Why do churches not use Jehovah's name?

Answer 1

The Jews (not Jewish religion as of the modern day) rumoured that it was a sin to say God's name and so that's what they did.

They omitted His name from their manuscripts and now Jehovah's titles are used instead (God, Father etc.)

So now in modern-day bibles, Jehovah is omitted over 7000 times.

(Excluding the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures)

In some bibles, "Jehovah" has been completely removed because of the Vatican directive who aimed at eliminating the use of God's name.

In the Anglican church for much of the 20th century they sang a hymn "Guide me O thou great Jehovah" but in the 1970s changed it to "Guide me O thou great redeemer". So it is not strictly true that the churches have not used the name as some have.

It's much more in depth than that, but there you go.

It would be better if you look in the Official website of Jehovah's Witnesses, it will tell you anything you might want to know. Just type the topic you would like to know in the search box on the upper right part of the page. see related link.

Answer 2

Answer 1: Jehovah's Witnesses that speak Hebrew would use the Hebrew translation of the divine name. It would actually be more inaccurate for an English speaking person to try pronounce Yahweh correctly in most instances since the voice inflections in Hebrew are much different than English.

Answer 2 by Contributor: Jehovah is the English translation of the Tetragrammaton which in Hebrew would be either Yahweh or perhaps Yehowah. This can be seen even in the King James version of Exodus 6:3; Psalm 83:18; Isaiah 12:2 & 26:4.

Other names are translated in the Bible as well. Most people have no problem in referring to Yeshua or Yeheshua as "Jesus" for one example.

The Tetragrammaton is translated differently in different languages.

Either Jehovah or Yahweh is far better than totally removing his Name and replacing it with a generic title such as LORD or GOD as many versions, including the KJV, do in most places.

Here is a brief list of the way his Name is spelled or pronounced in just a few different languages:

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

Another Answer form a Contributor:

Contrary to the above

No Bible has ever 'replaced' the name of God as is alluded to above. However, the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament) contained the Tetragrammaton in many places, but they never, never, ever uttered God's name when reading scripture - nor even in prayer. The only time it was said aloud was at Yom Kippur when the High Priest called on God by name. Nowadays, to the modern Jew, the Tetragrammaton is never uttered. The reason for this is simple: God's name, to the Jew, was deemed so holy and so sacred to be uttered by a human. Instead, when reading the scriptures, Jews would always use the word 'Adonai' (or another similar description) to name God. Translated from the Hebrew this means 'Lord'.

Thus, in modern translations of the Bible - and in that I include the King James' version, the name of God is deemed too holy to commend to paper, and so the ancient Jewish custom of replacing it with 'Lord ' ('Adonai') is used instead, and therefore shows greater respect for God's name. In the New Testament, Jesus never referred to God as the Tetragrammaton, but instead called him 'Father' or, in the Aramaic language he spoke, 'Abba' ('Daddy').

The practice of reverting to the Tetragrammaton in the New World Translation, translated by Jehovah's Witnesses as 'Jehovah' is not only incorrect, as this was never intended, but can be seen to be disrespectful, and, especially to the Jew, grossly offensive.

Another Answer from a Contributor: I agree with the original answer. We would not want to remove Jesus name from our Bibles just because we don't know exactly how it would have been pronounced in ancient Hebrew. Some say Yeshua and some say Yeheshua. Why remove God's name?

There are many other translations that use God's name besides the NWT.

Replacing the Tetragrammaton with LORD is misleading and is redundant. When we all know that Jesus is Lord but translators replace God's name with LORD, it causes confusion between the one that Jesus said is the only true God and himself. Consider Psalms 110:1.

Ps 110:1 (KJV) The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

Ps 110:1 (ASV) Jehovah saith unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, Until I make thine enemies thy footstool

(John 17:3) This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.

(1 Corinthians 8:5-6) For even though there are those who are called "gods," whether in heaven or on earth, just as there are many "gods" and many "lords," 6 there is actually to us one God the Father, out of whom all things are, and we for him; and there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things are, and we through him.

