Contents
Earle Paul – Name Above Every Name ………………………………………….. 2
Keith Johnson – Yehovah ……………………………………………………………. 7
Ancient Hebrew Research Center – Pronouncing the name…………………………………………………………………………………………………. 12
Jehovah vs. Yahweh in Bible Translation ………………………………………….. 13
The Divine Name: Yahweh vs. Yehovah ………………………………………….. 17
The Name of Jesus Across Languages ………………………………………….. 19
Dr. John Hinton – The Ridiculous Bible Corrections……………………………….. 22
The Name of God and Jesus: Questions & Answers………………………………. 31
Elton Anamoly …………………………………………………………………………………. 35
Earle Paul: name-above-every-name
Yahuah, according to Earle Paul@earlepaul3133, name-above-every-name.com
Why call God by His True Name – video
What follows is the substance of his video, together with my comments.
The following verses tell believers to come to God using His name. Psalm 91:14 “I will set him securely on high, because he has known my name.”
“He shall build a house for my name and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” 2 Samuel 7:12-13
“So they shall invoke my name on the sons of Israel, and I then will bless them.” Numbers 6:22-27
“But for you who fear my name, the servant of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings.” Malachi 4:2
These are but a few of the many verses of scripture that call believers to remember God’s name. Earle is correct thus far.
“When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the peace offering, he blessed the people in the name of Yahuah of hosts.” 2 Samuel 6:18.
“Then I called upon the name of Yahuah, O Yahuah, I beseech You, save my life.” Psalm 116:4.
Mr. Earle Paul inserted the name Yahuah in place of LORD. But what does it mean to recognize and remember God’s name? Are we talking about God’s character and attributes, or His literal name and its Hebrew pronunciation?
Earle Paul continues. “So why is it that Christians seem to be indifferent to His name when it is clear that God wants us to know His name? Christian leaders shy away from using the name of God. Why is that? Those who use it are called heretics and offenders. These are three reasons why this is the case. 1) Other Christians do not want to be associated with what others call a cult like understanding, like the Jehovah’s Witness cult. 2) Secondly, Christians state that God has many names and we should not become obsessed with using just one name. Other names address God’s essence and or attributes, but God gave Moses His personal name. El and Yahuah, 3) the last reason is that this offends their tradition. They were taught this from the beginning of their Christian walk and are unwilling to consider anything else. And anyone bringing new light offends them, and they refuse to hear or believe it, which is a significant problem”.
I think there may be other reasons, for example. God promised to preserve His word, and the English-speaking world, via the KJV, has been using Jehovah for 300 plus years. Is Psalm 12 a lie, or just a mistake? Another reason might be that the Word for God in English will never be pronounced or spelled like the Hebrew word because it is a different language.
Some arguments from Earle follow.
Point 1. God has a personal name that is sacred and holy.
It isn’t ‘Lord’ or ‘LORD’ as most Bibles have been translated. King James uses Jehovah 7 times, only when the word or name is used thousands of times. That name is Yahuah (Ya-oow-ah) according to Mr. Paul.
“I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.” Psalm 138:2
Earle contends that the KJV and other translations that say that God has magnified (esteemed) His word above His name are in error, for God had exalted his name and word above all things, and both his name and his word are of equal importance and value. His name is as important as His word, according to him. Earle is not using the KJV of the Bible in this translation; he quotes from it.
I believe he is incorrect in his interpretation of this Psalm. King David let no doubt about the truth that God esteems His name above His word. Why is that? The Word of God explains who God is more than His name does. A name signifies much more than a literal name with a specific pronunciation. Name is the character, reputation, glory, and honor of the person.
Why do Biblical Scholars still use Yahweh (he uses Yehweh) or Jehovah instead of Yahuah?
Jehovah is a German transliteration and clearly in error. Neither J nor V had a Hebrew equivalent. Earle dismisses this name Jehovah as not even worth considering, even though this name Jehovah has been used since the 1600s by most of the English-speaking world. Apparently, the world as a whole has had it all wrong until Earle and others who agree with him arrived on the scene.
Earle goes on to explain how the name of God, Yahweh, is a relatively recent term, dating back about 150 years. How was it derived? How has the tetragrammaton been used throughout history (3 time periods)
The first timeline or period spans 2000 years, from 1500 BC to 500 AD.
Many have thought and believe that determining His name is too complicated for us ordinary people, and only scholars can and should attempt it. And then they say that it is really impossible for us today to know how to pronounce God’s name, so we default to Lord or LORD. Earle thinks that is a mistake, but I am not sure it is.
Temple at Soleb, 2400 BC. Located in Sudan. An ancient Egyptian site and temple for their god Aminrope. In these ruins is a supposed reference to the name of God. A guy named Gerard Gertoux researched this. Yehuaw, the god of the people, considered to be the Jews, is referred to there. But that could be confidently translated as Yahuaw. Very close to Yahuah.
Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser 111, 840 BC. Depicts five subdued Kings, one of whom is Jehu, son of Omri, king of Northern Israel. On this obelisk, his name is rendered Ya-u-a and demonstrates the fact that was later pronounced as Ye should be pronounced as Ya, not Ye.
Murashu Documents 440 BC. 900 documents discovered in 1893. 730 from a banking house and sealed. Many were Jews containing the name of their God in their own name and sounding as Yahu. In Aramaic was the language.
