Question #39

The NWT translates the Greek word "kyrios"  as "Jehovah" more than 25 times in the New Testament (Mt 3:3, Lk 2:9, Jn 1:23, Acts 21:14, Rom 12:19, Col 1:10, lThess5:2, 1Pet 1:25, Rev 4:8, etc.). Why is the word "Jehovah" translated when it does not appear in the Greek text? Why is the NWT not consistent in translating kyrios (kurion) as "Jehovah" in Rom 10:9, 1Cor 12:3, Phil 2:11, 2Thess 2:1. and Rev 22:21 (see Gr- Engl Interlinear)?

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In the original Hebrew and even in the Greek Septuagint, the personal name of God, represented by the four letters, YHWH, appeared almost 7,000 times. But modern translators have removed all traces of God’s name and have instead substituted it with “LORD.” This bias against the name of God obviously is promoted by that spirit liar, Satan the Devil. He originally over-reached the Jews, inducing them to stop pronouncing YHWH on the basis that the name was too holy to even be uttered by men. But we may be sure that Jesus and the apostles were not influenced by such ignorant superstition. Jesus and the apostles many times quoted directly from the Hebrew Scriptures, citing passages where the YHWH appeared.

For example, when Jesus went to the synagogue and introduced himself as the Messiah he read from the scroll, what we call Isaiah 61:1, which reads: “The spirit of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah is upon me, for the reason that Jehovah has anointed me to tell good news to the meek ones. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to those taken captive and the wide opening of the eyes even to the prisoners...”

Since it is unthinkable that Jesus would have followed the wicked Jewish tradition of avoiding uttering the name of his Father, the question Jehovah’s Witnesses ought to ask persons who ask why the name of Jehovah appears in the New Testament is why the name of Jehovah has been removed?

Since the insidious bias against the name of God by men in positions to directly influence modern Bible translations, as well as copies of ancient texts is undeniable, responsible translators who are devoted to the bearer of the divine name have the right and responsibility to place the name of God in all texts in the New Testament where the Hebrew text containing the YHWH were quoted, as well as where the context indicates a distinction ought to be made between the Lord Jesus and the Lord Jehovah.

Ultimately, Jehovah himself will force the peoples of the world to recognize his name and supremacy and those who have sought to push Jehovah out of the picture will suffer humiliation.