Joined: 10/23/2007(UTC) Posts: 2,616 Location: Texas Thanks: 5 times Was thanked: 216 time(s) in 149 post(s)
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RA wrote:Shalum shalum a'hy/brother! I am so thankful to YHUH for your thorough investigation and revelation of the truth about who YHUH is and what His true purpose is for humanity. So much of what you shared in your writings confirms everything He's revealed to me as I study and follow His Turah. However, I do question why you use the term "god" when referring to The Most High. In all of your extensive research in the Hebrew language, please show where "god" is ever referred to as Alahym/Aluah/Al. "God" can never be used to identify who YHUH is or refer to Him as our Power. The only reference to the word that is even remotely close is the term/name 'Gad/Gawd' (son of Yashar'Al and also a pagan deity Ba'al Gad). The Phonetically 'god' and gawd' are pronounced exactly the same; one meaning that troop or swarm, and the other refers to the fortune deity of luck (as well as many other definitions). Did any of YHUH's children address Him as 'god'? I whole-heartedly trust they did not. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. I have a breakdown on the etymology and misapplication of the term from personal studies I'd like to share (if you're interested). Praise the Most High for using you to bring forth such a poignant and thought-provoking work. Shalum for now! RA Yada wrote:RA,
Why is it that you are bothered by a title and yet are not comfortable writing Yahowah's name? Why have you researched one and not the other? What is your priority?
There are lots of people who have an issue with the title god. I am not one of them. There have been very few if any false gods actually named "God." And I never use "God" as a name - ever! Even in Germany, Gott was a title, and it is the basis of the English word. Further, there is no instruction from Yahowah regarding the use of titles, only names. So we are free to use "god" as as a title - which is how I use it and it is how Yahowah uses 'el, 'elohym, and 'elowah.
There has been a god named 'El, in Canaan of all places, which is the Hebrew word for "god, almighty, or mighty one," depending upon your preference, although neither of those choices is especially accurate. Even "Most High" isn't accurate. That would be "gabah gabah - most high," "'alyown 'alyown," or "ruwm ruwm," with the repetition of these words for "high" conveying the idea of "most."
Yahowah uses both 'el and 'elohym, the plural of 'el, to convey His title as well as to address false gods. So therefore, transliterating 'el or 'elohym would violate the standard being imposed by the anti "god" folks like yourself since it is used to describe false deities. The fact is that 'elohym is deployed thousands of times by Yahowah as one of His titles and also to describe false gods. It is consistently written: "Yahowah, your "'elohym - God," using the most equivalent English analog.
Also, since 'el and 'elohym are seldom used with the definite article, ha, it would be inaccurate to write "the Almighty" or "the Most High." Worse, since Yahowah typically uses 'elohym, to be accurate, it would be "Almighties." So since there is no foolproof answer, since Yahowah uses 'el and 'elohym to reference false gods in addition to Himself, and since there is no instruction regarding the use of titles, why not communicate effectively by deploying the English word that most adroitly conveys the concept expressed by 'elohym?
Yahowah asked His children to address Him as Yahowah. And Yahowah says that He is our God. So it appears to me that someone has confused you regarding the difference between a name and a title. Moreover, your interjection of the English word into your question is silly. It is like saying, tell me where you find the English word "Lord" in the Hebrew text. Since Yah's word is written in Hebrew, you will not find any English words therein.
So I use god and God as reasonable translations of 'el and 'elohym and lots of people have a conniption over this. And from what I know, it's genuinely a complete waste of time since there are so many important issues that are ignored by those fixated on this translation of a common word - such as the basis for pronouncing YHWH as Yahowah.
You have done your own study and you have formed your own conclusions. But as for me, I use Yahowah's name and refer to Him also by his titles, God, Father, Savior. That is what I learned from Him.
If you were to examine 'elohym, based upon 'elowah, in the original script Yahowah used to convey this title, you'd find the most complete definition of the word:
Aleph - Empowered and Capable Ram (male lamb) / Lamed - Leading as a Shepherd, thus protecting, nurturing, and guiding (shepherd's staff) / Wah - Securing and Enlarging His Family in His Home (tent peg) / Hey - Assisting those who Reach Up to Him, who Walk with Him, who Observe Him (person standing, looking and reaching up) / Yad - Extending His Hand to Lift them Up and Embrace them (arm reaching down and out with an open hand) / Mem - Cleansing them and Giving them Life (waves on water).
That is how Yahowah defines the title 'elowhym. I suppose you could say and I could write all of this every time.
I am glad that you are focused upon Yahowah's Towrah. It is the right place to turn to know Yahowah, to understand what He is offering through His Covenant, and to learn how to respond to Him in a way that enables us to benefit from the Covenant's promises. But as for your translation of 'elohym, based upon the above it could use some refining, especially as it relates to being a common word and not a name - just as is "god." Also, since Yahowah asked us to call Him Yahowah, I'd encourage you to begin transliterating His name, even if you conclude that it's Yahuwah instead of Yahowah. Since Yah asked a man with poor diction to announce His name to the world, the distinction between uw and ow is unlikely to bother Him.
