Chapter 1
1 In the second year [of the reign] of King Darius, in the sixth month, and on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the Prophet, saying, ‘Speak to ZerubBabel the son of ShealtiEl, from the [great] tribe of Judah, and to JoShua (son of JoSedech) the High Priest, and tell them 2 that Jehovah the Almighty says this: These people say that the time isn’t right, to rebuild the House of Jehovah.’
3 Then this word came by the hand of Haggai the Prophet,
saying, 4 ‘Is it indeed the right time, for you men to live in nice houses,
while this [
7 ‘Thus says Jehovah the Almighty: Set your hearts on your ways! 8 You must climb the mountains so as to cut wood, from which you must then build [My Temple]. Then of it I will think well, and it will bring Me glory said Jehovah.
9 ‘You looked for much [but found] little; you carried it home but I blew it away. It’s because of this, says Jehovah the Almighty; because My House is deserted, while you each pursue your own houses… 10 it’s because of this that the sky withholds dew, and the earth holds back its blessings.
11 ‘So, I’ll bring the broadsword to the land, and upon all the mountains; upon the grain and the wine, as well as upon the olive oil (all that the earth brings to men); upon the cattle and all the works of [men’s] hands.’
12 Well, ZerubBabel (the son of ShealtiEl) from the tribe of Judah, and JoShua (the son of JoSedech) the High Priest, and all the rest of the people listened to the voice of Jehovah their God and to the words of Haggai the Prophet, and to all [the words] that Jehovah their God had sent to them. And the people became fearful before Jehovah.
13 Then Haggai the messenger of Jehovah (one from among all the messengers of Jehovah) said to the people, ‘Jehovah says I am with you!’
14 Thereafter, Jehovah awakened the spirit
of ZerubBabel (the son of ShealtiEl) from the tribe of
Chapter 2
1 It was in the seventh month and on the twenty-first day of
the month that the word of the Lord came by the hand of
Haggai the Prophet. He said, 2 ‘Speak to ZerubBabel (the son of ShealtiEl) of the [great] tribe of
4 ‘So now be strong, O ZerubBabel, says Jehovah; and you must be strong High Priest Joshua… be strong all you people of the land, for now you must act,’ says Jehovah! ‘Because I am with you, says Jehovah the Almighty.
5 ‘This is the same thing that I told you, back when you
were fleeing from Egypt… when I sent My Breath in your midst:
Now you must be courageous, 6 For, says Jehovah the Almighty, once more I’ll shake the
earth and the sky, as well as
the sea and dry land… 7 and I will shake all the nations. Then My chosen ones
will come from
all nations, and I will fill this [
8 ‘All the silver is Mine, and all the gold is Mine too, says
Jehovah the Almighty. 9 And great will be the glory of this [
10 Then on the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month of the second year of Darius, these words came from the Lord to Haggai the Prophet. He told them that 11 Jehovah the Almighty said this: ‘Indeed ask the Priests concerning the Law, 12 If a man should touch holy meat, with the edge of his clothes, and then the edge of his clothes touched bread (or stew, wine, olive oil, or any food), would they then too become holy?’
And all the Priests replied, ‘No!’
13 Then Haggai asked, ‘But, if it should touch a dead person, would any of these be defiled?’
And the Priests replied, ‘[Yes they’d] be defiled!’
14 Then Haggai answered and said, ‘So it will be of this people, and so it will be of this nation before Me, says Jehovah. It will be so of the works of their hands… whoever should go there will then be defiled, if they’re concerned for their early-morning chores. For their wickedness they will then grieve, because they’ve hated all those, who’ve reproved them at the gates.
15 ‘So now; take [this message] to your hearts from this day, before laying stone upon stone in this Temple of Jehovah: 16 Remember when you went to the granary, to get twenty measures of barley, and found there were just ten measures? Or, when you went to the wine-vat to draw fifty measures, and found there existed just twenty? 17 Well, it was I who struck you with a lack of production, and the works of your hands with strong winds and hail, for to Me you didn’t return, says Jehovah.’