Jesus did not consider God's name offensive.

(Matthew 6:9) "YOU must pray, then, this way: "'Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified.

(John 17:6) "I have made your name manifest to the men you gave me out of the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have observed your word. (John 17:26) And 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 and I in union with them."

Jehovah wanted his name known or he would not have inspired Bible writers to make it known.

(Ezekiel 36:23) 'And I shall certainly sanctify my great name, which was being profaned among the nations, which YOU profaned in the midst of them; and the nations will have to know that I am Jehovah,' is the utterance of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah, 'when I am sanctified among YOU before their eyes.

(Ezekiel 38:23) And I shall certainly magnify myself and sanctify myself and make myself known before the eyes of many nations; and they will have to know that I am Jehovah.'

(Jeremiah 16:21) "Therefore here I am causing them to know; at this one time I shall cause them to know my hand and my mightiness, and they will have to know that my name is Jehovah."

(Jeremiah 33:2) "This is what Jehovah the Maker of [earth] has said, Jehovah the Former of it to establish it firmly, Jehovah being his name,

(Psalm 83:18) That people may know that you, whose name is Jehovah, You alone are the Most High over all the earth.

(Psalm 20:7) Some concerning chariots and others concerning horses, But, as for us, concerning the name of Jehovah our God we shall make mention.

(Psalm 44:20-21) If we have forgotten the name of our God, Or we spread out our palms to a strange god, 21 Will not God himself search this out? For he is aware of the secrets of the heart.

(Psalm 9:10) And those knowing your name will trust in you, For you will certainly not leave those looking for you, O Jehovah.

(Exodus 33:12) Now Moses said to Jehovah: "See, you are saying to me, 'Lead this people up,' but you yourself have not let me know whom you will send with me. Moreover, you yourself have said, 'I do know you by name and, besides, you have found favor in my eyes.'

(Ezekiel 39:7) And my holy name I shall make known in the midst of my people Israel, and I shall no more let my holy name be profaned; and the nations will have to know that I am Jehovah, the Holy One in Israel.'

Quite a few prayers are recorded in the Bible using God's name.

Psalms 3:1 O Jehovah, why have my adversaries become many?Why are many rising up against me?

Psalms 5:1 To my sayings do give ear, O Jehovah; Do understand my sighing.

Pslms 6:1 O Jehovah, do not in your anger reprove me, And do not in your rage correct me.

Psalms 7:1 O Jehovah my God, in you I have taken refuge. Save me from all those persecuting me and deliver me,

As regards to Jehovah or Yahweh, I find the following information interesting.

Look at 2Chron 17:3 where Jehovah and Jehoshaphat are mentioned together. Reading the Hebrew letters which is from right to left we see that both names start out the same. Then reading the interlinear line in the middle which is from left to right, we see they both start out the same: ieu.

They then go to Yahweh and Jehoshaphat. Shouldn't they both either start out with Jeh or Yah? Why not use the English form in English Bible's?

�ְ��ָ�

ieue

Yahweh

& ×¢Ö´

om

with

Ö¾

-

פָ� ָ

�ְ�

ieushpht

Jehoshaphat

Some scholars prefer Yahweh while others prefer Jehovah, such as the scholars on some of these translations. Yahweh probably is closer to the original way it was spoken in Hebrew, but not very many translators hold to keeping these other names like they are in Hebrew. With other names, they prefer to use the English form.

Jehoshaphat = Yehoshaphat

Joshua = Yehoshau

Jeremiah = Yirmeyah

Jehovah = YHWH

Jonathon = Yonathon

Answer 3

There are many names/titles for God in The Bible. They usually refer to a specific aspect of His Character for us to better understand Him. Yahweh is used wherever the Bible stresses God's personal relationship with his people and the ethical aspect of his nature. Psalm 19 begins using 'Elohim' for God as Creator and in the middle changes to Yahweh for God as LORD.