Monday, August 27, 2007
Some Helpful Bible Principles - Jehovah's Witnesses Official Web Site
Some Helpful Bible Principles - Jehovah's Witnesses Official Web Site: "Within the family: 'Let each one keep seeking, not his own advantage, but that of the other person.'—1 Corinthians 10:24. 'Love . . . does not look for its own interests.'—1 Corinthians 13:4, 5. 'Let each one of you individually so love his wife as he does himself.'—Ephesians 5:33. 'You wives, be in subjection to your husbands.'—Colossians 3:18. 'Listen to your father who caused your birth, and do not despise your mother just because she has grown old.'—Proverbs 23:22. At school, at work, or in business: 'A cheating pair of scales is something detestable . . . The wicked one is making false wages.'—Proverbs 11:1, 18. 'Let the stealer steal no more, but rather let him do hard work.'—Ephesians 4:28. 'If anyone does not want to work, neither let him eat.'—2 Thessalonians 3:10. 'Whatever you are doing, work at it whole-souled as to Jehovah.'—Colossians 3:23. 'We wish to conduct ourselves honestly in all things.'—Hebrews 13:18. Attitude toward wealth: 'He that is hastening to gain riches will not remain innocent.'—Proverbs 28:20. 'A mere lover of silver will not be satisfied with silver.'—Ecclesiastes 5:10. Assessing one's own worth: 'For people to search out their own glory, is it glory?'—Proverbs 25:27. 'May a stranger, and not your own mouth, praise you.'—Proverbs 27:2. 'I tell everyone there among you not to think more of himself than it is necessary to think.'—Romans 12:3. 'If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he is deceiving his own mind.'—Galatians 6:3."
Transfusion Medicine—Is Its Future Secure? - Jehovah's Witnesses Official Web Site
Transfusion Medicine—Is Its Future Secure? - Jehovah's Witnesses Official Web Site: "Alternatives to Blood Transfusion Over the past six years, Hospital Liaison Committees for Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide have distributed tens of thousands of copies of the video program Transfusion-Alternative Strategies—Simple, Safe, Effective in some 25 languages to those within the medical community.* The program shows world-renowned physicians discussing effective strategies currently used to treat patients without blood transfusions. People are taking note. For example, after viewing the program in late 2001, the National Blood Service (NBS) in the United Kingdom sent a letter with a copy of this video to all blood-bank managers and consultant hematologists throughout the country. They were encouraged to watch the program because of “increasing recognition that one of the aims of good clinical care is to avoid blood transfusion wherever possible.” The letter acknowledged that “the general message [in the video] is praiseworthy and is one the NBS strongly supports.” * Contact one of Jehovah’s Witnesses to view the DVD program Transfusion Alternatives—Documentary Series, published by Jehovah’s Witnesses."
Marvelous New World of God's Making
The Marvelous New World of God's Making
AFTER God's cleansing war of Armageddon, what then? Then a glorious new era will begin. The Armageddon survivors, having already proved their loyalty to God's rule, will be ushered into the new world. What a thrilling new period of history that will be as marvelous benefits flow from God to the human family!
Under the direction of God's Kingdom, the survivors will begin to develop a paradise. Their energies will be devoted to unselfish pursuits that will benefit all then living. The earth will begin to be transformed into a beautiful, peaceful, satisfying home for mankind.
Righteousness Replaces Wickedness
All of this will be made possible by the destruction of Satan's world. No more will there be divisive false religions, social systems, or governments. No more will there be satanic propaganda to deceive people; all the agencies producing it will go down with Satan's system. Just think: the entire poisonous atmosphere of Satan's world cleared away! What a relief that will be!
Then the destructive ideas of human rule will be replaced by the upbuilding teaching that comes from God. "All your sons will be persons taught by Jehovah." (Isaiah 54:13) With this wholesome instruction year after year, "the earth will certainly be filled with the knowledge of Jehovah as the waters are covering the very sea." (Isaiah 11:9) People will no more learn what is bad, but "righteousness is what the inhabitants of the productive land will certainly learn." (Isaiah 26:9) Upbuilding thoughts and actions will be the order of the day.—Acts 17:31; Philippians 4:8.
Thus, there will be no more murder, violence, rape, robbery, or any other crime. No one will have to suffer because of the wicked deeds of others. Proverbs 10:30 says: "As for the righteous one, to time indefinite he will not be caused to stagger; but as for the wicked ones, they will not keep residing on the earth."
Perfect Health Restored
In the new world, the elderly will return to the vigor of youth
In the new world, there will be a rolling back of all the evil effects of the original rebellion. For example, Kingdom rule will eliminate sickness and old age. Today, even if you enjoy a measure of good health, the hard reality is that as you grow old, your eyes dim, your teeth decay, your hearing dulls, your skin wrinkles, your internal organs break down, until finally you die.
However, those distressing effects that we inherited from our first parents will soon be a thing of the past. Do you remember what Jesus demonstrated regarding health while he was on earth? The Bible relates: "Great crowds approached him, having along with them people that were lame, maimed, blind, dumb, and many otherwise, and they fairly threw them at his feet, and he cured them; so that the crowd felt amazement as they saw the dumb speaking and the lame walking and the blind seeing."—Matthew 15:30, 31.
What great happiness will come in the new world as all our ills are eliminated! The suffering that results from poor health will never again torment us. "No resident will say: 'I am sick.'" "At that time the eyes of the blind ones will be opened, and the very ears of the deaf ones will be unstopped. At that time the lame one will climb up just as a stag does, and the tongue of the speechless one will cry out in gladness."—Isaiah 33:24; 35:5, 6.
Will it not be thrilling to wake up each morning and realize that you now enjoy vibrant health? Will it not be gratifying for elderly persons to know that they have been restored to the full vigor of youth and will achieve the perfection that Adam and Eve originally enjoyed? The Bible's promise is: "Let his flesh become fresher than in youth; let him return to the days of his youthful vigor." (Job 33:25) What a delight it will be to throw away those eyeglasses, hearing aids, crutches, wheelchairs, and medicines! Hospitals, doctors, and dentists will never again be needed.
All sicknesses and disabilities will be eliminated in the new world
Persons who enjoy such vibrant health will not want to die. And they will not have to, for mankind will no longer be in the grip of inherited imperfection and death. Christ "must rule as king until God has put all enemies under his feet. As the last enemy, death is to be brought to nothing." "The gift God gives is everlasting life."—1 Corinthians 15:25, 26; Romans 6:23; see also Isaiah 25:8.
Summing up the benefits that will flow from the caring God to the human family in Paradise, the last book of the Bible says: "And [God] will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away."—Revelation 21:3, 4.
The Dead Return
Jesus did more than cure the sick and heal the lame. He also brought back persons from the grave. He thus demonstrated the wonderful power of resurrection that God had given to him. Do you recall the occasion when Jesus came to the house of a man whose daughter had died? Jesus said to the dead girl: "Maiden, I say to you, Get up!" With what result? "Immediately the maiden rose and began walking." On seeing that, the people there "were beside themselves with great ecstasy." They could hardly contain their happiness!—Mark 5:41, 42; see also Luke 7:11-16; John 11:1-45.
In the new world,the dead will be resurrected
In the new world, "there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous." (Acts 24:15) At that time Jesus will use his God-given power to raise the dead because, as he said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He that exercises faith in me, even though he dies, will come to life." (John 11:25) He also said: "All those in the memorial tombs [in God's memory] will hear his [Jesus'] voice and come out."—John 5:28, 29.
Great will be the joy earth wide when group after group of dead persons come back to life to join their loved ones! No longer will there be obituary columns to bring sadness to the survivors. Instead, there may well be just the opposite: announcements of newly resurrected ones to bring joy to those who loved them. So no more funerals, funeral pyres, crematoriums, or cemeteries!
A Truly Peaceful World
True peace in all areas of life will be realized. Wars, promoters of wars, and the manufacturing of weapons will be things of the past. Why? Because divisive national, tribal, and racial interests will disappear. Then, in the fullest sense, "they will not lift up sword, nation against nation, neither will they learn war anymore."—Micah 4:3.
'They will not learn war anymore'
This may seem astonishing in view of man's bloodthirsty history of constant war. But that has come about because mankind has been under human and demon rule. In the new world, under Kingdom rule, this is what will happen: "Come, you people, behold the activities of Jehovah . . . He is making wars to cease to the extremity of the earth. The bow he breaks apart and does cut the spear in pieces; the [war] wagons he burns in the fire."—Psalm 46:8, 9.
Humans and animals will be at total peace in Paradise
Man and beast will also be at peace, as they were in Eden. (Genesis 1:28; 2:19) God says: "For them I shall certainly conclude a covenant in that day in connection with the wild beast of the field and with the flying creature of the heavens and the creeping thing of the ground, and . . . I will make them lie down in security."—Hosea 2:18.
How extensive will that peace be? "The wolf will actually reside for a while with the male lamb, and with the kid the leopard itself will lie down, and the calf and the maned young lion and the well-fed animal all together; and a mere little boy will be leader over them." Never again will the animals be a threat to man or to themselves. Even "the lion will eat straw just like the bull"!—Isaiah 11:6-9; 65:25.
Earth Transformed Into a Paradise
The entire earth will be transformed into a paradise home for mankind. That is why Jesus could promise a man who believed in him: "You will be with me in Paradise." The Bible says: "The wilderness and the waterless region will exult, and the desert plain will be joyful and blossom as the saffron. . . . For in the wilderness waters will have burst out, and torrents in the desert plain."—Luke 23:43; Isaiah 35:1, 6.
Under God's Kingdom, hunger will never again afflict millions. "There will come to be plenty of grain on the earth; on the top of the mountains there will be an overflow." "The tree of the field must give its fruitage, and the land itself will give its yield, and they will actually prove to be on their soil in security."—Psalm 72:16; Ezekiel 34:27.
No more will there be poverty, homeless people, slums, or neighborhoods overrun with crime. "They will certainly build houses and have occupancy; and they will certainly plant vineyards and eat their fruitage. They will not build and someone else have occupancy; they will not plant and someone else do the eating." "They will actually sit, each one under his vine and under his fig tree, and there will be no one making them tremble."—Isaiah 65:21, 22; Micah 4:4.
Humans will be blessed with all these things, and more, in Paradise. Psalm 145:16 says: "You [God] are opening your hand and satisfying the desire of every living thing." No wonder Bible prophecy declares: "The meek ones themselves will possess the earth, and they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace. . . . The righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it."—Psalm 37:11, 29.
Undoing the Past
God's Kingdom rule will undo all the damage done to the human family for the past six thousand years. The joys at that time will far outweigh any suffering that people have experienced. Life will not be disturbed by any bad memories of previous suffering. The upbuilding thoughts and activities that will be the everyday life of people will gradually erase the painful memories.
'God will open his hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing'
The caring God declares: "I am creating new heavens [a new heavenly government over mankind] and a new earth [a righteous human society]; and the former things will not be called to mind, neither will they come up into the heart. But exult, you people, and be joyful forever in what I am creating." "The whole earth has come to rest, has become free of disturbance. People have become cheerful with joyful cries."—Isaiah 14:7; 65:17, 18.
So by means of his Kingdom, God will completely reverse the bad situation that has lasted so long. Throughout eternity he will show his great care for us by showering down blessings that will far more than make up for any hurt that we received in our past. The previous troubles we have experienced will fade to a dim memory then, if we care to remember them at all.
God's Kingdom will more than make up for all the suffering we have endured
That is how God will compensate us for the suffering we may have endured in this world. He knows that it was not our fault that we were born imperfect, for we inherited imperfection from our first parents. It was not our fault that we were born into a satanic world, for if Adam and Eve had been faithful, we would have been born into a paradise instead. So with great compassion God will more than make up for the bad past that was inflicted upon us.
In the new world, mankind will experience the freedom foretold at Romans 8:21, 22: "The creation itself also will be set free from enslavement to corruption and have the glorious freedom of the children of God. For we know that all creation keeps on groaning together and being in pain together until now." People then will see the complete fulfillment of the prayer: "Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth." (Matthew 6:10) The marvelous conditions on the Paradise earth will reflect the conditions in heaven.
AFTER God's cleansing war of Armageddon, what then? Then a glorious new era will begin. The Armageddon survivors, having already proved their loyalty to God's rule, will be ushered into the new world. What a thrilling new period of history that will be as marvelous benefits flow from God to the human family!
Under the direction of God's Kingdom, the survivors will begin to develop a paradise. Their energies will be devoted to unselfish pursuits that will benefit all then living. The earth will begin to be transformed into a beautiful, peaceful, satisfying home for mankind.
Righteousness Replaces Wickedness
All of this will be made possible by the destruction of Satan's world. No more will there be divisive false religions, social systems, or governments. No more will there be satanic propaganda to deceive people; all the agencies producing it will go down with Satan's system. Just think: the entire poisonous atmosphere of Satan's world cleared away! What a relief that will be!
Then the destructive ideas of human rule will be replaced by the upbuilding teaching that comes from God. "All your sons will be persons taught by Jehovah." (Isaiah 54:13) With this wholesome instruction year after year, "the earth will certainly be filled with the knowledge of Jehovah as the waters are covering the very sea." (Isaiah 11:9) People will no more learn what is bad, but "righteousness is what the inhabitants of the productive land will certainly learn." (Isaiah 26:9) Upbuilding thoughts and actions will be the order of the day.—Acts 17:31; Philippians 4:8.
Thus, there will be no more murder, violence, rape, robbery, or any other crime. No one will have to suffer because of the wicked deeds of others. Proverbs 10:30 says: "As for the righteous one, to time indefinite he will not be caused to stagger; but as for the wicked ones, they will not keep residing on the earth."
Perfect Health Restored
In the new world, the elderly will return to the vigor of youth
In the new world, there will be a rolling back of all the evil effects of the original rebellion. For example, Kingdom rule will eliminate sickness and old age. Today, even if you enjoy a measure of good health, the hard reality is that as you grow old, your eyes dim, your teeth decay, your hearing dulls, your skin wrinkles, your internal organs break down, until finally you die.
However, those distressing effects that we inherited from our first parents will soon be a thing of the past. Do you remember what Jesus demonstrated regarding health while he was on earth? The Bible relates: "Great crowds approached him, having along with them people that were lame, maimed, blind, dumb, and many otherwise, and they fairly threw them at his feet, and he cured them; so that the crowd felt amazement as they saw the dumb speaking and the lame walking and the blind seeing."—Matthew 15:30, 31.
What great happiness will come in the new world as all our ills are eliminated! The suffering that results from poor health will never again torment us. "No resident will say: 'I am sick.'" "At that time the eyes of the blind ones will be opened, and the very ears of the deaf ones will be unstopped. At that time the lame one will climb up just as a stag does, and the tongue of the speechless one will cry out in gladness."—Isaiah 33:24; 35:5, 6.
Will it not be thrilling to wake up each morning and realize that you now enjoy vibrant health? Will it not be gratifying for elderly persons to know that they have been restored to the full vigor of youth and will achieve the perfection that Adam and Eve originally enjoyed? The Bible's promise is: "Let his flesh become fresher than in youth; let him return to the days of his youthful vigor." (Job 33:25) What a delight it will be to throw away those eyeglasses, hearing aids, crutches, wheelchairs, and medicines! Hospitals, doctors, and dentists will never again be needed.
All sicknesses and disabilities will be eliminated in the new world
Persons who enjoy such vibrant health will not want to die. And they will not have to, for mankind will no longer be in the grip of inherited imperfection and death. Christ "must rule as king until God has put all enemies under his feet. As the last enemy, death is to be brought to nothing." "The gift God gives is everlasting life."—1 Corinthians 15:25, 26; Romans 6:23; see also Isaiah 25:8.
Summing up the benefits that will flow from the caring God to the human family in Paradise, the last book of the Bible says: "And [God] will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away."—Revelation 21:3, 4.
The Dead Return
Jesus did more than cure the sick and heal the lame. He also brought back persons from the grave. He thus demonstrated the wonderful power of resurrection that God had given to him. Do you recall the occasion when Jesus came to the house of a man whose daughter had died? Jesus said to the dead girl: "Maiden, I say to you, Get up!" With what result? "Immediately the maiden rose and began walking." On seeing that, the people there "were beside themselves with great ecstasy." They could hardly contain their happiness!—Mark 5:41, 42; see also Luke 7:11-16; John 11:1-45.
In the new world,the dead will be resurrected
In the new world, "there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous." (Acts 24:15) At that time Jesus will use his God-given power to raise the dead because, as he said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He that exercises faith in me, even though he dies, will come to life." (John 11:25) He also said: "All those in the memorial tombs [in God's memory] will hear his [Jesus'] voice and come out."—John 5:28, 29.
Great will be the joy earth wide when group after group of dead persons come back to life to join their loved ones! No longer will there be obituary columns to bring sadness to the survivors. Instead, there may well be just the opposite: announcements of newly resurrected ones to bring joy to those who loved them. So no more funerals, funeral pyres, crematoriums, or cemeteries!
A Truly Peaceful World
True peace in all areas of life will be realized. Wars, promoters of wars, and the manufacturing of weapons will be things of the past. Why? Because divisive national, tribal, and racial interests will disappear. Then, in the fullest sense, "they will not lift up sword, nation against nation, neither will they learn war anymore."—Micah 4:3.
'They will not learn war anymore'
This may seem astonishing in view of man's bloodthirsty history of constant war. But that has come about because mankind has been under human and demon rule. In the new world, under Kingdom rule, this is what will happen: "Come, you people, behold the activities of Jehovah . . . He is making wars to cease to the extremity of the earth. The bow he breaks apart and does cut the spear in pieces; the [war] wagons he burns in the fire."—Psalm 46:8, 9.
Humans and animals will be at total peace in Paradise
Man and beast will also be at peace, as they were in Eden. (Genesis 1:28; 2:19) God says: "For them I shall certainly conclude a covenant in that day in connection with the wild beast of the field and with the flying creature of the heavens and the creeping thing of the ground, and . . . I will make them lie down in security."—Hosea 2:18.
How extensive will that peace be? "The wolf will actually reside for a while with the male lamb, and with the kid the leopard itself will lie down, and the calf and the maned young lion and the well-fed animal all together; and a mere little boy will be leader over them." Never again will the animals be a threat to man or to themselves. Even "the lion will eat straw just like the bull"!—Isaiah 11:6-9; 65:25.
Earth Transformed Into a Paradise
The entire earth will be transformed into a paradise home for mankind. That is why Jesus could promise a man who believed in him: "You will be with me in Paradise." The Bible says: "The wilderness and the waterless region will exult, and the desert plain will be joyful and blossom as the saffron. . . . For in the wilderness waters will have burst out, and torrents in the desert plain."—Luke 23:43; Isaiah 35:1, 6.
Under God's Kingdom, hunger will never again afflict millions. "There will come to be plenty of grain on the earth; on the top of the mountains there will be an overflow." "The tree of the field must give its fruitage, and the land itself will give its yield, and they will actually prove to be on their soil in security."—Psalm 72:16; Ezekiel 34:27.
No more will there be poverty, homeless people, slums, or neighborhoods overrun with crime. "They will certainly build houses and have occupancy; and they will certainly plant vineyards and eat their fruitage. They will not build and someone else have occupancy; they will not plant and someone else do the eating." "They will actually sit, each one under his vine and under his fig tree, and there will be no one making them tremble."—Isaiah 65:21, 22; Micah 4:4.
Humans will be blessed with all these things, and more, in Paradise. Psalm 145:16 says: "You [God] are opening your hand and satisfying the desire of every living thing." No wonder Bible prophecy declares: "The meek ones themselves will possess the earth, and they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace. . . . The righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it."—Psalm 37:11, 29.
Undoing the Past
God's Kingdom rule will undo all the damage done to the human family for the past six thousand years. The joys at that time will far outweigh any suffering that people have experienced. Life will not be disturbed by any bad memories of previous suffering. The upbuilding thoughts and activities that will be the everyday life of people will gradually erase the painful memories.
'God will open his hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing'
The caring God declares: "I am creating new heavens [a new heavenly government over mankind] and a new earth [a righteous human society]; and the former things will not be called to mind, neither will they come up into the heart. But exult, you people, and be joyful forever in what I am creating." "The whole earth has come to rest, has become free of disturbance. People have become cheerful with joyful cries."—Isaiah 14:7; 65:17, 18.
So by means of his Kingdom, God will completely reverse the bad situation that has lasted so long. Throughout eternity he will show his great care for us by showering down blessings that will far more than make up for any hurt that we received in our past. The previous troubles we have experienced will fade to a dim memory then, if we care to remember them at all.