18 ‘So, keep it in your hearts from this day – from the twenty-fourth day and ninth month – from the day the Temple’s foundation was laid… keep it inside of your hearts! 19 Will the threshing-floor still [be barren]? No! Will it happen to the grapevine and fig tree, or omegranates or olive trees… will they no longer bear fruit? No! Because from this day I will bless them.’
20 Then the word of the Lord came to Haggai the Prophet a
second time (on the twenty-fourth day of the month), saying, 21 ‘Speak to ZerubBabel
the son of ShealtiEl, of the tribe of
23 ‘In that day, says Jehovah the Almighty, I’ll take you O ZerubBabel, (son of ShealtiEl) My servant, says Jehovah, and I’ll set you up as a seal. For I’ve chosen you, says Jehovah the Almighty.’
Notes
Soul or?
The Greek word psyche (as in psychology) has been translated many ways, including soul, life, etc. However, psyche actually means something that breathes. It is used in the Bible to describe both breathing animals and breathing humans. So, by definition, a soul cannot leave the body, because a soul is what the living body (whether human or animal) is (see Genesis 2:7).
In ancient
However, such Greek philosophical thought never influenced Jesus and his Apostles. So, they consistently used psyche to indicate a living person or animal. The teaching that the soul is immortal stands in direct conflict with Jesus’ promise of a resurrection, because, if a person is immortal (can never die) he/she can never be resurrected (brought back to life).
In addition, the teaching of the immortality of the human soul is totally without support from the Bible. The word immortal(ity) (Gr: athanasia or undying) is only mentioned in the Bible in two places, and it isn’t used with or applied to the word soul in either case. Both of these scriptures show that immortality is only given by God as a reward for righteousness. And as Ezekiel 18:4 says, ‘The person (gr. psyche or ‘soul’) that is sinning will die (gr. apothaneitai).’
Of course, there are places in the Bible where the word soul means more than just a living, fleshly body. For example, God is recorded to have spoken of ‘My Soul’ in several places. Obviously, God is much more than just a ‘soul’ as most people think of that term, and He surely wasn’t talking about His having a human body. So, we must conclude that what He was referring to is His life.
Then there are Jesus’ words as found at Matthew 10:28, which read, ‘Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body but can’t kill the person (psyche). Rather, be afraid of Him who can destroy both the person and the body in the garbage dump.’ Here, Jesus is using the word psyche (soul) to refer to the value of life that remains with God until the resurrection. And he obviously isn’t referring the soul as immortal here, because he says God will destroy (gr. apolesai) the [unrighteous] soul or person.
Unfortunately, no single word that can be used to translate psyche in every possible Bible application, so various terms are used herein, depending on the circumstances, but always in an attempt to harmonize with the meaning.
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The Heavens or Sky, the Earth or the Land?
Throughout the Scriptures we find all the realm of creation divided into three entities, the heavens (or sky), the earth (the land or ground), and the seas (the waters). Now, in contemporary English we understand that there is a difference between the heavens and the sky, the earth and the land (or ground), and the seas and waters. However, in both Hebrew and Greek, these fine distinctions that we accept because of our modern technology, can’t be found. So, Genesis 1:1 could literally be translated as, ‘In an ancient time God made the sky and the ground.’
This description is accurate, because it was the view of man from the earth. There was the land that he stood on, the sky above, and the water. There was no technical understanding of earth as a planet back then, because men didn’t view the earth as we do today, as a ball in space. That wasn’t necessary at the time. However, because of these distinctions that we understand so well today, Bible translators must choose the proper word to provide the right nuance in English, so readers can grasp the proper meaning of the text.
For this reason, you will find the Greek word ourano translated as both heaven(s) and sky herein, depending on the context. You will also find the Greek word ges translated as earth, ground, or land, depending on the context. So, the symbolic words at Romans 3:5, for example, are translated as, ‘The ancient earth and sky weren’t covered by water. However, (obeying God’s instructions) they stood together between the water [that was above and below].’
Notice that the ‘earth and sky’ were located between the water. So, although other Bibles translate this verse as speaking of the ‘heavens and earth,’ the reference is really to that portion of the heavens that are close to the earth (or the sky). Likewise, at Matthew 5:5, where Jesus spoke of the ‘meek’ as inheriting the earth, since he was talking about people receiving an ‘allotment’ on the earth, we have chosen to translate ges as earth, not ground.
