May 20, 2005

Names of Deity

Filed under: Translation Notes — James Tabor @ 5:41 pm

Most modern/font translations in keeping with traditional prohibitions against pronouncing the name of God have adopted a complicated and confusing system of translating the names and designations for Deity in the Hebrew Bible. The Tetragrammaton (Yahweh) is thus translated LORD in all capital letters. The problem with this practice is that it then creates confusion with the Hebrew term Adonai which does mean Lord. Accordingly most modern translations distinguish this without the capital letters. This is fine until you have the terms used together: YHVH Adonai which would then become the nonsensical LORD Lord. To address this redundancy the translators in such cases opt for GOD (all caps) for YHVH. But here another problem is createdthe normal terms for God (El Eloah and Elohim) are also rendered God throughout with no distinction so that you can end up with GOD being redundant with God if Adonai is also used. The simple solution is to reflect in every case the Hebrew terms actually used without attempting translations that only further confuse. So in the TEB you will find written in all CAPS these special names or terms for Deity:

YHVH (Yahweh or Yehovah)brYAH (shortened form of YHVH)
ADON (Master or Lord)brADONAI (plural of ADON)
EL ELOAH and its plural ELOHIM (the terms for God)
ELYON (Most High)
SHADDAI (Breasts or Protector/Destroyer)

The TEB has also included notes on the 134 places where it is said that the scribes (Sopherim) removed the name YHVH for theological reasons altering it to ADONAI in the standard Masoretic text (MT). For example in Genesis 18:3 27 30 and 32 where Abraham is speaking to Yahweh the traditional text has Adonai or Lord to avoid what was considered an extreme anthropomorphism. The TEB notes the 18 emendations of the Sopherim for example see Genesis 18:22.

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