JW? One of your favorite questions.?

Question

I was thinking and I've noticed that there is something illogical. You see, the name by which you refer to God, well not the name itself but your attitude towards it. I can ask you now how do you call God and you would tell me Jehovah but what I want to know is how do you pronounce it in different languages? I've noticed that in my country it is more like Yehhova. The real question would be if the name is SO important wouldn't it be logical that that is the same name in every language, pronounced the same everywhere?

Non JW can, of course, write there own opinions.

Answer 1

The bible itself mentions exactly one personal name of Almighty God, with two forms:
1. יהוה (typically transliterated from Hebrew as "YHWH")
...and...
2. יה (a shortened form of the same, typically transliterated from Hebrew as "YH").


The organization perhaps most closely identified with the Divine Name is the Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, and they have literature published in hundreds of languages (their website alone has articles in over 300). This extensive translating work has moved Jehovah's Witnesses to detail several dozen different respectful spellings and pronunciations of the Divine Name, all of which are honestly derived into various lingual tendencies from the original Hebrew יהוה ("YHWH") and יה ("YH").
http://watchtower.ca/languages.htm

Ten interesting variations of the Divine Name are shown on this webpage, in large print along the right side of the page:
http://watchtower.ca/e/20040122/article_01.htm


It is true that the Almighty did not say, "Listen, thousands of years from now when a new language called English comes along, they can pronounce my name as 'Jehovah' and that's fine." Instead, like with any and every personal name, different languages TRANSLATE personal names to fit their lingual tendencies. George becomes "Hor-hey" in Spanish or "Gay-org" in German and no one gets upset.

The name "Jehovah" was not fabricated "from whole cloth" (as it were). As speakers of English find it easier to say "Jesus" than "Yeheshua", so "Jehovah" seems to have originated as an honest attempt to pronounce "the Tetragrammaton".
http://watchtower.ca/e/na/

The bible teaches that a certain kind of person would disrespect the divine name.

(Psalm 74:18) The enemy himself has reproached, O Jehovah, And a senseless people have treated your name with disrespect.


The bible also teaches what would happen to those who refuse to use and honor the name of Jehovah.

(Malachi 2:2) If you will not lay it to heart to give glory to my name," Jehovah of armies has said, "I shall also certainly send upon you the curse

(Psalm 83:16-18) Fill their faces with dishonor, That people may search for your name, O Jehovah. 17 O may they be ashamed and be disturbed for all times, And may they become abashed and perish; 18 That people may know that you, whose name is Jehovah, You alone are the Most High over all the earth.

(Isaiah 52:5,6) The utterance of Jehovah, "and constantly, all day long, my name was being treated with disrespect. 6 For that reason my people will know my name


According to the bible, what must ALL people do with regard to Jehovah's name?

(Psalm 29:2) Ascribe to Jehovah the glory of his name.

(Psalm 86:8-9) There is none like you among the gods, O Jehovah, Neither are there any works like yours. 9 All the nations whom you have made will themselves come, And they will bow down before you, O Jehovah, And will give glory to your name.


The bible also teaches that there are real benefits for those who appropriately use the name Jehovah.

(Romans 10:13) Everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved

(Acts 2:21) And everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved.

(Joel 2:32) And it must occur that everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will get away safe

(Malachi 3:16) And a book of remembrance began to be written up before him for those in fear of Jehovah and for those thinking upon his name.

(Nehemiah 1:11) Jehovah, please, let your ear become attentive to the prayer of your servant and to the prayer of your servants who take delight in fearing your name


Who can reasonably be called "a people for Jehovah's name"? What does the bible say about this people?

(Isaiah 43:12) There was among you no strange god. So you are my witnesses," is the utterance of Jehovah, "and I am God.

(Zephaniah 3:9) I shall give to peoples the change to a pure language, in order for them all to call upon the name of Jehovah, in order to serve him shoulder to shoulder.

(Micah 4:5) For all the peoples, for their part, will walk each one in the name of its god; but we, for our part, shall walk in the name of Jehovah our God to time indefinite, even forever.

(Isaiah 52:5-7) The utterance of Jehovah, "and constantly, all day long, my name was being treated with disrespect. 6 For that reason my people will know my name... 7 How comely upon the mountains are the feet of the one bringing good news, the one publishing peace, the one bringing good news of something better, the one publishing salvation

(Malachi 1:11) For from the sun’s rising even to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place sacrificial smoke will be made, a presentation will be made to my name, even a clean gift; because my name will be great among the nations," Jehovah of armies has said.


Here are some additional Scriptures that mention God's personal name. There are THOUSANDS MORE. Do any of these seem to imply that the name "Jehovah" is unimportant?

