Why don't people use God's name?

Question

Matthew 6:9,10 Jesus shows us that we should pray for his name to be hallowed (sanctified) or made holy. How can it be praised or sanctified if his name is not used? Why don't people use the name? - Jehovah (Psalms 83:18)

Answer 1

For one, satan has blinded the eyes of some people and made them believe that that is not even God's name.

With the removal of the name from the Bible, people disregard it and say that others put the name there for selfish purposes. Truly that's a lie since the first copies of the Bible had God's name in there some 7,000 times.

Answer 2

Because 'Jehovah' is just a best guess, and not a terribly good one at that.

The hard J phonome was missing from Hebrew (I believe it still is, even). As such, Jehovah cannot be how the name is pronounced.

There is debate over whether the vav should be annunciated as a 'v' or 'w' sound.

The name is also missing any vowel markers, so the following would all be possible transliterations:

Yahwah, Yahweh, Yahwih, Yahwoh, Yahwuh
Yehwah, Yehweh, Yehwih, Yehwoh, Yehwuh
Yihwah, Yihweh, Yihwih, Yihwoh, Yihwuh
Yohwah, Yohweh, Yohwih, Yohwoh, Yohwuh
Yuhwah, Yuhweh, Yuhwih, Yuhwoh, Yuhwuh
Yahvah, Yahveh, Yahvih, Yahvoh, Yahvuh
Yehvah, Yehveh, Yehvih, Yehvoh, Yehvuh
Yihvah, Yihveh, Yihvih, Yihvoh, Yihvuh
Yohvah, Yohveh, Yohvih, Yohvoh, Yohvuh
Yuhvah, Yuhveh, Yuhvih, Yuhvoh, Yuhvuh

That's 50 possible pronounciations. You tell me which one's right, and prove it, and you'll have earned a PhD in Classical Hebrew because you'll know something no one else alive today knows.

Answer 3

HI
Probably because a lot of Christendom has been taught that Jesus is God and that most Bibles like King James have Omitted God's personal name but heres a tip in recognizing where Jehovah's name should be it is when they capitalize it in the KJ. They have also been taught that God has many names like Elohim, Addoni and so on but those are not name they are descriptive titles and do not have the power of conveying the true God his name Jehovah means he that causes to become what true power!
Lammy

Answer 4

The name "Jehovah" is an English translation of the Hebrew name pronounced as or similar to "Yahweh" or "Yehowah"; the exact original pronunciation is unknown. The four Hebrew characters corresponding to the letters "YHWH" are well-recognized as the biblical personal name of Almighty God, and are universally designated as "the Tetragrammaton" or "the Tetragram".

For centuries, most Jews have superstitiously refrained from pronouncing aloud any form of the divine Name. They base that superstition on the third of the Ten Commandments given to Moses:
(Exodus 20:7) You must not take up the name of Jehovah your God in a worthless way
http://watchtower.org/e/bible/ex/chapter_020.htm?bk=Ex;chp=20;vs=7;citation#bk7

Over the centuries, that Jewish superstition has expanded to also forbid writing or engraving any form of "YHWH", even when simply copying from one of the nearly 7000 occurences in the Hebrew Scriptures. In recent centuries, some superstitious Jews have even forbade unabbreviated EUPHEMISMS for "YHWH"; capitalized terms such as "Tetragrammaton" and (amazingly) even "the Name" are forbidden by such superstitions.

More recently, the Jewish superstition has ballooned out of all reasonableness by also forbidding respectful impersonal TERMS referring to the Almighty; thus many Jews insist upon writing "G-d" or "G~d" rather than "God". They may even refrain from capitalizing impersonal terms such as "Creator" and "Almighty".

Naturally, the religious and superstitious practices of a person are between him and his Creator. However, in recent decades these superstitious Jews have worked to impose their superstitious sensibilities beyond their religious communities, and onto the entire populace. Thus, although "YHWH' is unanimously recognized as the personal name of God, few today use any form of it in their writings and conversation.

Interestingly, Christendom has largely joined with superstitious Jews in suppressing the use of "Yahweh" and "Jehovah". However, it seems that Christiandom's anti-YHWH bias largely devolves from their hatred of Jehovah's Witnesses, the religion almost single-handedly responsible for the growing public recognition that the Almighty God of Judaism and Christianity actually does a personal name.

It seems that too many are more interested in coddling superstition than in allowing intellectual honesty and respect for the Almighty.


Interestingly, Encyclopaedia Judaica says that “the avoidance of pronouncing the name YHWH ... was caused by a misunderstanding of the Third Commandment.”
http://www.jehovantodistajat.fi/e/20040122/article_02.htm

(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

Answer 5

in your scripture reference above Jesus is speaking with Nicodemus a Pharisee and Saducee a learned man serving in the temple this is an example of not only recognizing Jesus holiness but also as beleivers recognizing his authority over our lives and only thru our faith can we fully see this In Psalms David the man after God's own heart before the birth of Christ is recognizing God as the supreme authority over all. For further study in the hebrew u will find that folks in old testament times were so in awe of the power of God's name that they would not write it or speak it but used symbols instead. What a contrast today whwen the only time children hear His name is in a string of curses or lurid song lyrics. just the sound of His name brings joy to my heart and even in my darkest time i can speak His name knowing I'm never alone! Faith mercy grace- undeserving He still loves me

Answer 6

Some information regarding the names of God, Krishna and Jehovah from the book "Om Shalom", which is real conversation between Satyaraja Dasa and Rabbi Shimmel.

