Pronouncing the Divine Name: An Explanation

Monsignor Pedro Lopez-Gallo, of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver, explains why the Catholic Church is not allowing the divine name YHWH to be pronounced in the liturgy. He wrote:

The translation of the Septuagint was inherited by the early Christians, and the Fathers of the Church frequently used this version. As mentioned by the document, they concluded that during this pre-Christian era, the four Hebrew letters YHWH were translated as the Greek word Kyrios, which means Lord.

The Vatican, therefore, in editing the document, uses the argument of tradition and the theological meaning of God as revealed by Christ, as the One and Triune God.

Today, only octogenarian priests remember that in the former breviary, the prayer book of priests, was the proclamation of faith called Quicumque, meaning Whoever, which said:

“Whoever wishes to be saved must believe that this is the Catholic faith: We worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in unity; neither confusing the persons nor dividing the substance. The three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, are distinct, but they possess one Godhead, equal glory, and co-eternal majesty....”

The Apostles' Creed which we recite on Sundays is the same: "I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, Our Lord," and later, "I believe in the Holy Spirit."

So continues this most beautiful and fervent proclamation on the Holy Trinity, that is not included in the four Hebrew letters YHWH.

To me, to ban the pronunciation of the divine name because it does not proclaim the Holy Trinity, is not good theology. If the God of the New Testament is the same God of the Old Testament, then the concept of the Trinity, although not explicit in the divine name, is implicit in the nature of the God of the Bible The same “I AM” (ἐγὠ εἰμι) of Exodus 3:14 is the same “I AM” (ἐγὠ εἰμι) of John 8:24.

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

Tags: Divine Name, I AM, Jesus, YHWH

Pronouncing the Divine Name - Part 3

This is the third post on pronouncing the divine name. Read Part 1 here. Read part 2 here.

In his introduction to the article on YHWH in the Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, David Noel Freedman wrote (p. 5:500): “The correct pronunciation of the name was lost from Jewish tradition some time during the Middle Ages; late in the period of the Second Temple the name had come to be regarded as unspeakably holy and therefore unsuitable for use in public reading.”

The primary reason for this reluctance to pronounce the divine name is unknown. In the book of Deuteronomy, God’s name is called “this glorious and fearful name” (Deuteronomy 28:58). In Leviticus, the word “Hashem,” “the Name” stands for the Tetragrammaton (Leviticus 24:11). Probably it was the fear of profaning God’s name (Leviticus 22:2) that prompted Israel to restrict the use of the divine name.

Post-exilic books such as Esther, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs do not use the Tetragrammaton. In the book of Daniel, a book that probably reflects the situation in the days of the Maccabees (2nd century B.C.), the name of God appears only in chapter 9.

The translators of the Septuagint followed the Jewish community’s tradition regarding the use of the divine name. The Septuagint translates the divine name as Kyrios, Lord. The writers of the New Testament followed Jewish practice and also used the word Kyrios to translate the divine name. A good example is seen in Joel 2:32:

MT: “And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of YHWH shall be saved.”

LXX: “And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord (Kyrios) shall be saved.”

NT: “For, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord (Kyrios) shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

In the New Testament the name “Lord,” the same word used in the Septuagint to translate the divine name YHWH, becomes a title used to identify Jesus Christ.

Josephus, writing in the Antiquities of the Jews (c. 94 A.D.) abstained from using the divine name. He wrote:

“Moses having now seen and heard these wonders that assured him of the truth of these promises of God, had no room left him to disbelieve them; he entreated him to grant him that power when he should be in Egypt; and besought him to vouchsafe him the knowledge of his own name; and, since he had heard and seen him, that he would also tell him his name, that when he offered sacrifice he might invoke him by such his name in his oblations. Whereupon God declared to him his holy name, which had never been discovered to men before; concerning which it is not lawful for me to say any more” (Ant. 2, 12, 4).