Septuagint, 300 BC. 607 BC: Jerusalem was raised to the ground. Most Jews went to Babylon. However, some went to Egypt, specifically to Elephantine Island, where the weather was ideal for preserving documents. Aramaic language. They rebuilt the temple here. A Jewish leader, an Egyptian god, Canoe in the form of a ram. Jewish documents always refer to the Jewish God as Yahu.
The Old Testament in Hebrew was translated into Greek around 300 BC. God’s name was always translated to the Greek word Kyrios (Lord) instead of the actual name. All copies of the Septuagint produced after 300 BC used the Lord, but before that, and with the discovery of more recent manuscripts, the Hebrew name was used, and Greek I=iota, A=Alpha, W=Omega was used to signify the OT name of God, e.g., Yahu.
Flavius Josephus 100 AD. The then-emperor favored Josephus because he related a favorable prophecy about this leader becoming the emperor in 67 AD. He granted Josephus his freedom. He wrote two books, and they were widely read. In his book The War of the Jews, Josephus wrote volume 5, which was about the high priest. Josephus mentioned that all four vowels of God’s name, along with the four consonants. Qumran discoveries also refer to these and the vowels pronounced together ee-ah-ooah or Yahuah.
Clement of Alexandria, 200 AD. He preceded Origen. Clement supposedly rendered the divine name as Iaoue = Yahoweh or Yahweh. This is a mistake. The only surviving manuscript where Clement uses the tetragrammaton of the OT Codex L and the name is Iaou or Yahu, which is precisely as the Septuagint and Babylonian evidence shows.
Severus of Antioch, 500 AD. Turkey today. Very little of his works survives. But in those remains is found (commentary on the gospel of John) the reference to IWA = Ioua = Yahuah for the tetragrammaton. This is the simplest way to spell the tetragrammaton name in Greek.
All of this evidence is from Egyptian hieroglyphs, Akadian cuneiform, Babylonian, Aramaic, Koine Greek, and Hebrew. All of which points to the pronunciation of Yahuah – Yahu. The Septuagint and Severus also identify the name of God as Yahuah. It is possible that using this name fell out of favor because Gnostics used it. Yahu is the pronunciation of the first three letters of the tetragrammaton, but we want to use all four consonants, and when we do, we arrive at Yahuah.
Timeline 500 AD to 1500 AD
Both Jewish and Christian documents attest to Yah-uah. It is believed that during or after the Babylonian captivity, the “a” sound was turned into the “e” sound.
Medieval Hebrew texts
From 100 to 1000 AD, there are very few Hebrew texts. A few documents survived. Discoveries happen all the time. Some examples include the Cairo Geniza, an Egyptian text dating back to the 7th century, the Vatican Library’s 9th-century Talmudic commentary on the Book of Leviticus, and others. Ginsburg studied these and was convinced to pronounce the divine name as Yehowah. Another expert believes that the holy name should be Yehuah. The Codex Leningrad, the oldest complete Hebrew text in the world, supports this conclusion. Yehuah is the divine name and its pronunciation.
Afghan Genizah documents date back to the 11th century. Found in Afghanistan, Samangan Province. Found in caves. A great find of Jewish history. Written in Hebrew and other languages. The verdict is not yet in on how they used and pronounced God’s name. He is confident that the divine name will be Yahuah. Yet not everyone is as optimistic as Mr. Earle Paul.
Appendix – Keith Johnson
Keith Johnson supports Dr. N. Gordon, Yehovah. Keith produced a YouTube video that discussed another video, which featured the top 10 negative responses to Dr. Gordon’s claim that Yehovah exists. Don Esponsito and Randy Folliard produced that video. I have highlighted some of the objections and Keith’s rebuttal. Watch the video if you want to review all of them. Refer to the appendices for more detailed information.
Response 1-jot and tittle.
Jot is the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet, yod (‘). Tittle is a tiny stroke, mark, or ornament in writing.
Don Esponsito and Randy Folliard are the two men featured in this video who dismiss Dr. Gordon’s position that the name for God is Yehovah. They assert that the real name for God is Yahweh. Keith makes the point that the markers for vowels are/were placed later, but the pronunciation has always been present; otherwise, the word of God would be meaningless and not understood. Vowels are placed within the four consonants to allow for pronunciation. Or words can’t be pronounced. The Aleppo Codex contains no occurrences where scribes placed the full vowels of Adonia into the name Yehovah, as critics claim.
Response or objection 2. A peak inside the books.
The Masoretic text and the Aleppo Text are critical codices. Don says that these two texts are similar. And there is no way a scribe would make 50 mistakes and have them left unchecked. “He claims that the Aleppo Codex is similar to the Masoretic text. It is the crown of all Masoretic texts”, according to Keith. This is not a crazy theory, as some assert, like these two men. In over 1000 Hebrew manuscripts (as of 2020, the number is over 2400), the name of God with all the vowels is present. Some mistakes have been corrected in both the Aleppo and Leningrad manuscripts.
Here are the facts regarding the scribes’ actions in both manuscripts: The Aleppo Codex (the single most important one, according to the author, Keith) has seven instances where the name of God is written with the full vowels, Yehovah. Not a mistake, but a divine slip-up, but it was left in there nonetheless. He claims that the scribes knew the pronunciation of the name but were not allowed to use it in all other cases where the name of God is mentioned; therefore, the scribes left in the lesser vowels (two, not three vowels).
