Do JW's realize there was no "J" back then?

Question

Most other nations (not English speaking) pronounce the "J" as an "I" (with an "ee" sound, as in "Hawaii")

They really ought to call themselves "Iohovah's Witnesses" or "IW's"

Why don't they? Since they are such sticklers about every other freaking detail?

Using that logic, why would they then criticize the doctrine of the Trinity? or that Jesus was crucified on a "T" shaped cross like tradition tells us?

Answer 1

Seeing you are not a "stickler about every other freaking detail" yourself, what's with the question?

It's only in ENGLISH that they are called Jehovah's Witnesses. Here they are called Svidityeli Iyegovwi. (See? No "J" there. Happy now?)

Why don't you ask the same of others who say "Jesus" instead of "I·e·sous"?

Oh that's right. It's because you are a hypocrite.

Answer 2

J is in English, and is used when rendering Hebrew names into English, such as Jeremiah, Jehu, Jehoshaphat, Jephthah, JESUS, and JEHOVAH.

In many other languages, Jehovah's Witnesses pronounce themselves and God's name with the sounds you describe in your question.

Awabakal - Yehóa
Bugotu - Jihova
Cantonese - Yehwowah
Danish - Jehova
Dutch - Jehovah
Efik - Jehovah
English - Jehovah
Fijian - Jiova
Finnish - Jehova
French - Jéhovah
Futuna - Ihova
German - Jehova
Hungarian - Jehova
Igbo - Jehova
Italian - Geova
Japanese - Ehoba
Maori - Ihowa
Motu - Iehova
Mwala-Malu - Jihova
Narrinyeri - Jehovah
Nembe - Jihova
Petats - Jihouva
Polish - Jehowa
Portuguese - Jeová
Romanian - Iehova
Samoan - Ieova
Sotho - Jehova
Spanish - Jehová
Swahili - Yehova
Swedish - Jehova
Tahitian - Iehova
Tagalog - Jehova
Tongan - Jihova
Venda - Yehova
Xhosa - uYehova
Yoruba - Jehofah
Zulu - uJehova

Answer 3

There was no "j" but there WAS the "yod" (or some call it the "yud"). It was different from the I.

Translation being what it is, knowing that there was no J back then but there IS a J now, and further knowing that the letter I is NOT the thing in front of the name Jehovah, they chose the closest thing they could find.

By the way, technically the name isn't Jehovah, either. It is Yahweh. The letters of the Holy Name are yod, hah, vau, hah - and the diacritical vowel marks make it ambiguous since nobody knows which mark is pronounced which way.

Do you say Jesus? Well, hold on tight. Still no J's, so that is the wrong name too. His correct name is Yeshua. (And no, not JOSHUA. Yeshua.) But then, I'm likely to cut folks some slack. Ever hear of that? It's called FORGIVENESS.

Answer 4

Yes. But what does the letter "j" have to do with a 3-in-one God? NOTHING! At John 17:3, Jesus said his Father was the ONLY true God."

Answer 5

Some people spell it with Y like Yeshua. The Aramaic letters did not exactly match the letters of today.

Answer 6

Dismal said it best..."Jehovah" is only the ENGLISH translation of God's name. We never said that in Hebrew it was pronounced as Jehovah did we?

Answer 7

Because there are "j"'s today. I'll bet your Bible has some J's in it. Read 2 Chronicles chapters 21-23 and note these names:

JEHOshaphat
JEHOram
JEHOahaz
JEHOshabeth
JEHOida
JEHOash

These names appear in any English Bible. We have J's because we speak English and we read English versions of the Bible, just like you do.

Answer 8

The letter Y in Hebrew is translated to J in english. Thtats why you have names such as "Yirmeyahu" translated to "Jeremiah"
and "Yosef" translated to "Joseph".

Answer 9

when the scholars decided for themselves to take God's name out of the bible we lost the exact pronounciation of YHVW

But in America in English we agree to call God Jehovah.
And God knows we worship only Him.

Answer 10

huh, i don't think it's very important whether there was a 'j' or not; it's called the evolution of language, happens to all languages, and they can call themselves whatever they want. it's kind of a silly point, honestly.