I have a question that nobody seems to be able to answer, and would appreciate somebody giving this some serious thought. In the King James Bible, the divine name appears approximately 5 times. However, it is nowhere to be found in the New Testament, even though in a number of books as Jesus was speaking with God, as in John 17:6, he says he has made "Your name manifest". Some have asserted that this was to be meant that His works were made manifest, however, I feel that Jesus was making a specific point, in saying to all, especially the Jews of the time, that the same God that spoke to Moses and Abraham was the same One that sent Him. I wonder if this was an intentional omission in the revision, and if so, can it be corrected, as many do not know the Divine Name, and He rightly deserves the Glory as the Author. Thank you.

-- sharon sparrow (sparrow@ncw2527.com), February 08, 1998

Answers

The King James Bible, while greatly beloved, is generally considered a poor translation of the Holy Scripture.

Having said that, I am unsure of the particular verses you note from King James so I cannot comment further on the translation.

Personally speaking, I have no need to know the Divine Name of the Holy One. It is beyond me, I am not worthy to speak it.... It is enough for me, just to know God through Jesus..( imho)

-- Connie Ostlund (sorka@teleport.com), February 09, 1998.

If you can 'get' all the jokes in Shakespere without using the footnotes, then you can accurately read the King James. Even if better translations were not available (and the scholarship had greatly advanced even before the Dead Sea Scrolls), the language is open to strong misinterpetation. Words change meaning over the years. Shakespere himself was a powerful change agent, and there have been even more so. Try a better bible. Yes the language is unrivaled for beauty. But I feel that you seak clarity too. Sean

-- Sean Cleary (sean_cleary@bigfoot.com), August 03, 2000.