2006-12-11 02:39:58 · 22 answers · asked by weirdcool_creep 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
They're the same, aren't they? Like one person can have many names, you know? My mom, I would, of course, call "Mom", but her friends would use her first name, but her patients would call her "doctor", and her college friends might have a nickname for her.
It's horrible when peace loving Muslims have to bear the burden that terrorists and racists create. Please know that there are those who understand that Islam and terrorism are not the same thing. And know that there are others who respect your religion and culture.
2006-12-11 03:06:31 · answer #1 · answered by `✪~ 5 · 4⤊ 2⤋
Jehovah is simply the English translation for the ancient Hebrew name, YHWH, or as most scholars feel, "Yahweh". It is a proper noun, a name, rather than a discriptive title, or common noun like "God". Yahweh comes from two verb stems, and the verb is in the causitive imperfective state. In other words, to the Hebrew mind, Gods name was like a verb, a God of Action. It came from Yahd, and hawah", put them together, and you have a verb, that translated (as best as I can do it, Hebrew is a tricky language to translate, as is Arabic) means: "He who causes whatsoever he shall need to become continually". To the Hebrew mind, this indicated their God could become anything to fulfill his purposes. The Gods for the nations that surrounded Israel needed a god for rain, a god for crops, a god for this and that. Israel was the only monotheistic nation that stated their God could become Anything, and the name he gave himself, "Yahweh" (Jehovah in English), meant that. He was never the Cannanite God, and this is what set him apart. He could be the God of love, A God who could carry out war, the God of kindness, the God of protection and deliverance, the God who could forgive. He was everything he needed to be, in order to fulfill his word, and save his people.
Just as any Jew talking to Jesus would not have said "Jesus". That's the English translation for the Greek name "Iasous", which was in turn taken from the Hebrew name: "Yeshua" or "Yehoshua" (Which we also get the name "Joshua" from)
If I am correct (A Muslim can correct me) Allah simply means "God".
As far as not knowing how to pronounce Yahweh. That's true of any Hebrew name. We're not exactly sure how Moses name sounded, but that doesn't stop us from using it. We're not exactly sure how Jeremiah's name *actually* sounded, as the Hebrew of 3,000 years ago was MUCH different that what is used just 1,000 years ago. It didn't even look remotely the same.
Scholars are reasonably comfortable that it was pronounced "Yahweh", since this would make sense due to the actual meaning of the name from the root stems and the verb. Some things were done with the vowels, yes, but that really doesn't matter. What matters, as Ecclesiastes says, is the MEANING of a name. Not to mention, it's not as if God, in heaven, uses human languages. Paul said there is a specific "Angelic tongue". What is important, according to Ezekiel, is that it is used. Again and again, Yahweh / Jehovah said:
"And the nations must come to know, that I am Jehovah".
His name is important to him, and why Jesus taught us that we must pray for it's sanctification. We wouldn't like it if people just called us "Man" or "Woman" instead of using our name. The Bible also teaches that those who state it is not important to use God's personal name of Yahweh, or Jehovah, are actually his enemies (Dueteronomy) and are fighters against God.
2006-12-11 10:47:59 · answer #2 · answered by raVar 3 · 4⤊ 0⤋
"Jehovah" is actually a German mistranslation of the Tetragramatton, the Jewish "YHWH", commonly pronounced "Yah-way".
The original Hebrew alphabet had no vowels; everything written was written with consonants. Vowels were invented later, and had several forms. Eventually, the "YHWH" was given vowels in it's written form, but with a catch: the vowels "inserted" were technically UNPRONOUNCABLE with the consonants being used.
German scholars, not knowing this Hebrew grammar rule, simply transliterated the letters as they saw them, hence creating the name "Jehovah" for God.
"Allah", and other similiar forms, are simply the Arabic word for "God". Whatever god you worship as an Arab speaker, be it Bel, Mithras, YHWH/Jesus, or the Islamic Allah, the god will ultimately be called "allah" (god).
2006-12-11 11:07:34 · answer #3 · answered by MamaBear 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
The term "Allah" simply means "the [one] god", implying a single Almighty deity reminiscient of the Judeo-Christian "Yahweh" / "Jehovah". However, it is significant that "Allah" is clearly NOT a personal name, while the Hebrew Tetragrammaton clearly *IS* a personal name for Almighty God.
It's not exactly wrong to call the Almighty by the impersonal "God", just as it's not wrong to call one's offspring "Child". Faithful men of the Holy Scriptures used both "God" and a form of "Jehovah" when they referred to and addressed the Almighty. However, the term "Allah" seems intended specifically to reject Judeo-Christian spiritual heritage.
If we want a familiar and close relationship, it makes sense to use the personal name of someone we love. The Scriptures encourage us to use God's personal name.
The Hebrew name “Yahweh” (or “Yehowah”) does seem to accurately pronounce the divine name. Just as the Hebrew name “Yeshua” (or “Yehoshua”) is translated into “Jesus” in English, the Hebrew name “Yahweh” is translated into “Jehovah” in English.
The important thing is to use God’s personal name in whatever language you speak, rather than insisting upon the impersonal! The name “Yahweh” is certainly preferable to the non-name “God” or “Lord”, especially if you speak Hebrew. If you speak English, feel free to use the name "Jehovah".
(Psalms 83:18) That people may know that you, whose name is Jehovah, You alone are the Most High over all the earth
(John 17:26) [Jesus said] I have made your name known to them and will make it known, in order that the love with which you loved me may be in them
Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/library/na/index.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/na/
2006-12-11 13:30:27 · answer #4 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Jehovah is one of the names of God. Allah is not the same as Jehovah God. Allah, according to their beliefs and writings accepts and condones different acts of behavior and a different view of everything. Allah would say, "Kill the non-coverting Christian and The Jew" whereas God would say, "Love the Christian, The Jew and every man, woman, and child as you would love yourself."
These are not the same God..Don't be confused when they insinuate that they are. Hope this helps. PEACE!!!
2006-12-11 10:47:59 · answer #5 · answered by David H 4 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Not everyone speaks the same language dear. Allah is an Arabic word, like God is an English word, Dio is an Italian word, all meaning GOD- the creator of everything. What you have is a differance of language.
2006-12-11 10:45:27 · answer #6 · answered by TRuth Hurts 2 · 3⤊ 2⤋
Allah is arabic for '(the) [masculine] god'. Understand that Arabic requires the use of the article and is a gender-dependant language. Al-lah is the-god, with lah conjugated to the masculine.
If you heard an arabic Jew or Christian wish to translate 'He is god' into arabic, you would hear him/her say 'allah'. Allah is to Yahweh as God is to Yahweh, the difference being that Allah is Arabic for the English word 'god'.
This is a semantic problem. To remove it, ask the muslim, "Do you worship YHVH?" The answer you will receive is "Yes."
Semantic problem solved.
2006-12-11 10:45:38 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 2⤋
God has no name. Jehovah and Allah are some other guy's gods.
2006-12-11 11:12:20 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 4⤋
God said for us to have no other gods before Him. He also said for us to not even mention of any other gods for He will not deliver us anymore. Jehovah God is the one and only Almighty God, and all others are satan's counterfits designed to trick and mislead the faithful in Christ away from Him.
Exodus 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Exodus 23:13 And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.
Judges 10:13 Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more.
2006-12-11 10:48:50 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 2⤋
Allah is a God that the prophet Muhammad considered as the god of Abraham.
2006-12-11 10:43:15 · answer #10 · answered by markos m 6 · 2⤊ 3⤋