Pronouncing & Translating the Divine Name יהוה: History & Practice by Andrew Case

Why do most English Bibles print LORD in small capitals where the Hebrew has יהוה? How did the personal name God gave himself come to be avoided, and what should translators do with it now?

Andrew Case traces the long history of that avoidance — the shift from speaking the name to suppressing it, the New Testament's use of "Lord," the practice of the early church and late antiquity, and the way different languages and versions have handled יהוה ever since. Alongside the history he takes up the practical questions: what can be recovered about pronunciation, how the taboo took hold, and what faithfulness looks like for translators today.

The argument throughout is that God intends his name to be spoken and remembered. Written for Christians and Bible translators who want to understand the competing positions rather than inherit a convention unexamined.

Published by Betheden Ministries. Also available in Spanish.