Biblical Hebrew Forum

[furuli AT online.no]

Dear Raymond,


I teach my students of Hebrew that they should read adonay or elohim 
when they meet YHWH in the text, as you probably do as well. When 
they translate the text, they are free to use "the Lord", "Yahweh", 
or "Jehovah", or "Yahu".  Why would it be "a very unwelcome 
situation" if people said Yahweh? I would view it as a very welcome 
situation. With all respect of those who view the name as ineffable, 
we must admit that this view goes contrary to linguistic and 
translational rules just as much as the trinity doctrine. There is 
absolutely nothing in the text of the Tanach itself that say that a 
substitute should be used instead of the pronunciation of YHWH. To 
the contrary, the use of it is encouraged.


Best regards

Rolf Furuli
University of Oslo



> At 08-02-2003 14:34 Lisbeth S. Fried <lizfried AT umich.edu> wrote:
>
> >  Translators should put in YHWH, IMO
> >  because otherwise CHristian readers tend to think
> >  it's Jesus the text is talking about!
> >  Liz
>
> Shalom Liz,
>
> I partly do agree with you. The other hand is that many people -unaware of
> the Ketib/Qere involved- will read loudly YAHWEH. In Holland we have a
> translation, which even has "Yahwe" (instead of YHWH) in it. Although in the
> foreword it is said that one should read "Lord" in such case, almost
> everyone (including scholarly trained pastors etc.), reads "Jahwe" instead
> of "Lord". So I am afraid it would result in a very unwelcome situation that
> many people -especially not trained in Hebrew people, IOW many christians)
> would start saying Yahweh.
>
> All the best,
> Raymond
>
>
> --
>
> __________________________________________________________
>
> Dr Raymond de Hoop
> Lecturer of Biblical Hebrew
> University of Groningen
> Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies
> Oude Boteringestraat 38
> NL-9712 GK Groningen
> The Netherlands   
> e-mail: R.de.Hoop AT theol.rug.nl
>
> Home: 
> Boeiersingel 11
> NL-9745 CA Groningen
> The Netherlands   
> Tel.: ++31 50 553 0115
> e-mail: rdehoop AT keyaccess.nl
> __________________________________________________________