One of the most obvious mistranslated, and probably the most common (5321 times), concerns God’s holy Name. In simple terms, instead of transliterating God’s Name, Yahweh, or using its meaning, “I am,” the translators replaced it with the title “LORD.” Some versions use all capitals to differentiate LORD from Lord, but a name is still a name, and ‘LORD’ remains a title like president. For example, the name Eve, first used in Genesis 3:20, was meant to be pronounceable, so the translators created alliteration based on Hebrew sounds. That’s understandable, but this was not done with God’s personal name.
In response to my point that using “LORD” instead of God’s Name was a poor choice, a student recently asked me, “How did we, then, end up with it (i.e., such a terrible translation)?” Every English translation, including more liberal versions and paraphrases like The Living Bible, uses the substitute word “LORD.” Since the question sought a reason for this practice, I began tracing back through history to see when it first started. I was surprised by what I found, despite having some prior understanding from earlier studies.
The question arose when discussing Isaiah 43:1, “But now, thus says the LORD, your Creator (NASB)” where LORD was used instead of the expected Yahweh or Jehovah (YHWH=hwhy)—God’s personal Name, but I decided to go back to the first time YHWH was used in Genesis 2:4. In Genesis 1, God’s personal Name was not used primarily because He was depicted as the Creator of all things. It is only after He created and began interacting with His creation (Genesis 2:4) that God’s personal Name is consistently used. Throughout the Old Testament, God’s Name is regularly replaced with “LORD.”
I began my study by analyzing different English versions of Genesis 2:4. (Note YHWH-Jehovah is in purple here and later.)
NASB This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made earth and heaven
KJV These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,
NIV This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created. When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens—
NLT This is the account of the creation of the heavens and the earth. When the LORD God made the heavens and the earth
ESV These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.
LSB These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that Yahweh God made earth and heaven. (Originally written in 2018, the 2021 LSB was not available.)
All the English versions I used, except one I recently discovered, including the New Living Translation, used “LORD.” Interestingly, the Chinese versions use “Jehovah,” so this practice isn’t present in all translations—only some. I was unsure how widespread this pattern is. Note the space before “God” in this Chinese version, similar to how recent Judaism uses G-d or L-rd instead of God and YHWH. This shows a special reverence for “God.”
I began to wonder if the issue was specific to the English Bibles, so I checked the Hebrew text to see if it indeed used God’s personal name in Genesis 2:4, as I remembered.
Reading from right to left, we see that the Hebrew word YHWH (Yahweh in purple) is indeed present in the Hebrew text. It appears multiple times in Genesis 2, just as any English Bible translation will show with the words “Lord” or “LORD,” depending on the version (Genesis 2:4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 15, 16, etc.).
Each time the word “LORD” is used instead of the Hebrew word for God’s personal Name, YHWH, the substitution can be trusted (though I haven’t verified the 5,000+ uses). The phrase ‘LORD God’ in Genesis 2 is used frequently, but the capitalization style doesn’t matter; it helps the reader identify where His Name appears. As a result, the Hebrew word “YHWH,” God’s personal Name, is translated into English as ‘LORD.’ The Legacy Standard Bible uses Yahweh instead of LORD, even as the earlier NASB did. God’s revealed name, Yahweh, is translated 5,903 times in the LSB Old Testament.
A History of Translating ‘Yahweh’ as LORD (Lord)
As mentioned earlier, the English versions I reviewed used LORD (except one). So I thought, if we look back in time to see when this translation pattern was actually adopted, we might find an answer to our friend’s question. In English, the Bible translations only date back to before the Reformation, which marked the beginning of the English language. Fortunately, the printing press was also developed around that time, so we have many copies of the earliest English Bibles. The earliest well-known English translations were the Wycliffe and Tyndale Bibles.
The Wycliffe Translation
So, what did I discover? The same thing. In other words, the earliest English Bibles translated God’s Name (YHWH) as LORD. They set the precedent for later English translations by replacing a title for God’s revealed Name. We need to go further back in history to find out where this usage originated. Let’s examine the two earliest English Bibles to see where they got their original material for translation. Did Tyndale and Wycliffe start something new, or did they follow someone else’s suggested translation? This takes us down some interesting paths, as they do differ here.
The Wycliffe Bible, the first English Bible, used Old English (where heaven was written as “heuene”) and dates back to 1382. It also used the word “Lord” to translate God’s Name (YHWH).
Although it was the first English Bible, the Wycliffe Bible did not use the original Biblical languages but was only a translation from another translation—the Old Latin Vulgate. Next, we will examine the Vulgate to see if this is where the substitution translation began.
The Vulgate Translation
The Vulgate was a highly influential translation from 382 AD because it served the Western Roman Empire for over a thousand years. The common Western European vernacular languages had no written translations for centuries (old forms for French and Spanish began in the 9th century), and so the Old Latin version of the Vulgate became the standard language for the church and the educated.
