Local Church Discussions - View Single Post - Tradition Trumps Truth: Jehovah - The Recovery's Misnomer

TLFisher · 12-10-2015, 06:26 AM

Recently I had received an email from Nigel. The following is what he had to share on Hymn #391:

"The LSM Hymnal has the well known hymn "Guide me, O Thou Great Jehovah; Pilgrim thro' this barren land." composed by William Williams (perhaps in the Welsh language) 1745 & translated by Peter Williams & William Williams (Williams is a common Welsh surname). This Hymn appears in many English Hymnals.
What I find interesting is that when it was included in LSM's Hymns (#391) the opening line was changed. Instead of "Guide me, O Thou Great Jehovah; Pilgrim thro' this barren land."

LSM's version reads:

"Guide me, O Thou Gracious Savior; Pilgrim thro' this barren land." (LSM Hymns #391)

The obvious question is why the change? It's not just to improve the English (W. Lee always talked about John Ingalls telling him "that's not good English" when they were producing the Hymnal.

My guess would be that John Ingalls realized "Jehovah" was a mistaken designation of God's name, so it was changed

Nick Page refers to this Hymn in the context of a discuss of Jehovah as a Misnomer. He says: "

"Although translations such as the KJV use the word [Jehovah] occasionally and we sing ‘Guide me O Thou Great Jehovah,’ we are using a name that no ancient Jew ever used. And all because they left the vowels out.” [Nick Page, God's Dangerous Book: The Surprising History of the World's Most Radical Book, p. ]"

12-10-2015, 06:26 AM	#42
TLFisher Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Renton, Washington Posts: 3,562	Re: Tradition Trumps Truth: Jehovah - The Recovery's Misnomer - Tomes Recently I had received an email from Nigel. The following is what he had to share on Hymn #391: "The LSM Hymnal has the well known hymn "Guide me, O Thou Great Jehovah; Pilgrim thro' this barren land." composed by William Williams (perhaps in the Welsh language) 1745 & translated by Peter Williams & William Williams (Williams is a common Welsh surname). This Hymn appears in many English Hymnals. What I find interesting is that when it was included in LSM's Hymns (#391) the opening line was changed. Instead of "Guide me, O Thou Great Jehovah; Pilgrim thro' this barren land." LSM's version reads: "Guide me, O Thou Gracious Savior; Pilgrim thro' this barren land." (LSM Hymns #391) The obvious question is why the change? It's not just to improve the English (W. Lee always talked about John Ingalls telling him "that's not good English" when they were producing the Hymnal. My guess would be that John Ingalls realized "Jehovah" was a mistaken designation of God's name, so it was changed Nick Page refers to this Hymn in the context of a discuss of Jehovah as a Misnomer. He says: " "Although translations such as the KJV use the word [Jehovah] occasionally and we sing ‘Guide me O Thou Great Jehovah,’ we are using a name that no ancient Jew ever used. And all because they left the vowels out.” [Nick Page, God's Dangerous Book: The Surprising History of the World's Most Radical Book, p. ]"