In die Skriflig / In Luce Verbi ISSN: (Online) 2305-0853, (Print) 1018-6441 Page 1 of 7 Original Research into the Yoruba יהוה Translating the Hebrew Name language of Nigeria in the Yoruba Bible Author: Scholars are not unanimous about the correct pronunciation of the tetragrammaton, YHWH. 1 David T. Adamo The exact origin and meaning of the name have also been a subject of debate among scholars. Affiliation: Since translation is also interpretation, no one can give a correct translation of any word 1Department of Old without knowing the actual meaning. While the Septuagint (LXX) translates the Hebrew word into Kurios, an English translation (New Revised Standard Version – NRSV) translates it יהוה Testament and New into the Yoruba language in the Yoruba Bible is Oluwa which יהוה Testament, University as LORD. The translation of of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa I consider unacceptable. The purpose of this article is to propose the translation of the Hebrew (to the most appropriate Yoruba name for the supreme God (Olodumare instead of Oluwa יהוה Corresponding author: which cannot be misunderstood by any Yoruba reader.1 David Adamo, [email protected] Keywords: Old Testament; Yahweh; African traditional religion; Olodumare; Oluwa; Translation; Yoruba language. Dates: Received: 19 Sept. 2018 Accepted: 10 May 2019 1 Published: 30 July 2019 Introduction refers to the God of Israel. These four Hebrew letters are referred to as tetragram יהוה How to cite this article: The name Adamo, D.T., 2019, or tetragrammaton by scholars (Hamilton 2011:64; Shaw 2016:759–762). Tetragrammaton ‘Translating the Hebrew comes from a Greek word τετραγράμματον and a Latin script YHWH which literally means four in Hebrew. The name appears more than 6 823 times in the Old Testament יהוה into the Yoruba letters and יהוה Name language of Nigeria in the Yoruba Bible’, In die Skriflig (Renn 2005:339–440). The fact that the vowel signs in the tetragrammaton were not represented 53(1), a2410. https://doi.org/ in the writing system, originally led to the question of what vowels should apply to it or how to 10.4102/ids.v53i1.2410 pronounce it (Ortiepp 2011:12). Copyright: © 2019. The Authors. Most of the earlier translators of the Yoruba Bible may not have understood the original languages Licensee: AOSIS. This work directly (Komolafe 2012). What appears to compound the situation is that the European is licensed under the supervisors of the Yoruba Bible translators were not native speakers of the Yoruba language Creative Commons (BibeliMimo 1900). Attribution License. is translated to ‘LORD’ in the English versions of the Bible (e.g. King יהוה Given that the word James Version [KJV] and Revised Standard Version [RSV]), it is assumed that it means Oluwa in the Yoruba Bible. Because of this, the translators of the Yoruba Bible (BibeliMimo and Bibeli Yoruba Atoka) translated Yahweh to Oluwa and Jehofa. I believe such translations are inappropriate. I propose that a better translation is Olodumare. What appears to be a more serious problem is the fact that, to my knowledge, there have been no attempts to correct these inappropriate Yoruba translations. The purpose of this article is to express the problems with the present translation of the Bible into the Yoruba language and to suggest a more appropriate translation of the name Yahweh in the Yoruba Bible. This article also emphasises the urgent need for a retranslation of the Yoruba Bible by competent native scholars who are experts in Hebrew, Greek and the Yoruba languages.2 as יהוה To achieve the above objectives, this article discusses the origin and meaning of the name well as the translation of it into the Greek, English and Yoruba versions of the Bible. Various translation theories, attempted for a credible translation, will be briefly surveyed. As there has 1.There are many other words in the Old Testament that have been mistranslated into the Yoruba language. These include the Old Testament book titles such as Genesis to Genesisi, Exodus to Exodu, Numbers to Numeri, Leviticus to Lefitiku, Deuteronomy to Deuteronomi and Psalms to Orin Dafidi (Adamo 1984:454–482). Thus, there is an urgent need to retranslate the entire Yoruba Bible into the Yoruba language from Hebrew and Greek. Read online: Scan this QR 2.The Yoruba people, often considered to be one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa south of the Sahara, are primarily located in South- code with your western Nigeria. There are also a few Yoruba people in Benin and Togo. smart phone or mobile device Note: This article was originally presented as a paper at the SASNES/OTSSA conferences at the North-West University, Potchefstroom, to