THE MISSING J

(Continued)

Development of Our Language
"JUST AS THE GREEKS had modified the Hebrew-Phoenician alphabet, the Romans adopted and modified the Greek alphabet. Thirteen letters were accepted unchanged from the Greek: A, B, E, H, I, K, M, N, O, T, X, Y, Z. Eight letters were revised: C, D, G, L, P, R, S, V. Two letters were added: F and Q. This gave the Romans a total of 23 letters, all that were needed to write Latin. The Romans also dropped the Greek designations for the letters, such as alpha, beta, gamma, for the simple A, B, C's that we know today. The letters U and W were added to the alphabet about 1,000 years ago, and the J was added 500 years after that," (from "Designing with Type," pp. 12-13).

Was the Pronunciation Lost?

   Because of the years-long efforts of scribes and others to conceal the sacred Name, some today believe that the pronunciation of the Name of the Heavenly Father has been lost. The evidence proves otherwise, however. The proper vocalization of the Name was perpetuated down through the centuries.

   The Encyclopaedia Britannica (11th Edition, vol. 12) says of "Yahweh":

   The Rabbinic tradition that after the death of Simeon the Just (fl. 290 B.C.E.) it was no longer pronounced even on these occasions, is contradicted by the well-attested statement that in the last generations before the fall of Jerusalem (C.E. 70) it was uttered so low that the sounds were lost in the chant of the priest. After that event the liturgical use of the name ceased, but the tradition was perpetuated in the Rabbinic schools; it continued also to be employed by healers, exorcists, and magicians, and is found on many magical papyri. It is asserted by Philo that only priests might pronounce it and by Josephus that those who know it were forbidden to divulge it. Finally the Samaritans shared the scruples of the Jews, except that they used it in judicial oaths.
   The early Christian scholars therefore easily learnt the true pronunciation. Clement of Alexandria (d. 212) gives laove or laovai (or in one manuscript laov), Origen (d. 253-54) lan, and Epiphanius (d. 404) laBe (or lave in one manuscript); Theodoret (d. 457) says that the Samaritans pronounced it laBe (or lapa)...
   This new name, though at first widely known, as the Moabite Stone shows, was soon considered too sacred for daily use and confined to the Scriptures.
   Outside the Old Testament YHWH occurs only on the Moabite Stone (c. 850 B.C.E.); the usual form is YH or YHW, occurring in unvocalized texts of the 5th and 4th centuries B.C.E. These forms appear in the Old Testament sporadically as the independent Yah and regularly as Yah or Yahu at the end and Yeho or Yo at the beginning of proper names.

   The Encyclopedia Judaica confirms that the pronunciation "Yahweh" was preserved: "The true pronunciation of the name YHWH was never lost. Several early Greek writers of the Christian Church testify that the name was pronounced 'Yahweh.' This is confirmed, at least for the vowel of the first syllable of the name, by the shorter form Yah, which is sometimes used in poetry (e.g. Ex. 15:2)."

   New archaeological finds attest to the accuracy of the Name Yahweh. The New Schaff-Herzog Religious Encyclopedia shows how important these discoveries are in regard to the veracity of the sacred Name's pronunciation:

   Yahweh: The pronunciation Yahweh of the Hebrew Tetragrammaton need no longer be based primarily on traditions preserved in late patristic sources. Both the vocalization yahwe and yahu (a shortened form used chiefly in personal names) are now confirmed by a variety of ancient New Eastern inscriptional materials from the first and second millennia B.C.E.
   Yahwe was originally a finite verb derived from a causative stem of the Northwest Semitic root hwy, 'to come into being.' The divine name would thus go back to a verbal form meaning 'he causes to come into existence,' or in effect, 'he creates.'
   The name Yahweh appears to have been originally the first or key word of an ancient liturgical formula which proclaimed the creative activity of the deity.
   No non-Israelite divine name 'Yahweh' has yet been identified certainly in ancient Near Eastern sources.

And the Son's Name?

   From a study of the origin of letters that make up the word "Jesus" in our English Bibles, we can readily see that the name of the Savior underwent considerable change as it was brought from one language to another.

   The name of the Redeemer of Israel, who has the only name through which man can find salvation (Acts 4:12), has been given a Latinized hybrid name that never existed in Hebrew and did not exist in English until 500 years ago.

