How Have Translators Handled This Issue?

 Is the New World Translation the only Bible that restores God's name when translating the Greek Scriptures? No. Based upon the evidence, many Bible translators have felt that the divine name should be restored when they translate the New Testament.

For example, many African, American, Asian, and Pacific-Island language versions of the New Testament use the divine name liberally. (See chart on page 21.) Some of these translations have appeared recently, such as the Rotuman Bible (1999), which uses the name Jihova 51 times in 48 verses of the New Testament, and the Batak-Toba version (1989) from Indonesia, which uses the name Jahowa 110 times in the New Testament. The divine name has appeared too, in French, German, and Spanish translations. For instance, Pablo Besson translated the New Testament into Spanish in the early 20th century. His translation uses Jehova' at Jude 14, and nearly 100 footnotes suggest the divine name as likely rendering.

Below are some examples of English translation that have used God's name in the New Testament:

. A Literal translation of the New Testament . . . from the Text if the Vatican Manuscript, by Herman HeinFetter (1863)

. The Emphatic Diaglott, by Benjamin Wilson (1864)

. The Epistles of Paul in Modern English, by George Barker Stevens, (1898) 

.  St Paul's Epistle to the Romans, by W.G. Rutherford (1900) 

. The Christian's Bible-New Testament by George LeFevre (1928) 

. The New Testament Letters by J.W.C. Wand, Bishop of London (1946) 

Next time: How Have Translators Handled This Issue? - Conclusion

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