In the Leningrad Codex, it has at least 50 places where the name has the full three vowels, Yehovah. “This is why looking into Hebrew sources, rather than parroting opinions, is so important,” according to Keith.
Response 3. No Competition.
The two men, Don Esponsito and Randy Folliard, objecting to Gordon’s proposition, say that only 50 instances of Yehovah are present in over 7,000 manuscripts. Is that true?
Keith Johnson responds, “Current, ground-breaking research has uncovered more than 1,000 biblical Hebrew manuscripts with the full name written of God, as Yehovah” (As of 2020, the number is over 2400. 2400/7000 is 34% if my math is correct, and that is a significant number). New manuscripts have come to light in recent years.
The following comment by Keith is critical. “No biblical Hebrew manuscripts or other ancient Hebrew sources have been discovered that bear witness to the name of Yahweh as the name of the Hebrew God”. This is the fact and the truth, according to Keith.
According to the source, Yahweh’s Restoration Ministry, “Yahweh is confirmed within Greek documents from church fathers and Gnostic writings….” Should we place a higher value on these sources compared to Hebrew manuscripts? Is that even reasonable?
Response 4. Who says Yahweh?
Don Esponsito and Randy Folliard have talked with Jews and Samaritans living in Israel, and they say the name of God is Yahweh. And who are these folks? Keith has also spoken with some of them. He reminds us that “The Samaritans are the source of the pronunciation Yahweh. However, the foundation of this pronunciation is not something to boast about.” Why is that? I think he is referring to the compromises the Samaritans made to avoid persecution, as they did not care about the name of God, since they did not pronounce it. Therefore they were willing to name their temple after the gods of the rulers.
Response 5. The Arabic Influence.
In the video, the two hosts (Don Esponsito and Randy Folliard) discuss a Yemenite Jew (assuming this is the oldest Jewish language or dialect) who met with them and agreed that Yahweh is the correct pronunciation for the name of God. And Jews would not allow 50 mistakes, so it is a crazy theory that Dr. Gordon advances. In response, Keith offers this: “The Yemenite Jews speak a dialect of Hebrew that is not ‘the oldest form of Hebrew.” Arabic influenced the Yemenite dialect. Some sources verify this. “The true scholarly evidence is found in the manuscripts that we have in our hands. These are authoritative Hebrew sources,” according to Keith.
Response 6. The solid sources revealed.
Don Esponsito and Randy Folliard reveal that some dictionaries and encyclopedias say that Yehovah is a false name for God. They claim that the word Yehovah came about by inserting vowels from Adonay into the four consonants of the Tetragrammaton (the four consonants of God’s name given to Moses). Hebrew doesn’t have a ‘J’ sound. Ya is the sound for J.
Therefore, Don and Randy argue that these sources prove the name of God is Yahweh, not Yehovah or Jehovah. How much credibility should we place in these two sources, Webster’s Dictionary and the Encyclopedia Britannica? But these are not Hebrew Bible sources. It is akin to saying Wikipedia or ChatGPT is an expert, reliable source for theology. ChatGPT in the attached appendices assumes the name for God is Yahweh based on scholarly consensus. But the truth is not arrived at by scholarly consensus. According to the Anchor Bible dictionary, the name Yahweh is “a scholarly guess.”
Response 7. A weak approach.
Don Esponsito and Randy Folliard say the name Jehovah, based on the Strong’s Concordance, can’t fit the name of God. But Strong’s is not a Lexicon. Strong’s says, “The Word hovah (feminine noun with a negative meaning) has no grammatical connection to the name Yehovah (proper noun). They each come from separate and distinct Hebrew roots.” Keith responds by providing an example. The word ‘awful’ is in the word ‘lawful’, so you can’t use the word awful as something good. This is in simple language why this objection is meaningless. This common misconception is the result of using Strong’s Concordance to make a lexical determination about the definition of the name Yehovah. It is a very weak approach.
Response 8. An Accident on Accent.
Don Esponsito and Randy Folliard continue with their objections. The Y sound exists in only one place in Jewish literature, they claim. But is that true?
“The ‘Y’ and ‘V’ sound in Yehovah exists in both biblical and non-biblical sources and has been retained in many other Jewish communities beyond the Ashkenazi (European) community,” according to Keith. Don and Paul say that the Y is limited to just one source, which is not true.
Response 9. Save your breath.
One of the hosts reads a passage from Acts and inserts ‘Yahweh’ as the name for God in the passage, which states that if we call upon the name of God (Yahweh), we will be saved. His interpretation is that if we call upon the name Yahweh, we will be saved. If we call on Jehovah or Yehovah, apparently, we can’t be saved. I do not believe even he believes that is true.
Let us remember that Yahweh is not found in Hebrew sources. And the word “Yahweh” has no connection to the word “salvation,” according to Keith. “When the name Yehovah is combined with the word yoshia (to save), it creates the name Yehoshua (Joshua). The meaning of this name, Yehoushua, is Yehovah saves.” The shortened form of the name Yehoshua (Joshua) is Yeshua (not Yahshua).” See Nehemiah 8:17. The first man named with the combined name of God and man is Joshua.
Response 10. A crazy challenge.
Don Esponsito and Randy Folliard, the two men featured in this YouTube video rebuttal of Dr. Gordon’s, claim that there are 68 references in the Tanach where the pronunciation is “Yeh” and not “Yah.” According to Keith, “There are actually 49 (not 68) instances in the Tanach where the term Yah appears as a separate, poetic form of the name.” Perhaps this was simply an oversight on their part, but it raises questions about the accuracy of their other assertions.