   Strong's Exhaustive Concordance shows that the word Jesus is from the Greek "Iesous," which according to Strong's Greek Dictionary, derives from the Hebrew , Yahowshua. The vowel points that make this transliteration (sounding out) are much more recent than the actual Hebrew letters, being introduced between 600 and 900 C.E. Removing them to be consistent with the original letters, we get .

   The first three letters, reading right to left, are pronounced YAHW because they are equivalent to the English vowels IAU. They are the same letters that begin Yahweh's Name (). The last two Hebrew letters, , are pronounced SHUA, as found in Strong's Concordance Hebrew Dictionary, No. 8668.

   Clearly, the name of the Savior was changed from Yahshua, through contraction, to Joshua (then Jeshua). Evidence that the Y in His name took on the J is found in Acts 7:45 and Hebrews 4:8, where translators of the King James Version inserted "Jesus" when Joshua, the son of Nun, was meant.

   When transferred into Greek, by taking the termination characteristics of the language, it assumed the form Jesus as it came through the Latin. Unlike English, which uses corresponding suffixes in personal pronouns, most languages have special endings on nouns that show the case, number, and gender. The "us" ending indicates masculine nominative. Thus the metamorphosis from "Yahshua" to "Jesus" was complete.

   As with the Father's Name, numerous sources easily available attest that the Name Yahshua is incorrectly rendered "Jesus."

Secular Scholars

   Encyclopedia Americana: "Jesus Christ — ...Although Matthew (1:21) interprets the name originally Joshua, that is, 'Yahweh is salvation,' and finds it specially appropriate for Jesus of Nazareth, it was a common one at the time." (Vol. 16, p. 41)

   Encyclopaedia Britannica (15th ed.): "Jesus Christ—...The same is true of the name Jesus. In the Septuagint it is the customary Greek form for the common Hebrew name Joshua; i.e., 'Yahweh helps.' " Vol. 10. p. 149.

   Following is a photocopied extract from the Oxford English Dictionary under "Jesus":  ( Copy not included )

   Had the Savior's Name been transliterated into Greek and Latin, the true and proper form would have been preserved.

Religious Scholars

   Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature: "Jesus Christ—There can be no doubt that Jesus is the Greek form of a Hebrew name. Its original and full form is Jehoshua. By contraction it became Joshua or Jeshua; and when transferred into Greek, by taking the termination characteristics of that language, it assumed the form Jesus."

   Word Studies in the New Testament,' by Marvin R. Vincent —

Jesus. The Greek form of a Hebrew name, which had been borne by two illustrious individuals in former periods of the Jewish history—Joshua, the successor of Moses, and Jeshua, the high-priest, who with Zerubbabel took so active a part in the re-establishment of the civil and religious polity of the Jews in their return from Babylon. Its original and full form is Jehoshua, becoming by contraction Joshua or Jeshua.  Joshua, the son of Nun, the successor of Moses, was originally named Hoshea (saving), which was altered by Moses into Jehoshua (Yah~veh (our) Salvation) (Numbers 13:16). The meaning of the name, therefore, finds expression in the title Savior (Luke 1:47; 2:11; John 4:42).

   The Acts of the Apostles by Jackson and Lake:

Jesus—This is the regular Greek translation of the Hebrew Joshua. The latter assumed a shorter form Jeshua in later times, which explains also the e in the Greek spelling. Among the Biblical instances Joshua the son of Nun, and Jeshua the son of Jehozadak, high priest in the time of Zerubbabel, are well known. The Greek spelling occurs in the LXX (with some exception) for the Hebrew name. It is included in the title of Ecclesiasticus. It is used in the New Testament at Luke 3:29, Acts 7:45, and Hebrews 4:8 of ancient Hebrews, and of Jews of the early Roman Empire at Col. 4:11, by Josephus frequently (see Niese, Index, 8.V.) and many other Jewish sources.

   Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible: (under Hebrews 4:8) "Jesus. Josue, who in Greek is called Jesus."

   Smith's Bible Dictonary: "Jesus Christ — The name Jesus means Savior, and was a common name, derived from the ancient Hebrew Jehoshua."

   A Dictionary of the Bible, by James Hastings: "Jesus — the Greek form of the name Joshua or Jeshua. Jeshua — Yahweh is salvation or Yahweh is opulence."

   Alford's Greek Testament, An Exegetical and Critical Commentary: "Jesus — The same name as Joshua, the former deliverer of Israel."

   Encyclopedic Dictionary of Religion: "Jesus (the Name)--Matthew's gospel explains it as symbolic of His mission, 'For He will save His people from their sins.' This agrees with its popular meaning as 'Yahweh saves...,'" p. 1886.

