YHWH

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Ammonius_Saccus

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Why don’t Catholics call God YHWH (or Yahwah)? Do Catholics consider YHWH to be the Father or all the Trinity?
 
Yahweh isn’t the Father alone; Yahweh is God, the Trinity. We don’t use the term Yahweh because a ) we don’t speak Hebrew, and b ) it’s traditionally not a word to be used casually, so those who did/do speak Hebrew don’t toss it around. There’s nothing wrong with using it, however, it’s just not required.

Everything that “Yahweh” means is summed up in the Creed at every Mass.

Peace and God bless!
 
Ammonius_Saccus said:
Why don’t Catholics call God YHWH (or Yahwah)? Do Catholics consider YHWH to be the Father or all the Trinity?
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Tradition. The word was translated as kyrie or dominus (Lord) in early translations, partly because of a taboo on pronouncing it.

In Hebrew it may be a meaningless list of vowels, or it might mean “I am”, or it might be the remains of a proper name.

Interestingly Jupiter was originally Jove, pronounced “Yowe”, but there doesn’t seem to be a connection between the two names. However it is an uncanny coincidence.
 
Ammonius_Saccus said:
No, they are consonants. The Hebrew is יהוה

These are consonants. Vav is a semi-vowel. Just like W is in English.
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Yodh can be either a consonant (y) or a vowel (i)
eg yerushalayim (Jerusalem) - the first yodh is a y, second an i.

Vav is either a v / w or an o / u sound. (David and dod, uncle, are spelt the same but pronounced differently)

He is not always pronounced. ha- at the front of the word is the definite article, and aspirated. Terminal he is the way of forming the feminine (dod, uncle, dodah, aunt) and is prounced as an a.

So all the letters can be used as non-consonants or carriers for vowels, which probably isn’t a coincidence.
 
Malcolm_McLean said:
Tradition. The word was translated as kyrie or dominus (Lord) in early translations, partly because of a taboo on pronouncing it.

In Hebrew it may be a meaningless list of vowels, or it might mean “I am”, or it might be the remains of a proper name.

Interestingly Jupiter was originally Jove, pronounced “Yowe”, but there doesn’t seem to be a connection between the two names. However it is an uncanny coincidence.
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Actually, it is more likely “He is.” “I am” is “ehyeh.” See the Hebrew for the passage in Exodus 3 where God reveals his Name to Moses.
 
Malcolm_McLean said:
Tradition. The word was translated as kyrie or dominus (Lord) in early translations, partly because of a taboo on pronouncing it.

In Hebrew it may be a meaningless list of vowels, or it might mean “I am”, or it might be the remains of a proper name.

Interestingly Jupiter was originally Jove, pronounced “Yowe”, but there doesn’t seem to be a connection between the two names. However it is an uncanny coincidence.
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Not to derail the thread any further than it already is, but since I think the original question has been answered anyway— 🙂

I thought there actually was a connection? Jah Pater, Father God? Also related to Zeus Pater, same meaning?

I also read somewhere that Native Cherokee Indians worshiped a three-in-one deity they called Yohweh. Anybody else ever read this?
 
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