Keith responds, “When the name is connected to the end of a word, it is yah. When it is connected to the beginning of a word, it is Yeho. There are examples of both in Hebrew manuscripts”.
Keith goes on to comment, “When I heard these men say that the name, Yehovah, is not written thousands of times in Hebrew manuscripts, it is just a ‘crazy theory’, and that it is ‘preposterous’ and that ‘there is no premise of truth in that crazy assertion’, I was inspired-okay, challenged- to respond.”
Keith was offended that they proclaimed this publicly. “Also, the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to Him, and to love the name of the LORD…” Isaiah 56:6. Keith responded that he loves God’s name, which he believes is Yehovah, but these individuals (and most other academic experts) want him to love the name Yahweh, not Yehovah. Let us remember that the name of Yahweh is not found in any Hebrew manuscripts, but Yehovah is in over 1,000 (now 2,400) manuscripts. All this, according to Keith.
In our Bibles, we use titles for God, such as “Lord” or “LORD,” rather than His name, Yehovah or Jehovah. In the Hebrew Bible and the English Bible, Keith uses the name Yehovah, not Yahweh.
The next video I reviewed is titled “The Pronunciation of the Name of God YHWH by the Ancient Hebrew Research Center.
Many pronunciations have been suggested.
Jehovah
Yahuah
Yehowah
Yahwey
The use of consonants and vowels differs depending on the number and where the vowel points are inserted.
The rules of pronunciation may have changed since ancient times.
YHWH can be broken down into two ways. Yod ha wa ha means He exists
Now, what vowels can be inserted? YHYH is also used. It is pronounced YiH-YeH. Using these vowels, we arrived at YiH-WeH, but the tetragrammaton may have different vowels. Then we can have various pronunciations, such as the following possibilities.
YiH-WeH
YeH-WaH
Ye-Ha-WaH
Ye-He-WeH
Ye-Ho-WaH
And many more.
If the rules today are different than ancient times, then we will never know how to pronounce His name.
In Exodus 9:16, God says, “That my name (my character) may be declared throughout all the earth.” He says Pick a name you prefer. The word name represents not just your name but your character. The pronunciation is not critical, but the character of God is. I think he may be onto something.
Appendix
Jehovah vs. Yahweh in Bible Translation
Historical Background
All the information below is from a request I made to ChatGPT.
- “Jehovah” – Where Did It Come From?
The name “Jehovah” originated in the Middle Ages.
It is a hybrid combining YHWH’s consonants with Adonai’s vowels.
Misunderstood and Latinized into “Jehovah.”
First printed by William Tyndale in the 1530s; appears in KJV (1611).
- 19th-century scholars recognized “Yahweh” as the likely pronunciation.
- Supported by ancient Greek texts and Hebrew grammar.
- Used in modern translations like the Jerusalem Bible.
Why the Transition Happened
- Linguistic accuracy: “Yahweh” fits Hebrew structure.
- Historical correction: “Jehovah” is a medieval mistake.
- Theological sensitivity: Many translations still use “LORD”
Key Differences Between Jehovah and Yahweh
Jehovah: Origin: Medieval invention, Usage: Older Bibles (KJV), Pronunciation: YHWH + Adonai vowels. Context: Traditional Christianity
Yahweh: Origin: Scholarly reconstruction. Usage: Modern Bibles (Jerusalem Bible) Pronunciation: Linguistically accurate, Context: Academic and theological texts.
Examples in Bible Translations
- KJV (1611): Uses “Jehovah” in select verses
- ASV (1901): Uses “Jehovah” consistently
- Jerusalem Bible (1966): Uses “Yahweh”
- ESV, NIV, NASB: Use “LORD”
Summary
- “Jehovah” is a mistaken form created in the Middle Ages.
- “Yahweh” is based on solid linguistic and historical evidence.
- Modern scholarship and many translations now use “Yahweh”.
Jehovah vs. Yahweh: A Comparative Overview
The Case for ‘Yahweh’
Most modern biblical scholars agree that ‘Yahweh’ is the more accurate pronunciation of the divine name YHWH. This consensus is based on Hebrew grammar, ancient transcriptions, and comparative Semitic linguistics.
Please notice that this is purported to be a more accurate pronunciation of the divine name, YHWH, according to ChatGPT. That means it may be wrong. Keep that in mind.
Scholars and Sources
– Wilhelm Gesenius: Argued ‘Jehovah’ was grammatically impossible.
– S. R. Driver and BDB Lexicon: Preferred ‘Yahweh’ as the most likely form.
– William F. Albright: Supported ‘Yahweh’ through archaeological and linguistic evidence.
– Anchor Bible Dictionary and Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament: Present ‘Yahweh’ as the scholarly consensus.
– The Jerusalem Bible (1966): Uses ‘Yahweh’ throughout.
Why the Shift Happened
– Linguistic accuracy: ‘Yahweh’ matches Hebrew theophoric name patterns.
– Correction of error: ‘Jehovah’ came from a misreading of vowel points added to prevent pronouncing YHWH.
– Modern translations favor clarity and historical fidelity.
The Case for ‘Jehovah’
Many Christians and groups continue to use ‘Jehovah’ out of tradition, theology, and devotion. Despite being a hybrid form, it remains a recognizable and meaningful name to many.
