Q.   There are different ways of spelling the Savior’s Name in Scripture. Why not use “Yeshua” since it is clearly used by those in the Middle East today or even go back to pronouncing it originally as “Yahoshua”?

A.    Beyond the ways of spelling, the real problem lays within the vowel pointing. The tsere (..) gives an “eh” sound to the Hebrew letter yod. It’s similar to the shewa (:) giving the same sound when placed underneath the letter. Without the vowel pointing, which some say was added as late as the 10th century of our Common Era, we are left with “Y’shua” which we find should be “Yahshua,” meaning Yahweh’s Salvation.

Some will say that we should go back to how Joshua, the son of Nun, was pronounced. Y’shua was the contraction of “Yahweh” and “Hoshua,” without any emphasis on the “o” when put together. Similar to no emphasis on the “weh.” In addition, there are at least three witnesses in the Hebrew and Aramaic New Testament writings which show no emphasis on a “u” or “o” in the middle, not to mention, the attempted Greek transliteration in the western texts.

The Name would have been spoken, during His day as, Y’shua (Y[ah]shua). We write the form in the square script of Hebrew/Aramaic which appears to show Yahoshua, as some view the pronunciation. However, research shows the pronunciation is “Yahshua” rather than the vowel pointed “Yehoshua” pronunciation seen in many linguistical resources, or even “Joshua,” as is commonly spoken among scholars.

Getting back to the different spellings, it may just be a matter of the way it was spelled and not pronounced. The pronunciation may in fact be unchanged across the board, but the vowel pointing has caused a lot of problems, rather than the help is was supposed to be. The main problem stems from the Ineffability of the Name doctrine still held today by many of the scribes. Jeremiah 8:8 comes to mind.

 
                    
   
                   
         
     
                   
               
                         
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