And finally, when it comes to the seas (gr. thalassa), there are already distinctions as to different types of waters in the Greek text. For instance, seas are called thalassa and rivers are called potamos (or ‘flowing’). However, notice (in Revelation 20: 13) how the resurrection of the dead is divided between those who died on land and those who were lost in the water: ‘The sea gave up its dead, death and the grave gave up those dead in them, and they were all judged by the things they did.’
We again find all three of these realms of creation brought together symbolically at Revelation 21:1, where it says, ‘Then I saw a new earth and a new sky, because the previous earth and sky had disappeared, as did the sea.’
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Age
The Greek word aionos is
what the English word eon is derived from. It means an indefinite
period. However, there is no exact English word to translate it. The best
equivalents are age(s) or era. Please note that where the plural
form of the word (ages) is used, it refers to a long time, at least
multiple generations. However, where the singular form is used (age or era),
this appears to mean a much shorter period, such as a lifetime, generation, or era.
And where the term ‘ages of ages’ is used (such as at Ephesians
It is noteworthy that aionos is the word that is used in the Greek Septuagint in place of the Hebrew word ohlam, which is also translated as forever and time indefinite in popular versions of the Ancient Scriptures of Israel. So, this one word (aionos) is translated as forever, everlasting, eternal, system of things, time indefinite, [end of] the world, long ago, from of old, etc. Obviously, something is very wrong here, because the word can’t mean a period having a definite end in one place and infinity in another.
Take for example, the unique way that aionos is used in the question that Jesus’ Apostles asked him, which is found at Matthew 24:3, ‘Tell us, when will these things happen? What will be the signs when you are near and this age will finally end?’
The word aionos (which we have translated as age here) is also translated as world (KJ) and as system of things (NW) in other Bibles. However, if the Apostles had meant any of those words, they would have used the Greek word cosmos (not aionos) for world or system of things.
You can see that the word aionos
obviously doesn’t mean forever, everlasting, or eternal in this case, nor
did it mean world or system of things. It simply meant the age or time before
the end would come. And for them, that meant the age when the
The ancient Hebrews viewed everything (and rightly so) as having a beginning and an end. For that reason, you will only find three places in the Bible where words are used that imply no end, and none that imply no beginning. An interesting possible insight on the reason for this can be found at Hebrews 1:10-12, which says: ‘Long ago, O Lord, You laid the foundation of the earth and Your hands made the heavens. They will destroy themselves, but You will remain. They will grow old just like clothes do. Then, as [You would do to] a robe, You will wrap them up and repair them like clothes. Yes, You are the One, and Your years will never run out.’
The problem with most Bible translations is that when they encounter the word aionos in all its different tenses, they interpret it according to accepted doctrine, not according to the way that Jesus and his disciples used it. So, the common renderings forever, eternal, and everlasting are used even when the word is in its singular form (aioni, aiona, aionos, aioniǒn, aionian, aionios, aioniou), and this totally distorts the meaning of the text.
Take for example, the scripture at John 5:24, where Jesus said, ‘I tell you the truth; the one who hears what I say and believes in the One that sent me will have life in this age. He won’t have to be judged, but has crossed over from death to life.’
Most Bibles translate Jesus as saying that those who believe in the One who sent him will have everlasting life (or the equivalent). However, the words that Jesus used there were, zoe aioniŏn (life age – singular), not zoe aioniōn (life ages – plural).
Notice how Jesus explained the meaning of these words with his next statement, ‘He won’t have to be judged, but has crossed over from death to life.’
So, what Jesus was saying here, wasn’t that they would have everlasting life, but that they would (in their current life) be considered among the ‘living,’ not among the ‘dead’ (see Revelation 20:12). This doesn’t necessarily mean that they won’t live forever; it’s just that Jesus wasn’t really saying that.
