Yahweh or no Yahweh?

[MH84]

Right you are, porthos! I once perused my friend’s Missal with readings from the JB instead of the NAB, and “LORD” was used in the readings where “Yahweh” was in the JB itself.

The EWTN Daily Mass, when it was allowed to use the JB lectionary, also had “LORD”.

You’re right. In Oz the lectionary is based on the JB and they replace Yahweh with ‘Lord’.

 

[Dr_M]

YHWH is more of defintion rather than a name for God.

I’d rather follow Jesus example of calling God Father,

Aleluya means to Praise God, Praise YHWH.

I’m sure God will understand either way how we address him, because of Is 44:6

 

[skaquanaut]

I went to this site on vatican.va and searched in page for YHWH and found it helpful as I did these threads, hope it is helpful for others.

vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p4s1c2a2.htm

Let me know what you think.

Thanks be to God, this will be my wife and I’s second anniversary as Catholics, this Easter.

God bless.

 

[Axion]

I feel very uncomfortable with Yahweh.

As some others here have said, it is a modern construction made up of what some recent academics THINK might have been the way YHWH might have been pronounced - if it had actually been pronounced at all.

As well as being possibly innacurate, to me it seems preseumptuous and disrespectful. The name was never pronounced by Jews, it has no Tradition behind it, and it would seem like going up to the Queen and saying “Hi Lizzie.”

I always pass over it mentally when I come across it, and if it is not meant to be read, why place it there?

The lectionary has it right, I think. Use LORD.

 

[Huiou_Theou]

… it is a modern construction made up of what some recent academics THINK might have been the way YHWH might have been pronounced - if it had actually been pronounced at all.

I would agree that it is possibly erroneous. Eg: I got in over my head here:
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?p=4576349#post4576349

But, we do know how Judah is pronounced which carries almost exactly the same spelling – with an explanation suggesting it is related to God’s name…
(That’t not proof, but suggestion of a direction to look…)

Furthurmore , in some of the Talmuds, the Jewish people record that the sacred name was in fact spoken in temple prayer – but that the name became increasingly less used with time – up and until a point where it was spoken so quietly that no one could hear it anymore – and hence, later generations ceased saying it altogether.

So, the tradition has changed since the name was first revealed. Not only that, but the name was Spoken to Moses as the name he was to use (verbally) in explaining which God it was that gave the command.

Lord is quite appropriate, and I think Yahweh is likely wrong, none the less – the explanations given in the Vatican articles cited in the other thread clearly do not thoroughly answer the question of “why” it is this way today.

Pax Christi – Andrew

 

[GreatScott7]

I think it’s pretty interesting as to how Yahweh fell out of use among the Jews, being replaced with Jehovah or Lord, etc. Mostly cause it all goes back to our boy Judas Maccabee, who was like the Jason Bourne of the OT.

When the Temple got defiled by Antiochus, there was a big period of rampant Law breaking and all sorts of terrible things happening. After the revolt, to keep it from happening again, alot of the Rabbinic traditions got put in to prevent people from even getting close to breaking it again.

For example, people blasphemed God’s name. So to keep them from defiling it and breaking the 2nd commandment, (or 3rd, for any Protestants out there) they made it blasphemy to even say God’s name. That’s why Jesus was crucified- because he said, “For since before the days of Abraham, I AM.” It was a double whammy of blasphemy to the Jews- saying God’s name, and claiming to be Him.

Another reason why Christians stopped using Yahweh was because… well, we didn’t much like Jews, what with the whole “killing God” and “selling us out the the Romans” thing. That’s also why the observance of the Saturday sabbath was officially changed to Sunday in the 400s- keeping Saturday was just too Jewish.

Also, the Bible says, first in Joel 2:32, than Acts 2:21, “And it shall come to pass, that everyone who calls upon the name of the LORD will be saved.” It also says elsewhere in the Old Testament, that people would “call upon the name of the LORD” to have miracles and what not happen. Also, God told Moses “God said to Moses: I AM WHO AM. He said: Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel: HE WHO IS, hath sent me to you.” in Exodus 3:14. In Isaiah 12:4, for example, people were told to proclaim His name to all nations. Why not proclaim His titles, or His roles? Because His name does that for Him.

Sorry I quoted more verses than a fundie- it’s just that the Bible is what I have on hand, so it’s what I referenced in looking this up.

 

[Splinker]

Saying “I Am” or Yahweh, is not saying God’s name. It would not, I believe, constitute blasephmy. No more than calling God “Hashem” would.

Are you explainign why Yahweh fell out of fashion with Jews or with Christians. You mention both (I assume one is a mistake).