Working for the Word - a Bible translation podcast Part 4 - Pronouncing & Translating the Divine Name - The Early Church & Late Antiquity
Jan 29, 2026
A lively tour of how the divine name was handled after the apostles, from cautious avoidance to bold attempts at recovery. Strange and sometimes magical uses surface in Greek and Coptic spells. Church writers and philosophers clash over naming, while medieval and Renaissance readers invent pronunciations and legends. The period ends in confusion with countless competing renderings and practices.
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Early Church Avoided Or Varied The Name
- Early Christian writers referenced the divine name but often left it unwritten or replaced it with Lord (kurios) in Greek texts.
- Clement, Irenaeus, and Theodoret show varied Greek renderings like Yahu, Yahoth, and Yahweh, revealing no single early pronunciation.
Hebrew Names Gain Occult Power
- Origen and others believed Hebrew names pointed to an object's deepest nature and retained power when pronounced in Hebrew.
- This view birthed the notion that Hebrew names could effect exorcisms and miracles in late antiquity.
Theologians Disagreed On Divine Naming
- Some Christian thinkers like Justin Martyr and Clement argued God is essentially nameless and human names are inadequate.
- Competing views like Irenaeus held the Son revealed the divine name, producing theological divergence.