Satyaraja Dasa: What are some of the other, authentic names for God as found in the Bible?

Rabbi Shimmel: One of the most prominent is Elohim (“The Almighty”), which occurs about 3,350 times. This is related to the Semitic El (“Divinity”). El can be found in the word Israel. El Eliyon is another related name. These can be found throughout the Bible... all substitutes for the Tetragrammaton... YHWH. Another name, used less frequently, is El Shaddai. Of course, in everyday parlance, we usually say HaShem... this is the commonly used name. HaShem merely means “the Name.”
But, you see, the Tetragrammaton, YHWH, this represents the actual name. It is known as the shem hameforash, or “the explicit name.” This is the one that is honored by the mystics. Each of the four Hebrew letters—yad, hay, vav, and hay—is said to reveal various aspects of the highest reality.

Satyaraja Dasa: There are Indian scholars who have had some thoughts on this. Yadavayah, they say. Another name for Krishna. They say this could be the name... it has the appropriate letters.

Rabbi Shimmel: [laughter] They took their best shot.

Satyaraja Dasa: [laughter] Gross speculation. Ser-iously, though. There is a correlation that can be made between the Hare Krishna maha-mantra and the Tetragrammaton. It may be considered speculative, but there is definitely at least an abstract connection, a correlative feature. The maha-mantra is made up of four connecting names: “Hare Krishna” and “Hare Rama.” Of these four, three are different: you have “Hare,” “Krishna,” and “Rama.” Now, in the Tetragrammaton, you have four letters: the “yad,” the “hay,” the “vav,” and the “hay.” Now of these four letters, three are different: you have the “hay,” the “yad,” and the “vav.” Furthermore, according to Kabbalah, the “hay” is considered feminine. Correct?

Rabbi Shimmel: Yes, that's true.

Satyaraja Dasa: So also is “Hare” considered feminine, since it refers to mother Hara—Radharani. What's more, in the Tetragrammaton, “yad” is considered masculine and “vav” is an extension of “yad.” Is this correct?

Rabbi Shimmel: Yes. And I see what you're getting at.

Satyaraja Dasa: Right. Krishna is masculine and Rama is His expansion. So this seems to be quite coincidental...

Rabbi Shimmel: This is the first. I mean that's quite an interesting way of looking at it...

Satyaraja Dasa (Steven J. Rosen), comes from a Jewish background and has been studying Krishna Consciousness -academically and as a practitioner-for the last seventeen years. Rabbi Jacob N. Shimmel, a halakhic scholar originally hailing from Prague, Czechoslovakia. A rabbi for over twenty years, and Founder and Director of the Talmud and Torah Beth Rabbinical Association.

God (Krishna) claims in the Bhagavad-gita(14.4), ''It should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kunti, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father".

Srila Prabhupada, founder of ISKCON says as follows regarding father (God or Krishna) and Jesus(son of God). "The awakening of pure love of God is the ultimate perfection of all bona fide religious principles including Christian, Judaic, Mohammedan, Hindu, etc."
"Lord Jesus Christ said that one should love God with all his heart, and soul and mind. Similarly Krishna instructs that everyone should surrender unto Him in Love. Krishna is God and Krishna says to love Him only. Therefore there is no difference between the original teachings of Lord Jesus Christ and Krsna."
Lord Jesus says (John 6:46), “Not that any man hath seen the father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.” Lord Jesus is the faithful son of God and his Father God is Krishna, so there cannot be any disagreement between them. Therefore the Father and Son are one, in agreement.

Lord Jesus explains that he kept his disciples faithful to the Lord in His Holy Name. And the process of Lord Sri Caitanya is the same—to keep one always in contact with the Supreme Personality of Godhead by constantly chanting the HARE KRISHNA Mahamantra, the Holy Names of the Lord.

Answer 7

I would never use his first name until properly introduced.

It just wouldn't be good etiquette.

As far as the "name" Jehovah, it's not really a name, but a phrase. It comes from an alteration (over time) of the old Hebrew Yahweh, meaning "I Shall Be As I Shall Be", or more recently interpreted to mean "I am that I am". In the old testament, it was considered punishable, by death, to utter the name out loud. But then again, so was homosexual activity, divorcing for improper reason and remarrying, or disrespecting your parent.

Now me, I'm looking for a Hebrew name (or phrase) that would mean "I am, but would rather not". I think that would be a catchy name for me. Or maybe "I would have, but who knew".

Answer 8

People who truely believe in GOD do use his name. No name should be over used. Including the name of GOD. Thank you and may GOD bless in Jesus name, AMEN.

Answer 9

There was a tradition in the Jewish religion that the name of God should not be mentioned. This is why God was referred to by a word which translates roughly into English as "Lord."

It is part of the understanding that God is Unknowable.

Answer 10

Jehovah is a mistranslation of the ancient Hebrew text of the Old Testament. The actual translation is Yaweh.