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Is My Jehovah Witness Relative Correct in Saying That God's Name "Probably Isn't" Jehovah?

I had lunch today with a first cousin who joined Jehovah's Witnesses back in the 1990s.  We talked for almost two hours with a matter of about 10 minutes regarding our respective faiths.  The subject came up because he knows I'm a Gideon.  He respects that, but declined my offer of a New Testament.  Both of us grew up in the same liberal denomination, and both of us left.  I left to become a born again Christian in 1971 while in college.  And in the mid-90s he was searching for a more relevant religion.  He joined Jehovah's Witnesses after studying with them for some months.  He agreed with me that God's name probably isn't Jehovah, but that it's important to recognize he has a personal name.  Which by being JW, he uses the Jehovah name.  

I, on the other hand, have long recognized Jehovah as being one of the names for God, but not the only possible one.  

Great time of catching up after many years living about 600 miles apart.  But I wonder how many JWs would agree with his statement?

Update:

To expand a little, Suzanne.  We had visited about an hour over lunch, talking about families.  He was going to visit his daughter and granddaughter but I would be out of town when he returned.  As a Gideon, I frequently carry one pocket New Testaments for giving away to those who want one.  So I made the offer so that he could have one on his travel.  He said no, thanks, he already had plenty of Bibles.  Neither of us were upset and we continued our visit.  

Update 2:

Thanks, Reb.  My feelings are the name as yours.  I never called my father "harry", but usually Dad.  Now in prayer I use Father or Lord.  I don't think the omission of a personal name bothers him one bit.  I think he's glad to hear from me.

And thanks for your response Juli.  It appears that my cousin's answer is actually in line with JW theology.

9 Answers

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  • 1 month ago
    Favourite answer

    The jehovah's witnesses leaders have stated in their literature and videos that the word jehovah is not god's name.

    I don't think most JWs pay attention in class.

    One of their leaders said in a video that jehovah is used because it's popular, not because it's right.

    You'll find that admission on their website, JW Broadcasting, June 2015 episode.

    After Geoffrey Jackson says they don't know the name, he says it's important to use the fake name.

  • ?
    Lv 4
    1 month ago

    My Dad had a personal name it was ‘wilfred’ but do you know never once did I call my Dad ‘Wilfred’ if I had he would have been hurt. I always called him dad because we had a personal relationship. I also have a personal name it is ‘Neil’ and I have three children, and do you know not one of them refer to me as ‘Neil’ if they did, I would be hurt, they always refer to me as Dad because we have a personal relationship. None of my eight Grandchildren or my 1 great grandchild refer to me as ‘Neil’ if they did, I would be hurt they refer to me as ‘Grandad’ because we have a personal relationship.

    On the 25th Feb 1975 I was adopted into a spiritual family, the family of God, when I committed my life to Christ Jesus. The Bible gives me the following assurance “Dear friends, NOW WE ARE children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).

    Jesus gave his disciples advice on how to address His father in this new family. His advice is recorded for us in (Matthew 6:9-13) and (Luke 11:2-4).

    So, because I now have a personal relationship with my heavenly Father that is how I refer to Him and address Him. Anything else and I am sure he would be hurt too.

    The Pharisees were a group of zealous Jews who were contemporaries of Jesus Christ. They believed that the way they would please God and make it to heaven was by meticulously following a long list of religious rules and regulations. They really wanted to honour God but ultimately missed the point.

    For Christians today, we should take care not to fall into the trap of Pharisaism caring more about the letter of the law than the true meaning and power behind it. This is sadly the case with the Jehovah’s witnesses like ‘teem’ which can clearly be seen from his answer. Teem genuinely wants to honour God, but just like the Pharisees he totally misses the point.

    This is just what Jesus meant when he said the Pharisees "Strain at a gnat but swallow a camel". (Matt 23:24).

  • TeeM
    Lv 7
    1 month ago

    Since Hebrew writing did not nor does not include vowels, and because of a Jewish superstition, the actual pronunciation of God's personal name has been lost.

    YHWH  in Hebrew becomes 'JHVH' in German and English.

    Why, because the Hebrew 'Y' sounds like the German and English 'J'; the Hebrew 'W' sounds like the German and English 'V'

    This means most people who prefer 'Yahweh' are mispronouncing it.

    In English the 'Y' should be pronounced as 'Jah' or 'Jeh' and the 'w' should have a 'v' sound as in 'va'. making the proper pronunciation in English as 'Jah'veh'.

    Having said that, pronunciation of words are established by usage.

    The accepted pronunciation of Yahweh is Yah-way'

    Yahweh [ yah-we ] noun the name of God, transliterated by scholars from the Tetragrammaton and commonly rendered Jehovah.