God's Kingdom will more than make up for all the suffering we have endured
That is how God will compensate us for the suffering we may have endured in this world. He knows that it was not our fault that we were born imperfect, for we inherited imperfection from our first parents. It was not our fault that we were born into a satanic world, for if Adam and Eve had been faithful, we would have been born into a paradise instead. So with great compassion God will more than make up for the bad past that was inflicted upon us.
In the new world, mankind will experience the freedom foretold at Romans 8:21, 22: "The creation itself also will be set free from enslavement to corruption and have the glorious freedom of the children of God. For we know that all creation keeps on groaning together and being in pain together until now." People then will see the complete fulfillment of the prayer: "Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth." (Matthew 6:10) The marvelous conditions on the Paradise earth will reflect the conditions in heaven.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
What Was the Original Sin? - Jehovah's Witnesses Official Web Site
What Was the Original Sin? - Jehovah's Witnesses Official Web Site: "Related topics: Is the Devil Real? Will Good Triumph Over Evil? "
What Was the Original Sin? - Jehovah's Witnesses Official Web Site
What Was the Original Sin? - Jehovah's Witnesses Official Web Site: "HAVE YOU WONDERED? How do we know that the forbidden fruit was not sexual relations?—Genesis 1:28. What did eating the forbidden fruit imply?—Genesis 3:4, 5. What arrangement has God made to undo the effects of sin?—Matthew 20:28. "
THIS question is far from academic. How so? Because Adam and Eve’s disobedience to God affected all future generations right down to our time. The Bible states: “Through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because they had all sinned.” (Romans 5:12) But how did the simple act of taking and eating fruit from a tree result in such tragic consequences?
When God created Adam and Eve, he settled them in a beautiful garden that was filled with edible vegetation and fruit-bearing trees. Only one tree was out of bounds—“the tree of the knowledge of good and bad.” Being free moral agents, Adam and Eve could choose to obey God or disobey him. Adam was warned, however, that “in the day you eat from [the tree of knowledge] you will positively die.”—Genesis 1:29; 2:17.
A Fitting Restriction
This one restriction caused no hardship; Adam and Eve could eat from all the other trees in the garden. (Genesis 2:16) Moreover, the prohibition attributed nothing improper to the couple, nor did it rob them of dignity. Had God forbidden such vile things as bestiality or murder, some could claim that perfect humans had certain base inclinations that needed to be restrained. Eating, however, was natural and proper.
Was the forbidden fruit sexual relations, as some have held? This view finds no support in Scripture. For one thing, when God made the prohibition, Adam was alone and evidently remained that way for a while. (Genesis 2:23) Second, God told Adam and Eve to “be fruitful and become many and fill the earth.” (Genesis 1:28) Certainly, he would not command them to break his law and then sentence them to death for doing so! (1 John 4:8) Third, Eve partook of the fruit before Adam and later gave some to her husband. (Genesis 3:6) Clearly, the fruit was not sex.
Eve wanted to be like God, deciding for herself what is good and bad
A Grasp at Moral Independence
The tree of knowledge was a literal tree. However, it represented God’s right as Ruler to decide what is good and bad for his human creation. To eat from the tree, therefore, was not just an act of theft—taking that which belonged to God—but also a presumptuous grasp at moral independence, or self-determination. Note that after lyingly telling Eve that if she and her husband ate the fruit, they ‘positively would not die,’ Satan asserted: “For God knows that in the very day of your eating from it your eyes are bound to be opened and you are bound to be like God, knowing good and bad.”—Genesis 3:4, 5.
When they ate the fruit, however, Adam and Eve did not receive godlike enlightenment on good and bad. In fact, Eve said to God: “The serpent—it deceived me.” (Genesis 3:13) Still, she knew of God’s command, even restating it to the serpent, Satan’s mouthpiece. (Revelation 12:9) Hence, her act was one of willful disobedience. (Genesis 3:1-3) Adam, though, was not deceived. (1 Timothy 2:14) Instead of loyally obeying his Creator, he listened to his wife and followed her independent course.—Genesis 3:6, 17.
The forbidden fruit was not sexual relations
By asserting their independence, Adam and Eve irreparably damaged their relationship with Jehovah and inflicted sin’s imprint upon their organism, right to its genetic foundations. True, they lived for hundreds of years, but they began to die “in the day” of their sin, as a branch severed from a tree would. (Genesis 5:5) Moreover, for the first time, they sensed an internal disharmony. They felt naked and tried to hide from God. (Genesis 3:7, 8) They also felt guilt, insecurity, and shame. Their sin produced an upheaval within them, their consciences accusing them of wrongdoing.
To be true to himself and to his holy standards, God justly sentenced Adam and Eve to death and expelled them from the garden of Eden. (Genesis 3:19, 23, 24) Thus, Paradise, happiness, and everlasting life were lost, while sin, suffering, and death resulted. What a tragic development for the human race! However, immediately after sentencing the couple, God promised to undo all the harm resulting from their sin without compromising his own righteous standards.
Jehovah purposed to make it possible for the offspring of Adam and Eve to be freed from sin’s deadly grip. He accomplished this through Jesus Christ. (Genesis 3:15; Matthew 20:28; Galatians 3:16) Through him, God will eliminate sin and all its effects and will make the earth into a global paradise, just as he purposed in the beginning.—Luke 23:43; John 3:16.
When God created Adam and Eve, he settled them in a beautiful garden that was filled with edible vegetation and fruit-bearing trees. Only one tree was out of bounds—“the tree of the knowledge of good and bad.” Being free moral agents, Adam and Eve could choose to obey God or disobey him. Adam was warned, however, that “in the day you eat from [the tree of knowledge] you will positively die.”—Genesis 1:29; 2:17.
A Fitting Restriction
This one restriction caused no hardship; Adam and Eve could eat from all the other trees in the garden. (Genesis 2:16) Moreover, the prohibition attributed nothing improper to the couple, nor did it rob them of dignity. Had God forbidden such vile things as bestiality or murder, some could claim that perfect humans had certain base inclinations that needed to be restrained. Eating, however, was natural and proper.
Was the forbidden fruit sexual relations, as some have held? This view finds no support in Scripture. For one thing, when God made the prohibition, Adam was alone and evidently remained that way for a while. (Genesis 2:23) Second, God told Adam and Eve to “be fruitful and become many and fill the earth.” (Genesis 1:28) Certainly, he would not command them to break his law and then sentence them to death for doing so! (1 John 4:8) Third, Eve partook of the fruit before Adam and later gave some to her husband. (Genesis 3:6) Clearly, the fruit was not sex.
Eve wanted to be like God, deciding for herself what is good and bad
A Grasp at Moral Independence
The tree of knowledge was a literal tree. However, it represented God’s right as Ruler to decide what is good and bad for his human creation. To eat from the tree, therefore, was not just an act of theft—taking that which belonged to God—but also a presumptuous grasp at moral independence, or self-determination. Note that after lyingly telling Eve that if she and her husband ate the fruit, they ‘positively would not die,’ Satan asserted: “For God knows that in the very day of your eating from it your eyes are bound to be opened and you are bound to be like God, knowing good and bad.”—Genesis 3:4, 5.
When they ate the fruit, however, Adam and Eve did not receive godlike enlightenment on good and bad. In fact, Eve said to God: “The serpent—it deceived me.” (Genesis 3:13) Still, she knew of God’s command, even restating it to the serpent, Satan’s mouthpiece. (Revelation 12:9) Hence, her act was one of willful disobedience. (Genesis 3:1-3) Adam, though, was not deceived. (1 Timothy 2:14) Instead of loyally obeying his Creator, he listened to his wife and followed her independent course.—Genesis 3:6, 17.
The forbidden fruit was not sexual relations
By asserting their independence, Adam and Eve irreparably damaged their relationship with Jehovah and inflicted sin’s imprint upon their organism, right to its genetic foundations. True, they lived for hundreds of years, but they began to die “in the day” of their sin, as a branch severed from a tree would. (Genesis 5:5) Moreover, for the first time, they sensed an internal disharmony. They felt naked and tried to hide from God. (Genesis 3:7, 8) They also felt guilt, insecurity, and shame. Their sin produced an upheaval within them, their consciences accusing them of wrongdoing.
To be true to himself and to his holy standards, God justly sentenced Adam and Eve to death and expelled them from the garden of Eden. (Genesis 3:19, 23, 24) Thus, Paradise, happiness, and everlasting life were lost, while sin, suffering, and death resulted. What a tragic development for the human race! However, immediately after sentencing the couple, God promised to undo all the harm resulting from their sin without compromising his own righteous standards.
Jehovah purposed to make it possible for the offspring of Adam and Eve to be freed from sin’s deadly grip. He accomplished this through Jesus Christ. (Genesis 3:15; Matthew 20:28; Galatians 3:16) Through him, God will eliminate sin and all its effects and will make the earth into a global paradise, just as he purposed in the beginning.—Luke 23:43; John 3:16.
Transfusion-Alternative Health Care--Meeting Patient Needs and Rights - Jehovah's Witnesses Official Web Site
Transfusion-Alternative Health Care--Meeting Patient Needs and Rights - Jehovah's Witnesses Official Web Site: " Transfusion-Alternative Strategies&8212;Simple, Safe, Effective No Blood—Medicine Meets the Challenge "
Transfusion-Alternative Health Care--Meeting Patient Needs and Rights - Jehovah's Witnesses Official Web Site
Transfusion-Alternative Health Care--Meeting Patient Needs and Rights - Jehovah's Witnesses Official Web Site: "Transfusion-Alternative Health Care—Meeting Patient Needs and Rights Health-care professionals are interested in new therapies and approaches that can help them to meet each patient's medical needs. They realize, too, that governments and society are giving attention to the patient's ethical views and rights. These trends are the focus of this video. For more information"
Do you struggle with your feelings
In this series:
Do You Struggle With Your Feelings?
The Bible Can Help You Find Joy
Related topics:
Does the Bible Discriminate Against Women?
Hope—Where Can You Find It?
How Can You Find Inner Peace?
FOR much of her life, Lena has struggled with negative feelings about herself. “Years of sexual abuse during my childhood killed a big part of my self-respect,” she said. “I felt that I was completely useless.” Simone too looks back on her youth and says, “Deep within me there was a void and the belief that I wasn’t worth much.” The profound unhappiness that results from such feelings seems to be widespread today. One telephone counseling service for teenagers says that almost half of their callers express “persistent feelings of low self-value.”
According to some experts, feelings of inadequacy emerge when people are made to feel worthless by others. Such a state of mind may develop when one is subjected to constant berating, excessive and harsh criticism, or abusive exploitation. Whatever the reason, the consequences can be debilitating and even destructive. A recent medical study found that individuals with negative feelings about themselves tend to distrust themselves and others, thus unwittingly sabotaging close relationships and friendships. “In a sense,” says the report on the study, “they ‘create’ the very situations they fear most.”
People who feel that way are often victims of what the Bible calls their own “disquieting thoughts.” (Psalm 94:19) They feel that they are never good enough. When something goes wrong, they instinctively blame themselves. Though others may praise them for their achievements, deep down inside they feel like a fraud who will be exposed sooner or later. Believing that they are unworthy of happiness, many fall into self-destructive behavior that they feel powerless to correct. Lena, mentioned earlier, developed a serious eating disorder because of her lack of self-respect, and she admits, “I felt unable to change anything.”
Are those who struggle with such “disquieting thoughts” doomed to feel this way for the rest of their life? Can anything be done to combat such feelings? The Bible sets out principles and practical advice that have helped many to succeed in the struggle. What are some of these principles, and how have they helped sufferers find joy in life?
Do You Struggle With Your Feelings?
The Bible Can Help You Find Joy
Related topics:
Does the Bible Discriminate Against Women?
Hope—Where Can You Find It?
How Can You Find Inner Peace?
FOR much of her life, Lena has struggled with negative feelings about herself. “Years of sexual abuse during my childhood killed a big part of my self-respect,” she said. “I felt that I was completely useless.” Simone too looks back on her youth and says, “Deep within me there was a void and the belief that I wasn’t worth much.” The profound unhappiness that results from such feelings seems to be widespread today. One telephone counseling service for teenagers says that almost half of their callers express “persistent feelings of low self-value.”
According to some experts, feelings of inadequacy emerge when people are made to feel worthless by others. Such a state of mind may develop when one is subjected to constant berating, excessive and harsh criticism, or abusive exploitation. Whatever the reason, the consequences can be debilitating and even destructive. A recent medical study found that individuals with negative feelings about themselves tend to distrust themselves and others, thus unwittingly sabotaging close relationships and friendships. “In a sense,” says the report on the study, “they ‘create’ the very situations they fear most.”
People who feel that way are often victims of what the Bible calls their own “disquieting thoughts.” (Psalm 94:19) They feel that they are never good enough. When something goes wrong, they instinctively blame themselves. Though others may praise them for their achievements, deep down inside they feel like a fraud who will be exposed sooner or later. Believing that they are unworthy of happiness, many fall into self-destructive behavior that they feel powerless to correct. Lena, mentioned earlier, developed a serious eating disorder because of her lack of self-respect, and she admits, “I felt unable to change anything.”
Are those who struggle with such “disquieting thoughts” doomed to feel this way for the rest of their life? Can anything be done to combat such feelings? The Bible sets out principles and practical advice that have helped many to succeed in the struggle. What are some of these principles, and how have they helped sufferers find joy in life?
angels who are they
In this series:
Angels—Who They Are
Angels—How They Affect Us
Related topics:
What Can Angels Do for You?
Will Good Triumph Over Evil?
Do Humans Become Angels When They Die?
THE monarch of a mighty empire cannot believe his eyes. Three men sentenced to a fiery destruction are rescued from the jaws of death! Who has saved them? The king himself says to the three so delivered: “Blessed be [your God], who sent his angel and rescued his servants that trusted in him.” (Daniel 3:28) This Babylonian ruler of over two millenniums ago was an eyewitness to an angelic deliverance. Millions of people in the past believed in angels. Many today not only believe that angels exist but also feel that their own lives in some way are affected by angels. Who are the angels, and what is their origin?
According to the Bible, angels are spirits, just as God himself is a Spirit. (Psalm 104:4; John 4:24) The angelic family is large, numbering into the millions. (Revelation 5:11) And all of them are “mighty in power.” (Psalm 103:20) Though angels are like humans in that they have personality and are given free will, they did not begin their lives as humans. In fact, God created angels long before mankind’s appearance—even before the creation of planet Earth. When God “founded the earth,” says the Bible, “the morning stars [angels] joyfully cried out together, and all the sons of God began shouting in applause.” (Job 38:4, 7) Since the angels are God’s creation, they are called the sons of God.
For what purpose did God create angels? What role, if any, have angels played in human history? Do they affect our life today? Since they are free moral agents, have any of the angels followed the course of Satan the Devil and made themselves God's enemies? The Bible provides truthful answers to these questions.
Angels—Who They Are
Angels—How They Affect Us
Related topics:
What Can Angels Do for You?
Will Good Triumph Over Evil?
Do Humans Become Angels When They Die?
THE monarch of a mighty empire cannot believe his eyes. Three men sentenced to a fiery destruction are rescued from the jaws of death! Who has saved them? The king himself says to the three so delivered: “Blessed be [your God], who sent his angel and rescued his servants that trusted in him.” (Daniel 3:28) This Babylonian ruler of over two millenniums ago was an eyewitness to an angelic deliverance. Millions of people in the past believed in angels. Many today not only believe that angels exist but also feel that their own lives in some way are affected by angels. Who are the angels, and what is their origin?
According to the Bible, angels are spirits, just as God himself is a Spirit. (Psalm 104:4; John 4:24) The angelic family is large, numbering into the millions. (Revelation 5:11) And all of them are “mighty in power.” (Psalm 103:20) Though angels are like humans in that they have personality and are given free will, they did not begin their lives as humans. In fact, God created angels long before mankind’s appearance—even before the creation of planet Earth. When God “founded the earth,” says the Bible, “the morning stars [angels] joyfully cried out together, and all the sons of God began shouting in applause.” (Job 38:4, 7) Since the angels are God’s creation, they are called the sons of God.
For what purpose did God create angels? What role, if any, have angels played in human history? Do they affect our life today? Since they are free moral agents, have any of the angels followed the course of Satan the Devil and made themselves God's enemies? The Bible provides truthful answers to these questions.
Why We Must Know God's Name - Jehovah's Witnesses Official Web Site
Why We Must Know God's Name - Jehovah's Witnesses Official Web Site: "In an article in the Anglican Theological Review (October 1959), Dr. Walter Lowrie highlighted the need to know God's name. He wrote: 'In human relationships it is highly important to know the proper name, the personal name, of one we love, to whom we are speaking, or even about whom we speak. Precisely so it is in man's relation to God. A man who does not know God by name does not really know him as a person, has no speaking acquaintance with him (which is what is meant by prayer), and he cannot love him, if he knows him only as an impersonal force.'"
why must we know God's Name
Why We Must Know God's Name
"EVERYONE who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved." (Romans 10:13) With these words the apostle Paul stressed how vital it is for us to know God's name. His statement brings us back to our original question: Why did Jesus put the 'hallowing,' or 'sanctifying,' of God's name at the very beginning of his Model Prayer, ahead of so many other important matters? To understand this, we need to grasp a little better the meanings of two key words.
First, what does the word 'hallow,' or 'sanctify,' really mean? Literally it means: "to make holy." But is not God's name already holy? Of course it is. When we sanctify God's name, we do not make it more holy than it is. Rather we recognize it as holy, set it apart, hold it in the highest esteem. When we pray for God's name to be sanctified, we are looking forward to the time when all creation will respect it as holy.
'Knowing God's name' means more than merely having head knowledge of the fact that his name is Jehovah
Second, exactly what is the implication of the word "name"? We have seen that God has a name, Jehovah, and that his name appears thousands of times in the Bible. We have discussed, too, the importance of restoring that name to its rightful place in the Bible text. If the name is not there, how can the psalmist's words be fulfilled: "Those knowing your name will trust in you, for you will certainly not leave those looking for you, O Jehovah."—Psalm 9:10.
But does 'knowing God's name' involve merely an intellectual knowledge that God's name in Hebrew is YHWH, or in English, Jehovah? No, it means more than that. When Moses was in Mount Sinai, "Jehovah proceeded to come down in the cloud and station himself with [Moses] there and declare the name of Jehovah." What did this declaring of the name of Jehovah entail? A description of his qualities: "Jehovah, Jehovah, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in loving-kindness and truth." (Exodus 34:5, 6) Again, shortly before his death, Moses said to the Israelites: "I shall declare the name of Jehovah." What followed? Mention of some of His grand attributes, and then a review of what God had accomplished toward Israel for the sake of His name. (Deuteronomy 32:3-43) Hence, knowing God's name means learning what that name represents and worshiping the God who possesses it.
Since Jehovah has linked his name with his qualities, purposes and acts, we can see why the Bible says that God's name is holy. (Leviticus 22:32) It is majestic, great, fear-inspiring and unreachably high. (Psalm 8:1; 99:3; 148:13) Yes, God's name is more than a mere label. It represents him as a person. It was not merely a temporary name to be used for a time and then to be superseded by a title such as "Lord." Jehovah himself said to Moses: "'Jehovah . . .' This is my name to time indefinite, and this is the memorial of me to generation after generation."—Exodus 3:15.
Try as he will, man will never eliminate God's name from the earth. "'From the sun's rising even to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place sacrificial smoke will be made, a presentation will be made to my name, even a clean gift; because my name will be great among the nations,' Jehovah of armies has said."—Malachi 1:11; Exodus 9:16; Ezekiel 36:23.
Hence, the sanctification of God's name is far more important than any other issue. All of God's purposes are linked to his name. Mankind's problems began when Satan first profaned Jehovah's name by calling Him, in effect, a liar and unfit to rule the human race. (Genesis 3:1-6; John 8:44) Only when God's name is properly vindicated will mankind enjoy complete relief from the disastrous effects of Satan's lie. That is why Christians pray so fervently for the sanctification of God's name. But there are things that they can do, also, to sanctify it.
How Can We Sanctify God's Name?
One way is to talk to others about Jehovah and point to his Kingdom by Christ Jesus as mankind's only hope. (Revelation 12:10) Many are doing this, in a modern fulfillment of these words of Isaiah's prophecy: "In that day you will certainly say: 'Give thanks to Jehovah, you people! Call upon his name. Make known among the peoples his dealings. Make mention that his name is put on high. Make melody to Jehovah, for he has done surpassingly. This is made known in all the earth.'"—Isaiah 12:4, 5.
