Jehovah or Yahweh?

[FatherMerrin]

Which is the “true” name of God according to Catholic doctrine, Jehovah or Yahweh? I just wanted a crystal-clear answer on this topic, as I’ve been getting conflicted replies from different sources.

 

[porthos11]

Jehovah is out. That is a misreading because of the inappropriate pronounciation of the Masoretic vowel marks put in around the divine Name. Those were not meant to be pronounced; they were reminders to readers that whenever the Name appeared, the word “adonai” was to be said instead.

That said, we also don’t know the precise pronounciation with certainty because Hebrew has no vowels, and the vowel marks in the Masoretic texts are not the authentic pronounciation as I just explained. All we can do is speculate that Yahweh is the most likely pronounciation due to the context of the Scriptures.

And finally, the only “official” pronouncement of the Church with regards to the Divine Name is that it is not to be used in formal contexts, such as in liturgy. That’s why some novel songs that used the name had to be revised them to remove it. And because of this, it would be good for Catholics to not use the Name as well in casual use, and especially when not necessary.

 

[BartholomewB]

Which is the “true” name of God according to Catholic doctrine, Jehovah or Yahweh?

Neither. Catholic doctrine has never addressed this question. The Jerusalem Bible (a Catholic translation originating from the Dominicans’ school of Biblical studies in Jerusalem) used “Yahweh” in the earlier editions, but that doesn’t make it Catholic doctrine.

 

[dscath]

you may never find a “crystal clear” answer, but not sure its a hill worth dying on anyway…here is what USCCB say regarding use in liturgy.

https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-wo...sked-questions/the-name-of-god-in-the-liturgy

 

[John_Martin]

‘I AM’ is God’s name if you speak English.
AHYH, 1st person, (not YHWH - 3rd person) for Hebrew. ( The Name | SoftVocation )

 

[FatherMerrin]

Shoot. And here I was hoping Indiana Jones had it right.

 

[White_Tree]

Which is the “true” name of God according to Catholic doctrine, Jehovah or Yahweh? I just wanted a crystal-clear answer on this topic, as I’ve been getting conflicted replies from different sources.

There is not one name. There are many names given in the Hebrew scriptures, such as Iod-Havah (יהוה), Elohim (אלהים), Iod-Havah Elohim (יהוה אלהים), El (אל), Eheieh Asher Eheieh (אהיה אשר אהיה), Elohim Gibor (אלהים גבור), and many others. The specific name that is used indicates the particular aspect of God that is being addressed in that verse.

As for the pronunciation, as @porthos11 has stated, there are no vowels, and the true pronunciation is a secret. I do not recommend “Yahweh.”

 

[porthos11]

Yeah see they got that wrong too. “Iehovah” is also not in the Latin even with an I. The Latin followed the Septuagint convention and used the word “Dominus” wherever the divine Name appeared. This corresponds to the Hebrew substitution of “adonai” whenever the Name appeared.

“Jehovah” is in rare places in the King James, but as it has never appeared in the Vulgate, it also does not appear in the Douay-Rheims.

So I don’t know what Indiana Jones and his gang have been smoking, but I want some.

 

[John_Martin]

So I don’t know what Indiana Jones and his gang have been smoking, but I want some

Was the search for the grail a pre- or post-protestant phenomenon? Although I guess that would not matter.

 

[BartholomewB]

Was the search for the grail a pre- or post-protestant phenomenon?

Definitely pre. The earliest mention, as far as I’m aware, is in the Arthurian literature. Joseph of Arimathea was said to have brought the grail with him to Glastonbury.

 

[FatherMerrin]

So that basically means Jones was screwed. That’s…kind of hilarious.

 

[Xarto]

I prefer YHWH but Pope Benedict XVI asked asked that we do not use the sacred name of God out of respect. That is why you will not see it in recent Catholic Bibles.

 

[StudentMI]

I thought he just meant don’t use it in the liturgy or Bike translations?

 

[Xarto]

If we do not use it there then we probably shouldn’t use it anywhere. We are following the Jews in this custom, I’d guarantee they do not use it at all.

 

[Eric_Hyom]

‘I AM’ is God’s name

Whether we call God Jehovah or Yahweh; it does not change who God is. God’s ways are above our ways, we cannot comprehend the depths of God. I AM, is probably the greater way to try and search for who God is.

 

[FatherMerrin]

Why not? Is there anything particularly wrong with Yahweh?

 

[Bithynian]

Yahweh

Nothing wrong as such, but it’s a 19th century hypothetical reconstruction of how some early Jewish peoples might have pronounced the tetragrammaton יהוה. Regardless of how accurate this reconstruction might be (and it probably is), the sustained practice of the Church, in acknowledgement of the same being done so by our Jewish forebears, is to refrain from vocalising the tetragrammaton and instead substituting ‘Lord’.

Fun fact: post-biblical Judaism generally restricts the use of אדני adonai ‘Lord’ to liturgy, whilst using השׁם hashem ‘the name’ in ordinary discourse.

 

[White_Tree]

Why not? Is there anything particularly wrong with Yahweh?

Maybe.

My teacher, who has quite a bit of experience with angels and demons told me that the name “Yahweh” actually corresponds to a very powerful demon.

We don’t know how it came to be viewed as the correct pronunciation of the Holy Name, but we speculate that it was introduced into common acceptance either by rabbis who wanted to punish the gentiles for the blasphemy of attempting to pronounce the Name, or by people who worshiped this demon, and wanted others to (inadvertently) worship him too.

Is he correct? He has quite a bit of experience with these things, and to the degree that I’ve been able to verify his teachings for myself, he’s almost always turned out to be right, so I tend to trust him, but I’ve never encountered that demon myself, so I honestly don’t know. But just to be safe, I personally don’t use “Yahweh.” It’s easy enough to avoid. There are plenty of other plausible pronunciations for the Holy Name, and at any rate, we probably shouldn’t be pronouncing it anyways.

 

[porthos11]

And that same Bible says:

"And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12.

What is that name? Yes, we must call upon the name of the Lord to be saved. But Acts 4:10 tells us what that Name is: it is the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who is the Lord. The human name given him by his human parents, the Name that is now above all other names because he he was obedient even to death on a cross (cf. Philippians 2:8-9).

That’s why Christians have traditionally deferred from pronouncing the Divine Name, but in the same vein reverenced and spoke the name of Jesus, because it is with this human name that the Divine Person redeemed man.

 

[AlNg]

Which is the “true” name of God according to Catholic doctrine, Jehovah or Yahweh?

I don’t see where the spelling matters too much. It is all a translation anyway.