

  use of this form dates from the thirteenth

  century C .E . Raymundus Martini, a Spanish monk of

  the Dominican Order, used it in his book

  Pugeo

  Fidei of

  the year 1270 .

  Hebrew scholars generally favor "Yahweh" as the

  most likely pronunciation .

  S
• 

  the_classicist

  Well, you'll never know what the real name is. Jehovah is just and anglicised version of the tetragrammation which contains no vowels. Its like the name John. In Latin it is Ioannnes (pron. Yo-han-nez), but in Gaelic it is Sean (the S having an sh sound in gaelic). There is evidence, however, that the divine name of God was never used by the majority of Christians and that Jesus most likely did not use it because there is strong evidence that it was considered blasphemy to even say it (cf. Life of Brian).
• 

  Satanus

  Good point classicist. In the nt greek, the name does not occur even one time. The only reason it's in the nwt, is because the wt put it in their own stupid bible.

  S
• 

  SixofNine

  Yes, when you think about just how much Jehoma Williams'sesses have invested into that name, and the way they wield it like a talisman, and then you realize the weak (and bad faith) research that went into their deciding to use it the way they do.... well, it's enough to either make you laugh or cry.
• 

  TresHappy

  I believe Jehovah is false transliteration of YHWH
• 

  JustTickledPink

  The whole thing is truly silly, because we have changed the word into English and pronounce it differently than they would have pronounced it thousands of years ago. So to me it's a pointless issue.

  I loved how the JWs used to say "you can't address him just by God because it's a title like Mr or Mrs, you aren't addresssing Him by his name"

  OK, using that reasoning, who else is listening???? I mean I was sold the idea that God listens to my silent prayers, if I am praying and I use the term God, is he going to get confused? God will be thinking.. "is she talking to me??" Like WHO ELSE OUT THERE IS LISTENING???? Do you get my point? Why can't you use a title, since "Mr.President" is being used for the ONE AND ONLY president of the United States... I mean if I say God and there is only one true God, why wouldn't he answer? We were taught that the false Gods were just human inventions, so if they aren't real, then surely they won't be getting all confused up there in heaven.
• 

  Narkissos

  WHO ELSE OUT THERE IS LISTENING????

  Good point JTP; but this argument which is plain silly in the context of monotheism unwittingly points back to the only original context where the name Yhwh really made sense, i.e. polytheism.

  The sacralisation or "taboo-isation" of the name Yhwh and its subsequent substitution with "Lord" or "God" was just part of the desperate attempt to sweep polytheism under the carpet.
• 

  Will Power

  JTP

  OK, using that reasoning, who else is listening???? I mean I was sold the idea that God listens to my silent prayers, if I am praying and I use the term God, is he going to get confused? God will be thinking.. "is she talking to me??" Like WHO ELSE OUT THERE IS LISTENING????

  I love that! Same as eating turkey on dec 25 with close family & friends. Will God get confused and think you mean Citronella, Saturnilla when you give thanks before the meal, just cause it is on that day? How bout when you show affection to your cat? will he get jealous that the egyptians used to worship them...... Or that cool celtic pattern on your wallpaper?

  You get what I mean. I never met a bunch so supertituous & paranoid. If you don't believe in more than 1 god, how can you accidently worship them, something you don't even believe exists?

  I think every discussion a JW ever has should be tape recorded, so that they can listen to themselves later.