Another way is to obey God's laws and commands. Jehovah told the nation of Israel: "You must keep my commandments and do them. I am Jehovah. And you must not profane my holy name, and I must be sanctified in the midst of the sons of Israel. I am Jehovah who is sanctifying you."—Leviticus 22:31, 32.
How did the Israelites' keeping of Jehovah's Law sanctify his name? The Law was given to the Israelites on the basis of his name. (Exodus 20:2-17) Hence, when they kept the Law, they were showing proper honor and esteem for that name. Furthermore, Jehovah's name was on the Israelites as a nation. (Deuteronomy 28:10; 2 Chronicles 7:14) When they acted properly, this brought praise to him, just as a child who acts in a proper manner brings honor to his father.
In an article in the Anglican Theological Review (October 1959), Dr. Walter Lowrie highlighted the need to know God's name. He wrote: "In human relationships it is highly important to know the proper name, the personal name, of one we love, to whom we are speaking, or even about whom we speak. Precisely so it is in man's relation to God. A man who does not know God by name does not really know him as a person, has no speaking acquaintance with him (which is what is meant by prayer), and he cannot love him, if he knows him only as an impersonal force."
On the other hand, when the Israelites failed to keep God's Law, they profaned his name. Thus, sins such as sacrificing to idols, swearing to a lie, oppressing the poor and committing fornication are described in the Bible as 'profaning God's name.'—Leviticus 18:21; 19:12; Jeremiah 34:16; Ezekiel 43:7.
Similarly, Christians have been given commands in God's name. (John 8:28) And they, too, are associated with 'a people for Jehovah's name.' (Acts 15:14) Hence, a Christian who sincerely prays, "Hallowed be your name" will sanctify that name in his own life by obeying all of God's commands. (1 John 5:3) This would include also obeying the commands given by God's Son, Jesus, who always glorified his Father.—John 13:31, 34; Matthew 24:14; 28:19, 20.
The night before his execution, Jesus highlighted the importance of God's name to Christians. After saying to his Father: "I have made your name known to them and will make it known," he goes on to explain, "in order that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in union with them." (John 17:26) The disciples' learning the name of God involved their personally coming to know the love of God. Jesus had made it possible for them to become acquainted with God as their loving Father.—John 17:3.
How It Affects You
At a first-century meeting of the Christian apostles and older men in Jerusalem, the disciple James said: "Symeon has related thoroughly how God for the first time turned his attention to the nations to take out of them a people for his name." Could you be identified with those whom God takes out to be a "people for his name" if you fail to use or bear that name?—Acts 15:14.
Although many are reluctant to use the name Jehovah, and many Bible translators leave it out of their translations, millions of people around the world have gladly accepted the privilege of bearing God's name, of using it not only in worship but in everyday speech, and of declaring it to others. If somebody spoke to you about the God of the Bible and used the name Jehovah, with which religious group would you associate him? There is but one group in the world that uses God's name regularly in their worship, just as his worshipers of ancient times did. They are Jehovah's Witnesses.
Jehovah's name is 'majestic, great, fear-inspiring and unreachably high.' All of God's purposes are linked to his name
The Bible-based name Jehovah's Witnesses identifies these Christians as a 'people for God's name.' They are proud to bear that name, for it is one that Jehovah God himself gave to true worshipers. At Isaiah 43:10, we read: "'You are my witnesses,' is the utterance of Jehovah, 'even my servant whom I have chosen.'" Who was God discussing here? Consider some of the preceding verses.
In verses 5 to 7 of the same chapter, Isaiah says: "Do not be afraid, for I am with you. From the sunrising I shall bring your seed, and from the sunset I shall collect you together. I shall say to the north, 'Give up!' and to the south, 'Do not keep back. Bring my sons from far off, and my daughters from the extremity of the earth, everyone that is called by my name and that I have created for my own glory, that I have formed, yes, that I have made.'" In our day, those verses refer to God's own people that he has collected from all nations to praise him and to be his witnesses. Thus God's name not only identifies him but also helps to identify his true servants on earth today.
The Blessings From Knowing God's Name
Jehovah protects those who love his name. The psalmist said: "Because on me he has set his affection, I shall also provide him with escape. I shall protect him because he has come to know my name." (Psalm 91:14) He also remembers them: "At that time those in fear of Jehovah spoke with one another, each one with his companion, and Jehovah kept paying attention and listening. And a book of remembrance began to be written up before him for those in fear of Jehovah and for those thinking upon his name."—Malachi 3:16.
Thus, the benefits from knowing and loving God's name are not limited to this life only. To obedient mankind Jehovah has promised everlasting life in happiness on a Paradise earth. David was inspired to write: "Evildoers themselves will be cut off, but those hoping in Jehovah are the ones that will possess the earth. But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth, and they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace."—Psalm 37:9, 11.
How will this be possible? Jesus gave the answer. In the same Model Prayer where he taught us to pray, "Let your name be sanctified," he added: "Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth." (Matthew 6:9, 10) Yes, God's Kingdom in the hands of Jesus Christ will sanctify God's name and also bring good conditions to this earth. It will eliminate wickedness and take away war, crime, famine, sickness and death.—Psalm 46:8, 9; Isaiah 11:9; 25:6; 33:24; Revelation 21:3, 4.
You can enjoy everlasting life under that Kingdom. How? By coming to know God. "This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ." (John 17:3) Jehovah's Witnesses will be delighted to help you take in that life-giving knowledge.—Acts 8:29-31.
It is hoped that the information in this brochure has convinced you that the Creator has a personal name that is very precious to him. It should be very precious to you too. May you realize the importance of knowing and using that name, especially in worship.
And may you be determined to say as the prophet Micah boldly said many centuries ago: "All the peoples, for their part, will walk each one in the name of its god; but we, for our part, shall walk in the name of Jehovah our God to time indefinite, even forever."—Micah 4:5.
"EVERYONE who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved." (Romans 10:13) With these words the apostle Paul stressed how vital it is for us to know God's name. His statement brings us back to our original question: Why did Jesus put the 'hallowing,' or 'sanctifying,' of God's name at the very beginning of his Model Prayer, ahead of so many other important matters? To understand this, we need to grasp a little better the meanings of two key words.
First, what does the word 'hallow,' or 'sanctify,' really mean? Literally it means: "to make holy." But is not God's name already holy? Of course it is. When we sanctify God's name, we do not make it more holy than it is. Rather we recognize it as holy, set it apart, hold it in the highest esteem. When we pray for God's name to be sanctified, we are looking forward to the time when all creation will respect it as holy.
'Knowing God's name' means more than merely having head knowledge of the fact that his name is Jehovah
Second, exactly what is the implication of the word "name"? We have seen that God has a name, Jehovah, and that his name appears thousands of times in the Bible. We have discussed, too, the importance of restoring that name to its rightful place in the Bible text. If the name is not there, how can the psalmist's words be fulfilled: "Those knowing your name will trust in you, for you will certainly not leave those looking for you, O Jehovah."—Psalm 9:10.
But does 'knowing God's name' involve merely an intellectual knowledge that God's name in Hebrew is YHWH, or in English, Jehovah? No, it means more than that. When Moses was in Mount Sinai, "Jehovah proceeded to come down in the cloud and station himself with [Moses] there and declare the name of Jehovah." What did this declaring of the name of Jehovah entail? A description of his qualities: "Jehovah, Jehovah, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in loving-kindness and truth." (Exodus 34:5, 6) Again, shortly before his death, Moses said to the Israelites: "I shall declare the name of Jehovah." What followed? Mention of some of His grand attributes, and then a review of what God had accomplished toward Israel for the sake of His name. (Deuteronomy 32:3-43) Hence, knowing God's name means learning what that name represents and worshiping the God who possesses it.
Since Jehovah has linked his name with his qualities, purposes and acts, we can see why the Bible says that God's name is holy. (Leviticus 22:32) It is majestic, great, fear-inspiring and unreachably high. (Psalm 8:1; 99:3; 148:13) Yes, God's name is more than a mere label. It represents him as a person. It was not merely a temporary name to be used for a time and then to be superseded by a title such as "Lord." Jehovah himself said to Moses: "'Jehovah . . .' This is my name to time indefinite, and this is the memorial of me to generation after generation."—Exodus 3:15.
Try as he will, man will never eliminate God's name from the earth. "'From the sun's rising even to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place sacrificial smoke will be made, a presentation will be made to my name, even a clean gift; because my name will be great among the nations,' Jehovah of armies has said."—Malachi 1:11; Exodus 9:16; Ezekiel 36:23.
Hence, the sanctification of God's name is far more important than any other issue. All of God's purposes are linked to his name. Mankind's problems began when Satan first profaned Jehovah's name by calling Him, in effect, a liar and unfit to rule the human race. (Genesis 3:1-6; John 8:44) Only when God's name is properly vindicated will mankind enjoy complete relief from the disastrous effects of Satan's lie. That is why Christians pray so fervently for the sanctification of God's name. But there are things that they can do, also, to sanctify it.
How Can We Sanctify God's Name?
One way is to talk to others about Jehovah and point to his Kingdom by Christ Jesus as mankind's only hope. (Revelation 12:10) Many are doing this, in a modern fulfillment of these words of Isaiah's prophecy: "In that day you will certainly say: 'Give thanks to Jehovah, you people! Call upon his name. Make known among the peoples his dealings. Make mention that his name is put on high. Make melody to Jehovah, for he has done surpassingly. This is made known in all the earth.'"—Isaiah 12:4, 5.
Another way is to obey God's laws and commands. Jehovah told the nation of Israel: "You must keep my commandments and do them. I am Jehovah. And you must not profane my holy name, and I must be sanctified in the midst of the sons of Israel. I am Jehovah who is sanctifying you."—Leviticus 22:31, 32.
How did the Israelites' keeping of Jehovah's Law sanctify his name? The Law was given to the Israelites on the basis of his name. (Exodus 20:2-17) Hence, when they kept the Law, they were showing proper honor and esteem for that name. Furthermore, Jehovah's name was on the Israelites as a nation. (Deuteronomy 28:10; 2 Chronicles 7:14) When they acted properly, this brought praise to him, just as a child who acts in a proper manner brings honor to his father.
In an article in the Anglican Theological Review (October 1959), Dr. Walter Lowrie highlighted the need to know God's name. He wrote: "In human relationships it is highly important to know the proper name, the personal name, of one we love, to whom we are speaking, or even about whom we speak. Precisely so it is in man's relation to God. A man who does not know God by name does not really know him as a person, has no speaking acquaintance with him (which is what is meant by prayer), and he cannot love him, if he knows him only as an impersonal force."
On the other hand, when the Israelites failed to keep God's Law, they profaned his name. Thus, sins such as sacrificing to idols, swearing to a lie, oppressing the poor and committing fornication are described in the Bible as 'profaning God's name.'—Leviticus 18:21; 19:12; Jeremiah 34:16; Ezekiel 43:7.
Similarly, Christians have been given commands in God's name. (John 8:28) And they, too, are associated with 'a people for Jehovah's name.' (Acts 15:14) Hence, a Christian who sincerely prays, "Hallowed be your name" will sanctify that name in his own life by obeying all of God's commands. (1 John 5:3) This would include also obeying the commands given by God's Son, Jesus, who always glorified his Father.—John 13:31, 34; Matthew 24:14; 28:19, 20.
The night before his execution, Jesus highlighted the importance of God's name to Christians. After saying to his Father: "I have made your name known to them and will make it known," he goes on to explain, "in order that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in union with them." (John 17:26) The disciples' learning the name of God involved their personally coming to know the love of God. Jesus had made it possible for them to become acquainted with God as their loving Father.—John 17:3.
How It Affects You
At a first-century meeting of the Christian apostles and older men in Jerusalem, the disciple James said: "Symeon has related thoroughly how God for the first time turned his attention to the nations to take out of them a people for his name." Could you be identified with those whom God takes out to be a "people for his name" if you fail to use or bear that name?—Acts 15:14.
Although many are reluctant to use the name Jehovah, and many Bible translators leave it out of their translations, millions of people around the world have gladly accepted the privilege of bearing God's name, of using it not only in worship but in everyday speech, and of declaring it to others. If somebody spoke to you about the God of the Bible and used the name Jehovah, with which religious group would you associate him? There is but one group in the world that uses God's name regularly in their worship, just as his worshipers of ancient times did. They are Jehovah's Witnesses.
Jehovah's name is 'majestic, great, fear-inspiring and unreachably high.' All of God's purposes are linked to his name
The Bible-based name Jehovah's Witnesses identifies these Christians as a 'people for God's name.' They are proud to bear that name, for it is one that Jehovah God himself gave to true worshipers. At Isaiah 43:10, we read: "'You are my witnesses,' is the utterance of Jehovah, 'even my servant whom I have chosen.'" Who was God discussing here? Consider some of the preceding verses.
In verses 5 to 7 of the same chapter, Isaiah says: "Do not be afraid, for I am with you. From the sunrising I shall bring your seed, and from the sunset I shall collect you together. I shall say to the north, 'Give up!' and to the south, 'Do not keep back. Bring my sons from far off, and my daughters from the extremity of the earth, everyone that is called by my name and that I have created for my own glory, that I have formed, yes, that I have made.'" In our day, those verses refer to God's own people that he has collected from all nations to praise him and to be his witnesses. Thus God's name not only identifies him but also helps to identify his true servants on earth today.
The Blessings From Knowing God's Name
Jehovah protects those who love his name. The psalmist said: "Because on me he has set his affection, I shall also provide him with escape. I shall protect him because he has come to know my name." (Psalm 91:14) He also remembers them: "At that time those in fear of Jehovah spoke with one another, each one with his companion, and Jehovah kept paying attention and listening. And a book of remembrance began to be written up before him for those in fear of Jehovah and for those thinking upon his name."—Malachi 3:16.
Thus, the benefits from knowing and loving God's name are not limited to this life only. To obedient mankind Jehovah has promised everlasting life in happiness on a Paradise earth. David was inspired to write: "Evildoers themselves will be cut off, but those hoping in Jehovah are the ones that will possess the earth. But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth, and they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace."—Psalm 37:9, 11.
How will this be possible? Jesus gave the answer. In the same Model Prayer where he taught us to pray, "Let your name be sanctified," he added: "Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth." (Matthew 6:9, 10) Yes, God's Kingdom in the hands of Jesus Christ will sanctify God's name and also bring good conditions to this earth. It will eliminate wickedness and take away war, crime, famine, sickness and death.—Psalm 46:8, 9; Isaiah 11:9; 25:6; 33:24; Revelation 21:3, 4.
You can enjoy everlasting life under that Kingdom. How? By coming to know God. "This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ." (John 17:3) Jehovah's Witnesses will be delighted to help you take in that life-giving knowledge.—Acts 8:29-31.
It is hoped that the information in this brochure has convinced you that the Creator has a personal name that is very precious to him. It should be very precious to you too. May you realize the importance of knowing and using that name, especially in worship.
And may you be determined to say as the prophet Micah boldly said many centuries ago: "All the peoples, for their part, will walk each one in the name of its god; but we, for our part, shall walk in the name of Jehovah our God to time indefinite, even forever."—Micah 4:5.
The divine name through the ages
The Divine Name Through the Ages
JEHOVAH God wants man to know and use his name. This is evident from the fact that He revealed His name to the very first two persons on earth. We know that Adam and Eve were familiar with God's name because after Eve gave birth to Cain, according to the original Hebrew text, she said: "I have produced a man with the aid of Jehovah."—Genesis 4:1.
Later we read that faithful men like Enoch and Noah "walked with the true God." (Genesis 5:24; 6:9) They also, then, must have known God's name. The name survived the great Flood with the righteous man Noah and his family. In spite of the great rebellion some time later at Babel, true servants of God kept on using his name. It appears hundreds of times in the laws that God gave to Israel. In the book of Deuteronomy alone, it appears 551 times.
In the days of the judges, the Israelites evidently did not shy away from using God's name. They even used it in greeting one another. We read (in the original Hebrew) of Boaz greeting his harvesters: "Jehovah be with you." They returned his greeting by saying: "Jehovah bless you."—Ruth 2:4.
Throughout the history of the Israelites right up until the time that they returned to Judah after their captivity in Babylon, Jehovah's name continued in common usage. King David, a man agreeable to God's own heart, used the divine name extensively—it appears hundreds of times in the psalms that he wrote. (Acts 13:22) God's name was also incorporated in many Israelite personal names. Thus we read of Adonijah ("My Lord Is Jah"—"Jah" is a shortened form of Jehovah), Isaiah ("Salvation of Jehovah"), Jonathan ("Jehovah Has Given"), Micah ("Who is like Jah?") and Joshua ("Jehovah Is Salvation").
Outside the Bible
There is also evidence from sources outside the Bible of the extensive use of the divine name in ancient times. In 1961 an ancient burial cave was uncovered a short distance to the southwest of Jerusalem, according to a report in the Israel Exploration Journal (Volume 13, No. 2). On its walls were Hebrew inscriptions that appear to date from the second half of the eighth century B.C.E. The inscriptions contain statements such as "Jehovah is the God of the whole earth."
In 1966 a report was published in the Israel Exploration Journal (Volume 16, No. 1) about pottery fragments with Hebrew writing on them that were found in Arad, in southern Israel. These were written in the second half of the seventh century B.C.E. One of them was a private letter to a man named Eliashib. The letter begins: "To my lord Eliashib: May Jehovah ask for your peace." And it ends: "He dwells in the house of Jehovah."
God's name is also found in the Lachish Letters and on the Moabite Stone
In 1975 and 1976, archaeologists working in the Negeb uncovered a collection of Hebrew and Phoenician inscriptions on plaster walls, large storage jars and stone vessels. The inscriptions included the Hebrew word for God, as well as God's name, YHWH, in Hebrew letters. In Jerusalem itself, there was recently discovered a small, rolled-up strip of silver, apparently dating from before the Babylonian exile. Researchers say that when it was unrolled, the name of Jehovah in Hebrew was found to be written on it.—Biblical Archaeology Review, March/April 1983, page 18.
Another example of the use of God's name is found in the so-called Lachish Letters. These letters, written on potsherds, were found between the years 1935 and 1938 in the ruins of Lachish, a fortified city that figured prominently in Israel's history. They appear to have been written by an officer at a Judean outpost to his superior, named Yaosh, at Lachish, apparently during the war between Israel and Babylon toward the end of the seventh century B.C.E.
Of the eight legible shards, seven begin their message with a salutation such as: "May Jehovah cause my lord to see this season in good health!" Altogether, God's name appears 11 times in the seven messages, clearly indicating that the name of Jehovah enjoyed everyday usage toward the end of the seventh century B.C.E.
Even pagan rulers knew and used the divine name when referring to the God of the Israelites. Thus, on the Moabite Stone, King Mesha of Moab boasts of his military exploits against Israel and, among other things, states: "Chemosh said to me, 'Go, take Nebo from Israel!' So I went by night and fought against it from the break of dawn until noon, taking it and slaying all . . . And I took from there the [vessels] of Jehovah, dragging them before Chemosh."
In reference to these non-Biblical uses of the name of God, the Theologisches Wörterbuch zum Alten Testament (Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament), in Volume 3, column 538, says: "Thus some 19 documentary evidences of the Tetragrammaton in the form jhwh testify in this regard to the reliability of the M[asoretic] T[ext]; more can be expected, above all from the Arad-Archives."—Translated from German.
God's Name Not Forgotten
This familiarity with and use of God's name continued right up to the days of Malachi, who lived about 400 years before Jesus' time. In the Bible book bearing his name, Malachi gives great prominence to the divine name, using it altogether 48 times.
As time went on, many Jews came to live far from the land of Israel, and some could no longer read the Bible in the Hebrew language. Hence, in the third century B.C.E., a start was made in translating the part of the Bible that existed then (the "Old Testament") into Greek, the new international language. But the name of God was not neglected. The translators retained it, writing it in its Hebrew form. Ancient copies of the Greek Septuagint that have been preserved to our day testify to that.
What, though, was the situation when Jesus walked the earth? How can we know whether he and his apostles used God's name?
JEHOVAH God wants man to know and use his name. This is evident from the fact that He revealed His name to the very first two persons on earth. We know that Adam and Eve were familiar with God's name because after Eve gave birth to Cain, according to the original Hebrew text, she said: "I have produced a man with the aid of Jehovah."—Genesis 4:1.
Later we read that faithful men like Enoch and Noah "walked with the true God." (Genesis 5:24; 6:9) They also, then, must have known God's name. The name survived the great Flood with the righteous man Noah and his family. In spite of the great rebellion some time later at Babel, true servants of God kept on using his name. It appears hundreds of times in the laws that God gave to Israel. In the book of Deuteronomy alone, it appears 551 times.