Reasons for Retaining ‘Jehovah’
– Tradition: Used in the KJV and Protestant hymns.
– Doctrinal importance: Emphasized by Jehovah’s Witnesses.
– Familiarity: Easier for public use and worship.
– Skepticism of ‘Yahweh’: Seen as speculative.
– Avoidance of sacred name: ‘Jehovah’ substitutes respectfully for YHWH.
Examples and Supporters
– ASV (1901): Uses ‘Jehovah’ throughout.
– New World Translation: Promotes ‘Jehovah’.
– R. B. Girdlestone: Defended its use.
– Traditional Protestant commentators: Continue devotional use.
Summary Comparison
• ‘Yahweh’ is the academically favored pronunciation, supported by linguistic and historical evidence.
• ‘Jehovah’ is a traditional and devotional term with historical traction.
Both terms reflect attempts to honor God’s name, though from different motivations: one prioritizing scholarly reconstruction, the other devotional continuity.
The Divine Name: Yahweh vs. Yehovah – ChatGPT: Evidence Handout
This handout compares two main lines of evidence regarding the pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton (YHWH). Wilhelm Gesenius (1786–1842) established the case for Yahweh based on Greek transcriptions, Hebrew abbreviations, and Samaritan reports. Dr. Nehemia Gordon (b. 1970), a modern Karaite scholar, argues for Yehovah based on Masoretic manuscripts with full vowel pointing. The mainstream scholarly consensus remains with Yahweh, but Yehovah has gained popularity in some religious circles.
Nehemia Gordon’s Manuscript Evidence (Yehovah)
| Masoretic Manuscript | Example Passage | Form Found |
| Aleppo Codex | Ezek 28:22; Ezek 3:12 | יְהֹוָה (Yehovah) |
| British Library Or. 9880 | Exod 3:15 | יְהֹוָה (Yehovah) |
| Leningrad Codex (B19A) | Gen 3:14; others | יְהֹוָה (Yehovah), יֱהֹוִה (Yehovih) |
| Vatican Library MS | Various | יְהֹוָה (Yehovah) |
Early Christian Witnesses (Yahweh-like)
| Source | Date | Form(s) Reported |
| Diodorus Siculus | 1st c. BC | ΙΑΩ (Iaō) |
| Clement of Alexandria | c. 200 | ΙΑΟΥΕ (Iaoue), ΙΑΟΥ |
| Origen | 3rd c. | Tetragrammaton in Hebrew letters |
| Epiphanius | 4th c. | ΙΑΩ (Iaō), ΙΑ |
| Theodoret of Cyrrhus | c. 450 | ΙΑΒΕ (Iabe), ΙΑ |
Conclusion
• Early witnesses (200 BC–400 AD) consistently show Yahweh-like forms (Iaō, Iaoue, Iabe).
• Masoretic manuscripts (9th–11th centuries AD) show Yehovah spellings, which most scholars understand as reading cues for Adonai.
• Consensus today: Yahweh is the most likely original pronunciation.
• Gordon’s research highlights Yehovah as a living tradition preserved in manuscripts, though not accepted by the mainstream academy.
Appendix
The Name of Jesus Across Languages
ChatGPT
The name ‘Jesus’ originates from the Hebrew/Aramaic name Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ), a shortened form of Yehoshua (יְהוֹשׁוּעַ), meaning ‘Yahweh is salvation.’ As this name passed through different languages and cultures, it took on various forms, yet retained the same meaning.
| Language/Tradition | Form of the Name | Notes/Pronunciation |
| Hebrew/Aramaic | Yēshūaʿ (יֵשׁוּעַ) | Shortened form of Yehōshūaʿ; ‘Yahweh is salvation’ |
| Greek (NT) | Iēsous (Ἰησοῦς) | Adapted to Greek sounds; ‘sh’ → ‘s’, final -s for grammar |
| Latin (Vulgate) | Iesus | Adopted from Greek; cemented in Western church |
| English | Jesus | From Latin Iesus; the ‘J’ sound developed later |
| Spanish/Portuguese | Jesús | Pronounced ‘Hay-soos’ |
| Italian | Gesù | Pronounced ‘Jeh-zoo’ |
| French | Jésus | Pronounced ‘Zhéh-zu’ |
| German | Jesus | Pronounced ‘Yay-soos’ |
| Russian/Slavic | Иисус (Iisús) | Reflects Greek form with double ‘i’ |
| Arabic | ʿĪsā (عيسى) | Islamic form, linguistically distinct |
| Syriac/Aramaic | Ishoʿ / Eshoʿ | Used in early Eastern churches |
| Greek (modern) | Ιησούς (Iisús) | Same form as ancient; modern pronunciation differs |
Across all languages, the name retains its root meaning: ‘Yahweh saves.’ Whether one says Yeshua, Iēsous, Iesus, Jesús, Jésus, Gesù, or ʿĪsā, all point back to the same historical person—Jesus of Nazareth.
Visual Chart: The Name of Jesus Across Languages
Hinton Appendix
The Ridiculous KJV Bible Corrections: Who is Yahweh?
By Dr. John Hinton, Ph.D.
Source: AV1611.com
This report provides both a summary and selected direct excerpts from Dr. John Hinton’s article ‘The Ridiculous KJV Bible Corrections: Who is Yahweh?’, published on AV1611.com. Hinton critiques attempts to replace ‘Jehovah’ with ‘Yahweh’ in Bible translation, arguing that such changes lack scriptural, textual, and linguistic support.
