A detailed summary of The Jehovah / Yahweh Controversy, 1520 A.D. to 2009 A.D.
I have been thinking over the last several days about whether or not
a detailed summary of The Jehovah / Yahweh Controversy,
might already exist in print.
It seems to me that since Rotherham had written the first complete English Bible
that used the translation "Yahweh",
and since Rotherham most definitely was willing to express in words,
the controversy about the name Jehovah,
that appears to have existed, since as early as 1520 A.D.,
I thought that Rotherham's comments about Jehovah,
and Yahweh in the Introduction of The Emphazised Bible
might just be as detailed a summary of the Jehovah / Yahweh Controversy,
as had been written in 1902 A.D.
Most of what follows has already been written in another topic on this Discussion Board.
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Rotherham explains why he didn't use "Jehovah" in his new translation
B. in What Form?
1. Why not in the form "Jehovah"?
Is that not euphonius?
It is, without question.
Is it not widely used?
It is, and may still be freely used through a period of transition.
But is it not hallowed and endeared by many a beautiful hymn
and many a pious memory?
Without doubt; and therefore it is with reluctance that it is here declined.
But why is it not accepted?
There it - familiar, acceptable, ready for adoption.
The reason is , that it is too heavily burdened
with merited critical condemnation-
as modern,
as a compromise,
as a "mongrel" word,
"hybrid",
"fantastic",
"monstrous".
The facts have only to be known to justify this verdict,
and to vindicate the propriety of not employing it in a new and independent translation.
What are the facts?
And first as to age.
The pronunciation Jehovah was unknown until 1520,
When it was introduced by Galatinus;but was contested Le Mercier, J. Drusius, and L. Capellus,
as against grammatical and historical propriety.
Next, as to formation.
"Erroneously written and pronounced Jehovah,
Which is merely a combination of the sacred combination
of the Sacred Tetragrammaton
and the vowels in the Hebrew word for Lord,
substituted by the Jews for JHVH, because they shrank from pronouncing The Name, owing to an old misconception of the two passages,Ex. xx. 7 and Lev. 16 xxiv 16 . . .
To give the name JHVH the vowels of the word for Lord,
(Heb. Adonai]
and pronounce it Jehovah,
is about as hybrid a combination
as it would be to spell the name Germany,
with the vowels in the name Portugal--viz., Gormuna
The monstrous combination Jehovah is not older than about 1520 A.D.
From this we may gather that the Jewish scribes
are not responsible for the "hybrid" combination.
They intentionally wrote alien vowels--not for combination with the sacred consonants,
but for the purpose of cautioning the Jewish reader
to enunciate a totally different word,
viz, some other familiar name of the Most High.
It is possible that some KJVO Christians may not agree with what Rotherham wrote above,
but he certainly didn't mince words.
FWIW
Exodus