In the days of the judges, the Israelites evidently did not shy away from using God's name. They even used it in greeting one another. We read (in the original Hebrew) of Boaz greeting his harvesters: "Jehovah be with you." They returned his greeting by saying: "Jehovah bless you."—Ruth 2:4.
Throughout the history of the Israelites right up until the time that they returned to Judah after their captivity in Babylon, Jehovah's name continued in common usage. King David, a man agreeable to God's own heart, used the divine name extensively—it appears hundreds of times in the psalms that he wrote. (Acts 13:22) God's name was also incorporated in many Israelite personal names. Thus we read of Adonijah ("My Lord Is Jah"—"Jah" is a shortened form of Jehovah), Isaiah ("Salvation of Jehovah"), Jonathan ("Jehovah Has Given"), Micah ("Who is like Jah?") and Joshua ("Jehovah Is Salvation").
Outside the Bible
There is also evidence from sources outside the Bible of the extensive use of the divine name in ancient times. In 1961 an ancient burial cave was uncovered a short distance to the southwest of Jerusalem, according to a report in the Israel Exploration Journal (Volume 13, No. 2). On its walls were Hebrew inscriptions that appear to date from the second half of the eighth century B.C.E. The inscriptions contain statements such as "Jehovah is the God of the whole earth."
In 1966 a report was published in the Israel Exploration Journal (Volume 16, No. 1) about pottery fragments with Hebrew writing on them that were found in Arad, in southern Israel. These were written in the second half of the seventh century B.C.E. One of them was a private letter to a man named Eliashib. The letter begins: "To my lord Eliashib: May Jehovah ask for your peace." And it ends: "He dwells in the house of Jehovah."
God's name is also found in the Lachish Letters and on the Moabite Stone
In 1975 and 1976, archaeologists working in the Negeb uncovered a collection of Hebrew and Phoenician inscriptions on plaster walls, large storage jars and stone vessels. The inscriptions included the Hebrew word for God, as well as God's name, YHWH, in Hebrew letters. In Jerusalem itself, there was recently discovered a small, rolled-up strip of silver, apparently dating from before the Babylonian exile. Researchers say that when it was unrolled, the name of Jehovah in Hebrew was found to be written on it.—Biblical Archaeology Review, March/April 1983, page 18.
Another example of the use of God's name is found in the so-called Lachish Letters. These letters, written on potsherds, were found between the years 1935 and 1938 in the ruins of Lachish, a fortified city that figured prominently in Israel's history. They appear to have been written by an officer at a Judean outpost to his superior, named Yaosh, at Lachish, apparently during the war between Israel and Babylon toward the end of the seventh century B.C.E.
Of the eight legible shards, seven begin their message with a salutation such as: "May Jehovah cause my lord to see this season in good health!" Altogether, God's name appears 11 times in the seven messages, clearly indicating that the name of Jehovah enjoyed everyday usage toward the end of the seventh century B.C.E.
Even pagan rulers knew and used the divine name when referring to the God of the Israelites. Thus, on the Moabite Stone, King Mesha of Moab boasts of his military exploits against Israel and, among other things, states: "Chemosh said to me, 'Go, take Nebo from Israel!' So I went by night and fought against it from the break of dawn until noon, taking it and slaying all . . . And I took from there the [vessels] of Jehovah, dragging them before Chemosh."
In reference to these non-Biblical uses of the name of God, the Theologisches Wörterbuch zum Alten Testament (Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament), in Volume 3, column 538, says: "Thus some 19 documentary evidences of the Tetragrammaton in the form jhwh testify in this regard to the reliability of the M[asoretic] T[ext]; more can be expected, above all from the Arad-Archives."—Translated from German.
God's Name Not Forgotten
This familiarity with and use of God's name continued right up to the days of Malachi, who lived about 400 years before Jesus' time. In the Bible book bearing his name, Malachi gives great prominence to the divine name, using it altogether 48 times.
As time went on, many Jews came to live far from the land of Israel, and some could no longer read the Bible in the Hebrew language. Hence, in the third century B.C.E., a start was made in translating the part of the Bible that existed then (the "Old Testament") into Greek, the new international language. But the name of God was not neglected. The translators retained it, writing it in its Hebrew form. Ancient copies of the Greek Septuagint that have been preserved to our day testify to that.
What, though, was the situation when Jesus walked the earth? How can we know whether he and his apostles used God's name?
God's name 2
Forms of the divine name in different languages, indicating international acceptance of the form Jehovah
Awabakal - YehóaBugotu - JihovaCantonese - YehwowahDanish - JehovaDutch - JehovahEfik - JehovahEnglish - JehovahFijian - JiovaFinnish - JehovaFrench - JéhovahFutuna - IhovaGerman - JehovaHungarian - JehovaIgbo - JehovaItalian - GeovaJapanese - EhobaMaori - IhowaMotu - IehovaMwala-Malu - JihovaNarrinyeri - JehovahNembe - JihovaPetats - JihouvaPolish - JehowaPortuguese - JeováRomanian - IehovaSamoan - IeovaSotho - JehovaSpanish - JehováSwahili - YehovaSwedish - JehovaTahitian - IehovaTagalog - JehovaTongan - JihovaVenda - YehovaXhosa - uYehovaYoruba - JehofahZulu - uJehova
Awabakal - YehóaBugotu - JihovaCantonese - YehwowahDanish - JehovaDutch - JehovahEfik - JehovahEnglish - JehovahFijian - JiovaFinnish - JehovaFrench - JéhovahFutuna - IhovaGerman - JehovaHungarian - JehovaIgbo - JehovaItalian - GeovaJapanese - EhobaMaori - IhowaMotu - IehovaMwala-Malu - JihovaNarrinyeri - JehovahNembe - JihovaPetats - JihouvaPolish - JehowaPortuguese - JeováRomanian - IehovaSamoan - IeovaSotho - JehovaSpanish - JehováSwahili - YehovaSwedish - JehovaTahitian - IehovaTagalog - JehovaTongan - JihovaVenda - YehovaXhosa - uYehovaYoruba - JehofahZulu - uJehova
God's name
God's Name—Its Meaning and Pronunciation
ONE of the Bible writers asked: "Who has gathered the wind in the hollow of both hands? Who has wrapped up the waters in a mantle? Who has made all the ends of the earth to rise? What is his name and what the name of his son, in case you know?" (Proverbs 30:4) How can we find out what God's name is? That is an important question. The creation is a powerful proof that God must exist, but it does not tell us his name. (Romans 1:20) In fact, we could never know God's name unless the Creator himself told us. And he has done that in his own Book, the Holy Bible.
Church in Digne, southern France
Church in La Celle Dunoise, France
Fourvière Catholic Basilica, Lyons, France
On one celebrated occasion, God pronounced his own name, repeating it in the hearing of Moses. Moses wrote an account of that event that has been preserved in the Bible down to our day. (Exodus 34:5) God even wrote his name with his own "finger." When he had given Moses what we today call the Ten Commandments, God miraculously wrote them down. The record says: "Now as soon as [God] had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai he proceeded to give Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone written on by God's finger." (Exodus 31:18) God's name appears eight times in the original Ten Commandments. (Exodus 20:1-17) Thus God himself has revealed his name to man both verbally and in writing. So, what is that name?
In the Hebrew language it is written . These four letters, called the Tetragrammaton, are read from right to left in Hebrew and can be represented in many modern languages as YHWH or JHVH. God's name, represented by these four consonants, appears almost 7,000 times in the original "Old Testament," or Hebrew Scriptures.
The name is a form of a Hebrew verb ha·wah' (), meaning "to become," and actually signifies "He Causes to Become." * Thus, God's name identifies him as the One who progressively fulfills his promises and unfailingly realizes his purposes. Only the true God could bear such a meaningful name.
Do you remember the different ways that God's name appeared in Psalm 83:18, as set out in the previous section? Two of those translations had mere titles ("the LORD," the "Eternal") as substitutes for God's name. But in two of them, Yahweh and Jehovah, you can see the four letters of God's name. However, the pronunciation is different. Why?
How Is God's Name Pronounced?
The truth is, nobody knows for sure how the name of God was originally pronounced. Why not? Well, the first language used in writing the Bible was Hebrew, and when the Hebrew language was written down, the writers wrote only consonants—not vowels. Hence, when the inspired writers wrote God's name, they naturally did the same thing and wrote only the consonants.
While ancient Hebrew was an everyday spoken language, this presented no problem. The pronunciation of the Name was familiar to the Israelites and when they saw it in writing they supplied the vowels without thinking (just as, for an English reader, the abbreviation "Ltd." represents "Limited" and "bldg." represents "building").
Two things happened to change this situation. First, a superstitious idea arose among the Jews that it was wrong to say the divine name out loud; so when they came to it in their Bible reading they uttered the Hebrew word 'Adho·nai' ("Sovereign Lord"). Further, as time went by, the ancient Hebrew language itself ceased to be spoken in everyday conversation, and in this way the original Hebrew pronunciation of God's name was eventually forgotten.
In order to ensure that the pronunciation of the Hebrew language as a whole would not be lost, Jewish scholars of the second half of the first millennium C.E. invented a system of points to represent the missing vowels, and they placed these around the consonants in the Hebrew Bible. Thus, both vowels and consonants were written down, and the pronunciation as it was at that time was preserved.
When it came to God's name, instead of putting the proper vowel signs around it, in most cases they put other vowel signs to remind the reader that he should say 'Adho·nai'. From this came the spelling Iehouah, and, eventually, Jehovah became the accepted pronunciation of the divine name in English. This retains the essential elements of God's name from the Hebrew original.
See: Different scholars have different ideas about . . .
Which Pronunciation Will You Use?
Forms of the divine name in different languages, indicating international acceptance of the form Jehovah
Awabakal - YehóaBugotu - JihovaCantonese - YehwowahDanish - JehovaDutch - JehovahEfik - JehovahEnglish - JehovahFijian - JiovaFinnish - JehovaFrench - JéhovahFutuna - IhovaGerman - JehovaHungarian - JehovaIgbo - JehovaItalian - GeovaJapanese - EhobaMaori - IhowaMotu - IehovaMwala-Malu - JihovaNarrinyeri - JehovahNembe - JihovaPetats - JihouvaPolish - JehowaPortuguese - JeováRomanian - IehovaSamoan - IeovaSotho - JehovaSpanish - JehováSwahili - YehovaSwedish - JehovaTahitian - IehovaTagalog - JehovaTongan - JihovaVenda - YehovaXhosa - uYehovaYoruba - JehofahZulu - uJehova
Return to article
Where, though, did pronunciations like Yahweh come from? These are forms that have been suggested by modern scholars trying to deduce the original pronunciation of God's name. Some—though not all—feel that the Israelites before the time of Jesus probably pronounced God's name Yahweh. But no one can be sure. Perhaps they pronounced it that way, perhaps not.
Nevertheless, many prefer the pronunciation Jehovah. Why? Because it has a currency and familiarity that Yahweh does not have. Would it not, though, be better to use the form that might be closer to the original pronunciation? Not really, for that is not the custom with Bible names.
To take the most prominent example, consider the name of Jesus. Do you know how Jesus' family and friends addressed him in day-to-day conversation while he was growing up in Nazareth? The truth is, no human knows for certain, although it may have been something like Yeshua (or perhaps Yehoshua). It certainly was not Jesus.
However, when the accounts of his life were written in the Greek language, the inspired writers did not try to preserve that original Hebrew pronunciation. Rather, they rendered the name in Greek, I·e·sous'. Today, it is rendered differently according to the language of the reader of the Bible. Spanish Bible readers encounter Jesús (pronounced Hes·soos'). Italians spell it Gesù (pronounced Djay·zoo'). And Germans spell it Jesus (pronounced Yay'soos).
Must we stop using the name of Jesus because most of us, or even all of us, do not really know its original pronunciation? So far, no translator has suggested this. We like to use the name, for it identifies the beloved Son of God, Jesus Christ, who gave his lifeblood for us. Would it be showing honor to Jesus to remove all mention of his name in the Bible and replace it with a mere title like "Teacher," or "Mediator"? Of course not! We can relate to Jesus when we use his name the way it is commonly pronounced in our language.
Similar comments could be made regarding all the names we read in the Bible. We pronounce them in our own language and do not try to imitate the original pronunciation. Thus we say "Jeremiah," not Yir·meya'hu. Similarly we say Isaiah, although in his own day this prophet likely was known as Yeshae·ya'hu. Even scholars who are aware of the original pronunciation of these names use the modern pronunciation, not the ancient, when speaking about them.
And the same is true with the name Jehovah. Even though the modern pronunciation Jehovah might not be exactly the way it was pronounced originally, this in no way detracts from the importance of the name. It identifies the Creator, the living God, the Most High to whom Jesus said: "Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified."—Matthew 6:9.
See: "Jehovah" has become widely known as the name of God . . .
'It Cannot Be Supplanted'
While many translators favor the pronunciation Yahweh, the New World Translation and also a number of other translations continue the use of the form Jehovah because of people's familiarity with it for centuries. Moreover, it preserves, equally with other forms, the four letters of the Tetragrammaton, YHWH or JHVH.#
Earlier, the German professor Gustav Friedrich Oehler made a similar decision for much the same reason. He discussed various pronunciations and concluded: "From this point onward I use the word Jehovah, because, as a matter of fact, this name has now become more naturalized in our vocabulary, and cannot be supplanted."—Theologie des Alten Testaments (Theology of the Old Testament), second edition, published in 1882, page 143.
Similarly, in his Grammaire de l'hébreu biblique (Grammar of Biblical Hebrew), 1923 edition, in a footnote on page 49, Jesuit scholar Paul Joüon states: "In our translations, instead of the (hypothetical) form Yahweh, we have used the form Jéhovah . . . which is the conventional literary form used in French." In many other languages Bible translators use a similar form, as indicated in the box on page 8.
Is it, then, wrong to use a form like Yahweh? Not at all. It is just that the form Jehovah is likely to meet with a quicker response from the reader because it is the form that has been "naturalized" into most languages. The important thing is that we use the name and declare it to others. "Give thanks to Jehovah, you people! Call upon his name. Make known among the peoples his dealings. Make mention that his name is put on high."—Isaiah 12:4.
Let us see how God's servants have acted in harmony with that command through the centuries.
ONE of the Bible writers asked: "Who has gathered the wind in the hollow of both hands? Who has wrapped up the waters in a mantle? Who has made all the ends of the earth to rise? What is his name and what the name of his son, in case you know?" (Proverbs 30:4) How can we find out what God's name is? That is an important question. The creation is a powerful proof that God must exist, but it does not tell us his name. (Romans 1:20) In fact, we could never know God's name unless the Creator himself told us. And he has done that in his own Book, the Holy Bible.
Church in Digne, southern France
Church in La Celle Dunoise, France
Fourvière Catholic Basilica, Lyons, France
On one celebrated occasion, God pronounced his own name, repeating it in the hearing of Moses. Moses wrote an account of that event that has been preserved in the Bible down to our day. (Exodus 34:5) God even wrote his name with his own "finger." When he had given Moses what we today call the Ten Commandments, God miraculously wrote them down. The record says: "Now as soon as [God] had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai he proceeded to give Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone written on by God's finger." (Exodus 31:18) God's name appears eight times in the original Ten Commandments. (Exodus 20:1-17) Thus God himself has revealed his name to man both verbally and in writing. So, what is that name?
In the Hebrew language it is written . These four letters, called the Tetragrammaton, are read from right to left in Hebrew and can be represented in many modern languages as YHWH or JHVH. God's name, represented by these four consonants, appears almost 7,000 times in the original "Old Testament," or Hebrew Scriptures.
The name is a form of a Hebrew verb ha·wah' (), meaning "to become," and actually signifies "He Causes to Become." * Thus, God's name identifies him as the One who progressively fulfills his promises and unfailingly realizes his purposes. Only the true God could bear such a meaningful name.
Do you remember the different ways that God's name appeared in Psalm 83:18, as set out in the previous section? Two of those translations had mere titles ("the LORD," the "Eternal") as substitutes for God's name. But in two of them, Yahweh and Jehovah, you can see the four letters of God's name. However, the pronunciation is different. Why?
How Is God's Name Pronounced?
The truth is, nobody knows for sure how the name of God was originally pronounced. Why not? Well, the first language used in writing the Bible was Hebrew, and when the Hebrew language was written down, the writers wrote only consonants—not vowels. Hence, when the inspired writers wrote God's name, they naturally did the same thing and wrote only the consonants.
While ancient Hebrew was an everyday spoken language, this presented no problem. The pronunciation of the Name was familiar to the Israelites and when they saw it in writing they supplied the vowels without thinking (just as, for an English reader, the abbreviation "Ltd." represents "Limited" and "bldg." represents "building").
Two things happened to change this situation. First, a superstitious idea arose among the Jews that it was wrong to say the divine name out loud; so when they came to it in their Bible reading they uttered the Hebrew word 'Adho·nai' ("Sovereign Lord"). Further, as time went by, the ancient Hebrew language itself ceased to be spoken in everyday conversation, and in this way the original Hebrew pronunciation of God's name was eventually forgotten.
In order to ensure that the pronunciation of the Hebrew language as a whole would not be lost, Jewish scholars of the second half of the first millennium C.E. invented a system of points to represent the missing vowels, and they placed these around the consonants in the Hebrew Bible. Thus, both vowels and consonants were written down, and the pronunciation as it was at that time was preserved.
When it came to God's name, instead of putting the proper vowel signs around it, in most cases they put other vowel signs to remind the reader that he should say 'Adho·nai'. From this came the spelling Iehouah, and, eventually, Jehovah became the accepted pronunciation of the divine name in English. This retains the essential elements of God's name from the Hebrew original.
See: Different scholars have different ideas about . . .
Which Pronunciation Will You Use?
Forms of the divine name in different languages, indicating international acceptance of the form Jehovah
Awabakal - YehóaBugotu - JihovaCantonese - YehwowahDanish - JehovaDutch - JehovahEfik - JehovahEnglish - JehovahFijian - JiovaFinnish - JehovaFrench - JéhovahFutuna - IhovaGerman - JehovaHungarian - JehovaIgbo - JehovaItalian - GeovaJapanese - EhobaMaori - IhowaMotu - IehovaMwala-Malu - JihovaNarrinyeri - JehovahNembe - JihovaPetats - JihouvaPolish - JehowaPortuguese - JeováRomanian - IehovaSamoan - IeovaSotho - JehovaSpanish - JehováSwahili - YehovaSwedish - JehovaTahitian - IehovaTagalog - JehovaTongan - JihovaVenda - YehovaXhosa - uYehovaYoruba - JehofahZulu - uJehova
Return to article
Where, though, did pronunciations like Yahweh come from? These are forms that have been suggested by modern scholars trying to deduce the original pronunciation of God's name. Some—though not all—feel that the Israelites before the time of Jesus probably pronounced God's name Yahweh. But no one can be sure. Perhaps they pronounced it that way, perhaps not.
Nevertheless, many prefer the pronunciation Jehovah. Why? Because it has a currency and familiarity that Yahweh does not have. Would it not, though, be better to use the form that might be closer to the original pronunciation? Not really, for that is not the custom with Bible names.
To take the most prominent example, consider the name of Jesus. Do you know how Jesus' family and friends addressed him in day-to-day conversation while he was growing up in Nazareth? The truth is, no human knows for certain, although it may have been something like Yeshua (or perhaps Yehoshua). It certainly was not Jesus.
However, when the accounts of his life were written in the Greek language, the inspired writers did not try to preserve that original Hebrew pronunciation. Rather, they rendered the name in Greek, I·e·sous'. Today, it is rendered differently according to the language of the reader of the Bible. Spanish Bible readers encounter Jesús (pronounced Hes·soos'). Italians spell it Gesù (pronounced Djay·zoo'). And Germans spell it Jesus (pronounced Yay'soos).
Must we stop using the name of Jesus because most of us, or even all of us, do not really know its original pronunciation? So far, no translator has suggested this. We like to use the name, for it identifies the beloved Son of God, Jesus Christ, who gave his lifeblood for us. Would it be showing honor to Jesus to remove all mention of his name in the Bible and replace it with a mere title like "Teacher," or "Mediator"? Of course not! We can relate to Jesus when we use his name the way it is commonly pronounced in our language.
Similar comments could be made regarding all the names we read in the Bible. We pronounce them in our own language and do not try to imitate the original pronunciation. Thus we say "Jeremiah," not Yir·meya'hu. Similarly we say Isaiah, although in his own day this prophet likely was known as Yeshae·ya'hu. Even scholars who are aware of the original pronunciation of these names use the modern pronunciation, not the ancient, when speaking about them.