The Vulgate, however, still used Dominus, the Latin word for master or Lord. The Vulgate dates back to the 300s, so we know that this usage of “Lord” reaches back to that time. Jerome used an earlier Latin text and revised it, which makes us wonder if Paul knew Latin and used “Lord” to translate God’s name. Up to this point in our study, we can only conclude that everyone seems to have used the title “Lord” to translate God’s covenant Name, except for the Chinese version, which used Jehovah.
The Tyndale Translation
Tyndale’s translation follows a very different approach from Wycliffe’s, leading us back to the original languages. The Tyndale Bible translation tells a different story because it was finished after the invention of the printing press and the discovery of Greek manuscripts, thanks to Erasmus. Tyndale overlooked the errors in the Old Latin version and went directly to the original sources, which are Hebrew for the Old Testament and Greek for the New Testament.
So Tyndale had the advantage of using the original Hebrew manuscripts and other translations like the Septuagint. We mentioned earlier that Tyndale still used “Lord” in his English translation. Was that what Tyndale found in the original Hebrew manuscript, or were there other translations, such as Wycliffe’s earlier English translation, the Vulgate, or the Septuagint?
The Greek Septuagint
Before examining the Hebrew text more closely, let us remember that a highly influential Greek translation of the Old Testament, known as the Septuagint (LXX), was commonly used even during Jesus’ time. The New Testament was originally written in Koine Greek, and when the Old Testament was quoted—about 300 times in the New Testament—roughly two-thirds of those quotations or allusions referenced or came from the Septuagint translation.
So, what do we learn about the Septuagint’s translation of God’s personal Name?
When we examine the Greek translation of the Old Testament, written about 200 years before Jesus’ birth and finished by 132 BC, we find that they surprisingly also used Lord instead of God’s Name (Gr: kurios)!
No wonder the English Bible used LORD, but Tyndale had access to the Hebrew text, and it clearly used “Yahweh” (YHWH). So, where did this mistaken tradition begin, or was it simply incorrect? Why was there such a strong insistence on using the title Lord instead of His precious Name?
The Jewish Translations
One might assume that Jews would take pride in boasting about their God, but upon closer inspection, we see that this tradition originates with the Hebrews themselves, albeit in a slightly different form. Gesenius states,
…Jehovah, personal name of the supreme God amongst the Hebrews. The later Hebrews, for some centuries before the time of Christ, either misled by a false interpretation of certain laws (Ex. 20:7; Lev. 24:11), or else following some old superstition, regarded this name as so very holy, that it might not even be pronounced.
The Haftorah (A Torah and OT prophetical reading book) continues explaining in its notes:
‘Lord’ is the usual English translation of Adonay. Adonay is the prescribed traditional reading of the Divine Name expressed in the four Hebrew letters YHWH—which is never pronounced as written. This Divine Name is spoken of as the Tetragrammaton, which is a Greek word meaning ‘the Name of four letters’.
What is the answer to the question? Nobody truly knows why the Jews became afraid to pronounce the Lord’s Name, Yahweh. Even though the text reads YHWH, they have started saying “Adonai” (Hebrew for Lord). I believe it is still wrong to interrupt the translation process and replace the title “LORD” where the Hebrew text has His personal Name written. The Law does not prohibit people from saying His Name.
The Significance of God’s Revealed Name, Yahweh
As a result, readers do not realize that the word “LORD” represents God’s personal name, demonstrating His interest in engaging His people in conversation. In other words, the importance of revealing the Lord’s Name (YHWH) remains hidden from her readers and leads to further misunderstandings. For example, when I was teaching Isaiah 43:1, the prophet used God’s personal name to build trust among His people. It was important to explain that “LORD” actually stood for God’s name because understanding this was essential to grasping how much God had reached out to His people at that moment.
I appreciate how one person commented on this custom, not to mention God’s Name.
I’ve recently been reading through the Bible, and it seems that the Jewish people have been grossly neglecting their mission. Throughout the Bible, the L‑rd is instructing the people to “proclaim His name” (Isaiah 12:4, Psalms 105:1) and “chant praises to His Name” (Psalms 68:5), speaks highly of one who “knows My name” (Psalms 91:14), and there are countless other references to His name.
Yet, in all my encounters with Jews, they seem to make a point of not mentioning His name. Instead, they vaguely refer to Him as “the Almighty,” “the One Above,” or as “Hashem,” which I understand to be Hebrew for “the name.” Why don’t the Jewish people obey Him and “proclaim and praise His name” instead of beating around the bush?
His question is good, though I was displeased with the inadequate Jewish response (which I will not present). It is God who brings salvation, making it an urgent matter to call upon His Name: “Then I called upon the name of the LORD: “O LORD, I beseech Thee, save my life!” (Ps 116:4). In response to Yahweh’s mighty redemptive plan, we are humbled and deeply grateful, sounding loud resounds of Hallelujah, the Hebrew word for Alleluia, which tells us to praise “Yahweh” (the “ia” or “yah” are abbreviations for Yahweh). We ought to regularly praise His Name.
The following reading leads us to a more specific conclusion.