From consideration of the evidence found in the bulk of Jesus’ words about life, the conclusion might be logically reached that he never taught the hope of ‘life eternal,’ ‘everlasting life,’ or ‘immortality,’ in those specific words. However, the concept is still there. What he taught was that; unlike those whom God considers to be ‘dead,’ living people would receive ‘life in the age,’ meaning; they will be considered worthy of life by God during their lifetimes. How long these ages will last is unclear from the references. Yet, as Jesus said, all who put faith in him will be given this life.
Two words imply infinity in the Bible. One is the Greek word athanasia, which means undying or immortal(ity) and is only found in two places, 1 Corinthians the Fifteenth Chapter (where it mentions heavenly resurrected ones as clothing themselves with immortality) and at 1 Timothy 6:16 (where it speaks of Jesus as having received it). The other Greek word, aidios, which is found at Romans 1:20 and at Jude 6, is used to describe God’s Power and Might as eternal.
For more information, select the linked documents Does the Bible Promise Everlasting Life? and The Hereafter.
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Breath
The Greek word pneuma (as in pneumonia, a breathing illness) means breath or wind – the movement of air. In other Bibles, this word is often translated as spirit or ghost – as in Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost. However, spirit is just a shortened form of the Latin word spiritu, which (again) means breath. And ghost conveys another meaning altogether.
The most common use of the word pneuma in the Bible is to imply an unseen force (such as breath or wind). And the problem with translating it as spirit or ghost is that many people have started believing that the unseen force that is called [God’s] Holy Breath herein, is another God-like person and part of a Divine Trinity. This can’t be true, because the only scripture that can be used to support this theory (that is, where the Father, the Son, and the Holy Breath are supposed to be ‘one’) is found at Matthew 28:19, which simply says that baptism should be done ‘in the name of’ (or, in recognition of) these three, and there is good reason to believe that even these are spurious and added in the Third Century C.E. And all other scriptures that are used to prove the Trinity theory fail to mention the Holy Breath as part of that group. Notice that the King James wording of 1 John 5:7 (which was used for years to attempt to prove the Trinity) is definitely spurious (something that was added to the Bible).
So to prevent confusion, the Greek word pneuma is usually translated as breath here. The only exceptions would be in instances where the Bible refers to demons as ‘spirits,’ for translating pneuma as breath in these cases, although correct, might just be confusing. And there are also instances where we have used the word spirit to indicate a person’s inward inclinations or feelings.
Another important use of the word pneuma is in the phrase ‘Breath of Life.’ This means more than just breathing, it refers to the entire mechanics of life itself. It’s the unseen force of life that is shared by all living things… it’s the thing that makes each cell alive. However, nowhere does the Bible describe the ‘pneuma’ as immortal, nor is it the same as the soul (a breathing thing), so it can (figuratively) ‘return to God’ at death,’ because all hope of future life depends on God and His promise of a resurrection.
It is interesting that at Genesis 6:4 God says, ‘I won’t allow them to keep My Breath (which allows them to flesh) throughout the [rest of] the age.’ In Greek that reads, ‘Ou me katameine to pneuma mou en tois anthropois toutoiseis ton aiona, dia ai einai autous sarka.’
While the words Breath Mine (pneuma mou) here can refer to God’s Holy Breath, it seems more likely that He is referring to the breath of life that he gave Adam. So, it appears that what He was saying here is that the breath of life (of the people of that age) would be removed prematurely. However, since God referred to it as ‘My Breath,’ there may be a link implied between God’s Holy Breath and the breath of life.
For more information, see the attached link ‘The Powers of God’s Holy Spirit.’
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Why the Name Changes?
You may have noticed that we have started putting some of the letters in Bible names in capital letters. For example, we’ve started spelling such names as Jonathan as JoNathan, Isaiah as IsaiJah, and Eliezer as EliEzer. Why? Well, partly to help with the correct pronunciations of the names, and partly to show some translating consistency.
We all know that the common English pronunciation of Jonathan (for example), is Jon-uh-thun. But did you know that the first part of the name (Io in Greek, Ieho in Hebrew) refers to the name Jehovah? For Jonathan means Jehovah has Given. So, the name was originally pronounced Yo-nuh-thahn. Then the second part of the Name (Nathan) means Gift.
