AboutBrenda Martin Expertise I have been one of Jehovah`s Witneses now for over 30 years, in those years I have brought up 4 children, teaching each of them the bible.Being one of Jehovah`s Witnesses has helped me cope with my Epilepsy and bring up a daughter with learning difficulties.I have conducted bible studies with people from nearly every denomination i.e. Muslim. Having used the bible all these years to answer peoples questions, I feel I am qualified to give any answer regarding Jehovah`s Witnesses and the bible.
Experience My experience has been one of attending bible lectures 5 times a week,taking part in these lectures in front of an audience and being with thousands of J.W. at conventions where I have seen the bible at work in peoples lives.It is truly a miracle when you see thousands of people meeting together and not one policeman needed, and not even a piece of litter in sight.It is like another world.
Question What prove do we have to indicate that the Hebrew YHWH was pronounced in 3 syllables vice 2? I guess the only prove we have is how Latin Vulgate took the Hebrew name of God and translate in 3 syllables. Jews should know the pronunciation of their own language, don't you agree? In Latin was translated in 3 syllables but the Torah bible in English version was translated in 2 syllables.
I guess what really matters is that God knows that we are calling to him, regardless of the lack of knowdlege of his true name. For instance GOD's true name was revealed to Moises. And God himself has told Moises face to face that Abraham, Jacob and Isaac did not know God's name but God did appeared to them as GOD ALMIGHTY (EL SHADDAH). If Moises is the author of the first 5 books and the book of JOB. Then that explains the reason why the tetragram appears in the begining of the scriptures. So I wonder why condemn those who does not call GOD by the name Jehovah when indeed the bible shows that his true name was not revealed to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and they still received God's blessing. Keep in mind that Moises is the author of the first 5 books and that is the reason why you see the tetagram and then the tetragram was carried on to the rest of the scriptures. Now is it right for me to go and knock at someone's door and tell them that their church has been hiding the true name of GOD Jehovah from you? regardless of not knowing the true pronunciation. Their is a reason why the true pronouciation of his name was lost and all we have is a tetagram to go by. Nowadays this generation curses God's name without the knowdlege of his true name. Maybe that would be the reason why the pronouciation was lost!
V/R Luis
Answer "WHAT PROVE DO WE HAVE TO INDICATE THAT THE HEBREW YHWH WAS PRONOUNCED IN 3 SYLLABLES VICE 2?"
I really don’t know, what I do know is--Over the past several decades many fragments of ancient Greek versions of the Hebrew Scriptures have been discovered wherein the divine name was found written, usually in Hebrew letters. This indicates that the divine name was used in Greek versions until well into the ninth century C.E.
JEHOVAH God wants man to know and use his name. This is evident from the fact that He revealed His name to the very first two persons on earth. We know that Adam and Eve were familiar with God’s name because after Eve gave birth to Cain, according to the original Hebrew text, she said: “I have produced a man with the aid of Jehovah.”—Genesis 4:1.
The Hebrew Tetragrammaton, éäåä, which means “He Causes to Become.” These four Hebrew letters are represented in many languages by the letters JHVH or YHWH.
JEWS SHOULD KNOW THE PRONUNCIATION OF THEIR OWN LANGUAGE, DON'T YOU AGREE?
Yes however they are the problem, you see it is because of them that we have lost the pronunciation, let me explain—
Here is the comment of the translators of the American Standard Version of 1901: “[The translators] were brought to the unanimous conviction that a JEWISH SUPERSTITION, which regarded the Divine Name as too sacred to be uttered, ought no longer to dominate in the English or any other version of the Old Testament . . . This Memorial Name, explained in Ex. iii. 14, 15, and emphasized as such over and over in the original text of the Old Testament, designates God as the personal God, as the covenant God, the God of revelation, the Deliverer, the Friend of his people . . . This personal name, with its wealth of sacred associations, is now restored to the place in the sacred text to which it has an unquestionable claim.”
A principal reason why so many are unfamiliar with God’s name is because of a superstitious idea that arose among Jewish people many centuries ago. This superstition held that it was wrong to pronounce God’s personal name. Just what caused the Jews to adopt this idea is not certain. Some claim the teaching arose that the name was too sacred for imperfect lips to speak. Another view is that the intent was to keep non-Jewish peoples from knowing the name and possibly misusing it. And still another claim is that the purpose was to protect the name from use in magical rites.
I GUESS WHAT REALLY MATTERS IS THAT GOD KNOWS THAT WE ARE CALLING TO HIM, REGARDLESS OF THE LACK OF KNOWDLEGE OF HIS TRUE NAME
Well it’s certainly true that Jehovah hears the prayers of honest hearted ones who are searching for him, even although they may at this time only use his title; GOD.
However when a person learns that God has a name and it was used by Jesus and his early followers then it is expected by Jehovah, that that person start calling him by his name, only natural wouldn’t you say?
Why is it important to know and use God’s personal name?
Do you have a close relationship with anyone whose personal name you do not know? For people to whom God is nameless he is often merely an impersonal force, not a real person, not someone that they know and love and to whom they can speak from the heart in prayer. If they do pray, their prayers are merely a ritual, a formalistic repetition of memorized expressions.
True Christians have a commission from Jesus Christ to make disciples of people of all nations. When teaching these people, how would it be possible to identify the true God as different from the false gods of the nations? Only by using His personal name, as the Bible itself does.—Matt. 28:19, 20; 1 Cor. 8:5, 6.
THE BIBLE SHOWS THAT HIS TRUE NAME WAS NOT REVEALED TO ABRAHAM, ISAAC AND JACOB AND THEY STILL RECEIVED GOD'S BLESSING.
Mmm not true;as I said earlier; Adam and Eve knew God’s name, so let me explain—
At Exodus 6:3 God told Moses that he was not known to Abraham by the name Jehovah, yet at Genesis 15:7, 8 God identifies himself to Abraham as Jehovah and Abraham calls him by that name. What is the explanation?
The name Jehovah was used many times by those patriarchal ancestors of Moses, it is evident that God meant that he manifested himself to them in the capacity of Jehovah only in a limited way. To illustrate this, those who had known the man Abram could hardly be said to have really known him as Abraham (meaning “Father of a Crowd (Multitude)”) while he had but one son, Ishmael. When Isaac and other sons were born and began producing offspring, the name Abraham took on greater meaning or import. So, too, the name Jehovah would now take on expanded meaning for the Israelites.
One proof that Abraham knew God’s name was--Abraham called the place where he went to sacrifice Isaac “Jehovah-jireh.” (Genesis 22:14)
So people will only receive an eternal blessing if they use God’s name; As the bible says; “Give thanks to Jehovah, you people! Call upon his name. Make known among the peoples his dealings. Make mention that his name is put on high.”—Isaiah 12:4.
IS IT RIGHT FOR ME TO GO AND KNOCK AT SOMEONE'S DOOR AND TELL THEM THAT THEIR CHURCH HAS BEEN HIDING THE TRUE NAME OF GOD JEHOVAH FROM YOU?
Once we know something as important as that, yes we are obligated to tell people they are being misled, but that is not how JW’s preach anyway, we discuss the bible with people and they find out for themselves their church has been misleading them, I know I did.
The bible tells us; the churches are abhorrent in his eyes and will be the first thing he destroys, (rev 18;4) so we don’t expect them to be telling people the truth, only Jehovah’s true faith does that.
Also Jesus knocked on people’s doors and told them exactly that, so his followers must do the same.