The Mishnah confirms that there was no prohibition against pronouncing The Name in ancient times. In fact, the Mishnah recommends using God’s Name as a routine greeting to a fellow Jew. Berakhot 9:5. However, by the time of the Talmud, it was the custom to use substitute Names for God. Some rabbis asserted that a person who pronounces YHVH according to its letters (instead of using a substitute) has no place in the World to Come, and should be put to death. Instead of pronouncing the four-letter Name, we usually substitute the Name “Adonai,” or simply say “Ha-Shem” (lit. The Name). Judaism 101
If saying His Name aloud had no restrictions early on, then there is no reason to hide the Lord’s Name behind the title “LORD” or to use ‘voiceovers’ saying Lord (Adonai) to keep people unaware of the only Name that can save.
The New Testament Use of God’s Name
Let’s look at this from a different angle. How did Jesus or the apostles refer to the Saving Name? They linked this Name to the Savior, who was Christ Jesus.
The Hebrew Bible often uses the well-known four-letter name of Yahweh (YHWH). Modern Jews do not pronounce it but instead say Adonai, which is another Hebrew word meaning ‘lord.’ During the Septuagint translation, Hebrew culture’s influence included a common understanding of a ban on translating or speaking God’s name. We agree that His name should not be spoken lightly, but this prohibition on pronunciation led to errors in writing and distorted pronunciations. Later translations usually used the word for Lord (Adonay) instead of the alliteration of God’s glorious, saving name Yahweh (Jehovah).
God revealed Himself with His Name Yahweh, but the Hebrews shifted from saying His Name as the Mishnah states to changing its vowels into the word Lord (Adonay), and over time, people began to just say the word Lord (Adonai). When people translated the Old Testament, such as the Septuagint, they sacrificed accuracy for tradition, thus revealing God’s mighty, saving Name.
We will examine three important passages, beginning with a quote from the Old Testament and then from the New Testament. Each Old Testament quote uses LORD (Yahweh), while the New Testament version expresses this mystery by quoting the Greek (Septuagint) translation of the Hebrew Lord (Kurios).
Joel 2:32 and Acts 2:21 with Romans 10:13
Joel 2:32 from the Old Testament emphasizes the Name Yahweh. Acts 2:21 and Romans 10:13 quote this important verse from Joel.
“And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the LORD (Yahweh) will be delivered; For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape, As the LORD (Yahweh) has said, Even among the survivors whom the LORD (Yahweh) calls” (Joel 2:32).
“AND IT SHALL BE, THAT EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED” (Ac 2:21).
“For “WHOEVER WILL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED” (Rom 10:13).
The New Testament quotes are all capitalized to remind us that it’s quoting the Old Testament (the Greek text does not do this). The Greek word copies the Greek translation (Septuagint) instead of writing out His Name.
Isaiah 40:3 and Matthew 3:3
They translated His Name (YHWH) in the New Testament as Lord, even when quoting the Old Testament “Yahweh” from the Hebrew text, which the Septuagint translates as Lord (kurios). Once again, the New Testament subtly follows the hidden translations, using Lord instead of the Lord’s Name as in the Hebrew.
Isaiah 45 and Philippians 2:11
Philippians 2:11 quotes Isaiah 45:23 and refers to Jesus as Lord, that is, Yahweh (God). The Rabbi and Apostle Paul undoubtedly understood the significance of the words he wrote here, quoting from Isaiah 45. (Isaiah uses Yahweh, translated as LORD, 15 times in the Hebrew text of Isaiah 45, including verses 21 and 24 mentioned below.)
“…21 Is it not I, the LORD? And there is no other God besides Me, A righteous God and a Savior; There is none except Me. 22 Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other. 23 I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out from My mouth in righteousness, And will not turn back, that to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance. 24 They will say of Me, ‘Only in the LORD are righteousness and strength.’” (Isaiah 45:21-24).
“9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11).
Paul elaborates on “every knee” by describing it in heaven and on earth, but clearly emphasizes that they bow only before God, the LORD Yahweh. So when Paul states in Philippians 2:11, “every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father,” there is no doubt that this Savior is God and that His Name is Jesus or Lord (Phil 2:11) Yahweh. While Isaiah declares there is no other God, Paul alludes to the glory of Jesus Christ, which is wrapped in the mystery of the Trinity. People might disagree with Paul’s interpretation, but he was clearly asserting that Jesus Christ is Yahweh, the Savior; He “gave him the name that is above every name” (Phil 2:9).
Conclusion
The Septuagint established a pattern that continues today: mistranslating God’s Name, Yahweh, as LORD, a title. Perhaps the Lord has permitted this so that the Jews would not misuse His Name in their confusion. In any case, as God’s children, we should not be afraid to use His Name and, even more, remember that God shares His personal name with us to build an intimate relationship with Him. We should be encouraged by a recent English translation, the Legacy Standard Bible (LSB 2021), which renders God’s revealed name as Yahweh.
By Paul Bucknell
https://bffbible.org/old-testament/view/translation-name-yahweh
Living as a Christian in this World 