   Catholic Encyclopedia: "The Sacred Name--the word Jesus is the Latin form of the Greek Iesous which in turn is the transliteration of the Hebrew Jeshua, or Joshua, or again Jehoshua, meaning 'Jehovah is salvation,'" Vol. 8, p. 374.

   Interpreter's Bible: (Note on Matthew 1:21) 'Jesus: for He shall save: the play on words (Yeshua, Jesus; yoshia, shall save) is possible in Hebrew but not in Aramaic. The name Joshua means 'Yahweh is salvation.'

   Barnes' Notes: (Note on Matthew 1:21) 'His name Jesus: The name Jesus is the same as Saviour. It is derived from the verb signifying to save. In Hebrew it is the same as Joshua. In two places [Acts 7:45 and Hebrews 4:8] in the New Testament it is used where it means Joshua, the leader of the Jews into Canaan, and in our translation the name Joshua should have been retained."

   Matthew Henry's Commentary on Matthew 1:21: 'Jesus is the same name with Joshua, the termination only being changed, for the sake of conforming it to the Greek.'

   New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, vol. 2, p. 330:

OT Iesous is the Greek form of the OT Jewish name Yesua, arrived at by transcribing the Hebrew and adding an -s to the nom. to facilitate declension. Yesua (Joshua) seems to have come into general use about the time of the Babylonian exile in place of the older Yehosua. The LXX rendered both the ancient and more recent forms of the name uniformly as Iesous. Joshua the son of Nun, who according to the tradition was Moses' successor and completed his work in the occupation of the promised land by the tribes of Israel, appears under this name.... It is the oldest name containing the divine name Yahweh, and means 'Yahweh is help' or 'Yahweh is salvation' (cf. the verb yasa, help, save). Joshua also appears in one post-exilic passage in the Hebrew OT (Nehemiah 8:17) as Yesua the son of Nun, and not as in the older texts, Yehosua.

   Jewish superstitious reverence for the name still is evident in their aversion to including the short form of the sacred Name in YAHshua. Even today the Jews change the vowel form to spell YEHshua. That is how the "e" crops up in the Savior's name.

   We are to call on the name our Savior was given in Scripture. History and secular scholarship give abundant proof that His name has been changed by man. It is not Jesus. Hubert M. Skinner, on pp. 122-123 of his book, Story of the Letters and Figures, sums up the damage done to the Savior's name:

   In some way, various modern peoples who received the J from the Romans have lost the original sound, and have substituted something very different. We retain the former sound in our word "hallelujah," but we generally give the letter the disagreeable soft sound of G.
   Yod is the initial of the name Jesus. It is unfortunate that a name so dear and so sacred is pronounced in a manner so different from that of the original word. The latter sounded very much as if it were Ya'shoo-ah, and was agreeable to the ear. Our sounds of J and hard S are the most disagreeable in our language, and they are both found in our pronunciation of this short name, although they did not exist in its original.

   These sources that confirm the names Yahweh and Yahshua represent only a fraction of the numerous references available on the subject. You probably have some in your own home. Simply look up "God," "Jehovah," "Yahweh," "Jesus," or "Tetragrammaton" in any good dictionary or encyclopedia.

Names Remain Unchanged

   Names do not change as they are brought over from one language to another. Your name would remain the same no matter which country you travel to. Newspapers would not change your name, but bring the same pronunciation across into their language. Another language may have a name analogous to yours (such as Pedro in Spanish for Peter), but the fact remains that your given name is Peter, not Pedro.

   We can tell from an individual's name whether he is from Germanic, Spanish, Irish, Scandinavian or Oriental stock because of the permanence of his name. Others may change your name, but you wouldn't.

   The word "halleluYah" is the same in every language, as attested by Bible translators. It means "praise you Yah" and is a command directly from Yahweh's Word. We are told to praise Yahweh, and should not evade that command by praising titles substituted in various languages for His true Name Yahweh.

What Difference Does It Make?

   The purpose of a name is to identify a specific individual. Changing the name changes the person referred to. Some will argue, "I know the sacred Name, but does it really make that much difference? The Heavenly Father knows who I mean when I use God or Lord."

   Yet, we know that the word "God" is used for the mighty ones of many religions, most of them pagan. And Hosea 2:16 and 17 says that the day is coming when Yahweh will take the name of the Lord (Baal) out of people's mouths. Baal means "my Lord" (see Companion Bible note on Hosea 2:16). Yahweh gives a powerful command in Exodus 23;13: "And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of your mouth."

