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Names for God - Page 4

Written by Rabbi Professor Jonathan Magonet Sunday, 01 June 2003

A Prayer Book in the Making

So where does that leave us?  The short answer is in a kind of no-man’s (no-person’s) land where no single solution is likely to satisfy everyone, but some suggestions are more upsetting than others.  But it may be that different solutions are needed for different passages, and that we have to live with a degree of complexity.  For example, when the consonantal form of Adonai is used, as in the closing hymn, ‘Ein keloheinu’, then Lord is the appropriate term as divine power is one of the themes.  However whenever a text spells out God’s loyalty to the people of Israel throughout the generations, the word ‘Eternal’ may best fit.  Where some divine quality is appropriate then the translation may match that.  Where ‘God’ best fits the rhythm of the English, then the distinction between YHWH and Elohim may simply be ignored in the translation.

Thus it must be admitted that there are places where what is offered in the English is closer to an interpretation than a simple translation, as has always been the case where different translation problems arise.  Nevertheless it may be better in the long run to recognise and live with the problem rather than try for a single word – be it Lord, Adonay , Eternal or other suggestion - to fit every situation.