In the case of names that end with an iah, as in Isaiah, the last part of the name includes the name of God. Isaiah, for example, means Salvation [of] Jehovah, and it was originally pronounced Ee-sai-Yah. So, why have we substituted a capital ‘J’ for the letters ‘ie’ in both of the above cases? Well, we recognize that there is an inconsistency here, because there was no letter ‘J’ in Hebrew or Greek alphabets. However, we have the choice of changing all names that start with ‘J’ (such as Jesus, John, Jonah, Joshua, Jeremiah, etc.) to start with the letters ‘Ie’, or for consistency, we can change all the ‘Ies’ into ‘Js’, which is what we have done.
Does this mean then that we are setting out a new rule for name spelling? Absolutely not, for centuries ago a Bible translator first established this rule when he spelled the name Eliou (Greek spelling, pronounced ay-lee-ou) and wrote it as EliJah, because this name is regarded as meaning ‘My God is Jehovah.’
Also notice that where a name ends with an iah, as in Jeremiah (Jehovah exalts), we have often spelled it iJah, because the i would typically be pronounced as a long e followed by a y in Hebrew, and writing it without the i (as in JeremJah) misses this nuance. So we have rendered it JeremiJah, which is similar to the way it is often pronounced by modern-day Hebrew-speaking Jews, YeremiYah.
Another important word in names that we usually capitalize is
‘El’ (from the Hebrew Elohe, or God). So EliEzer (which people commonly
pronounce Ee-lee-ay-zer and means God [has] Helped) should actually be
pronounced Ehlee-EhZer. The same is true for the letters Ai, especially
in the names of cities, because Ai in Hebrew refers to the word city.
So, AiLam probably meant the City of
Similar words, such as Bel (as in BelShazzar), Baal, and Beel, refer to ‘the Lord’ or ‘the God.’ Also, the letters ‘Ben’ and ‘Bar’ mean ‘the son of.’ ‘Beth’ means ‘the house of,’ ‘Beer’ refers to a ‘well,’ ‘Is’ or ‘Ish’ means ‘Man,’ etc.
Does this mean that we have put all the capitals in the right places, and where they should be? No, for we make no claim to Hebrew scholarship. All we are trying to do is provide a better understanding to how these names were pronounced by Greek-speaking Jews.
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Jehovah
Although there are no existing ancient Christian Era Scripture (New Testament) manuscripts that contain the full name Jehovah, there are four reasons why we (and other Bible scholars and translators) believe that it existed in the original text. They are:
1. The Name is found in many of the Hebrew Scripture texts that are quoted by Jesus and his disciples
2.
Jesus mentioned God’s having a Name in ‘The Lord’s Prayer,’ and at John
3. The Name still appears in a combined form in Revelation where the word hallelujah is used (Hallel means praise, u implies second person, and Jah is a shortened form of Jehovah.)
4.
The fact that Christians who lived in
That the Name Jehovah (which means, He who Causes to Be, or, The Creator) was originally in the Bible, is documented in all ancient Hebrew texts. And it is most likely that the Septuagint translation which Jesus and his Apostles used (most quotations they gave seem to have come from an ancient Septuagint) carried that Name, but probably in the four Hebrew characters that represent the English consonants YHWH.
Notice this comment by Robert Hanhart, who contributed the Introduction to ‘The Septuagint as Christian Scripture.’ He stated therein that, ‘All Greek biblical texts of Jewish origin found to date, whether from pre-Christian or Christian times, transmit the name יהוה Jehovah not in the form κύριος [Lord] encountered in all the LXX [Septuagint] manuscripts of Christian origin, but in some form of the Tetragrammaton.’ (See: ‘The Septuagint as Christian Scripture,’ 2002, book, p.7, by Martin Hengel. Introduction by Robert Hanhart, published by Baker Academic. ISBN 0-8010-2790-X).
You will see how in the book of Isaiah, for example, God is often referred to in Greek as Kyrios ho Kyrios, or, Lord the Lord (see Isaiah 48:16 LXX). And these are obvious examples of texts where God’s Name was omitted, for such sentences should clearly read Jehovah the Lord, or Lord Jehovah.