    Another example:The accepted and practiced pronunciation of "like" is 'li-k'

    Whereas the accepted and practiced pronunciation of 'Nike' is 'ni-key'

    Route is pronounced correctly 2 different ways. [ root, rout ]

    harass is also correctly pronounce 2 different ways [huh-ras, har-uhs]

    What has been the approved and accepted pronunciation of the Hebrew name for God?

    Jehovah: noun the name of God in the Old Testament, a rendering of the ineffable name, JHVH, in the Hebrew Scriptures. 

    (in modern Christian use) God.

    Jehovah: noun Old Testament the personal name of God, revealed to Moses on Mount Horeb (Exodus 3)

    and one of my favorites

    My hard copy of my College dictionary under the word “Jehovah” it states:

    Jehovah: noun “God’s name in Christian translations of the Old Testament. (equal to the Hebrew word Yahweh)”

    Then I looked up “Yahweh” in this dictionary and it wasn’t listed. This created a moment of further dismay until I realized that I had an English dictionary and not a Hebrew dictionary.

    If you prefer 'Yahweh' over 'Jehovah', Jehovah's Witnesses don't care.  What we do care about is the hiding of God's personal name with the title 'LORD' or 'GOD'.

    Especially when God's personal name appears some 7,000 times in his word.

    More times than the words 'Lord', 'God', and 'Jesus' combined.

    King David, loved and used God's personal name in his Psalms.

    “A melody of David. 8 O Jehovah our Lord, how majestic your name is throughout the earth;. . .” (Psalm 8:superscription, 1)

    “A melody of David. 23 Jehovah is my Shepherd.. . .” (Psalm 23:superscription, 1)

    “Of David. A melody. 24 To Jehovah belong the earth and everything in it,. . .” (Psalm 24:superscription, 1)

    Who wants people to forget Jehovah's name?

    Satan.  Jeremiah even says it is because of the title 'Lord' people will forget it.

    .

  • 1 month ago

    Yes, he is.  God's name is Elohim, the father and God of Jesus Christ, who claims to be YHWH incarnate.

  • Anonymous
    1 month ago

    "Jehovah" is definitely NOT God's name.  Some Catholic dude made it up centuries ago.

  • Never mind the so-called Witnesses, from what vocabulary did they get the name Witnesses?

    Their testimony is based on what?

    Correct the name, that's the accurate pronunciation!Have they never had a single experience with God, not least because, their heretical religion teaches that God does not answer, and no longer performs miracles?In some cases is Satan, their god, more credible than the so called Witnesses?

    Apart from the fact that the name of God is transcribed in different ways, the origin is the one on the 4 Hebrew consonants, the one that Moses wrote on Mount Sinai, after the Lord had spoken to him from Heaven.And then, we have an extraordinary exemplar, when Jesus Christ taught His disciples, calling Yahweh, FATHER!That is, He said: when you pray say, Our Father.....!Given this truth, the so-called Witnesses of the Guardians are out of Christian doctrine, and , the word of God accuses them of being false Prophets, and the Antichrist.

  • ?
    Lv 6
    1 month ago

    According to Islamic religion God have ninety names.."Call upon Allah, or call upon the mercyful by whatever name ye call upon Him, (it is well): for to Him belong the Most Beautiful Names." (Quran)

  • 1 month ago

    It is true that we do not know the exact original pronunciation of God's name. The four-letter Hebrew word יהוה‎ (transliterated as YHWH), is the name of God in the Bible. In Biblical Hebrew, most vowels are not written. Therefore it can be difficult to deduce exactly how a word is pronounced from its spelling. However, Yahweh and Jehovah are the most commonly accepted pronunciations universally.

    The same is true for other Hebrew names. For example, Jesus’ first-century disciples said his name quite differently from the way most Christians do today. To Jewish Christians, the name Jesus was probably pronounced Ye·shuʹa‛. Greek-speaking Christians called him I·e·sousʹ Khri·stosʹ, and Latin-speaking Christians Ieʹsus Chriʹstus. 

    The really important point is not the exact pronunciation, but the recognition that Jehovah is a Proper Name, not merely an appellative title like ‘Lord.

  • Hello there

    I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses and can say that the name of God in English, is Jehovah. But, there are slight changes depending on which country one resides in. However, predominately, you can recognise that name.

    What do you mean: he declined you offer of the new testament? We use the whole of the 66 books, which make up the Bible and this saturday, after sundown, we celebrate the memorial of our saviour ( world's saviour), Jesus Christ and thus, proves that we also hold the new testament sacred.

    Some bible writers say: Jah, which is a shortened version or Yaweh ( excuse if I got that wrong).

    It is wonderful that you do believe at least, one of His names is Jehovah.

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