And the same is true with the name Jehovah. Even though the modern pronunciation Jehovah might not be exactly the way it was pronounced originally, this in no way detracts from the importance of the name. It identifies the Creator, the living God, the Most High to whom Jesus said: "Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified."—Matthew 6:9.
See: "Jehovah" has become widely known as the name of God . . .
'It Cannot Be Supplanted'
While many translators favor the pronunciation Yahweh, the New World Translation and also a number of other translations continue the use of the form Jehovah because of people's familiarity with it for centuries. Moreover, it preserves, equally with other forms, the four letters of the Tetragrammaton, YHWH or JHVH.#
Earlier, the German professor Gustav Friedrich Oehler made a similar decision for much the same reason. He discussed various pronunciations and concluded: "From this point onward I use the word Jehovah, because, as a matter of fact, this name has now become more naturalized in our vocabulary, and cannot be supplanted."—Theologie des Alten Testaments (Theology of the Old Testament), second edition, published in 1882, page 143.
Similarly, in his Grammaire de l'hébreu biblique (Grammar of Biblical Hebrew), 1923 edition, in a footnote on page 49, Jesuit scholar Paul Joüon states: "In our translations, instead of the (hypothetical) form Yahweh, we have used the form Jéhovah . . . which is the conventional literary form used in French." In many other languages Bible translators use a similar form, as indicated in the box on page 8.
Is it, then, wrong to use a form like Yahweh? Not at all. It is just that the form Jehovah is likely to meet with a quicker response from the reader because it is the form that has been "naturalized" into most languages. The important thing is that we use the name and declare it to others. "Give thanks to Jehovah, you people! Call upon his name. Make known among the peoples his dealings. Make mention that his name is put on high."—Isaiah 12:4.
Let us see how God's servants have acted in harmony with that command through the centuries.
The divine name that will endure forever
The Divine Name That Will Endure Forever
"Hallowed Be Your Name"—What Name?
ARE you a religious person? Then doubtless, like many others, you believe in a Supreme Being. And likely you have great respect for the well-known prayer to that Being, taught by Jesus to his followers and known as the Lord's Prayer, or the Our Father. The prayer begins like this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name."—Matthew 6:9, New International Version.
Have you ever wondered why Jesus put the 'hallowing,' or sanctifying, of God's name first in this prayer? Afterward, he mentioned other things such as the coming of God's Kingdom, God's will being done on earth and our sins being forgiven. The fulfillment of these other requests will ultimately mean lasting peace on earth and everlasting life for mankind. Can you think of anything more important than that? Nevertheless, Jesus told us to pray first of all for the sanctification of God's name.
It was not merely by chance that Jesus taught his followers to put God's name first in their prayers. That name was clearly of crucial importance to him, since he mentioned it repeatedly in his own prayers. On one occasion when he was praying publicly to God, he was heard to say: "Father, glorify your name!" And God himself answered: "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again."—John 12:28, The Jerusalem Bible.
The evening before Jesus died, he was praying to God in the hearing of his disciples, and once again they heard him highlight the importance of God's name. He said: "I have made your name known to the men you took from the world to give me." Later, he repeated: "I have made your name known to them and will continue to make it known."—John 17:6, 26, JB.
Why was God's name so important to Jesus? Why did he show that it is important for us, too, by telling us to pray for its sanctification? To understand this, we need to realize how names were viewed in Bible times.
Names in Bible Times
Jehovah God evidently put in man a desire to name things. The first human had a name, Adam. In the story of creation, one of the first things Adam is reported as doing is naming the animals. When God gave Adam a wife, immediately Adam called her "Woman" (’Ish·shah', in Hebrew). Later, he gave her the name Eve, meaning "Living One," because "she had to become the mother of everyone living." (Genesis 2:19, 23; 3:20) Even today we follow the custom of giving names to people. Indeed, it is hard to imagine how we could manage without names.
In Israelite times, however, names were not mere labels. They meant something. For example, the name of Isaac, "Laughter," recalled the laughter of his aged parents when they first heard that they were to have a child. (Genesis 17:17, 19; 18:12) Esau's name meant "Hairy," describing a physical characteristic. His other name, Edom, "Red," or "Ruddy," was a reminder that he sold his birthright for a dish of red stew. (Genesis 25:25, 30-34; 27:11; 36:1) Jacob, although he was only slightly younger than his twin brother, Esau, bought the birthright from Esau and received the firstborn's blessing from his father. From birth, the meaning of Jacob's name was "Taking Hold of the Heel" or "Supplanter." (Genesis 27:36) Similarly the name of Solomon, during whose reign Israel enjoyed peace and prosperity, meant "Peaceable."—1 Chronicles 22:9.
Angels, people, animals, as well as stars and other inanimate things, have names. Would it be consistent for the Creator of all these things to be nameless?
Thus, The Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Volume 1, page 572) states the following: "A study of the word 'name' in the O[ld] T[estament] reveals how much it means in Hebrew. The name is no mere label, but is significant of the real personality of him to whom it belongs."
The fact that God views names as important is seen in that, through an angel, he instructed the future parents of John the Baptist and Jesus as to what their sons' names should be. (Luke 1:13, 31) And at times he changed names, or he gave people additional names, to show the place they were to have in his purpose. For example, when God foretold that his servant Abram ("Father of Exaltation") would become father to many nations He changed his name to Abraham ("Father of a Multitude"). And he changed the name of Abraham's wife, Sarai ("Contentious"), to Sarah ("Princess"), since she would be the mother of Abraham's seed.—Genesis 17:5, 15, 16; compare Genesis 32:28; 2 Samuel 12:24, 25.
Jesus, too, recognized the importance of names and he referred to Peter's name in giving him a privilege of service. (Matthew 16:16-19) Even spirit creatures have names. Two mentioned in the Bible are Gabriel and Michael. (Luke 1:26; Jude 9) And when man gives names to inanimate things such as stars, planets, towns, mountains and rivers, he is merely imitating his Creator. For example, the Bible tells us that God calls all the stars by name.—Isaiah 40:26.
Yes, names are important in God's eyes, and he put in man the desire to identify people and things by means of names. Thus angels, people, animals, as well as stars and other inanimate things, have names. Would it be consistent for the Creator of all these things to leave himself nameless? Of course not, especially in view of the psalmist's words: "Let all flesh bless [God's] holy name to time indefinite, even forever."—Psalm 145:21.
The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology (Volume 2, page 649) says: "One of the most fundamental and essential features of the biblical revelation is the fact that God is not without a name: he has a personal name, by which he can, and is to be, invoked." Jesus certainly had that name in mind when he taught his followers to pray: "Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified."—Matthew 6:9.
In view of all of this, it is evidently important for us to know what God's name is. Do you know God's personal name?
What Is God's Name?
Surprisingly, the majority of the hundreds of millions of members of the churches of Christendom would probably find it difficult to answer that question. Some would say that God's name is Jesus Christ. Yet Jesus was praying to someone else when he said: "I have made your name manifest to the men you gave me out of the world." (John 17:6) He was praying to God in heaven, as a son speaking to his father. (John 17:1) It was his heavenly Father's name that had to be "hallowed," or "sanctified."
Yet many modern Bibles do not contain the name, and it is rarely used in the churches. Hence, far from being "hallowed," it has been lost to millions of Bible readers. As an example of the way Bible translators have treated God's name, consider just one verse where it appears: Psalm 83:18. Here is how this scripture is rendered in four different Bibles:
"Let them know that thou alone, whose name is the LORD, art the Most High over all the earth." (Revised Standard Version of 1952)
"To teach them that thou, O Eternal, thou art God Most High o'er all the world." (A New Translation of the Bible, by James Moffatt, of 1922)
"Let them know this: you alone bear the name Yahweh, Most High over the whole world." (Catholic Jerusalem Bible of 1966)
"That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth." (Authorized, or King James, Version of 1611)
Why does God's name look so different in these versions? Is his name LORD, the Eternal, Yahweh or Jehovah? Or are these all acceptable?
To answer this, we have to remember that the Bible was not originally written in English. The Bible writers were Hebrews, and they mostly wrote in the Hebrew and Greek languages of their day. Most of us do not speak those ancient languages. But the Bible has been translated into numerous modern tongues, and we can use these translations when we want to read God's Word.
Christians have a deep respect for the Bible and rightly believe that "all Scripture is inspired of God." (2 Timothy 3:16) Hence, translating the Bible is a weighty responsibility. If someone deliberately changes or omits part of the contents of the Bible, he is tampering with the inspired Word. To such a one the Scriptural warning would apply: "If anyone makes an addition to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this scroll; and if anyone takes anything away from the words of the scroll of this prophecy, God will take his portion away from the trees of life."—Revelation 22:18, 19; see also Deuteronomy 4:2.
God's name was clearly of crucial importance to Jesus, since he mentioned it repeatedly in his prayers
Most Bible translators doubtless respect the Bible and sincerely want to make it understandable in this modern age. But translators are not inspired. Most of them have strong opinions, too, on religious matters and may be influenced by personal ideas and preferences. They can also make human errors or mistakes in judgment.
Hence, we have the right to ask some important questions: What is God's real name? And why do different Bible translations have different names for God? Having established the answer to these questions, we can return to our original problem: Why is the sanctification of God's name so important?
"Hallowed Be Your Name"—What Name?
ARE you a religious person? Then doubtless, like many others, you believe in a Supreme Being. And likely you have great respect for the well-known prayer to that Being, taught by Jesus to his followers and known as the Lord's Prayer, or the Our Father. The prayer begins like this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name."—Matthew 6:9, New International Version.
Have you ever wondered why Jesus put the 'hallowing,' or sanctifying, of God's name first in this prayer? Afterward, he mentioned other things such as the coming of God's Kingdom, God's will being done on earth and our sins being forgiven. The fulfillment of these other requests will ultimately mean lasting peace on earth and everlasting life for mankind. Can you think of anything more important than that? Nevertheless, Jesus told us to pray first of all for the sanctification of God's name.
It was not merely by chance that Jesus taught his followers to put God's name first in their prayers. That name was clearly of crucial importance to him, since he mentioned it repeatedly in his own prayers. On one occasion when he was praying publicly to God, he was heard to say: "Father, glorify your name!" And God himself answered: "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again."—John 12:28, The Jerusalem Bible.
The evening before Jesus died, he was praying to God in the hearing of his disciples, and once again they heard him highlight the importance of God's name. He said: "I have made your name known to the men you took from the world to give me." Later, he repeated: "I have made your name known to them and will continue to make it known."—John 17:6, 26, JB.
Why was God's name so important to Jesus? Why did he show that it is important for us, too, by telling us to pray for its sanctification? To understand this, we need to realize how names were viewed in Bible times.
Names in Bible Times
Jehovah God evidently put in man a desire to name things. The first human had a name, Adam. In the story of creation, one of the first things Adam is reported as doing is naming the animals. When God gave Adam a wife, immediately Adam called her "Woman" (’Ish·shah', in Hebrew). Later, he gave her the name Eve, meaning "Living One," because "she had to become the mother of everyone living." (Genesis 2:19, 23; 3:20) Even today we follow the custom of giving names to people. Indeed, it is hard to imagine how we could manage without names.
In Israelite times, however, names were not mere labels. They meant something. For example, the name of Isaac, "Laughter," recalled the laughter of his aged parents when they first heard that they were to have a child. (Genesis 17:17, 19; 18:12) Esau's name meant "Hairy," describing a physical characteristic. His other name, Edom, "Red," or "Ruddy," was a reminder that he sold his birthright for a dish of red stew. (Genesis 25:25, 30-34; 27:11; 36:1) Jacob, although he was only slightly younger than his twin brother, Esau, bought the birthright from Esau and received the firstborn's blessing from his father. From birth, the meaning of Jacob's name was "Taking Hold of the Heel" or "Supplanter." (Genesis 27:36) Similarly the name of Solomon, during whose reign Israel enjoyed peace and prosperity, meant "Peaceable."—1 Chronicles 22:9.
Angels, people, animals, as well as stars and other inanimate things, have names. Would it be consistent for the Creator of all these things to be nameless?
Thus, The Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Volume 1, page 572) states the following: "A study of the word 'name' in the O[ld] T[estament] reveals how much it means in Hebrew. The name is no mere label, but is significant of the real personality of him to whom it belongs."
The fact that God views names as important is seen in that, through an angel, he instructed the future parents of John the Baptist and Jesus as to what their sons' names should be. (Luke 1:13, 31) And at times he changed names, or he gave people additional names, to show the place they were to have in his purpose. For example, when God foretold that his servant Abram ("Father of Exaltation") would become father to many nations He changed his name to Abraham ("Father of a Multitude"). And he changed the name of Abraham's wife, Sarai ("Contentious"), to Sarah ("Princess"), since she would be the mother of Abraham's seed.—Genesis 17:5, 15, 16; compare Genesis 32:28; 2 Samuel 12:24, 25.
Jesus, too, recognized the importance of names and he referred to Peter's name in giving him a privilege of service. (Matthew 16:16-19) Even spirit creatures have names. Two mentioned in the Bible are Gabriel and Michael. (Luke 1:26; Jude 9) And when man gives names to inanimate things such as stars, planets, towns, mountains and rivers, he is merely imitating his Creator. For example, the Bible tells us that God calls all the stars by name.—Isaiah 40:26.
Yes, names are important in God's eyes, and he put in man the desire to identify people and things by means of names. Thus angels, people, animals, as well as stars and other inanimate things, have names. Would it be consistent for the Creator of all these things to leave himself nameless? Of course not, especially in view of the psalmist's words: "Let all flesh bless [God's] holy name to time indefinite, even forever."—Psalm 145:21.
The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology (Volume 2, page 649) says: "One of the most fundamental and essential features of the biblical revelation is the fact that God is not without a name: he has a personal name, by which he can, and is to be, invoked." Jesus certainly had that name in mind when he taught his followers to pray: "Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified."—Matthew 6:9.
In view of all of this, it is evidently important for us to know what God's name is. Do you know God's personal name?
What Is God's Name?
Surprisingly, the majority of the hundreds of millions of members of the churches of Christendom would probably find it difficult to answer that question. Some would say that God's name is Jesus Christ. Yet Jesus was praying to someone else when he said: "I have made your name manifest to the men you gave me out of the world." (John 17:6) He was praying to God in heaven, as a son speaking to his father. (John 17:1) It was his heavenly Father's name that had to be "hallowed," or "sanctified."
Yet many modern Bibles do not contain the name, and it is rarely used in the churches. Hence, far from being "hallowed," it has been lost to millions of Bible readers. As an example of the way Bible translators have treated God's name, consider just one verse where it appears: Psalm 83:18. Here is how this scripture is rendered in four different Bibles:
"Let them know that thou alone, whose name is the LORD, art the Most High over all the earth." (Revised Standard Version of 1952)
"To teach them that thou, O Eternal, thou art God Most High o'er all the world." (A New Translation of the Bible, by James Moffatt, of 1922)
"Let them know this: you alone bear the name Yahweh, Most High over the whole world." (Catholic Jerusalem Bible of 1966)
"That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth." (Authorized, or King James, Version of 1611)
Why does God's name look so different in these versions? Is his name LORD, the Eternal, Yahweh or Jehovah? Or are these all acceptable?
To answer this, we have to remember that the Bible was not originally written in English. The Bible writers were Hebrews, and they mostly wrote in the Hebrew and Greek languages of their day. Most of us do not speak those ancient languages. But the Bible has been translated into numerous modern tongues, and we can use these translations when we want to read God's Word.
Christians have a deep respect for the Bible and rightly believe that "all Scripture is inspired of God." (2 Timothy 3:16) Hence, translating the Bible is a weighty responsibility. If someone deliberately changes or omits part of the contents of the Bible, he is tampering with the inspired Word. To such a one the Scriptural warning would apply: "If anyone makes an addition to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this scroll; and if anyone takes anything away from the words of the scroll of this prophecy, God will take his portion away from the trees of life."—Revelation 22:18, 19; see also Deuteronomy 4:2.
God's name was clearly of crucial importance to Jesus, since he mentioned it repeatedly in his prayers
Most Bible translators doubtless respect the Bible and sincerely want to make it understandable in this modern age. But translators are not inspired. Most of them have strong opinions, too, on religious matters and may be influenced by personal ideas and preferences. They can also make human errors or mistakes in judgment.
Hence, we have the right to ask some important questions: What is God's real name? And why do different Bible translations have different names for God? Having established the answer to these questions, we can return to our original problem: Why is the sanctification of God's name so important?
Sunday, February 11, 2007
LEAH
LEAH
(Le´ah) [possibly related to an Akkadian word meaning "cow," or to an Arabic word meaning "wild cow"].
The older daughter of Laban, the grandnephew of Abraham. Laban was the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s mother, so Leah was Jacob’s cousin. (Ge 22:20-23; 24:24, 29; 29:16) Leah was not as beautiful as her younger sister Rachel; it especially was noted that her eyes lacked luster, or were dull (weak). (Ge 29:17) In the case of Oriental women, bright or lustrous eyes especially are considered to be an evidence of beauty.—Compare Ca 1:15; 4:9; 7:4.
Leah became Jacob’s first wife because, at night, Laban deceived Jacob by giving him Leah as a wife instead of Rachel, whom Jacob loved. Jacob protested his being tricked, but Laban argued that it was not the custom of the place to give the younger daughter in marriage before the firstborn. Leah likely was veiled, in keeping with the ancient Oriental custom of heavily veiling a prospective bride, and this doubtless contributed to the success of the ruse. Jacob had served seven years with Rachel in mind, but for this work he received Leah. Rachel was granted to him after he celebrated a week of seven days with Leah, but Jacob had to work seven more years to pay for Rachel.—Ge 29:18-28.
The account tells us that Leah was "hated." (Ge 29:31, 33) But it also recounts that, after he had finally got Rachel, Jacob "expressed more love for Rachel than for Leah." (Ge 29:30) Undoubtedly Jacob did not hold malicious hatred for Leah but viewed Rachel more lovingly, as his favorite wife. He continued to care for Leah and to have relations with her. Leah’s being "hated," therefore, would merely mean that Jacob loved her less than Rachel.—See HATE.
Leah became the mother of seven of Jacob’s children, his six sons Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun and a daughter, Dinah. (Ge 29:32-35; 30:16-21) Accordingly, Leah is named at Ruth 4:11 along with Rachel as one of those who "built the house of Israel." Leah had the honor of having borne Levi, who became the founder of Israel’s priestly tribe, and Judah, who became the father of the nation’s royal tribe.
Leah and her children accompanied Jacob when he left Paddan-aram and returned to Canaan, the land of his birth. (Ge 31:11-18) Before Jacob met Esau en route, he protectively divided off the children to Leah and to Rachel and their maidservants, putting the maidservants and their children foremost, followed by Leah and her children, with Rachel and Joseph to their rear. (Ge 33:1-7) Leah’s children accompanied Jacob into Egypt, but the Bible account does not say that she did so. (Ge 46:15) The time, place, and circumstances of her death are not furnished, but she may have died in Canaan. Whatever the case, the patriarch had her body taken to the family burial place, the cave in the field of Machpelah. Jacob’s instructions respecting his own remains show that it was his desire to be buried where Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, and Leah had been buried.—Ge 49:29-32.
(Le´ah) [possibly related to an Akkadian word meaning "cow," or to an Arabic word meaning "wild cow"].
The older daughter of Laban, the grandnephew of Abraham. Laban was the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s mother, so Leah was Jacob’s cousin. (Ge 22:20-23; 24:24, 29; 29:16) Leah was not as beautiful as her younger sister Rachel; it especially was noted that her eyes lacked luster, or were dull (weak). (Ge 29:17) In the case of Oriental women, bright or lustrous eyes especially are considered to be an evidence of beauty.—Compare Ca 1:15; 4:9; 7:4.
Leah became Jacob’s first wife because, at night, Laban deceived Jacob by giving him Leah as a wife instead of Rachel, whom Jacob loved. Jacob protested his being tricked, but Laban argued that it was not the custom of the place to give the younger daughter in marriage before the firstborn. Leah likely was veiled, in keeping with the ancient Oriental custom of heavily veiling a prospective bride, and this doubtless contributed to the success of the ruse. Jacob had served seven years with Rachel in mind, but for this work he received Leah. Rachel was granted to him after he celebrated a week of seven days with Leah, but Jacob had to work seven more years to pay for Rachel.—Ge 29:18-28.
The account tells us that Leah was "hated." (Ge 29:31, 33) But it also recounts that, after he had finally got Rachel, Jacob "expressed more love for Rachel than for Leah." (Ge 29:30) Undoubtedly Jacob did not hold malicious hatred for Leah but viewed Rachel more lovingly, as his favorite wife. He continued to care for Leah and to have relations with her. Leah’s being "hated," therefore, would merely mean that Jacob loved her less than Rachel.—See HATE.
