Tuesday, December 19, 2023

God's Transliterated Name in the New Testament

Generally, in quotations from the Old Testament, the name of God, YHWH, is not translated or transliterated, but instead is substituted with the word "Lord" (κύριος). For example, in his dispute with Satan, Jesus said: "It is written again, 'Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.'" (Matthew 4:7) Jesus was paraphrasing Deuteronomy 6:16: "Ye shall not tempt the LORD (יְהוָה) your God (אֱלֹהֵיכֶם), as ye tempted him in Massah." 

The full tetragrammaton is never transliterated in the New Testament.  There are, however, four transliterated references to God's name in the New Testament in the word, "Alleluia."  

Strong's concordance explains: "ἀλληλουϊα allēlouïa, al-lay-loo'-ee-ah; of Hebrew origin (imperative of H1984 and H3050); praise ye Jah!, an adoring exclamation:—alleluiah."

All four transliterations in the New Testament are found in a single passage of Revelation.  

Revelation 19:1-6

And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

Revelation 19:1-6 (TR)

καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἤκουσα φωνὴν ὄχλου πολλοῦ μεγάλην ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ λεγόντος, Ἁλληλουϊά· ἡ σωτηρία καὶ ἡ δόξα καὶ ἡ τιμὴ καὶ ἡ δύναμις Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν ὅτι ἀληθιναὶ καὶ δίκαιαι αἱ κρίσεις αὐτοῦ· ὅτι ἔκρινεν τὴν πόρνην τὴν μεγάλην ἥτις ἔφθειρεν τὴν γῆν ἐν τῇ πορνείᾳ αὐτῆς καὶ ἐξεδίκησεν τὸ αἷμα τῶν δούλων αὐτοῦ ἐκ τῆς χειρὸς αὐτῆς καὶ δεύτερον εἴρηκαν Ἁλληλουϊά· καὶ ὁ καπνὸς αὐτῆς ἀναβαίνει εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων καὶ ἔπεσαν οἱ πρεσβύτεροι οἱ εἴκοσι καὶ τέσσαρες καὶ τὰ τέσσαρα ζῷα καὶ προσεκύνησαν τῷ θεῷ τῷ καθημένῳ ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου, λέγοντες Ἀμήν Ἁλληλουϊά Καὶ φωνὴ ἐκ τοῦ θρόνου ἐξῆλθεν λέγουσα Αἰνεῖτε τὸν Θεὸν ἡμῶν πάντες οἱ δοῦλοι αὐτοῦ καὶ οἱ φοβούμενοι αὐτόν καὶ οἱ μικροὶ καὶ οἱ μεγάλοι καὶ ἤκουσα ὡς φωνὴν ὄχλου πολλοῦ καὶ ὡς φωνὴν ὑδάτων πολλῶν καὶ ὡς φωνὴν βροντῶν ἰσχυρῶν λεγόντας, Ἁλληλουϊά ὅτι ἐβασίλευσεν κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ παντοκράτωρ

Revelation 19:1-6 (NA28)

Μετὰ ταῦτα ἤκουσα ὡς φωνὴν μεγάλην ὄχλου πολλοῦ ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ λεγόντων· ἁλληλουϊά· ἡ σωτηρία καὶ ἡ δόξα καὶ ἡ δύναμις τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν, ὅτι ἀληθιναὶ καὶ δίκαιαι αἱ κρίσεις αὐτοῦ· ὅτι ἔκρινεν τὴν πόρνην τὴν μεγάλην ἥτις ἔφθειρεν τὴν γῆν ἐν τῇ πορνείᾳ αὐτῆς, καὶ ἐξεδίκησεν τὸ αἷμα τῶν δούλων αὐτοῦ ἐκ χειρὸς αὐτῆς. Καὶ δεύτερον εἴρηκαν· ἁλληλουϊά· καὶ ὁ καπνὸς αὐτῆς ἀναβαίνει εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. καὶ ἔπεσαν οἱ πρεσβύτεροι οἱ εἴκοσι τέσσαρες καὶ τὰ τέσσαρα ζῷα καὶ προσεκύνησαν τῷ θεῷ τῷ καθημένῳ ἐπὶ τῷ θρόνῳ λέγοντες· ἀμὴν ἁλληλουϊά. Καὶ φωνὴ ἀπὸ τοῦ θρόνου ἐξῆλθεν λέγουσα· αἰνεῖτε τῷ θεῷ ἡμῶν πάντες οἱ δοῦλοι αὐτοῦ [καὶ] οἱ φοβούμενοι αὐτόν, οἱ μικροὶ καὶ οἱ μεγάλοι. Καὶ ἤκουσα ὡς φωνὴν ὄχλου πολλοῦ καὶ ὡς φωνὴν ὑδάτων πολλῶν καὶ ὡς φωνὴν βροντῶν ἰσχυρῶν λεγόντων· ἁλληλουϊά, ὅτι ἐβασίλευσεν κύριος ὁ θεὸς [ἡμῶν] ὁ παντοκράτωρ.

(Brackets are indicated as such by the NA28)

The same Greek word is found in the Septuagint, specifically in Psalms 105-107, 111-114, 116-119, 135, 136, and 146-150 (Masoretic numbering, not Septuagint numbering).

The KJV transliterates this shortened name once in the Old Testament:

Psalm 68:4  Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.

Moreover, this short form of YHWH is used twice in Exodus (Exodus 15:2 and 17:16), dozens of times in the Psalms, once in Song of Solomon (where the KJV interestingly translates it differently), and thrice in Isaiah (Isaiah 26:4 and Isaiah 38:11 x2).  

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