Yahweh as The Name of God
Abstract
This article examines the use of "Yahweh" as the personal name of God in biblical translation. It explores how this name appears in the Old Testament, its contracted form "Yah," and the challenges of representing this name in New Testament translations where the original Greek manuscripts use different terms. The study highlights the importance of maintaining the distinction between "Yahweh" and "the Lord" for accurate biblical interpretation.
In the Old Testament, the names "Yahweh" (a personal name for God) and "Yah" (a contracted form of Yahweh) are used instead of what is rendered in many versions as "LORD." In addition to the name "Yahweh," the name "Sovereign Yahweh" is used when the two Hebrew words "Lord" and "Yahweh" are together. This is intended to portray an emphatic title of God incorporating majesty and authority.
In the New Testament, and in the Greek sections of Sirach, the existing Greek manuscripts do not contain the name "Yahweh" as do the Old Testament Hebrew manuscripts. Almost all references to God or "Yahweh" in the New Testament and the Greek sections of Sirach are in the form of Lord, God, or Master. However, it is possible to determine where "Yahweh," or another title for God, was likely to be the meaning.
The UPDV Bible attempts to maintain the distinction between "Yahweh" and "the Lord" in the New Testament and the Greek sections of Sirach when possible. However, the reader should understand that this is done to facilitate understanding and that the existing underlying Greek manuscripts generally only say "the Lord."