Summary of Key Points
• Hinton cites Exodus 6:3, Psalm 83:18, Isaiah 12:2, and Isaiah 26:4 as passages where the KJV preserves ‘JEHOVAH’ explicitly.
• He argues that ‘Yahweh’ has no basis in Scripture, Hebrew text, or linguistics, and criticizes its use as a modern scholarly reconstruction.
• He stresses reliance on the Ben Hayim Hebrew text, warning against the modern Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (BHS).
• He defends the Masoretic vowel points as accurate and authoritative.
• He argues that ‘Jehovah’ more accurately reflects Hebrew than ‘Yahweh.’
• He critiques the idea that the Hebrew ‘vav’ is pronounced ‘w’ instead of ‘v.’
• He condemns modern versions (RSV, NIV) for replacing ‘Jehovah’ with ‘LORD.’
• He warns against scholarly traditions that reinterpret Yahweh as a storm-god.
• He concludes by urging believers to trust the KJV as the preserved Word of God.
Direct Excerpts from the Article
Opening Scriptures
“And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob,… but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.” (Ex. 6:3)
“That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.” (Ps. 83:18)
“…for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song.” (Is. 12:2)
“…for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength.” (Is. 26:4)
Critique of ‘Yahweh’
“This nonsense, usually associated with Identity preachers, the Kingdom Identity Movement, and a host of Bible correctors and scoffers, has no scriptural, textual, or linguistic support. ”
On Hebrew Pronunciation
“The Hebrew letter ‘vav’ is pronounced as ‘v,’ not ‘w.’ The ‘w’ sound is a German misinterpretation. If someone insists on saying ‘Yahveh,’ they are at least closer to the truth than ‘Yahweh.’”
On Bible Versions
“It is telling that the RSV and NIV replace ‘JEHOVAH’ in these verses with ‘LORD,’ thereby removing the specific emphasis the King James Bible preserves.”
Closing Challenge
“Do you really know what you are doing when you try to replace the very name of God? Do you have scriptural authority for it? Are you prepared for the consequences of undermining God’s preserved word?”
Full article available at: https://av1611.com/kjbp/ridiculous-kjv-bible-corrections/Yahweh-Jehova-YHVH.html
Appendix
The Name of God as Jehovah
ChatGPT
This study note explains the historical development of the name ‘Jehovah,’ especially how the letter ‘J’ influenced its form in English Bible translations.
1. No ‘J’ in Ancient Languages
– Hebrew, Greek, and Latin had no letter ‘J’.
– God’s name in Hebrew appears as the Tetragrammaton: יהוה (YHWH).
– In Latin, the name was rendered as ‘Iehovah’ or ‘Iehouah,’ since ‘I’ covered both vowel and consonant sounds.
2. Invention of the Letter ‘J’
– Giangiorgio Trissino (1478–1550), an Italian Renaissance grammarian, first distinguished ‘I’ from ‘J.’
– In 1524, he proposed ‘J’ should represent a consonantal sound (like ‘joy’).
– Before this, ‘I’ and ‘J’ were written as the same symbol.
3. Adoption in European Languages
– French and Italian scribes began using the new letter ‘J.’
– English gradually adopted it, but the distinction between ‘I’ and ‘J’ was not firmly set until the 1600s.
– The first 1611 King James Bible uses ‘I’ in names: ‘Iesus,’ ‘Ieremiah,’ ‘Iohn.’
4. From ‘Iehovah’ to ‘Jehovah’
– Translators combined YHWH with the vowels of ‘Adonai,’ producing ‘Yehovah.’
– In Latinized form, this became ‘Iehovah.’
– After the ‘J’ entered English, ‘Iehovah’ shifted to ‘Jehovah.’
5. Connection to ‘Jesus’
– The Greek Ἰησοῦς (Iēsous) → Latin ‘Iesus’ → English ‘Jesus.’
– The ‘J’ sound in English developed later.
– The first KJV 1611 spells the name as ‘Iesus.’
6. Jehovah in the KJV 1611
In the King James Bible of 1611, the divine name appears as ‘Iehovah’ in:
– Exodus 6:3
– Psalm 83:18
– Isaiah 12:2
– Isaiah 26:4
Later English editions updated ‘Iehovah’ to ‘Jehovah.’
Summary
The name ‘Jehovah’ is an early modern English form that arose after the invention of ‘J.’ It is not the original Hebrew pronunciation, but it became rooted in English Christianity. Today, scholars often prefer ‘Yahweh,‘ but ‘Jehovah’ remains a traditional and familiar form of address.
Defenders of the Pronunciation ‘Jehovah / Yehovah’
John Gill (1697–1771)
John Gill, Baptist theologian and Hebraist, strongly defended the antiquity and divine origin of the Hebrew vowel points, and by extension, the legitimacy of the pronunciation ‘Jehovah.’ His works include the Body of Doctrinal Divinity and other treatises.
Exact Quotations
“The vowel points were necessary to preserve the meaning of the text and were of divine and prophetic rather than merely human origin. The vowels are the soul (anima) of textual readings… not only the sense but also the words, the vowels and accents must have been given by him, for without the vowels the words cannot be recognized, and without the accents the meaning is disturbed.”