William Whiston, the translator of Antiquities added a note to Josephus’s statement. He wrote (p. 80) that the fear of pronouncing “the name with four letters, which of late we have been used falsely to pronounce Jehovah . . . is never, I think, heard of, till this passage of Josephus.” Josephus was also unwilling to write down the words of the Ten Commandments. Josephus wrote: “And they all heard a voice that came to all of them from above, insomuch that no one of these words escaped them, which Moses wrote on two tables; which it is not lawful for us to set down directly” (Ant. 3,5,4). According to Whiston, the fear to pronounce God’s name and the reluctance to write down the words of the Decalogue were taught to Josephus by the Pharisees.

The prohibition concerning the pronunciation of the divine name also appears in the Talmud. For instance, in the Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Sanhedrin 90a is written:

All Israel have a portion in the world to come, for it is written, ‘thy people are all righteous; they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified’ but the following have no portion therein: he who maintains that resurrection is not a biblical doctrine, the torah was not divinely revealed, and an epikoros [an adherent of the Epicurean philosophy]. R. Akiba added: one who reads uncanonical books. Also one who whispers [a charm] over a wound and says, I will bring none of these diseases upon thee which I brought upon the Egyptians: ‘for I am the Lord that healeth thee.’ Abba Saul says: also one who pronounces the divine name as it is spelt.

The fear of pronouncing the divine name may come from a possible misunderstanding of the meaning of the word נקב (naqab) in Leviticus 24:16. The New Revised Standard Version translates Leviticus 24:15-16 as follows: [15] And speak to the people of Israel, saying: Anyone who curses God shall bear the sin. [16] One who blasphemes the name of the LORD shall be put to death.”

The Septuagint, however, has a different understanding of the word. The Septuagint translates Leviticus 24:16 as follows: “And he that names the name of the Lord, let him die the death.” The Jewish Publication Society’s (TNK) translation of this verse follows the Septuagint: “[15] And to the Israelite people speak thus: Anyone who blasphemes his God shall bear his guilt; [16] if he also pronounces the name LORD, he shall be put to death.”

The text in which this legislation appears relates the story of a man whose mother was an Israelite and whose father was an Egyptian. This man was fighting with another man and in the process he blasphemed the name of God in a curse (Leviticus 24:10-16).

The NRSV translates Leviticus 24:11 as follows: “The Israelite woman's son blasphemed the Name in a curse.”

The TNK translates Leviticus 24:11 as follows: “The son of the Israelite woman pronounced the Name in blasphemy.”

Both translations render naqab as “blasphemy.” However, in Leviticus 26:16, the TNK translates the word naqab differently from the NRSV.

NRSV: “ One who blasphemes the name of the LORD shall be put to death.”

TNK: “if he also pronounces the name LORD, he shall be put to death.”

So, the issue in question is: does the word naqab mean “to blaspheme” or “to pronounce”? I believe that the proper interpretation of this text determines whether the divine name can be pronounced. According to J. Scharbert, the root naqab appears in most Semitic languages and it means “pierce, make a hole.” The word also appears in Akkadian with the meaning of “deflower.” However, the word never appears with the meaning “to pronounce.” Scharbet wrote (p. 552):

In Lev. 24:11,15f. naqab takes on a different nuance in conjunction with the name of Yahweh. Because the verb parallels the piel of qll, it is usually translated “blaspheme (the name of Yahweh).” The different legal consequences (“bear the sin” in the sense of “have to live with the curse conjured up by the act” vs. ‘be put to death"’ show that nqb denotes a more serious offense than qillel. “Cursing” refers to careless derogatory speech concerning God; “blaspheming” refers to deliberate slanderous speech concerning Yahweh, with explicit emphasis on Yahweh’s name. It is unlikely that this passage already interprets the prohibition against wrongful use of Yahweh’s name (Ex. 20:7; Dt. 5:11) as an absolute prohibition against any use whatever of the name. The text refers rather to a negative “branding” of the name of Yahweh.

God said: “I am YHWH, this is my name” (Isaiah 42:8). God also said: “This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation” (Exodus 3:15). Giving his name to Moses and to all Israel was an act of divine grace which demonstrated how serious God was in his desire to establish a personal relationship with his people. As Fretheim wrote in his commentary on Exodus:

Giving the name entails a certain kind of relationship; it opens up the possibility of, indeed admits a desire for, a certain intimacy in relationship. A relationship without a name inevitably means some distance; naming the name is necessary for closeness. Naming makes true encounter and communication possible. Naming entails availability. By giving the name, God becomes accessible to people. God and people can now meet one another and there can be address on the part of both parties.