(Psalm 148:13) Let them praise the name of Jehovah, For his name alone is unreachably high.
(Micah 5:4) He will certainly stand and do shepherding in the strength of Jehovah, in the superiority of the name of Jehovah his God
(Psalm 9:10) And those knowing your name will trust in you, For you will certainly not leave those looking for you, O Jehovah.
(Psalm 34:3) O magnify Jehovah with me, YOU people, And let us exalt his name together.
(Zephaniah 3:12) A people humble and lowly, and they will actually take refuge in the name of Jehovah.
(Revelation 15:4) Who will not really fear you, Jehovah, and glorify your name, because you alone are loyal?. . .
(Micah 6:8,9) And what is Jehovah asking... the person of practical wisdom will fear your name.
(Psalm 96:2) Sing to Jehovah, bless his name.
(Psalm 105:1) Give thanks to Jehovah, call upon his name, Make known among the peoples his dealings.
(Psalm 54:6) I shall laud your name, O Jehovah, for it is good.
(Micah 4:5) For all the peoples, for their part, will walk each one in the name of its god; but we, for our part, shall walk in the name of Jehovah our God to time indefinite, even forever.
(Psalm 118:26) Blessed be the One coming in the name of Jehovah
(Matthew 21:9) Blessed is he that comes in Jehovah's name!
(Matthew 23:39) Blessed is he that comes in Jehovah's name!
(Mark 11:9) Blessed is he that comes in Jehovah's name!
(Luke 13:35) Blessed is he that comes in Jehovah's name.
(John 12:13) Blessed is he that comes in Jehovah's name

Learn more:
http://watchtower.ca/e/na/

Answer 2

What does the importance of the name have anything to do with whether or not it is pronounced the same in other languages?
The important thing is for us as publishers of the Good news let other people know the name of the Almighty God which is Jehovah( in English ).
Of course..it is logical that in different languages there are going to be different pronunciations.

Answer 3

I am so completely satisfied to be again among you all once more. I ignored this facet of my lifestyles probably the most whilst I used to be relocating. We relocated however love the peers at our corridor such a lot we're commuting. LOL.. To reply this question I must inform you on a daily basis I understand I must forgive so I can also be forgiven,...Matthew 6:nine.... And it strikes a chord in my memory of an revel in from an meeting.... One of the governing frame in Bethel used to be known as right into a assembly through a further one of the most GB and the dialog used to be....others had been reward Brother a million...why did you do sos and so? I informed you now not to try this. Brother two...I am so sorry brother I will check out certainly not to try this once more. Brother a million...Ok then shall we resume with the assembly Brother three talked to Brother two and stated...I used to be the person who did that but you humbly and graciously took the blame. Brother two stated...I am a sinnner brother and I am definite that during my lifestyles I have performed many matters nobody has visible...I must be reminded that we're all lowly sinners.... Are all of us that humble? Do we forgive freely and convey the burden of our brothers? God repays in mystery if we do well matters in mystery. Agape to all....huggs throughout.

Answer 4

People pronounce other peoples names differently in other languages do they not? William in the US is Wilhelm in Germany. And my name, Rachel, is pronounced easy going in the us abut it is pronounced different ways in other places. Anyways, we don't know how to pronounce his name perfectly. Different cultures and countries have their own way of talking so it's just based on a person and place that matters how it is pronounced.

Answer 5

The name is the same, just the spelling and pronunciation is different. Which is natural giving that it's another language. In English it's Jehovah, it's still Jehovah in French, Dutch or whatever, but it's not going to sound English, is it? If I say 'cat' in English, is it a different animal if I say 'gato' which is Mexican for cat? No, same thing. I hope you get what we've been driving at.

Answer 6

..and the problem is ?

In different countries the spelling and pronunciation is different, it is all a part of language translation.
In my country the J , sounds more like a Y , and this is acceptable.

Being a foreigner where I now live means that my own name , also sounds different to what it is meant to be.
My names G's are said as K's here., but I know the grammar and translation rules and here it is correctly spoken that way.

I recognize it as being correct when I am called.

It is not the same as if they were calling me bruce, fred , sammy , or mark.
Those would be incorrect.

Simply put , variations of the divine name because of local language translation variations are acceptable.

For more Bible based info please feel free to email me.

Answer 7

What's illogical about it? In English, it's Jehovah. In my language, we say Yehova. In my other language, we say Yahwa. It doesn't have to be pronounced the same in every language. They are all referring to the same person.
Just like Jesus would be pronounced differently in Spanish and Hebrew and Greek and so forth.

Edit: Devora misunderstood the question. She is not a Jehovah's Witness.

Answer 8

I can assure you that only my grandparents pronounce my name (my real name) the way it should be pronounced. (Yes, not even my parents get it right!) Everyone pronounces it in a kind of Anglicized way. Where I live now, the poor people cannot for the life of them pronounce even the Anglicized version right, so they say it their way.

The most important thing is that when they say my name, everyone knows whom they are referring to- ME.

Answer 9

In the U.S.A. we cook & put a bird on the table to eat, we call it a Chicken, if you went to Mexico, Germany, Japan, etc. it would be called something else, yet it is the same bird. Just because you call it something else, does not change the fact, it is still the same bird that we in U.S.A eat.

The same can be held true for God's name.

Answer 10

I know of people referred to as Juan/Quan depending on the area. Does that mean the name is invalid??

Answer 11

because the scribes refused to write the name of God because it was too holy and they had to wash their arms to the elbows before and after they wrote it people lost the way to pronounce it.
We know they left out the vowels...and only used the consonants of YHVH
In Hebrew it was Yahovah
In English we say Jehovah.
As long as you use God's name he is happy.