Leah became the mother of seven of Jacob’s children, his six sons Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun and a daughter, Dinah. (Ge 29:32-35; 30:16-21) Accordingly, Leah is named at Ruth 4:11 along with Rachel as one of those who "built the house of Israel." Leah had the honor of having borne Levi, who became the founder of Israel’s priestly tribe, and Judah, who became the father of the nation’s royal tribe.
Leah and her children accompanied Jacob when he left Paddan-aram and returned to Canaan, the land of his birth. (Ge 31:11-18) Before Jacob met Esau en route, he protectively divided off the children to Leah and to Rachel and their maidservants, putting the maidservants and their children foremost, followed by Leah and her children, with Rachel and Joseph to their rear. (Ge 33:1-7) Leah’s children accompanied Jacob into Egypt, but the Bible account does not say that she did so. (Ge 46:15) The time, place, and circumstances of her death are not furnished, but she may have died in Canaan. Whatever the case, the patriarch had her body taken to the family burial place, the cave in the field of Machpelah. Jacob’s instructions respecting his own remains show that it was his desire to be buried where Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, and Leah had been buried.—Ge 49:29-32.
BENJAMIN
BENJAMIN
(Ben´ja·min) [Son of the Right Hand].
1. Jacob’s 12th son and the full brother of Joseph. Benjamin appears to be the only son born to Jacob in the land of Canaan, the other sons being born in Paddan-aram. (Ge 29:31–30:25; 31:18) Rachel gave birth to Benjamin, her second son, while on the way from Bethel to Ephrath (Bethlehem), achieving the difficult childbirth at the cost of her life. While dying, she called this son Ben-oni, meaning "Son of My Mourning"; but her bereaved husband thereafter named him Benjamin, meaning "Son of the Right Hand."—Ge 35:16-19; 48:7.
From the time of his birth until after his brother Joseph’s being sold into slavery in Egypt, nothing further is told us about Benjamin. As Jacob’s youngest son by his beloved wife Rachel (Ge 44:20), Benjamin was obviously the object of great affection by his father, particularly so now that Jacob assumed that Joseph was dead. Jacob was therefore extremely reluctant to let Benjamin go with his brothers to Egypt, doing so only after much persuasion. (Ge 42:36-38; 43:8-14) It should be noted that, although Judah at this time referred to Benjamin as a "boy," Benjamin by now was a young man. The record at Genesis 46:8, 21 presents Benjamin as the father of children at the time of Jacob’s taking up residence in Egypt. Nevertheless, he was Jacob’s beloved "child of his old age," upon whom the elderly parent leaned in many more ways than one. (Ge 44:20-22, 29-34) Joseph also manifested deep affection for his younger brother.—Ge 43:29-31, 34.
The genealogy of Benjamin’s descendants is presented in several places, some apparently more complete than others. Genesis 46:21 lists ten persons as "sons of Benjamin," and the absence of the names of several of these in succeeding lists has led some to suggest that certain sons may have died at an early age or may not have fathered sons who produced family lines. There are evidently some variations in spelling of the names in these lists (compare Ehi, Ahiram, Aharah), and some of those listed at Genesis 46:21 may be merely descendants. (Nu 26:38-40; 1Ch 7:6; 8:1) Objections have been raised to the possibility of Benjamin’s having so many sons or even having grandsons by this time, yet it should be kept in mind that the reference to them as among "the souls who came to Jacob into Egypt" does not necessarily require that they had to be born before actual entry into the country. They may have ‘come into Egypt’ by being born there during the 17 years of Jacob’s residence in Egypt prior to his death, even as Joseph’s two sons born there are listed among "the souls of the house of Jacob who came into Egypt." (Ge 46:26, 27) By the time of his father’s death, Benjamin was apparently in his 40’s and hence old enough to have grandchildren.
The parental blessing pronounced upon Benjamin as one of the heads of the 12 tribes of Israel is considered below.—Ge 49:27, 28.
2. The name Benjamin also designates the tribe descended from Jacob’s son. At the time of the Exodus from Egypt, it was next to the smallest (after Manasseh) in male population of all the tribes. (Nu 1:36, 37) In the census taken later on the Plains of Moab, the tribe of Benjamin had moved up to seventh place. (Nu 26:41) When encamped in the wilderness, the tribe occupied a place on the W side of the tabernacle, along with the tribes descended from Joseph’s sons Manasseh and Ephraim, and this three-tribe division occupied third place in the order of march.—Nu 2:18-24.
Within Canaan, the territory assigned to the tribe of Benjamin lay between that of the tribes of Ephraim and Judah, while the territory of Dan bordered it on the W. Its frontier in the N ran from the Jordan River near Jericho, crossed the mountainous terrain by Bethel and continued westward to a point near Lower Beth-horon; proceeding from there, the western frontier ran down to Kiriath-jearim, then, on the S, turned eastward and passed Jerusalem through the Valley of Hinnom, wound down the rugged eastern slopes to the Jordan again at the N end of the Dead Sea, the Jordan River thus forming its eastern boundary. (Jos 18:11-20; compare Judah’s N boundary at Jos 15:5-9 and the S boundary of "the sons of Joseph" at Jos 16:1-3.) From N to S the area measured about 19 km (12 mi) and from E to W about 45 km (28 mi). With the exception of the portion of the Jordan Valley around the Jericho oasis, the territory was hilly and broken, though having some fertile areas on the western slopes. The torrent valleys running westward toward the Philistine plain and eastward toward the Jordan made this section a principal way of approach to the highland region, both for commercial and for military purposes. The warring forces of the Philistines surged up into this area during the early part of Saul’s reign, pillaging the Israelites at will from their encampment at Michmash, a short distance N of Saul’s home in Gibeah, until Jonathan’s exploit at Michmash initiated their rout and flight back down toward the coastal plains.—1Sa 13:16-18; 14:11-16, 23, 31, 46.
Among the prominent cities listed as originally assigned to Benjamin are Jericho, Bethel, Gibeon, Gibeah, and Jerusalem. The conquest of Bethel, however, was effected by the house of Joseph. At a later time Bethel became a prominent city of neighboring Ephraim and a center of idolatrous calf worship. (Jg 1:22; 1Ki 12:28, 29; see BETHEL No. 1.) While Jerusalem was also part of Benjamin’s territory, it lay on the border with Judah; and it was this tribe that initially captured and burned the city. (Jg 1:8) Neither Judah nor Benjamin was successful in driving the Jebusites out of Jerusalem’s citadel however (Jos 15:63; Jg 1:21), and it was only during King David’s reign that complete control was gained and the city made Israel’s capital.—2Sa 5:6-9.
During the period of the Judges, the tribe of Benjamin displayed a spirit of obstinacy in refusing to deliver up the perpetrators of a vile act performed in the city of Gibeah. This led to civil war with the other tribes, who were determined not to let the wrong go unpunished, and it resulted in the near extermination of the tribe of Benjamin. (Jg 19-21) Nevertheless, by the method devised by the other tribes for preserving the tribe, Benjamin recovered and grew from about 600 men to nearly 60,000 warriors by the time of David’s kingship.—1Ch 7:6-12.
The fighting ability of Benjamin’s descendants was pictured in Jacob’s deathbed prophecy in which he said of this beloved son: "Benjamin will keep on tearing like a wolf. In the morning he will eat the animal seized and at evening he will divide spoil." (Ge 49:27) Benjamite fighters were noted for their ability with the sling, slinging stones with either the right hand or the left and hitting the mark "to a hairbreadth." (Jg 20:16; 1Ch 12:2) Left-handed Judge Ehud, the slayer of oppressive King Eglon, was of Benjamin. (Jg 3:15-21) It may also be noted that it was "in the morning" of the kingdom of Israel that the tribe of Benjamin, though one "of the smallest of the tribes," provided Israel’s first king, Saul the son of Kish, who proved to be a fierce fighter against the Philistines. (1Sa 9:15-17, 21) Likewise "at evening" time, as far as the nation of Israel was concerned, the tribe of Benjamin provided Queen Esther and Prime Minister Mordecai, who served to save the Israelites from annihilation under the Persian Empire.—Es 2:5-7.
Though certain men of the Benjamites supported the outlawed David while he was pursued by King Saul (1Ch 12:1-7, 16-18), when Saul died the majority of the tribe gave Saul’s son Ish-bosheth their initial support. (2Sa 2:8-10, 12-16) Thereafter, however, they acknowledged David’s kingship and thenceforth remained loyal to the kingdom of Judah, with rare exceptions. A partisan spirit continued among some, such as Shimei and Sheba, resulting in temporary alienation (2Sa 16:5; 20:1-22); but at the time of the division of the nation, in which the neighboring tribe of Ephraim (descended from Benjamin’s nephew) became the prominent tribe of the northern kingdom, the tribe of Benjamin faithfully adhered to Judah in recognition of Jehovah’s decree.—1Ki 11:31, 32; 12:21; 2Ch 11:1; Ge 49:8-10.
Following the exile in Babylon, the tribes of Benjamin and Judah were most prominent among the restored Israelites in Palestine. (Ezr 4:1; 10:9) Benjamin’s loyal association with Judah and Jerusalem doubtless contributed to its position in Ezekiel’s vision of the division of the land under the promised kingdom, in which vision the tribe of Benjamin is pictured as located right on the southern border of "the holy contribution," while the tribe of Judah is placed on the northern border.—Eze 48:8, 21-23.
Among the loyal followers of Jesus, "the Lion that is of the tribe of Judah," was the apostle Paul, a Benjamite who proved himself a fierce fighter in the spiritual warfare against false doctrine and practice. (Re 5:5; Ro 11:1; Php 3:5) The tribe of Benjamin is rightly represented among the tribes of spiritual Israel.—Re 7:8.
Ancient letters, found at Mari on the Euphrates River and considered to be of the 18th century B.C.E., make mention of a fierce tribe of nomads called Binu-jamina. Regarding this name, The Illustrated Bible Dictionary states that some scholars "have sought here the antecedents of the biblical tribe; but the difference in time and origin makes this very uncertain."—Edited by J. Douglas, 1980, Vol. 1, p. 185.
3. A Benjamite, descendant of Jediael through Bilhan.—1Ch 7:6, 10.
4. One of "the sons of Harim" who sent away their foreign wives in Ezra’s day. (Ezr 10:31, 32, 44) He may be the same as the Benjamin mentioned at Nehemiah 3:23 and 12:34, but this is uncertain.
(Ben´ja·min) [Son of the Right Hand].
1. Jacob’s 12th son and the full brother of Joseph. Benjamin appears to be the only son born to Jacob in the land of Canaan, the other sons being born in Paddan-aram. (Ge 29:31–30:25; 31:18) Rachel gave birth to Benjamin, her second son, while on the way from Bethel to Ephrath (Bethlehem), achieving the difficult childbirth at the cost of her life. While dying, she called this son Ben-oni, meaning "Son of My Mourning"; but her bereaved husband thereafter named him Benjamin, meaning "Son of the Right Hand."—Ge 35:16-19; 48:7.
From the time of his birth until after his brother Joseph’s being sold into slavery in Egypt, nothing further is told us about Benjamin. As Jacob’s youngest son by his beloved wife Rachel (Ge 44:20), Benjamin was obviously the object of great affection by his father, particularly so now that Jacob assumed that Joseph was dead. Jacob was therefore extremely reluctant to let Benjamin go with his brothers to Egypt, doing so only after much persuasion. (Ge 42:36-38; 43:8-14) It should be noted that, although Judah at this time referred to Benjamin as a "boy," Benjamin by now was a young man. The record at Genesis 46:8, 21 presents Benjamin as the father of children at the time of Jacob’s taking up residence in Egypt. Nevertheless, he was Jacob’s beloved "child of his old age," upon whom the elderly parent leaned in many more ways than one. (Ge 44:20-22, 29-34) Joseph also manifested deep affection for his younger brother.—Ge 43:29-31, 34.
The genealogy of Benjamin’s descendants is presented in several places, some apparently more complete than others. Genesis 46:21 lists ten persons as "sons of Benjamin," and the absence of the names of several of these in succeeding lists has led some to suggest that certain sons may have died at an early age or may not have fathered sons who produced family lines. There are evidently some variations in spelling of the names in these lists (compare Ehi, Ahiram, Aharah), and some of those listed at Genesis 46:21 may be merely descendants. (Nu 26:38-40; 1Ch 7:6; 8:1) Objections have been raised to the possibility of Benjamin’s having so many sons or even having grandsons by this time, yet it should be kept in mind that the reference to them as among "the souls who came to Jacob into Egypt" does not necessarily require that they had to be born before actual entry into the country. They may have ‘come into Egypt’ by being born there during the 17 years of Jacob’s residence in Egypt prior to his death, even as Joseph’s two sons born there are listed among "the souls of the house of Jacob who came into Egypt." (Ge 46:26, 27) By the time of his father’s death, Benjamin was apparently in his 40’s and hence old enough to have grandchildren.
The parental blessing pronounced upon Benjamin as one of the heads of the 12 tribes of Israel is considered below.—Ge 49:27, 28.
2. The name Benjamin also designates the tribe descended from Jacob’s son. At the time of the Exodus from Egypt, it was next to the smallest (after Manasseh) in male population of all the tribes. (Nu 1:36, 37) In the census taken later on the Plains of Moab, the tribe of Benjamin had moved up to seventh place. (Nu 26:41) When encamped in the wilderness, the tribe occupied a place on the W side of the tabernacle, along with the tribes descended from Joseph’s sons Manasseh and Ephraim, and this three-tribe division occupied third place in the order of march.—Nu 2:18-24.
Within Canaan, the territory assigned to the tribe of Benjamin lay between that of the tribes of Ephraim and Judah, while the territory of Dan bordered it on the W. Its frontier in the N ran from the Jordan River near Jericho, crossed the mountainous terrain by Bethel and continued westward to a point near Lower Beth-horon; proceeding from there, the western frontier ran down to Kiriath-jearim, then, on the S, turned eastward and passed Jerusalem through the Valley of Hinnom, wound down the rugged eastern slopes to the Jordan again at the N end of the Dead Sea, the Jordan River thus forming its eastern boundary. (Jos 18:11-20; compare Judah’s N boundary at Jos 15:5-9 and the S boundary of "the sons of Joseph" at Jos 16:1-3.) From N to S the area measured about 19 km (12 mi) and from E to W about 45 km (28 mi). With the exception of the portion of the Jordan Valley around the Jericho oasis, the territory was hilly and broken, though having some fertile areas on the western slopes. The torrent valleys running westward toward the Philistine plain and eastward toward the Jordan made this section a principal way of approach to the highland region, both for commercial and for military purposes. The warring forces of the Philistines surged up into this area during the early part of Saul’s reign, pillaging the Israelites at will from their encampment at Michmash, a short distance N of Saul’s home in Gibeah, until Jonathan’s exploit at Michmash initiated their rout and flight back down toward the coastal plains.—1Sa 13:16-18; 14:11-16, 23, 31, 46.
Among the prominent cities listed as originally assigned to Benjamin are Jericho, Bethel, Gibeon, Gibeah, and Jerusalem. The conquest of Bethel, however, was effected by the house of Joseph. At a later time Bethel became a prominent city of neighboring Ephraim and a center of idolatrous calf worship. (Jg 1:22; 1Ki 12:28, 29; see BETHEL No. 1.) While Jerusalem was also part of Benjamin’s territory, it lay on the border with Judah; and it was this tribe that initially captured and burned the city. (Jg 1:8) Neither Judah nor Benjamin was successful in driving the Jebusites out of Jerusalem’s citadel however (Jos 15:63; Jg 1:21), and it was only during King David’s reign that complete control was gained and the city made Israel’s capital.—2Sa 5:6-9.
During the period of the Judges, the tribe of Benjamin displayed a spirit of obstinacy in refusing to deliver up the perpetrators of a vile act performed in the city of Gibeah. This led to civil war with the other tribes, who were determined not to let the wrong go unpunished, and it resulted in the near extermination of the tribe of Benjamin. (Jg 19-21) Nevertheless, by the method devised by the other tribes for preserving the tribe, Benjamin recovered and grew from about 600 men to nearly 60,000 warriors by the time of David’s kingship.—1Ch 7:6-12.
The fighting ability of Benjamin’s descendants was pictured in Jacob’s deathbed prophecy in which he said of this beloved son: "Benjamin will keep on tearing like a wolf. In the morning he will eat the animal seized and at evening he will divide spoil." (Ge 49:27) Benjamite fighters were noted for their ability with the sling, slinging stones with either the right hand or the left and hitting the mark "to a hairbreadth." (Jg 20:16; 1Ch 12:2) Left-handed Judge Ehud, the slayer of oppressive King Eglon, was of Benjamin. (Jg 3:15-21) It may also be noted that it was "in the morning" of the kingdom of Israel that the tribe of Benjamin, though one "of the smallest of the tribes," provided Israel’s first king, Saul the son of Kish, who proved to be a fierce fighter against the Philistines. (1Sa 9:15-17, 21) Likewise "at evening" time, as far as the nation of Israel was concerned, the tribe of Benjamin provided Queen Esther and Prime Minister Mordecai, who served to save the Israelites from annihilation under the Persian Empire.—Es 2:5-7.
Though certain men of the Benjamites supported the outlawed David while he was pursued by King Saul (1Ch 12:1-7, 16-18), when Saul died the majority of the tribe gave Saul’s son Ish-bosheth their initial support. (2Sa 2:8-10, 12-16) Thereafter, however, they acknowledged David’s kingship and thenceforth remained loyal to the kingdom of Judah, with rare exceptions. A partisan spirit continued among some, such as Shimei and Sheba, resulting in temporary alienation (2Sa 16:5; 20:1-22); but at the time of the division of the nation, in which the neighboring tribe of Ephraim (descended from Benjamin’s nephew) became the prominent tribe of the northern kingdom, the tribe of Benjamin faithfully adhered to Judah in recognition of Jehovah’s decree.—1Ki 11:31, 32; 12:21; 2Ch 11:1; Ge 49:8-10.
Following the exile in Babylon, the tribes of Benjamin and Judah were most prominent among the restored Israelites in Palestine. (Ezr 4:1; 10:9) Benjamin’s loyal association with Judah and Jerusalem doubtless contributed to its position in Ezekiel’s vision of the division of the land under the promised kingdom, in which vision the tribe of Benjamin is pictured as located right on the southern border of "the holy contribution," while the tribe of Judah is placed on the northern border.—Eze 48:8, 21-23.
Among the loyal followers of Jesus, "the Lion that is of the tribe of Judah," was the apostle Paul, a Benjamite who proved himself a fierce fighter in the spiritual warfare against false doctrine and practice. (Re 5:5; Ro 11:1; Php 3:5) The tribe of Benjamin is rightly represented among the tribes of spiritual Israel.—Re 7:8.
Ancient letters, found at Mari on the Euphrates River and considered to be of the 18th century B.C.E., make mention of a fierce tribe of nomads called Binu-jamina. Regarding this name, The Illustrated Bible Dictionary states that some scholars "have sought here the antecedents of the biblical tribe; but the difference in time and origin makes this very uncertain."—Edited by J. Douglas, 1980, Vol. 1, p. 185.
3. A Benjamite, descendant of Jediael through Bilhan.—1Ch 7:6, 10.
4. One of "the sons of Harim" who sent away their foreign wives in Ezra’s day. (Ezr 10:31, 32, 44) He may be the same as the Benjamin mentioned at Nehemiah 3:23 and 12:34, but this is uncertain.
JACOB
JACOB
(Ja´cob) [One Seizing the Heel; Supplanter].
1. Son of Isaac and Rebekah, and younger twin brother of Esau. Jacob’s parents had been married for 20 years before the birth of these twins, their only children, in 1858 B.C.E. Isaac at the time was 60 years old. So, as in the case of Abraham, Isaac’s prayers for offspring were answered only after his patience and faith in God’s promises had been fully tested.—Ge 25:20, 21, 26; Ro 9:7-10.
In her pregnancy, Rebekah was distressed by the struggling of the twins within her womb, which, Jehovah explained, were the beginnings of two opposing nations. Furthermore, Jehovah declared that, contrary to custom, the older would serve the younger. Accordingly, the second-born Jacob was holding the heel of Esau at their birth; hence the name Jacob, meaning "One Seizing the Heel." (Ge 25:22-26) Jehovah thus demonstrated his ability to detect the genetic bent of the unborn and to exercise his foreknowledge and right to select beforehand whom he chooses for his purposes; yet he in no way predetermines the final destiny of individuals.—Ro 9:10-12; Ho 12:3.