Since the words God and Lord both seem to have been substituted in the text wherever God’s Name originally appeared, it is difficult to know where to reinsert the Name in place of the titles. We could refer to the Hebrew texts and insert it wherever the Name appears there, but that would be out of harmony with the purpose of presenting this translation of the Septuagint on its own merit. So, wherever the term the Lord appears in obvious reference to God, we have decided to insert the Name Jehovah.
The rule that other translators have adopted for inserting God’s Name is to simply use it wherever the Tetragrammaton (יהוה) appears in the oldest existing Hebrew texts (which aren’t that old). However, it can be proven that these texts and such insertions are unreliable. For example, there is the instance when Abraham was talking to three ‘men,’ one of whom he referred to as the Lord (יהוה). In this case, Abraham was obviously speaking to a messenger from God (likely His representative, Michael), because, as God told Moses, ‘No man can see God and live.’ So, in such instances we have left the term ‘Lord’ unchanged, because that is likely the actual word Abraham used.
Also, in the writings of many of the Prophets, you will notice that they were often spoken to by God’s messengers, who they referred to as the Lord. And these messengers (angels) thereafter went on to give them messages from Jehovah. For example, notice the wording of Jeremiah 2:1 as an example: ‘Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, Go and yell in the ears of Jerusalem! Tell them that Jehovah says …’ So, in this Bible you’ll see an interspersing of the term the Lord, when referring to the angel messenger, and Jehovah, when referring to God.
Probably the most striking and confusing reference to the Lord is found at Hebrews 1:10-12, which says: ‘Long ago, O Lord, you laid the foundation of the earth, and you made the heavens with your hands. But they’ll pass away while you still remain. For like clothes they will grow old. Then, as [you would do to] a robe, you will wrap them up and repair them. Yes, you’re the one and your years will never expire.’
As you can see, the reference to the Lord here appears to be speaking of God (Jehovah). And if you go back to the scripture Paul was quoting (Psalm 102:25-27), you’ll see that it appears to be speaking of Jehovah there also from the context of the surrounding verses, and because the Tetragrammaton (יהוה) appears there in both the ancient Hebrew and Greek texts. Yet, the entire First Chapter of Hebrews is discussing Jesus and his special position before God. And Paul is clearly quoting Psalm 102:25-27 to make the point that Jesus made the heavens and the earth, that he will remain through the ages, and that he will eventually rebuild (repair) them after they grow old.
So, either Paul misapplied this scripture, which seems unlikely, or both Hebrew and Greek versions of Psalm 102 have been badly corrupted through the years, which our research proves is possible. As the result (because the answers are unclear), we have deviated from our rule of capitalizing the first letter of the words You and Your in many places in Psalm 102 and Hebrews 1, and from inserting the Name Jehovah where its use may be in doubt. However, this opens another can of worms, for it brings into question major portions of the Hebrew text and the use of the Tetragrammaton rule altogether.
It has also been suggested that since Jesus ‘shines with the same glory, is the exact image of His (God’s) being, and is responsible for everything that’s said through His power,’ as we were told at Hebrews 1:3, anything that is said about God also applies to Jesus.
Of course, the easy answer to why Paul used Psalm 102 in reference to Jesus, is because Jesus is actually Jehovah, as many theologians claim. But this is proven untrue by the other words in the same First Chapter of Hebrews. For notice the following verses:
-
Hebrews 1:3 ‘He sat down at the right hand of the Great One in the highest places.’
-
Hebrews 1:4 ‘He has become so much greater than the [other] messengers [of God] and so different, that he has inherited a [special] name among them.’
-
Hebrews 1:5 ‘For example, to which of His [other] messengers did He ever say, You’re my son. Today I’ve become your Father. Or, I will become his Father and he will become My son.’
-
Hebrews 1:9 ‘You loved righteousness and hated wickedness. That’s why God (your God) anointed you with the oil of great joy among those who are your partners.’
-
Hebrews 1:13 ‘And to which one of His messengers did He ever say, Sit here on My right until I set your enemies as a stool for your feet?’
