No more Yahweh or Jehovah?

[losh14]

So I’m a latecomer to the announcement that no longer will the Tetragrammaton be pronounced as part of liturgical worship. This is out of respect, I believe for the Name.

I noticed this when we were singing “You are near” and I kept falling off rhythm as I was trying to include “Yahweh”. This is a song I’d not sang since I was probably a child, just a reflection of the differences between the parish I grew up in, the one we usually attend (which, I’m told, uses a Canadian book of hymns instead of a U.S. version), and the one we went to last weekend when we had to change our normal Sunday schedule.

So do we no longer say “Jehovah” or “Adonai” or are we just avoiding the Tetragrammaton? And isn’t the Tetragrammaton only an abbreviation or a reference to His name, which is much longer and is never pronounced by anyone, and not even written down?

Are we barred from using Yahweh in private prayer?

 

[MarkThompson]

So I’m a latecomer to the announcement that no longer will the Tetragrammaton be pronounced as part of liturgical worship. This is out of respect, I believe for the Name.

I noticed this when we were singing “You are near” and I kept falling off rhythm as I was trying to include “Yahweh”. This is a song I’d not sang since I was probably a child, just a reflection of the differences between the parish I grew up in, the one we usually attend (which, I’m told, uses a Canadian book of hymns instead of a U.S. version), and the one we went to last weekend when we had to change our normal Sunday schedule.

So do we no longer say “Jehovah” or “Adonai” or are we just avoiding the Tetragrammaton? And isn’t the Tetragrammaton only an abbreviation or a reference to His name, which is much longer and is never pronounced by anyone, and not even written down?

Are we barred from using Yahweh in private prayer?

No, in private prayer it’s fine; the directive from the Holy See applies to “liturgical celebrations.” Adonai is definitely okay, as it means “Lord,” although I’m less sure about “Jehovah.” Anyway, you may want to read the letter from the Congregation for Divine Worship, here (pdf), which hopefully will answer your questions.

 

[japhy]

We should say Dominus or its translation, “Lord”. I suppose Adonai is acceptable as well.

Jehovah is essentially the German spelling of Yahweh; when pronounced in German, it sounds like Yahweh.