   If "God" and "Lord" are used of other mighty ones, then how can we use them for the Heavenly Father without violating His commands in Exodus 23;13, Joshua 23:7, Hosea 2:16 and a host of other Scriptures?

   Yahweh is very jealous of His Name, as we read time and again throughout the Scriptures. He says in Isaiah 52:5 and 6 that His people will know His Name. And in Psalm 79:5-6 the psalmist asks, "How long, Yahweh? Will you be angry forever? Shall Your jealousy burn like fire? Pour out Your wrath upon the heathen that have not known You, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon Your Name."

   As mentioned in the beginning, one important characteristic of the favored Philadelphia Assembly in Revelation 3:7 is that they did not deny His Name (verse 8). Because of that, they have an open door to Yahweh's blessings.

   Because abundant proof exists that there was no "j" sound as we have in English in either Hebrew or Greek, why then should we not change all the proper names in the Bible that use the J to the more proper Y? While it is true that there are names like John, which would be pronounced Yo-han, Jeremiah is Yeremiah, Jacob is Yacob, Jason is Iason, Judah is Yehudah--none of these names are holy. More than any other adjective describing Yahweh's Name, Yahweh uses the word holy. We are to handle it with reverence and hallow it and preserve it in the way He revealed it to us.

   The same is true with Yahshua's Name, the only Name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. The other names of men are not holy.

   Yahweh's Name is bound up in His shekinah glory. When Moses asked to see Him in His glory, he was told, "I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of Yahweh before you; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy." Moses was not allowed to look on the face of Yahweh to see His resplendent glory, however. Notice that when the Almighty descended in the cloud upon the mount (Exodus 34:5), He proclaimed, "Yahweh, Yahweh El, merciful and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in goodness and truth," verse 6.

   His Name is bound up in His glory, as we see when He proclaimed the Ten Commandments to Israel. As soon as the thundering, lightning, trumpet blast, and smoking mount subsided, He began with, "I, Yahweh, am your Elohim...." He makes known His presence by announcing His Name. Sons and daughters know their father's name, and we as children of the Most High Yahweh should know our Father's Name so that we can joyfully and truthfully say, "Hallowed be Thy Name."

No Other Name for Salvation

   Knowing what the true names are is not enough, however. Once they are proved and accepted as correct, they must be used. James 4:17 reads, "So then, to the person who knows what is right to do and fails to do it, to him it is sin," Modern Language Bible.

   The sacred Name is forever, a memorial that Yahweh says He is to be remembered by from generation to generation. "And Yahweh said moreover unto Moses, 'Thus shall you say unto the children of Israel, "Yahweh, the Elohim of your fathers, the Elohim of Abraham, the Elohim of Isaac, and the Elohim of Jacob, has sent me unto you:" this is My Name forever, and this is My memorial unto all generations,' " Exodus 3:15. (Note ALL generations)

   Yahweh has revealed His Name and His Son's through a Hebrew-speaking people down through history. His Name has meaning and describes His attributes. "Yahweh" means that He will be all things to His people. He will be whatever they need of Him at the time. He will be our comforter, strengthener, guide, protector, healer, provider; in fact, He will be whatever we as His children need. He has already become our salvation through His Son, Yahshua, the salvation Yahweh has sent to earth for you and me.

   We have a closer walk with Yahweh when we call upon His personal, holy Name that He has revealed to those with whom He is in covenant. Our fellowship is with those of like faith who have called upon His sacred Name down through the years, from righteous Abel to Noah, Abraham, and the Israelites of long ago. Eventually the whole family in heaven and earth will be the Name of the Father, Yahweh, Ephesians 3:l5. How can you be accounted worthy to bear the Name Yahweh, and be sealed with His Name (Revelation 14:1), if you refuse to use it now?

   We must walk in all the truth we are given. When we fully accept the truth revealed to us, it is our responsibility to act. Abundant proof exists that Yahweh and Yahshua are the correct and only names of the Father and Son, respectively. These are the names revealed in His Word through His inspired prophets. We cannot improve on the direct command to praise Him by the Name He Himself gave to us.

   "Salvation comes through no one else, for there is no other Name in the whole world, given to men, to which we must look for our salvation." Acts 4:12 TCNT.

To learn more about the names of the Father and the Son write for (or read online) our free booklet, "The Heavenly Father's Great Name." May Yahweh guide you in your search for truth in His Words!

HalleluYAH!