So, I do not believe there is a biblical admonition against pronouncing God’s personal name. But, should Christians pronounce God’s name? Since God revealed his name, a name by which he wants to be remembered from generation to generation, I believe Christians should be free to use God’s personal name with respect and reverence. However, since we do not know how to pronounce the Tetragrammaton, the use of “Yahweh” may suffice. The name “Jehovah” should be avoided because such a name does not exist. However, people will continue to use it in traditional hymns; I prefer not to use it.

I seldom use God’s name in preaching; in this I follow the biblical tradition and use either “Lord” or “God.” I generally use ‘Yahweh” or “YHWH” when writing or teaching. In using the divine name, however, I remember the principle established by the Apostle Paul. Since my Jewish brothers and sisters may be offended by the use of the divine name, I do not use God’s name in their presence for I do not want to offend them.

REFERENCES;

Freedman, David N. “Yhwh.” Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament. Vo. 5. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1986.

Fretheim, Terence. Exodus. Interpretation. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1991

Scharbert, J. “Naqab.” Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament. Vo. 9. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1998

Whiston, William. The Life and Works of Flavius Josephus. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, n.d.

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

Tags: Divine Name, Leviticus 24, Lord, Yahweh, YHWH

Pronouncing the Divine Name - Part 2

In my last post (part 1 here), I discussed what I perceived to be the purpose of Liturgiam authenticam: a return of the Catholic Church to its historical traditions.

One aspect of this desire to remain faithful to traditional Catholic faith and practice is the church’s use of the divine name as it appears in the Nova Vulgate Editio. The directive to translate the Tetragrammaton YHWH by a word equivalent to the Latin Dominus and the Greek Kyrios reflects the desire to maintain the ancient traditions of the church.

The revelation of the divine name to Moses on Mount Sinai reflects God’s desire to enter into a special relationship with Israel. The holy and sovereign God, the creator of the universe, in an act of sheer grace, wanted to enter the history of a nation and deal with a people who would be entrusted to carry out his will in the world.

In order to establish this relationship, God wanted to make himself known to Israel and this revelation of himself to the people came through Moses. Thus, on Mount Sinai God appeared to Moses and commissioned him to return to Egypt and bring the people out of their oppression.

Until the time of Moses, the people of Israel and the chosen leaders of the people did not know the name of God. In the past, God had appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as El Shaddai, God Almighty (Exodus 6:3). This fact is attested in God’s words to Abraham: “When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said to him, “I am El Shaddai; walk before me, and be blameless” (Genesis 17:1).

In his encounter with the God of the ancestors, the identity of the God who was sending him back to Egypt became an item of concern to Moses. Moses said to God: “If I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” (Exodus 3:13).

Moses was aware that the people of Israel would be reluctant to follow an unknown God. Thus, the revelation of the divine name would establish a lasting relationship between God and Israel: Israel would be God’s people and God would be Israel’s God.

So, in response to Moses’ request, God said to Moses: “I AM WHO I AM.” Then God commanded Moses: “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I AM has sent me to you’” (Exodus 3:14).

In addition, God identified himself with the God of the ancestors. God said to Moses: “Say to the Israelites, ‘YHWH, the God of your fathers-- the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob-- has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation” (Exodus 3:15).

The origin, meaning, and theological significance of God’s name, YHWH, has produced a vast amount of literature but no definite consensus has been reached by scholars. The name YHWH appears more than 6,700 times in the Hebrew Bible (according to Charles Halton, the name appears 6,828 times). The name appears in every book of the Hebrew Bible except Esther, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs. The fact that the God of Israel had a name implies that Israel recognized that its God was a personal being who wished to be known by his people and who desired to distinguish himself from the gods of the other nations.