“His great and incommunicable name Jehovah, is always in the singular number, and is never used plurally; the reason of which is, because it is expressive of his essence, which is but one; it is the same with ‘I AM that I AM’…”
Johannes Buxtorf the Elder (1564–1629)
Johannes Buxtorf the Elder, professor of Hebrew at Basel, is most famous for his work ‘Tiberias, sive Commentarius Masoreticus’ (1620). He vigorously defended the antiquity and divine authority of the Hebrew vowel points, opposing the claims of Elias Levita that they were a late invention.
Key Arguments
• Vowel points are divinely inspired and theologically essential.
• The vowels are the ‘soul’ of the Hebrew text; without them, the consonants are insufficient for accurate reading.
• If the Masoretes invented the points, then the Christian faith would rest on a human rather than divine foundation.
Quotation:
“Buxtorf… argued for the religious necessity of divinely inspired vowel points. Countering Levita’s position that they were unnecessary, Buxtorf maintained that the vowels are the ‘soul (anima) of textual readings’… divinely inspired consonants alone were not enough to enable interpreters to understand the Hebrew Bible.”
Johannes Buxtorf the Younger (1599–1664)
Johannes Buxtorf the Younger, son of Buxtorf the Elder, continued his father’s defense of the antiquity of the Hebrew vowel points. His most important work on the subject is ‘Tractatus de punctorum origine, antiquitate, et authoritate’ (1648), written in opposition to Louis Cappel’s claim that the vowel points were a later invention.
Key Arguments
• Defended the divine and ancient origin of the vowel points.
• Asserted that without recognizing the vowel points as original, the authority of the Hebrew Bible would be undermined.
• Directly rebutted Louis Cappel’s position, ensuring the traditional reading ‘Jehovah’ remained defensible.
Quotation:
Buxtorf II’s 1648 work defended the authenticity of vocalization—’ JEHOVAH’, by arguing the vowels are ancient and divinely inspired.
Thomas Gataker (1574–1654)
Thomas Gataker, an English Puritan scholar, contributed to the debate on the Tetragrammaton with his work ‘De Nomine Tetragrammato’ (1645). He is consistently listed among those who defended the pronunciation ‘Jehovah’ during the 17th century.
Key Arguments
• Accepted ‘Jehovah’ as a valid and defensible pronunciation of the divine name.
• Argued within the same framework as Buxtorf and Leusden, affirming the use of vowel points as authentic.
While detailed quotations are less frequently cited than Buxtorf’s, Gataker’s inclusion among the defenders of ‘Jehovah’ shows his alignment with this school of thought.
John Leusden (1624–1699)
John Leusden, a Dutch Hebraist, was prolific in producing Hebrew Bibles and theological treatises. He wrote ‘Dissertationes tres de vera lectione nominis Jehova,’ in which he explicitly defended the pronunciation ‘Jehovah.’
Key Arguments
• Wrote extensively in favor of ‘Jehovah’ as the true reading of the divine name.
• Argued that Jewish tradition and Christian Hebraism both validated the form.
• His dissertations are some of the clearest affirmations of ‘Jehovah’ from the 17th-century scholarly world.
Quotation:
Leusden’s ‘Dissertationes tres de vera lectione nominis Jehova’ were dedicated explicitly to the defense of ‘Jehovah’ as the correct form.
Appendix
The Name of God and Jesus: Questions, Answers, and Reflections per ChatGPT.
This document compiles the recent chain of discussion, including questions and answers, about the names of God and Jesus, the issue of YHWH vs. YHVH, and the theological significance of God’s name as a reflection of His character.
Questions and Answers
Q: The name of Jesus in Hebrew is what? The name of Jesus in Greek is what?
A: In Hebrew/Aramaic, the name of Jesus is יֵשׁוּעַ (Yeshua), a shortened form of Yehoshua, meaning ‘Yahweh is salvation.’ In Greek, the New Testament form is Ἰησοῦς (Iēsous), the standard rendering of Joshua/Yeshua in the Septuagint and NT. From Greek, it entered Latin as Iesus, and then English as Jesus.
Q: God used both Hebrew and Greek to give us the name of God. Since no one knows for sure how the name of God in the OT was pronounced, maybe that is not the issue, as His name is but a reflection of His character. Thoughts?
A: Precisely. The exact syllabic pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton (יהוה) has been lost, leading to variants such as Yahweh, Jehovah, or Yehovah. Yet Scripture emphasizes that the ‘name’ of God represents His being, character, and covenant faithfulness more than a phonetic formula. Exodus 3:14 (‘I AM WHO I AM’) highlights God’s self-existence. Passages like Proverbs 18:10 and John 17:6 show that ‘name’ signifies His revealed nature and authority, not simply sounds.
Q: If the four consonants represent the four letters, yod, hey, vav, hey, why aren’t the four consonants YHVH and not YHWH?
A: Both YHWH and YHVH are valid transliterations of the same Hebrew letters (יהוה). The difference lies in how the third consonant ו is represented:
• Ancient Hebrew likely pronounced ו as ‘w’ (a semivowel, like in ‘water’), yielding YHWH.
• Modern Hebrew pronounces ו as ‘v’ (like in ‘vine’), yielding YHVH.
Thus, both are correct transliterations reflecting different pronunciation traditions.
