Traditional Jewish law dictates that the four-letter name of God, rendered as YHWH, must not be spoken or bandied about lightly (it’s sometimes called the Tetragrammaton because it’s, well, four letters long). Instead, Jews used other terms instead, such as “Adonai” (either directly writing it, verbally substituting the word when “YHWH” was in the text).
Christian churches have generally not adhered to that dictate. While in the past they would following the Jewish example (putting in “the LORD” rather than “Adonai, or omitting letters such as in “G-d” and “L-rd”), referencing the sacred name was not seen as quite so taboo, as the centuries wore on, and so it’s been rendered in English as as everything from the traditional Reformation-era “Jehovah” to the more recently popular “Yahweh,” and often used in various hymn.
Interestingly enough, the Catholic Church is now cracking down on the use of “Yahweh” in church music and prayers.
In the not-too-distant future, songs such as “You Are Near,” “I Will Bless Yahweh” and “Rise, O Yahweh” will no longer be part of the Catholic worship experience in the United States. At the very least, the songs will be edited to remove the word “Yahweh” — a name of God that the Vatican has ruled must not “be used or pronounced” in songs and prayers during Catholic Masses.
Bishop Arthur J. Serratelli of Paterson, N.J., chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Divine Worship, announced the new Vatican “directives on the use of ‘the name of God’ in the sacred liturgy” in an Aug. 8 letter to his fellow bishops.
He said the directives would not “force any changes to official liturgical texts” or to the bishops’ current missal translation project but would likely have “some impact on the use of particular pieces of liturgical music in our country as well as in the composition of variable texts such as the general intercessions for the celebration of the Mass and the other sacraments.”
I don’t recall, from my Catholic youth, whether there were any hymnal songs that used “Jehovah” (though there are many in the Episcopal hymnal), but that term is out, too.
I dunno. I’m sure there are many to whom it seems an odd thing to get upset about. Using any of the terms doesn’t bother me, per se, though being a liturgical guy I can understand about things being good or bad “form.” It does seem, looking at the announcement, and what underlies it, to be more of a case of a Dictate from Above, ostensibly for reasonable and educational purposes, but with the heavy-handedness (“Thou Shallt Not!”) that the Vatican always seems to wield, rather than the “Here’s why you might want to think about doing this differently” kind of thing I’ve grown more used to in the Episcopal Church.
Anyway … interesting.
(via Ginny)
Also, those other words are “Name of the Creator” anything that they are written on are now “Sacred”, but it’s nice to see the Catholic Church going so retrograde under Pope Prada.
Interestingly, in addition to the Jehovah’s Witnesses, there are many evangelical churches that use Jehovah in their names. I haven’t seen as many using Yahweh.
And does it smack just a little of the HP “he who must not be named” weirdness?
Which always makes me think of Snife … 🙂
(Snife was the Evil God in Dave Sutherland’s campaigns that Mary, Margie and I ran in. He was known popularly as the Nameless One, though his followers more formally called him He Who Must Not Be Named. We were greatly amused to learn his true name and that the incessant giggling at hearing it was apparently the main reason he went by his nom d’guerre.)
To All Who Love God’s Name:
The new directive from the Vatican to stop using the Divine name YHWH (Yahweh) in songs and prayers has no authorization from Scripture.
The truth is, no one knows the exact pronunciation of even the Hebrew name “Jesus” which was most likely “Yeshua.” This doesn’t keep us from expressing the name of God’s Son does it?
It goes without saying we must have deep reverence for God but where in Scripture are we authorized to pluck out God’s name? We can’t point to the traditions of the Jews because Jesus said they made the word of God “invalid” because of their man-made traditions. (Matthew 15:1-6)
Jesus, on the other hand, came to make God’s name known. (John 17:26) He was well aware that the third commandment tells us not to use God’s name “disrespectfully” but he knew this didn’t mean to stop using it altogether.
Beyond that, there are many Bible examples in the Bible of God’s servants of old, like Abraham and David, using and saying God’s name frequently in song and prayer. Apparently the angels felt it was fine to praise God using his name. Hallelujah actually means “praise Jah.” Jah being an abbreviated form of Jehovah. (Revelation 19:1)
The LXX had God’s name, YHWH, all over it before it was eventually removed. This can easily be seen by comparing LXX early manuscripts with later ones.
The big question is. Where were scribes given permission to do this? They weren’t…but did anyway. The Vatican should reexamine their decision to hide this most wonderful name that reigns supreme in the earliest, most sacred documents-the Holy Scriptures.
Nick Batchelor
nickhawaii@gmail.com
Awesome insight brother
I was raised a Baptist ministers daughter. I have now made a point of studying as many religions as I can and am still in a state of aquiring knowledge. I believe there to be a verse in the Bible that clearly states that the sacred name of the Divine should not be spoken and I would like to find that verse to back up a sense of something I long to explain to my Christian family. Anyone that can help, it would be gratefully appreciated.
~~*~~ Blessings.
Rain.
@Rain – I can’t point to the verse offhand, but I think there are passages in Leviticus or Deuteronomy to that effect, thus the Israelite’s circumlocutions regarding the Name of God after that.
That said, I think Jesus’ instruction to his followers to address God as their “Father” implies a relationship that surpasses formality and unspeakable names.
Still too risky. To be safe, I propose we ban all mention of God, whether by name, pronoun (“Pronoun”?), or inference. Why take chances?
Oh, and who the heck is “Snife”?
@Avo – Snife was the unspoken name of the CE deity in Dave Sutherland’s D&D campaign when we were in college. He usually went by “He Who Must Not Be Named” or “The Nameless One,” largely, I think, because his real name instilled the giggles in everyone.
UPDATE: Hmmmm … rereading the earlier comments, there must be some sort of echo in here.
As per the Jews G-ds name is divine and no human is capable of uttering it correctly. Jesus gave us both a name and a title in the Lords Prayer. ‘ OUR FATHER. I address G-d as Father because it is disrespectful to address G-d in any other way. Do you address you Earthly Father by any other name but Dad or Father. We have the privilege of calling G-d Father so use it and do insult G-d by using another name