(For more information on this subject, please see the linked document Who Was Jesus?)
The word that is translated lord (gr. kyrios) is found throughout the Bible in Greek texts and is usually used as a term of respect for men, such as a king, governor, or homeowner… and it is also frequently translated as master. So, whenever you see the term master used in the Bible, recognize that it is translated from the same Greek word as lord. And as translators, it’s easy to see how inappropriate it is to always refer to God as ‘the Lord.’ This was something that was started by later Jewish copyists, and the custom was adopted in English Bibles in the Fifteenth Century. Yet, even then the translators showed where God’s name once appeared in the Hebrew text by capitalizing all the letters, as in LORD (see Exodus 6:1). And in the King James Bible, the name Jehovah still does appear in four texts (see Exodus 6:3).
Some have objected to putting the name Jehovah
in the Greek text, for they say that that use of the Name would have
been offensive – and might have resulted in stoning – if
Jesus and his disciples had actually spoken it. Yet, the Name had to
be used when preaching to the Gentiles, or they simply wouldn’t have
known which Lord the disciples were talking about (remember, they
were polytheistic). And to call God the Lord when most gods
(and many men) were also called lord, would have been very confusing
to everyone that Jesus’ disciples preached to, both Jews and
Gentiles. So, we question whether the use of God’s Name was
considered as offensive prior to
The reason why the Name was removed from later copies of the Ancient Scriptures of Israel was because Jewish Scribes had become so awed with God’s Name that they refused to write it or say it, so, they started substituting the term ‘the Lord’ (the Master) wherever His Name was found. And since all existing versions of the Septuagint come from the Second Century or later, it isn’t surprising that God’s Name has been omitted from such modern texts. The fact that the name Jehovah was once there is well substantiated from ancient Bible manuscripts, both Hebrew and Greek. In fact, a verse in the Jewish Talmud claims that Jesus received his miraculous powers because he had sewn the Holy Name (Jehovah) into his skin, which indicates both their (his enemy’s) recognition of Jesus’ miraculous powers and the common view of God’s Name.
What about the Christian Era Scriptures?
Recognize the fact that most early Christian Congregations
(especially the one in
Perhaps Christians would more deeply appreciate the need to use the name Jehovah, rather than the title ‘Lord,’ when referring to God, if they understood that the term ‘the Lord’ in the language of the Canaanites was ‘Baal’ or ‘Beel.’ And the same term in modern-day Arabic is ‘Allah.’
Then, what of those who prefer a more exact Hebrew pronunciation of the Name (which is Yahweh, Yahwah, or Yehwah)? That is commendable if their reasons are consistent. For, if their concern is to properly pronounce Bible names (not a hatred for God’s name as it is pronounced in English), then they will also be found promoting the proper Hebrew pronunciation of His son’s name, Ieshuah, or Iehoshuah… or at least the proper pronunciation of his name in Greek, Iesous.
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Messengers of God
Most Bible translations render the Greek word aggelos (pronounced ahn-gel-ose with a hard g) as angel wherever it is found. However, aggelos is just the Greek word for messenger. True, in most cases where the Bible speaks of angels, it is referring to spirit messengers from God. However, this may not be the meaning in every instance, and always translating it as angel may distort what was said in certain instances.
For example, notice how (at Haggai 1:13) the Prophet is called ‘the messenger (literally angel) from among all the messengers of Jehovah.’ Clearly, he and other Prophets of God, although human, served the same role as God’s heavenly sons in bringing messages to mankind.
Another good example of why aggelos shouldn’t always be translated as angels can be found at Genesis 32:3, which reads in Greek, Apasteile de Iakob aggelous emprosthen autou pros Hesau ton adelphon autou, or, Sent of Jacob angels ahead of him toward Esau the brother of him. Here Jacob was obviously sending human messengers to his brother, not heavenly ones.
Also, translating aggelos as messenger (when it truly refers to a heavenly angel) helps to provide readers a better, deeper understanding of the actual role that such spiritual sons of God play in His dealings with mankind. It helps us to understand, for example, why the Bible never speaks of ‘baby angels,’ and that all of God’s heavenly sons aren’t called angels.
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