Linguistic Chart of Names
| Language/Script | Form | Transliteration | Meaning / Notes |
| Hebrew (OT) | יהוה | YHWH (Tetragrammaton) | “I AM / I WILL BE”; covenant name of God, tied to His eternal being. |
| Hebrew/Aramaic (NT era) | יֵשׁוּעַ | Yeshua | Shortened form of Yehoshua; means “Yahweh is salvation.” |
| Greek (NT) | Ἰησοῦς | Iēsous | Greek rendering of Hebrew ‘Yeshua/Joshua.’ |
| Latin (Vulgate) | Iesus | Iesus | Latin form, carried into European languages. |
| English | Jesus | Jesus | Modern form, developed from Latin → Old English with the letter J. |
Why YHWH vs. YHVH?
The third consonant of the Tetragrammaton is the Hebrew letter ו. In ancient Hebrew, it was pronounced closer to ‘w.’ In modern Hebrew, it is pronounced as ‘v.’ Therefore:
• YHWH = older/academic convention (ancient ‘w’).
• YHVH = modern Hebrew convention (‘v’).
Both refer to the same divine name and consonants.
Theological Reflection
In both the Old and New Testaments, ‘name’ signifies far more than pronunciation. It represents God’s essence, character, and covenant faithfulness. Exodus 3:14 reveals God as the self-existent One. Proverbs 18:10 shows His name as a place of safety. In John 17:6, Jesus explains that He ‘manifested’ the Father’s name, meaning He revealed the Father’s character and will.
Thus, whether pronounced Yahweh, Jehovah, or Yehovah, the focus is on knowing the God to whom the Name belongs. Jesus (Yeshua/Iēsous) embodies this: ‘Yahweh/Jehovah/Yehovah is salvation.’ God used both Hebrew and Greek to convey the same truth, despite differences in spelling and pronunciation. His identity is the covenant-keeping, saving God.
Elton Anamoly
Truth Is Christ website
It is a count of the entire KJV Bible, including: Text and Structure.
Text = Verse Text, Superscriptions, and Colophones
Structure = Cover title, book titles, Chapter divisions, verse divisions, Psalm 119 divisions.
It doesn’t include study aids such as Old Testament title pages, New Testament title pages, chapter summaries, marginal notes, study notes, cross-references, page headings, page numbers, “FINIS” (The End), table of contents, general title pages, appendices/concordances, and maps. All these things differ in KJV Bibles and vary among them.
The total is 7 to the 7th power or 7*7*7*7*7*7*7 = 823,543.
It uses the most essential parts of the Bible. It was verified digitally and by hand counting. Brandon and his wife actually hand-counted and double-checked each other over a period of two months.
God promised to preserve His word in many places, but especially in Psalm 12:6-7.
Original Autographs
Many Christians believe that the Word of God is preserved, and they use terms such as “inspired” and “inerrant” to convey this message. However, for many Christians, when they say the Bible is inerrant (without error), they actually mean that only the original documents (autographs) were without error. And since none of those exist anymore, our Bibles are not inerrant (without error) by definition.
When Jesus and the apostles quoted scripture, did they use the original autographs? Of course not; they used a copy and assumed the copy was error-free. Some of us Christians believe that God has preserved His word, without error, in the KJV of the Bible. Higher critics of the Bible do not believe it and go out of their way to show the world that it is not true.
These individuals also believe that only the original language is inerrant. But didn’t Jesus and the apostles quote from the Greek Old Testament, not the Hebrew? And the New Testament was recorded in Greek, not Hebrew. God uses the languages of the people and is not stuck in time, using dead languages to communicate with us. In Acts chapter 2, the people heard the gospel in their own tongue.
KJV of the Bible
There are two publishers of the KJV. And it is always the same. Never any changes to the KJV of the Bible unlike almost other translations. There are only two. The first is the PCE (Pure Cambridge Edition) and the second is the Concord KJV Bible. They used the Concord one to hand count. Every KJB printed uses one of these. And there is only one (1) word different between the two. That is in Exodus 23:23, where the PCE has the word “and” and the Concord doesn’t.
There are 790,850 words in the PCE and 790,849 words in the Concord KJV Bible.
The KJV has two titles: 1) King James Version (KJV) or 2) Authorized Version (AV). That is a One word difference: with the KJV, the Concord text is 7 to the seventh power, and with the AV, the PCE text is 7 to the seventh power. Very interesting. Is this human or divine manipulation?
The internal witness to the truth of God’s hand in the KJV, consider the following. Moses gave the world the law of God, and it was through Christ that grace and truth were revealed to the world.
Words
King James Version Holy Bible = 5
OT count = 634,555
NT count = 188,983
Grand total = 823,543
If you look at the number of times Christ shows up in the Bible in the OT, you arrive at 555. And if you consider the number of times that Jesus shows up in the KJV NT, you arrive at 983. No other numbers are associated with any other name but the name of Jesus Christ.
But that is not all. If you count the number of times Moses shows up in the OT, the number is 634. And in the NT, Moses shows up 188 times. Unbelievable. Only the name of Moses has so many mentions in the OT. No other name comes close. Very few names appear more than 400 times; most are significantly less frequent.
Christ = 555 times
Jesus = 983 times
Moses = 634 times
The last sequence of three numbers is 188. It can be associated with other counts, other mentions. Three other words show up 188 times in the KJV. They are Lamb, Book, and Life. In Revelation, we read about the Lamb’s Book of Life.
These are either incredible coincidences or the hand of God. And I mentioned earlier that, if these examples, and there are many more in his book, then it would be easier to believe that God had His hand in all this than to believe that all of these are just random coincidences. Coincidence would be the greater miracle.