In contrast to his father’s favorite son Esau, who was a wild, restless, wandering type of huntsman, Jacob is described as "a blameless [Heb., tam] man, dwelling in tents," one who led a quiet pastoral life and was dependable to look after domestic affairs, one who was especially loved by his mother. (Ge 25:27, 28) This Hebrew word tam is used elsewhere to describe those approved of God. For example, "bloodthirsty men hate anyone blameless," yet Jehovah gives assurance that "the future of [the blameless] man will be peaceful." (Pr 29:10; Ps 37:37) The integrity keeper Job "proved to be blameless [Heb., tam] and upright."—Job 1:1, 8; 2:3.
Received Birthright and Blessing. Abraham did not die until his grandson Jacob was 15 years old, in 1843 B.C.E., and so the boy had ample opportunity to hear of God’s oath-bound covenant directly from the lips of his grandfather as well as his father. (Ge 22:15-18) Jacob realized what a privilege it would be to participate in the fulfillment of such divine promises. Finally the opportunity presented itself legally to purchase from his brother the firstborn’s birthright and all that went with it. (De 21:15-17) This opportunity arrived one day when Esau came in from the field exhausted and smelled the tasty stew his brother had cooked. "Quick, please," Esau exclaimed, "give me a swallow of the red—the red there, for I am tired!" Jacob’s reply: "Sell me, first of all, your right as firstborn!" "Esau despised the birthright," and so the sale was quickly made and sealed with a solemn oath. (Ge 25:29-34; Heb 12:16) Reasons enough why Jehovah said, "I loved Jacob, but Esau I hated."—Ro 9:13; Mal 1:2, 3.
Was it proper for Jacob to impersonate Esau?
When Isaac was old and thought that he would soon die, he sent Esau out to hunt some venison, saying: "Let me eat, in order that my soul may bless you before I die." However, Rebekah overheard the conversation and quickly sent Jacob to get two kids of the goats so she could prepare a tasty dish for Isaac, and she said to Jacob: "You must bring it to your father and he must eat it, in order that he may bless you before his death." She even put the skins of the kids on Jacob’s hands and neck to cause Isaac, when feeling Jacob, to conclude that he was Esau. When Jacob took the food in to his father, Isaac asked him: "Who are you, my son?" And Jacob answered: "I am Esau your firstborn." Legally, as Jacob well knew, he was entitled to act in the role of Esau, the firstborn of Isaac. Isaac felt Jacob to see if this was really Esau or not, and he said: "The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau." Nevertheless, matters worked out successfully, and as the account says, "He blessed him." (Ge 27:1-29) Had Rebekah and Jacob done the right thing?
There could be no doubt that Jacob was entitled to the blessing. Before the birth of the twins, Jehovah had said to Rebekah: "The older will serve the younger." (Ge 25:23) Later, in harmony with the inclination that Jehovah had already foreseen and that had caused him to love Jacob more than he did Esau, Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for just a bowl of stew.—Ge 25:29-34.
To what extent Isaac knew of these indications as to who should receive the blessing, the Bible account does not say. Exactly why Rebekah and Jacob handled the matter in the way they did, we do not know, except that both of them knew that the blessing belonged to Jacob. Jacob did not maliciously misrepresent himself in order to get something that did not rightfully belong to him. The Bible does not condemn what Rebekah and Jacob did. The outcome was that Jacob received the rightful blessing. Isaac himself evidently saw that Jehovah’s will had been accomplished. Shortly after this, when sending Jacob off to Haran to get a wife, Isaac further blessed Jacob and specifically said: "God Almighty . . . will give to you the blessing of Abraham." (Ge 28:3, 4; compare Heb 11:20.) So we properly conclude that the outcome of the matter was what Jehovah purposed. The Bible states clearly the lesson that we should draw from this account, warning that we should be careful "that there may be no fornicator nor anyone not appreciating sacred things, like Esau, who in exchange for one meal gave away his rights as firstborn."—Heb 12:16.
Jacob’s Move to Paddan-aram. (MAP, Vol. 1, p. 529) Jacob was 77 years old when he left Beer-sheba for the land of his foreparents, a land where he spent the next 20 years of his life. (Ge 28:10; 31:38) After traveling NNE about 100 km (62 mi) he stopped at Luz (Bethel) in the Judean hills for the night, using a stone for his pillow. There in his dreams he saw a ladder, or flight of stairs, reaching into the heavens, upon which angels were ascending and descending. At the top Jehovah was envisioned, and He now confirmed with Jacob the divine covenant made with Abraham and Isaac.—Ge 28:11-13; 1Ch 16:16, 17.
In this covenant Jehovah promised Jacob that He would watch over and keep him and would not forsake him until the land upon which he was lying had become his and his seed had become like the dust particles of the earth for numbers. Moreover, "by means of you and by means of your seed all the families of the ground will certainly bless themselves." (Ge 28:13-15) When Jacob fully realized the import of the night’s experience he exclaimed: "How fear-inspiring this place is! This is nothing else but the house of God." He therefore changed the name of Luz to Bethel, meaning "House of God," and proceeded to set up a pillar and anoint it as a witness of these momentous events. In grateful response to God’s promise of support, Jacob also vowed that without fail he would give to Jehovah a tenth of all he received.—Ge 28:16-22.
Traveling on, Jacob eventually met his cousin Rachel in the vicinity of Haran and was invited by her father Laban, the brother of Jacob’s mother, to stay with them. Jacob fell in love with Rachel and bargained to work seven years for her father if he would give her to be his wife. The passing years seemed "to be like some few days," so deep was Jacob’s love for Rachel. However, at the wedding Rachel’s older sister Leah was deceitfully substituted, Laban explaining, "It is not customary . . . to give the younger woman before the firstborn." After celebrating this marriage for a week, Laban then gave Rachel also to Jacob as his wife upon the agreement that Jacob would work another seven years in payment for her. Laban also gave Leah and Rachel two maidservants, Zilpah and Bilhah respectively.—Ge 29:1-29; Ho 12:12.
Jehovah began building a great nation out of this marriage arrangement. Leah bore Jacob four sons in succession: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah. Rachel, seeing she continued barren, then gave her slave girl Bilhah to Jacob and, through her, got two sons, Dan and Naphtali. At this time Leah remained barren. So she too gave her slave girl Zilpah to Jacob and got two sons from this union, namely, Gad and Asher. Leah then began bearing children once again, giving birth first to Issachar, then to Zebulun, and then to a daughter named Dinah. Rachel at last became pregnant and gave birth to Joseph. As a consequence, in the comparatively short period of seven years, Jacob was blessed with many children.—Ge 29:30–30:24.
Jacob Made Rich Before Leaving Haran. On completing his 14-year work contract for the acquisition of his wives, Jacob was anxious to return to his homeland. But Laban, seeing how Jehovah had blessed him because of Jacob, insisted that he continue overseeing his flocks; Jacob was even told to stipulate his own wages. In that part of the world the sheep and goats are generally of a solid color, the sheep being white, the goats black. Jacob therefore asked that only the sheep and goats with abnormal colors or markings be given to him—all the sheep dark brown in color and all the goats with any white marks. "Why, that is fine!" was Laban’s reply. And to keep the wages as low as possible, Laban, at Jacob’s suggestion, separated out of the flocks all the striped, speckled, and color-patched goats and the dark-brown young male sheep, which he gave to his own sons to look after, even putting a three-day distance between them, to prevent any interbreeding of the two flocks. Only abnormally colored ones born in the future would be Jacob’s.—Ge 30:25-36.
So here Jacob started off tending only sheep of normal color and goats with no markings. However, he worked hard and did what he thought would increase the number of off-colored animals. He took green sapling staffs of the storax, almond, and plane trees, and peeled the barks of these in such a way as to give them a striped, spotty appearance. These he placed in the gutters of the animals’ drinking troughs, apparently with the idea that if the animals looked at the stripes when in heat there would be a prenatal influence that would make the offspring mottled or abnormal in color. Jacob also took care to place the sticks in the troughs only when the stronger robust animals were in heat.—Ge 30:37-42.
Results? The offspring abnormally marked or colored, and therefore Jacob’s wages, proved to be more numerous than those of normal solid color, which were to be Laban’s. Since the desired results were obtained, Jacob probably thought his stratagem with the striped sticks was responsible. In this he no doubt shared the same misconception commonly held by many people, namely, that such things can have an effect on the offspring. However, in a dream his Creator instructed him otherwise.
In his dream Jacob learned that certain principles of genetics, and not the sticks, were responsible for his success. Whereas Jacob was tending only solid-colored animals, yet the vision revealed that the male goats were striped, speckled, and spotty. How could this be? Apparently they were hybrids even though of uniform color, the result of crossbreeding in Laban’s flock before Jacob began being paid. So certain of these animals carried in their reproductive cells the hereditary factors for spotting and speckling future generations, according to the laws of heredity discovered by Gregor Mendel in the last century.—Ge 31:10-12.
During the six years that Jacob worked under this arrangement, Jehovah greatly blessed and prospered him by increasing not only his flocks but also the number of his servants, camels, and asses, and this in spite of the fact that Laban kept changing the agreed-upon wages. Finally, "the true God of Bethel" instructed Jacob to return to the Promised Land.—Ge 30:43; 31:1-13, 41.
Return to the Promised Land. Fearing that Laban would again attempt to prevent Jacob from leaving his service, Jacob secretly took his wives and children, and all that he owned, crossed the Euphrates River, and headed for Canaan. In contemplating this move, Jacob was probably grazing his flocks close to the Euphrates, as is indicated by Genesis 31:4, 21. At the time, Laban was out shearing his flocks and was not informed of Jacob’s departure until three days after he had left. More time may have elapsed in which the shearing was completed and preparations were made to chase after Jacob with his forces. All together, this would have given Jacob sufficient time to drive his slow-moving flocks all the way down to the mountainous region of Gilead before Laban caught up with him, a distance from Haran of not less than 560 km (350 mi), a distance, however, that could easily have been covered in seven days by Laban and his kinsmen riding camels in hot pursuit.—Ge 31:14-23.
When Laban found the object of his pursuit camped a few kilometers N of the Jabbok, he demanded that Jacob explain: Why had he left without allowing Laban to kiss his children and grandchildren good-bye, and why had he stolen Laban’s gods? (Ge 31:24-30) The answer to the first question was rather obvious—fear that Laban would have prevented him from leaving. As to the second question, Jacob knew nothing of any theft, and a search failed to disclose that Rachel had indeed stolen the family teraphim and hidden them in her camel’s saddle basket.—Ge 31:31-35.
One explanation for Rachel’s actions, and Laban’s concern, is this: "Possession of the household gods marked a person as the legitimate heir, which explains Laban’s anxiety in Gen. 31:26 ff. to recover his household gods from Jacob."—Ancient Near Eastern Texts, edited by J. B. Pritchard, 1974, p. 220, ftn. 51.
Their quarrel peacefully settled, Jacob set up a stone pillar and then heaped up stones, which stood there for many years as a witness to the covenant of peace that these two had concluded with a ceremonial meal. The names given to this heap of stones were Galeed (meaning "Witness Heap") and The Watchtower.—Ge 31:36-55.
Jacob was now anxious to make peace also with his brother Esau, whom he had not seen for more than 20 years. To soften any lingering hatred his brother might still harbor, Jacob sent ahead of him costly gifts for Esau—hundreds of goats and sheep, and many camels, asses, and head of cattle. (Ge 32:3-21) Jacob had fled Canaan with practically nothing; now because of Jehovah’s blessing he was returning a wealthy man.
Why did the angel with whom Jacob wrestled cause Jacob to limp?
During the night that Jacob’s household crossed the Jabbok on the way S to meet Esau, Jacob had the most unusual experience of wrestling with an angel, and because of his perseverance his name was changed to Israel, meaning "Contender (Perseverer) With God; or, God Contends." (Ge 32:22-28) Thereafter both names often appear in Hebrew poetic parallelisms. (Ps 14:7; 22:23; 78:5, 21, 71; 105:10, 23) In this struggle the angel touched the socket of Jacob’s thigh joint, and Jacob limped for the rest of his life—perhaps to teach him humility; a constant reminder not to be overly exalted because of his God-given prosperity or for having grappled with an angel. In commemoration of these momentous events Jacob called the place Peniel or Penuel.—Ge 32:25, 30-32.
After the conclusion of the amiable meeting between Jacob and Esau, these twins, now about 97 years old, each went his separate way, presumably not to meet again until they jointly buried their father Isaac some 23 years later. Esau went S to Seir with his gifts, and Jacob turned N, recrossing the Jabbok.—Ge 33:1-17; 35:29.
Next 33 Years as Alien Resident. After he parted company with Esau, Jacob settled down in Succoth. This was the first place where Jacob stayed for any length of time after returning from Paddan-aram. How long he was here is not stated, but it may have been a number of years, for he built himself a permanent structure in which to live and also booths or covered stalls of some sort for his livestock.—Ge 33:17.
Jacob’s next move was westward across the Jordan to the vicinity of Shechem, where he bought a tract of land from the sons of Hamor for "a hundred pieces of money [Heb., qesi·tah´]." (Ge 33:18-20; Jos 24:32) The value of that ancient money unit, the qesi·tah´, is not known today, but a hundred of them, all together, may have amounted to a considerable sum of weighed-out silver, there being no coins in those days.
It was at Shechem that Jacob’s daughter Dinah began associating with the Canaanite women, and this, in turn, opened the way for Shechem, the son of the chieftain Hamor, to violate her. In the wake of this episode matters soon developed beyond Jacob’s control—his sons killed every male inhabitant of Shechem, took the women and children captive, appropriated all the property and wealth of the community, and made their father Jacob a stench to the inhabitants of the land.—Ge 34:1-31.
Jacob was then divinely directed to leave Shechem and move down to Bethel, which he did. However, before going, he had his household clean themselves up, change their garments, remove all their false gods (probably including Laban’s teraphim) as well as the earrings possibly worn as amulets. These Jacob buried out of sight near Shechem.—Ge 35:1-4.
Bethel, the "House of God," was of special importance to Jacob, for here, perhaps some 30 years before, Jehovah had passed on to him the Abrahamic covenant. Now, after Jacob built an altar to this great God of his forefathers, Jehovah restated the covenant and also confirmed that Jacob’s name had been changed to Israel. Jacob then erected a pillar over which he poured a drink offering and oil in commemoration of these momentous events. It was also while sojourning here at Bethel that his mother’s nurse Deborah died and was buried.—Ge 35:5-15.
Again we do not know how long Jacob lived at Bethel. Upon leaving there and moving southward, and while yet some distance from Bethlehem (Ephrath), birth pains struck Rachel, and in the ordeal of giving birth to her second son, Benjamin, she died. Jacob buried his beloved Rachel there and erected a pillar to mark her grave.—Ge 35:16-20.
This man Israel, now blessed with a full complement of 12 sons from whom the 12 tribes of Israel would spring, traveled on farther south. His next campsite is described as "a distance beyond the tower of Eder," which places it somewhere between Bethlehem and Hebron. It was while residing there that his oldest son Reuben had sexual relations with his father’s concubine Bilhah, the mother of Dan and Naphtali. Reuben may have thought his father Jacob was too old to do anything about it, but Jehovah disapproved, and for his incestuous act Reuben lost the firstborn’s birthright.—Ge 35:21-26; 49:3, 4; De 27:20; 1Ch 5:1.
Perhaps it was prior to his son Joseph’s being sold into Egyptian slavery that Jacob moved his residence down to Hebron, where his aging father Isaac was still living, but the date of this move is not certain.—Ge 35:27.
One day Jacob sent Joseph (now 17 years old) out to see how his brothers were getting along tending their father’s flocks. When he finally located them at Dothan about 100 km (62 mi) N of Hebron, they seized him and sold him to a caravan of traders headed for Egypt. This was in 1750 B.C.E. They then led their father to believe that Joseph had been killed by a wild beast. For many days Jacob sorrowed over the loss, refusing to be comforted, and saying: "I shall go down mourning to my son into Sheol!" (Ge 37:2, 3, 12-36) The death of his father Isaac in 1738 B.C.E. only added to his grief.—Ge 35:28, 29.
The Move to Egypt. About ten years after Isaac’s death an extensive famine forced Jacob to send ten of his sons down to Egypt for cereals. Benjamin remained behind. Pharaoh’s food administrator, Joseph, recognized his brothers and demanded that they bring their younger brother Benjamin back with them to Egypt. (Ge 41:57; 42:1-20) However, when told of the demand, Jacob at first refused to let him go, fearing harm might befall this beloved son of his old age; Benjamin at the time was at least 22 years old. (Ge 42:29-38) Only when the food obtained in Egypt had all been eaten did Jacob finally consent to let Benjamin go.—Ge 43:1-14; Ac 7:12.
With the reconciliation of Joseph and his brothers came the invitation for Jacob and his whole household, together with all their livestock and belongings, to move down to the fertile land of Goshen in Egypt’s delta country, for the great famine was destined to last another five years. Pharaoh even provided wagons and food provisions for their assistance. (Ge 45:9-24) On the way down, Jehovah assured Jacob that this move had his blessing and approval. (Ge 46:1-4) All the souls counted as belonging to Jacob’s household, including Manasseh, Ephraim, and others that may have been born in Egypt before Jacob died, were 70 in number. (Ge 46:5-27; Ex 1:5; De 10:22) This number did not include Leah, who had died in the Promised Land (Ge 49:31), or his unnamed daughters, or the wives of his sons.—Ge 46:26; compare Ge 37:35.
Soon after arriving in Egypt in 1728 B.C.E., Jacob was brought to Pharaoh’s court and there he greeted the king with a blessing. Jacob described himself as an alien resident (the same as Abraham and Isaac, for like them he too had not inherited the God-promised land). Asked about his age, Jacob replied that he was 130 but that, compared with those of his forefathers, his days had been "few and distressing."—Ge 47:7-10.
Shortly before his death, Jacob blessed his grandsons, Joseph’s sons, and, by divine guidance, put the younger Ephraim ahead of the older Manasseh. Then to Joseph, who would receive the firstborn’s double portion of the inheritance, Jacob declared: "I do give you one shoulder of land more than to your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorites by my sword and by my bow." (Ge 48:1-22; 1Ch 5:1) Since Jacob had peaceably purchased the plot of ground near Shechem from the sons of Hamor (Ge 33:19, 20), it seems that this promise to Joseph was an expression of Jacob’s faith, in which he prophetically spoke of the future conquest of Canaan by his descendants as if already accomplished by his own sword and bow. (See AMORITE.) Joseph’s double portion of that conquered land consisted of the two allotments given to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh.
Before he died, Jacob summoned up enough strength to bless his 12 sons individually. (Ge 49:1-28) He showed faith in the outworking of Jehovah’s purposes. (Heb 11:21) Because of his faith and because Jehovah specifically confirmed to him the Abrahamic covenant of blessing, the Scriptures often refer to Jehovah as the God not only of Abraham and Isaac but also of Jacob.—Ex 3:6; 1Ch 29:18; Mt 22:32.
Finally, in 1711 B.C.E., after 17 years of residence in Egypt, Jacob died at the age of 147. (Ge 47:27, 28) Thus that period of history from the birth of Jacob to his death ended, a history that occupies more than half the pages of the book of Genesis. (Chaps 25-50) In accordance with Jacob’s wish to be buried in Canaan, Joseph first had the Egyptian physicians embalm his father’s body in preparation for the trip. A great funeral train, in keeping with the prominence of his son Joseph, then set out from Egypt. When it came into the region of the Jordan, there were seven days of mourning rites, after which Jacob’s sons buried their father in the cave of Machpelah where Abraham and Isaac had been interred.—Ge 49:29-33; 50:1-14.
2. The prophets often used "Jacob" in a figurative sense, with reference to the nation descended from the patriarch. (Isa 9:8; 27:9; Jer 10:25; Eze 39:25; Am 6:8; Mic 1:5; Ro 11:26) Jesus, on one occasion, used the name Jacob figuratively when speaking of those who would be "in the kingdom of the heavens."—Mt 8:11.
3. The father of Joseph who was the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus.—Mt 1:15, 16.
(Ja´cob) [One Seizing the Heel; Supplanter].
1. Son of Isaac and Rebekah, and younger twin brother of Esau. Jacob’s parents had been married for 20 years before the birth of these twins, their only children, in 1858 B.C.E. Isaac at the time was 60 years old. So, as in the case of Abraham, Isaac’s prayers for offspring were answered only after his patience and faith in God’s promises had been fully tested.—Ge 25:20, 21, 26; Ro 9:7-10.