read online. South Africa on 14–16 August 2018. This article does not represent a lack of appreciation for the contribution of missionaries. God has used whatever mistakes they made to bless us in Africa. I am a product of those blessings. http://www.indieskriflig.org.za Open Access Page 2 of 7 Original Research been no single perfect translation theory from the numerous Several scholars have rejected the above theories (Beitzel suggestions, an attempt will be made to use a combination of 1980:5–20; Foerster 1965:1066; Hamilton 2011:64; Jacob theories that may apply to this article. Among the principles 1964:48; Kearney 2002:75–85). It is suggested that it originated Beitzel 1980:5–20) believes that .היה or הוה which may be used to achieve this, is a combination of from the verbal root and the divine name הוה dynamic equivalence, linguistic, cultural and postcolonial the relationship between the verb translation theories. Yahweh is that of etymology. It means that the origin of the is from God’s lips itself, according to the Exodus 3 יהוה word .(tradition (Foerster 1965:1066 יהוה Origin and meaning of the name Origin Meaning Exodus 3:13–15 has been a subject of debate among scholars.3 אהיה אׁשר אהיה The number of interpretations of the meaning and functions Different commentators interpret the words of the divine name in the text of Exodus 3:14, which have differently. Some believe the words are an ambiguous and been proposed over many centuries, seems endless. One can contradictory answer to Moses’ question when he asked only mention a few of them. God for his name in Exodus 3:14 (Sachs 2010:244–246). ,’means ‘I am אהיה ,(According to Sachs (2010:244–246 In Exodus 3:14, Moses asks God how he should answer his or ‘I shall be’, because it signifies an action that is not yet concluded and therefore can mean different אהיה אׁשר אהיה people when they ask for his name. God gave him three ways of ‘self-definition’. Firstly, ‘I am who I am’, which answers in verses 14 and 15 (Phillips 1998:81–84): refers to ‘an eternally unchanging Being’; secondly, ‘I am 1. ‘I am who I am’ (3:14a – NRSV). who I shall be’, which stands for ‘a fundamental constancy 2. ‘I am has sent me to you’ (3:14b – NRSV). regardless of variations’; thirdly, ‘I shall be who I am’, which 3. ‘Tell the Israelites, God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, has is ‘the evolution that is inherent in the essence of God’; and sent me to you’ (3:15– NRSV). fourthly, ‘I shall be who I shall be’, which can also have two meanings: ‘To everyone I am something else’, or ‘each person What appears to be the author’s concern in Exodus is the has a different idea of me’. identification of the God of the forefathers and the God who appears to Moses in the burning bush (Phillips 1998:81–84). According to Schild (1954:296), ‘I am who I am’ is regarded as the explanation of the meaning of the divine name which ’This verb ‘to be .(היה) ’There have been debates regarding the origin of the word connects with the root of the verb ‘to be .’and whether it was newly created by Moses or pre- has two connotations: expression of ‘identity’ or ‘existence ,יהוה mosaic. While some scholars believe that the name existed This verse is meant to express the mystery of God and how before Moses and that Moses took it from an earlier impossible it is to define his name (Schild 1954:296–302). tradition, others believe that Moses invented it (Foerster According to Schild (1954:296–302), ‘I am’ means therefore 1965:1065–1066; Mowinckel 1961:21–23). Many reasons for ‘I am not telling you who and what I am’, or ‘I am I’. In other this view are cited. Firstly, such a name was found in words, God cannot be defined. He is his own definition. Akkadian proper names and in Ras Shamra texts which dated as far back as the 15th to 13th centuries BCE (Foerster No doubt the Hebrew Bible calls God different names ranging 1965:1065–1066); secondly, in Egyptian or African religions, from generic to the proper. Examples of the generic names is especially Amon Re, referrence to the ‘King of the gods’, is El or Elohim, Adonai and others. Adonai, which is used very also cited as the possible origin of the Yahweh religion that frequently, is the traditional and pious reading replacement .(Sonek 2009:174–183) יהוה has contributed to Yahweh theological tradition (Foerster of the proper name of God, namely 1965:1065–1066); thirdly, also the Kennite hypothesis is Barton (1998:1–6) has rightly said, ‘in every age, interpreters cited as a reason, because Moses became the son-in-law of ask different questions, and so different aspects of the text’s Jethro, the priest of Midian, who worshipped Yahweh meaning emerge’.