Yada RA wrote:Tudah for your response and commentary. I use and speak the transliteration of Yahuah's name. Though you have given your opinion on the term god, I simply disagree. There is no value in it as it relates to speaking about Abba. The expression of Aluah/Aluhym as broken down is more important for man to know and understand. Yahuah is not a god. Nonetheless, your work is sound and I pray many more will be led to Yahuah by what He has revealed to you.
Shalum Yada wrote:Brother, Not that it's the end of the world, but it's 'ab, not 'abba. Abba' comes from Paul via a corruption of the Aramaic. It suggests that there are two families and two "gods" not one. 'Ab is the first word in the Hebrew language alphabetically. It is also Yahowah's favorite title. It combines the Ram's Head, speaking of Capability, Power, Influence, and Protection with Beyth - the Floorplan of a Home, speaking of Family and Household. Yahowah is the Father of His Covenant and we are His children. Honestly and respectfully, I remain perplexed as to how good, properly directed, and thinking people such as yourself remain so concerned about the title 'elohym, are so adverse to it being translated into its closest analog in English, and seem so unwilling to process the evidence negating any concern when it is shared. Yahowah's uses of it alone should resolve any problems, because He associates it with Himself as a title and uses it to identify false gods. Neither use is a concern to Him. I do not know who began to promote this as an issue, but we should all buy stock in their company because they have been very effective - eliciting passion, something Yah genuinely respects. I suspect that it grew out of the "g-d" nonsense of rabbinic Judaism in conjunction with their complete disrespect for Yahowah's name. Many of those who first began to pay attention to the Towrah as Yah's foundation were Messianics, steeped in a blend of Judaism and Christianity. So this could easily be an outgrowth of their blended religion. And then some well intentioned, but not properly prepared, individuals took that ball and ran with it, somehow turning "god" into a pagan name instead of a title. Sparing that, someone got confused, and misinterpreted the request not to memorialize the names of false gods with the errant notion that we aren't supposed to use titles when they are associated with religious myths. But since Yahowah routinely uses "Ba'al - Lord" as Satan's title, even name, as an example, Yah would be disregarding His own advice when interpreted this way. But, no matter where it came from, it is now a cause onto its own. More people are up in arms over this non issue than any other I confront. And there is no possible way to accommodate their concerns without either making stuff up or consistently conveying the fullness of what the letters that comprise the word mean: "Capable, Powerful, and Protective Lamb, the Shepherd who Leads, Guides, Nurtures, and Protects, Making us Secure while Enlarging His Home for those who Look and Reach Up to Him, who Engage and Walk to Him, who are Observant Regarding Him, Reaching Down and Extending His Hand to Lift us Up, Embracing Us so that He can Cleanse us and Give us Renewed Life. I rather like that, but I like Yahowah better. As for being the only actual "'el - god," based upon the continual juxtaposition of His name and this title I am convinced that Yahowah begs to differ. But regardless, I'd encourage you to do what I'm trying to do, which is to focus on more vital issues. In particular, consider Dowd's / David's presentation on how to properly observe the Towrah as presented in the 119 Mizmowr / Psalm. While you can translate it on your own, I present it in Part 3 of the Towrah - Teaching Volume of www.IntroToGod.org: http://www.introtogod.or...hing-%28Psalms%29.Torah. Second only to the Towrah, I think the 119th Psalm is the most brilliant thing I've ever read. I will not debate your conclusion that Aleph Lamed Wah Hey Yowd Mem could well be pronounced 'aluwahym, but based upon systematically evaluating every word in the Hebrew lexicon with a wah, especially those whose pronunciation is best known to us today, I suspect that the likelihood is 85% to 15% in favor of ow rather than uw. But since I have been where you currently are on this, and only recently evolved from uw to ow, I'm sympathetic. One day, I'll augment the evidence I present in the Name volume of the ITG, by adding all of the legacy English words with ow as part of their pronunciation. It's impressive. Based upon what I've learned, the issues which really matter are: Yahowah's name, knowing that His Word is limited to the Towrah, Prophets, and Psalms, that the Covenant has not yet been renewed so there can be no New Testament, that Yahowsha' is Yahowah Saving Us, that Paul was a false prophet, knowing the terms and conditions of the Covenant, knowing that Towrah means teaching and guidance and that Yah's instructions are prescriptions for living not laws to be obeyed, knowing that the Seven Step Path to Yahowah beginning with Passover and concluding with Shelters provides the means to resolve our sin, and knowing that Yahowah's plan and timeline is based upon Six plus One = Seven. To that, if we are to be concerned about Yahowah's title, it is far better that we recognize that He is our "'ab - Father" and the Father of His Covenant Family. Most of what Yahowah has revealed to me He has revealed to everyone who is willing to listen to Him. It's all written in the Towrah and Prophets. All we have to do is be receptive, be observant, and be willing to learn. Nothing is more fun or more rewarding. I especially enjoy the transition between knowing and understanding. So thank you for you kind and supportive conclusion. Many have become Yahowah's Covenant Children as a result of sharing Yahowah's testimony. Yada |