When the Masoretes added vowels to the consonantal text circa the 10th century A.D., they added the vowels of Adonai to the Tetragrammaton to indicate that the name Adonai should be pronounced instead of YHWH. In 1518, Petrus Galatinus, the confessor of Pope Leo X, proposed that the divine name should be transliterated as Jehovah and this hybrid name became popular in religious writings. The name “Jehovah” appears in the King James Version in Exodus 6:3, Psalm 83:18, and Isaiah 12:2; 26:4. The name also appears in three other passages where it is combined with other elements (see Genesis 22:14; Exodus 17:15; Judges 6:24). The name Jehovah is used in the American Standard Version of 1901 to translate the divine name. However, Jehovah should not be used in theological writing nor in the liturgy because Jehovah is not the name of God.

The divine name appears in the Hebrew Bible in abbreviated form in hundreds of names of individuals such as Jeremiah, Abijah, Jehonathan, Jehoshaphat, and many others. The name of God also appears to designate holy places:

“And Abraham called the name of the place, ‘YHWH Will Provide’” (Genesis 22:14).

“And Moses built an altar and named it, ‘YHWH Is My Banner’” (Exodus 17:15).

“So Gideon built an altar to YHWH and called it ‘YHWH Is Peace’” (Judges 6:24).

“Jerusalem will be called ‘YHWH Our Righteousness’” (Jeremiah 33:16).

The name YHWH appears in the Mesha Stele (9th century B.C.E.), in an ostracon discovered at Kuntilet ‘Ajrud (8th century B.C.E.), in the Arad Letters (6th century B.C.E.), in the Lachish Letters(6th century B.C.E.). The name also appears in Syria and in Egypt.

The divine name YHWH was also used in the liturgy of Israel. In a text that reveals the nature of the God of Israel, the divine name appears twice: “YHWH, YHWH, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin” (Exodus 34:6-7).

The divine name was used in prayer by people everywhere: “Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to call on the name of YHWH” (Genesis 4:26). The name of God was invoked at the time of worship: “I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of YHWH” (Psalm 116:17). Foreigners will pray to YHWH: “Then will I purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of YHWH and serve him shoulder to shoulder” (Zephaniah 3:9). The remnant of Israel will also call on God’s name: “This third I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘YHWH is our God’” (Zechariah 13:9).

I argue that it was in the liturgy of Israel that the name of God was celebrated. When the people came to the temple they would say: “Oh, magnify YHWH with me, and let us exalt his name together!” (Psalm 34:3). In worship, the people proclaimed: “YHWH is king” (Psalm 93:1). In times of need the people would cry: “Arise, O YHWH! Save me” (Psalm 3:7). When the people were asked at the time of worship: “Who is the King of glory?” They would respond: “YHWH, strong and mighty, YHWH, mighty in battle” (Psalm 24:8).

So, the name of God was pronounced by the people of Israel in worship, prayer, and celebration because YHWH was the name of their God. God said: “I am YHWH, this is my name” (Isaiah 42:8).

When Moses descended Mount Sinai and returned to Egypt and the people asked him the name of the God who had appeared to him, Moses did not say: “His name is Adonai.” Moses could not say that Adonai appeared to him because Adonai was not the name of the God who appeared to him. His name was YHWH and to identify the God who sent him back to Egypt, Moses had to pronounce the divine name.

During the Second Temple period, the name of God was considered too holy to be pronounced in public and eventually, it was not even pronounced in the temple. For this reason, the correct pronunciation of God’s name was lost and forgotten.

This reluctance to pronounce God’s name is contrary to God’s will as expressed by God himself to Moses on Mount Sinai. When God revealed his name to Moses, God said: “Say to the Israelites, ‘YHWH, the God of your fathers-- the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob-- has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation” (Exodus 3:15).

This is God’s will concerning his name: that his name be remembered forever. God said to Moses: “This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.” God wanted to be remembered by his name from generation to generation. But today, no one knows how to pronounce God’s name. It is sad that the intimacy that God desired to have with his people when he revealed his name cannot be accomplished in its fulness. The revelation of the name began that relationship, but the name of God has been forgotten. Now, our relationship is with a God whose name is not known and if we follow the directives of Liturgiam authenticam, a God whose name cannot be pronounced.

In my next post I will discuss one of the reasons the name of God cannot be pronounced and whether Christians should pronounce God’s name.

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

Tags: Adonai, Yahweh, YHWH, Tetragrammaton