Transliteration Defined
His Name
Transliteration and Translation are Different
Transliteration NOT Translation
Hearing Teacher of Biblical Languages deny that a Transliteration of name has any thing to do with properly saying, or sounding out a name or a word. Incredible, as I listened to this teach make a fool of himself and no was calling him on it. In what follows, you will find the proper definition for what a Transliteration is and the difference between a Transliteration and a Translation -- they are different.
This is included for those unfamiliar with translations and transliterations, something I was once ignorant of or about, myself. Let’s have a look at the difference:
American Heritage Dictionary will be used for the definition of these two terms
Translation -- n. Abbr. tr., trans., transl. 1. The act or process of translating, especially from one language into another. The state of being translated. 2. A translated version of a text. (1)Transliterate -- v.tr. trans-lit-er-at-ed, trans-lit-er-at-ing, trans-lit-er-ates. To represent (letters or words) in the corresponding characters of another alphabet. (2)
To translate from one language to another the words and letters may sound differently but produce the same meaning as the original language. The purpose, then, of “transliteration” is to produce corresponding “letters or words” for the production of the same sound. Some confuse translation and to transliterate missing this important point. They seem similar and some think to “translate” is really the same as to “transliterate” which it is not and the those dealing in languages and have knowledge of how language is handled from one to the other know this. Transliteration, to repeat, is for the purpose of producing letter and or word to correspond with the original from a different language in an effort to create the same sound and this is attempted by the use of letters or words that have the same sound, or pronunciation as the original language being transliterated.
In effect, if a complete book were to be “transliterated” the person may be able to read the book but it would make no sense while the reader would be sounding out the words of another language, written in his or her own language. This is where the “translation’ comes in. The same book being translated and then read would be understood as the book would be reproduced in the readers own language with a meaning for meaning “translation”. This is why “transliterations” are mostly concerned with “names”. To “transliterate” a name from one language to another is to make that name sound like the original in the lettering or wording of a different language so the sound or pronunciation of that name is the same no matter which language it is spoken in. It may look different, on paper, to the owner of the name, but it would come out the same, or very near the same given some allowance for accent and dialects when pronounced. This, however, is not what we find in the name, JESUS and YESHUA.
When considering Transliterations of His Name, the Name above all other names, a Name every knew will one bow and every tongue confess (Php 2:10-11) and a Name by which we must all be saved (Acts 4:12) it is really important to understand this and proceed accordingly. The following names are transliterations of His Name, the Name given to Him at birth, not by men, but by His Heavenly Father:
YeHoshua, YeHushua -- YaH is SalvationYaHshua -- YaH is SaviorYaHoshua, YaHushua -- YaH is Salvation
These are all transliterations of our Savior's Name and in the original language, this would be the pronunciation and as you can see not one of these transliterated forms is even close to the name the Christians are promoting. And for those who thing that this does not matter all the much, which is usually the answer when there is not other answer or excuse for denying His Birth Name (Acts 4:12) --
(Luke 12:8) "I tell you, everyone who confesses Me before men, him will the Son of Man also confess before the angels of the FATHER ; but he who denies me in the presence of men will be denied in the presence of the angels of the FATHER .
It would seem that your name means something, so, how much more His Name?
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Tet-ra-gram-ma-ton:
(tetr-gram-ton). The four Hebrew letters usually transliterated as YHWH or JHVH (Yahweh or Jehovah), used as a biblical proper name for God.[Middle English Tetragramaton, from Greek tetragrammaton, four-letter word, from neuter of tetragrammatos, four-lettered : tetra-, tetra- + gramma, grammat-, letter. See gerbh-.]
To understand this term is useful also as you study the Scriptures. In the act of transliterating our Savior's name we can accept small variations, although some will want to argue this point, but when you understand and combine the understanding of what the Tetragrammaton is and how it is universally applied and presented then you will see the logic in the transliteration and how the names JESUS and YESHUA are not correct. The four Transliterated Letters of the Tetragrammaton of our Creator's Name is YHWH and not LORD as is presented in the KJV and many other English bibles.
The YHWH can be pronounced just as you see it and this brings us to a longer transliteration of YaHWeH (Yahweh). No one tries to transliterate this Name as YWH, dropping the "H" but when it comes to our Savior's Name this is exactly what the Jewish Scribes do and in turn have convinced nearly everyone they are presenting the correct name, YESHUA. You can easily see that this is wrong and is either deliberate, or accidental and in either case, it is either and evil act to deceive or it is an act of stupidity -- you decide.
By following the accepted Transliteration of the Tetragrammaton, YH WH, into other names, such as the Son of Nun, the man that led the people of Israel into the promised land, YeHoshua (recognized as JOSHUA an Old English Transliteration). This spelling, YeHoshua, is backed up by the Hebrew Dictionary but the Jewish Scribes and other Orthodox and Ultra Orthodox Jews, that fancy themselves as descendants of the Pharisees, would have you believe this name is Yeshua. When you push them on this discrepancy, the missing "H", they say Yeshua is the "short form" of the ORIGINAL Name. And what is the Original Name, YeHoshua, an English transliteration of the Original Hebrew. They hardly ever offer this up freely, as to the thinking mind it backs them into the corner and demonstrates they and there fellows from the past have messed with the Original wording.
If you take a tour through the history of ancient Israel, not to exclude the books of the Kings in the Scriptures themselves, you will see how Israel, the People of God, accept pagan concepts and took from the Heathen Canaanites to honoring their gods, such as Baal, which is referenced throughout the Scriptures. Another name they adopted from the evil Canaanites is the name El, and Elohim. El was a Canaanite god called the "father of all mankind", a drunkard, and lazy god from whom Baal, or Bel came from. The Israelites took to calling the Creator God YHWH, El and Elohim. We find these names of pagan origin in the Hebrew Scriptures to this very day. What this proves is the Jewish/Israelite scribes and priests did allow and adopt false terms of past pagan gods to be used in reference to the Living God of Israel. When this is understood then it is not hard to understand how the false, so called, "short form" of His original name can be so easily accepted. We have all been sold on the idea the Hebrew is accurate, without error, and the Jewish scribes were so precise as to never allow their bias to enter into the words delivered to Moses and others before them.
email: dan@servantsofyahshua.com
[1]Excerpted from American Heritage Talking Dictionary. Copyright © 1997 The Learning Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
[2]Excerpted from American Heritage Talking Dictionary. Copyright © 1997 The Learning Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.