In her pregnancy, Rebekah was distressed by the struggling of the twins within her womb, which, Jehovah explained, were the beginnings of two opposing nations. Furthermore, Jehovah declared that, contrary to custom, the older would serve the younger. Accordingly, the second-born Jacob was holding the heel of Esau at their birth; hence the name Jacob, meaning "One Seizing the Heel." (Ge 25:22-26) Jehovah thus demonstrated his ability to detect the genetic bent of the unborn and to exercise his foreknowledge and right to select beforehand whom he chooses for his purposes; yet he in no way predetermines the final destiny of individuals.—Ro 9:10-12; Ho 12:3.
In contrast to his father’s favorite son Esau, who was a wild, restless, wandering type of huntsman, Jacob is described as "a blameless [Heb., tam] man, dwelling in tents," one who led a quiet pastoral life and was dependable to look after domestic affairs, one who was especially loved by his mother. (Ge 25:27, 28) This Hebrew word tam is used elsewhere to describe those approved of God. For example, "bloodthirsty men hate anyone blameless," yet Jehovah gives assurance that "the future of [the blameless] man will be peaceful." (Pr 29:10; Ps 37:37) The integrity keeper Job "proved to be blameless [Heb., tam] and upright."—Job 1:1, 8; 2:3.
Received Birthright and Blessing. Abraham did not die until his grandson Jacob was 15 years old, in 1843 B.C.E., and so the boy had ample opportunity to hear of God’s oath-bound covenant directly from the lips of his grandfather as well as his father. (Ge 22:15-18) Jacob realized what a privilege it would be to participate in the fulfillment of such divine promises. Finally the opportunity presented itself legally to purchase from his brother the firstborn’s birthright and all that went with it. (De 21:15-17) This opportunity arrived one day when Esau came in from the field exhausted and smelled the tasty stew his brother had cooked. "Quick, please," Esau exclaimed, "give me a swallow of the red—the red there, for I am tired!" Jacob’s reply: "Sell me, first of all, your right as firstborn!" "Esau despised the birthright," and so the sale was quickly made and sealed with a solemn oath. (Ge 25:29-34; Heb 12:16) Reasons enough why Jehovah said, "I loved Jacob, but Esau I hated."—Ro 9:13; Mal 1:2, 3.
Was it proper for Jacob to impersonate Esau?
When Isaac was old and thought that he would soon die, he sent Esau out to hunt some venison, saying: "Let me eat, in order that my soul may bless you before I die." However, Rebekah overheard the conversation and quickly sent Jacob to get two kids of the goats so she could prepare a tasty dish for Isaac, and she said to Jacob: "You must bring it to your father and he must eat it, in order that he may bless you before his death." She even put the skins of the kids on Jacob’s hands and neck to cause Isaac, when feeling Jacob, to conclude that he was Esau. When Jacob took the food in to his father, Isaac asked him: "Who are you, my son?" And Jacob answered: "I am Esau your firstborn." Legally, as Jacob well knew, he was entitled to act in the role of Esau, the firstborn of Isaac. Isaac felt Jacob to see if this was really Esau or not, and he said: "The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau." Nevertheless, matters worked out successfully, and as the account says, "He blessed him." (Ge 27:1-29) Had Rebekah and Jacob done the right thing?
There could be no doubt that Jacob was entitled to the blessing. Before the birth of the twins, Jehovah had said to Rebekah: "The older will serve the younger." (Ge 25:23) Later, in harmony with the inclination that Jehovah had already foreseen and that had caused him to love Jacob more than he did Esau, Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for just a bowl of stew.—Ge 25:29-34.
To what extent Isaac knew of these indications as to who should receive the blessing, the Bible account does not say. Exactly why Rebekah and Jacob handled the matter in the way they did, we do not know, except that both of them knew that the blessing belonged to Jacob. Jacob did not maliciously misrepresent himself in order to get something that did not rightfully belong to him. The Bible does not condemn what Rebekah and Jacob did. The outcome was that Jacob received the rightful blessing. Isaac himself evidently saw that Jehovah’s will had been accomplished. Shortly after this, when sending Jacob off to Haran to get a wife, Isaac further blessed Jacob and specifically said: "God Almighty . . . will give to you the blessing of Abraham." (Ge 28:3, 4; compare Heb 11:20.) So we properly conclude that the outcome of the matter was what Jehovah purposed. The Bible states clearly the lesson that we should draw from this account, warning that we should be careful "that there may be no fornicator nor anyone not appreciating sacred things, like Esau, who in exchange for one meal gave away his rights as firstborn."—Heb 12:16.
Jacob’s Move to Paddan-aram. (MAP, Vol. 1, p. 529) Jacob was 77 years old when he left Beer-sheba for the land of his foreparents, a land where he spent the next 20 years of his life. (Ge 28:10; 31:38) After traveling NNE about 100 km (62 mi) he stopped at Luz (Bethel) in the Judean hills for the night, using a stone for his pillow. There in his dreams he saw a ladder, or flight of stairs, reaching into the heavens, upon which angels were ascending and descending. At the top Jehovah was envisioned, and He now confirmed with Jacob the divine covenant made with Abraham and Isaac.—Ge 28:11-13; 1Ch 16:16, 17.
In this covenant Jehovah promised Jacob that He would watch over and keep him and would not forsake him until the land upon which he was lying had become his and his seed had become like the dust particles of the earth for numbers. Moreover, "by means of you and by means of your seed all the families of the ground will certainly bless themselves." (Ge 28:13-15) When Jacob fully realized the import of the night’s experience he exclaimed: "How fear-inspiring this place is! This is nothing else but the house of God." He therefore changed the name of Luz to Bethel, meaning "House of God," and proceeded to set up a pillar and anoint it as a witness of these momentous events. In grateful response to God’s promise of support, Jacob also vowed that without fail he would give to Jehovah a tenth of all he received.—Ge 28:16-22.
Traveling on, Jacob eventually met his cousin Rachel in the vicinity of Haran and was invited by her father Laban, the brother of Jacob’s mother, to stay with them. Jacob fell in love with Rachel and bargained to work seven years for her father if he would give her to be his wife. The passing years seemed "to be like some few days," so deep was Jacob’s love for Rachel. However, at the wedding Rachel’s older sister Leah was deceitfully substituted, Laban explaining, "It is not customary . . . to give the younger woman before the firstborn." After celebrating this marriage for a week, Laban then gave Rachel also to Jacob as his wife upon the agreement that Jacob would work another seven years in payment for her. Laban also gave Leah and Rachel two maidservants, Zilpah and Bilhah respectively.—Ge 29:1-29; Ho 12:12.
Jehovah began building a great nation out of this marriage arrangement. Leah bore Jacob four sons in succession: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah. Rachel, seeing she continued barren, then gave her slave girl Bilhah to Jacob and, through her, got two sons, Dan and Naphtali. At this time Leah remained barren. So she too gave her slave girl Zilpah to Jacob and got two sons from this union, namely, Gad and Asher. Leah then began bearing children once again, giving birth first to Issachar, then to Zebulun, and then to a daughter named Dinah. Rachel at last became pregnant and gave birth to Joseph. As a consequence, in the comparatively short period of seven years, Jacob was blessed with many children.—Ge 29:30–30:24.
Jacob Made Rich Before Leaving Haran. On completing his 14-year work contract for the acquisition of his wives, Jacob was anxious to return to his homeland. But Laban, seeing how Jehovah had blessed him because of Jacob, insisted that he continue overseeing his flocks; Jacob was even told to stipulate his own wages. In that part of the world the sheep and goats are generally of a solid color, the sheep being white, the goats black. Jacob therefore asked that only the sheep and goats with abnormal colors or markings be given to him—all the sheep dark brown in color and all the goats with any white marks. "Why, that is fine!" was Laban’s reply. And to keep the wages as low as possible, Laban, at Jacob’s suggestion, separated out of the flocks all the striped, speckled, and color-patched goats and the dark-brown young male sheep, which he gave to his own sons to look after, even putting a three-day distance between them, to prevent any interbreeding of the two flocks. Only abnormally colored ones born in the future would be Jacob’s.—Ge 30:25-36.
So here Jacob started off tending only sheep of normal color and goats with no markings. However, he worked hard and did what he thought would increase the number of off-colored animals. He took green sapling staffs of the storax, almond, and plane trees, and peeled the barks of these in such a way as to give them a striped, spotty appearance. These he placed in the gutters of the animals’ drinking troughs, apparently with the idea that if the animals looked at the stripes when in heat there would be a prenatal influence that would make the offspring mottled or abnormal in color. Jacob also took care to place the sticks in the troughs only when the stronger robust animals were in heat.—Ge 30:37-42.
Results? The offspring abnormally marked or colored, and therefore Jacob’s wages, proved to be more numerous than those of normal solid color, which were to be Laban’s. Since the desired results were obtained, Jacob probably thought his stratagem with the striped sticks was responsible. In this he no doubt shared the same misconception commonly held by many people, namely, that such things can have an effect on the offspring. However, in a dream his Creator instructed him otherwise.
In his dream Jacob learned that certain principles of genetics, and not the sticks, were responsible for his success. Whereas Jacob was tending only solid-colored animals, yet the vision revealed that the male goats were striped, speckled, and spotty. How could this be? Apparently they were hybrids even though of uniform color, the result of crossbreeding in Laban’s flock before Jacob began being paid. So certain of these animals carried in their reproductive cells the hereditary factors for spotting and speckling future generations, according to the laws of heredity discovered by Gregor Mendel in the last century.—Ge 31:10-12.
During the six years that Jacob worked under this arrangement, Jehovah greatly blessed and prospered him by increasing not only his flocks but also the number of his servants, camels, and asses, and this in spite of the fact that Laban kept changing the agreed-upon wages. Finally, "the true God of Bethel" instructed Jacob to return to the Promised Land.—Ge 30:43; 31:1-13, 41.
Return to the Promised Land. Fearing that Laban would again attempt to prevent Jacob from leaving his service, Jacob secretly took his wives and children, and all that he owned, crossed the Euphrates River, and headed for Canaan. In contemplating this move, Jacob was probably grazing his flocks close to the Euphrates, as is indicated by Genesis 31:4, 21. At the time, Laban was out shearing his flocks and was not informed of Jacob’s departure until three days after he had left. More time may have elapsed in which the shearing was completed and preparations were made to chase after Jacob with his forces. All together, this would have given Jacob sufficient time to drive his slow-moving flocks all the way down to the mountainous region of Gilead before Laban caught up with him, a distance from Haran of not less than 560 km (350 mi), a distance, however, that could easily have been covered in seven days by Laban and his kinsmen riding camels in hot pursuit.—Ge 31:14-23.
When Laban found the object of his pursuit camped a few kilometers N of the Jabbok, he demanded that Jacob explain: Why had he left without allowing Laban to kiss his children and grandchildren good-bye, and why had he stolen Laban’s gods? (Ge 31:24-30) The answer to the first question was rather obvious—fear that Laban would have prevented him from leaving. As to the second question, Jacob knew nothing of any theft, and a search failed to disclose that Rachel had indeed stolen the family teraphim and hidden them in her camel’s saddle basket.—Ge 31:31-35.
One explanation for Rachel’s actions, and Laban’s concern, is this: "Possession of the household gods marked a person as the legitimate heir, which explains Laban’s anxiety in Gen. 31:26 ff. to recover his household gods from Jacob."—Ancient Near Eastern Texts, edited by J. B. Pritchard, 1974, p. 220, ftn. 51.
Their quarrel peacefully settled, Jacob set up a stone pillar and then heaped up stones, which stood there for many years as a witness to the covenant of peace that these two had concluded with a ceremonial meal. The names given to this heap of stones were Galeed (meaning "Witness Heap") and The Watchtower.—Ge 31:36-55.
Jacob was now anxious to make peace also with his brother Esau, whom he had not seen for more than 20 years. To soften any lingering hatred his brother might still harbor, Jacob sent ahead of him costly gifts for Esau—hundreds of goats and sheep, and many camels, asses, and head of cattle. (Ge 32:3-21) Jacob had fled Canaan with practically nothing; now because of Jehovah’s blessing he was returning a wealthy man.
Why did the angel with whom Jacob wrestled cause Jacob to limp?
During the night that Jacob’s household crossed the Jabbok on the way S to meet Esau, Jacob had the most unusual experience of wrestling with an angel, and because of his perseverance his name was changed to Israel, meaning "Contender (Perseverer) With God; or, God Contends." (Ge 32:22-28) Thereafter both names often appear in Hebrew poetic parallelisms. (Ps 14:7; 22:23; 78:5, 21, 71; 105:10, 23) In this struggle the angel touched the socket of Jacob’s thigh joint, and Jacob limped for the rest of his life—perhaps to teach him humility; a constant reminder not to be overly exalted because of his God-given prosperity or for having grappled with an angel. In commemoration of these momentous events Jacob called the place Peniel or Penuel.—Ge 32:25, 30-32.
After the conclusion of the amiable meeting between Jacob and Esau, these twins, now about 97 years old, each went his separate way, presumably not to meet again until they jointly buried their father Isaac some 23 years later. Esau went S to Seir with his gifts, and Jacob turned N, recrossing the Jabbok.—Ge 33:1-17; 35:29.
Next 33 Years as Alien Resident. After he parted company with Esau, Jacob settled down in Succoth. This was the first place where Jacob stayed for any length of time after returning from Paddan-aram. How long he was here is not stated, but it may have been a number of years, for he built himself a permanent structure in which to live and also booths or covered stalls of some sort for his livestock.—Ge 33:17.
Jacob’s next move was westward across the Jordan to the vicinity of Shechem, where he bought a tract of land from the sons of Hamor for "a hundred pieces of money [Heb., qesi·tah´]." (Ge 33:18-20; Jos 24:32) The value of that ancient money unit, the qesi·tah´, is not known today, but a hundred of them, all together, may have amounted to a considerable sum of weighed-out silver, there being no coins in those days.
It was at Shechem that Jacob’s daughter Dinah began associating with the Canaanite women, and this, in turn, opened the way for Shechem, the son of the chieftain Hamor, to violate her. In the wake of this episode matters soon developed beyond Jacob’s control—his sons killed every male inhabitant of Shechem, took the women and children captive, appropriated all the property and wealth of the community, and made their father Jacob a stench to the inhabitants of the land.—Ge 34:1-31.
Jacob was then divinely directed to leave Shechem and move down to Bethel, which he did. However, before going, he had his household clean themselves up, change their garments, remove all their false gods (probably including Laban’s teraphim) as well as the earrings possibly worn as amulets. These Jacob buried out of sight near Shechem.—Ge 35:1-4.
Bethel, the "House of God," was of special importance to Jacob, for here, perhaps some 30 years before, Jehovah had passed on to him the Abrahamic covenant. Now, after Jacob built an altar to this great God of his forefathers, Jehovah restated the covenant and also confirmed that Jacob’s name had been changed to Israel. Jacob then erected a pillar over which he poured a drink offering and oil in commemoration of these momentous events. It was also while sojourning here at Bethel that his mother’s nurse Deborah died and was buried.—Ge 35:5-15.
Again we do not know how long Jacob lived at Bethel. Upon leaving there and moving southward, and while yet some distance from Bethlehem (Ephrath), birth pains struck Rachel, and in the ordeal of giving birth to her second son, Benjamin, she died. Jacob buried his beloved Rachel there and erected a pillar to mark her grave.—Ge 35:16-20.
This man Israel, now blessed with a full complement of 12 sons from whom the 12 tribes of Israel would spring, traveled on farther south. His next campsite is described as "a distance beyond the tower of Eder," which places it somewhere between Bethlehem and Hebron. It was while residing there that his oldest son Reuben had sexual relations with his father’s concubine Bilhah, the mother of Dan and Naphtali. Reuben may have thought his father Jacob was too old to do anything about it, but Jehovah disapproved, and for his incestuous act Reuben lost the firstborn’s birthright.—Ge 35:21-26; 49:3, 4; De 27:20; 1Ch 5:1.
Perhaps it was prior to his son Joseph’s being sold into Egyptian slavery that Jacob moved his residence down to Hebron, where his aging father Isaac was still living, but the date of this move is not certain.—Ge 35:27.
One day Jacob sent Joseph (now 17 years old) out to see how his brothers were getting along tending their father’s flocks. When he finally located them at Dothan about 100 km (62 mi) N of Hebron, they seized him and sold him to a caravan of traders headed for Egypt. This was in 1750 B.C.E. They then led their father to believe that Joseph had been killed by a wild beast. For many days Jacob sorrowed over the loss, refusing to be comforted, and saying: "I shall go down mourning to my son into Sheol!" (Ge 37:2, 3, 12-36) The death of his father Isaac in 1738 B.C.E. only added to his grief.—Ge 35:28, 29.
The Move to Egypt. About ten years after Isaac’s death an extensive famine forced Jacob to send ten of his sons down to Egypt for cereals. Benjamin remained behind. Pharaoh’s food administrator, Joseph, recognized his brothers and demanded that they bring their younger brother Benjamin back with them to Egypt. (Ge 41:57; 42:1-20) However, when told of the demand, Jacob at first refused to let him go, fearing harm might befall this beloved son of his old age; Benjamin at the time was at least 22 years old. (Ge 42:29-38) Only when the food obtained in Egypt had all been eaten did Jacob finally consent to let Benjamin go.—Ge 43:1-14; Ac 7:12.
With the reconciliation of Joseph and his brothers came the invitation for Jacob and his whole household, together with all their livestock and belongings, to move down to the fertile land of Goshen in Egypt’s delta country, for the great famine was destined to last another five years. Pharaoh even provided wagons and food provisions for their assistance. (Ge 45:9-24) On the way down, Jehovah assured Jacob that this move had his blessing and approval. (Ge 46:1-4) All the souls counted as belonging to Jacob’s household, including Manasseh, Ephraim, and others that may have been born in Egypt before Jacob died, were 70 in number. (Ge 46:5-27; Ex 1:5; De 10:22) This number did not include Leah, who had died in the Promised Land (Ge 49:31), or his unnamed daughters, or the wives of his sons.—Ge 46:26; compare Ge 37:35.
Soon after arriving in Egypt in 1728 B.C.E., Jacob was brought to Pharaoh’s court and there he greeted the king with a blessing. Jacob described himself as an alien resident (the same as Abraham and Isaac, for like them he too had not inherited the God-promised land). Asked about his age, Jacob replied that he was 130 but that, compared with those of his forefathers, his days had been "few and distressing."—Ge 47:7-10.
Shortly before his death, Jacob blessed his grandsons, Joseph’s sons, and, by divine guidance, put the younger Ephraim ahead of the older Manasseh. Then to Joseph, who would receive the firstborn’s double portion of the inheritance, Jacob declared: "I do give you one shoulder of land more than to your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorites by my sword and by my bow." (Ge 48:1-22; 1Ch 5:1) Since Jacob had peaceably purchased the plot of ground near Shechem from the sons of Hamor (Ge 33:19, 20), it seems that this promise to Joseph was an expression of Jacob’s faith, in which he prophetically spoke of the future conquest of Canaan by his descendants as if already accomplished by his own sword and bow. (See AMORITE.) Joseph’s double portion of that conquered land consisted of the two allotments given to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh.
Before he died, Jacob summoned up enough strength to bless his 12 sons individually. (Ge 49:1-28) He showed faith in the outworking of Jehovah’s purposes. (Heb 11:21) Because of his faith and because Jehovah specifically confirmed to him the Abrahamic covenant of blessing, the Scriptures often refer to Jehovah as the God not only of Abraham and Isaac but also of Jacob.—Ex 3:6; 1Ch 29:18; Mt 22:32.
Finally, in 1711 B.C.E., after 17 years of residence in Egypt, Jacob died at the age of 147. (Ge 47:27, 28) Thus that period of history from the birth of Jacob to his death ended, a history that occupies more than half the pages of the book of Genesis. (Chaps 25-50) In accordance with Jacob’s wish to be buried in Canaan, Joseph first had the Egyptian physicians embalm his father’s body in preparation for the trip. A great funeral train, in keeping with the prominence of his son Joseph, then set out from Egypt. When it came into the region of the Jordan, there were seven days of mourning rites, after which Jacob’s sons buried their father in the cave of Machpelah where Abraham and Isaac had been interred.—Ge 49:29-33; 50:1-14.
2. The prophets often used "Jacob" in a figurative sense, with reference to the nation descended from the patriarch. (Isa 9:8; 27:9; Jer 10:25; Eze 39:25; Am 6:8; Mic 1:5; Ro 11:26) Jesus, on one occasion, used the name Jacob figuratively when speaking of those who would be "in the kingdom of the heavens."—Mt 8:11.
3. The father of Joseph who was the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus.—Mt 1:15, 16.
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