Jah
Encyclopedia
Jah is the shortened form of the divine name YHWH (also spelled Yahweh), an anglicized version of the Tetragrammaton
(YHWH, Latin JHVH). The name is most commonly associated with the Rastafari movement
or within the word hallelujah
, although Christian
groups may use the name to varying degrees. For example, Jehovah's Witnesses
use a form of the name in over 400 languages. The name is used in some English Bible translations
which reconstruct the Tetragrammaton; other versions sometimes use the academic Hebrew reconstruction "Yah". Some languages use the letter "I" instead of "Y" or "J": This should not be confused with the phonetically, theologically, and historically unrelated Egyptian
god Iah
. Other languages use CH (Choctaw
), S (Tongan
), and Z (Chin
).
. The Tetragrammaton is often translated (especially in older English versions of the Bible) by use of the term "", and the word "Hallelujah" by the phrase "Praise ye the " (Psalm 104:35 KJV and footnote). Thus, partially translated and partially transliterated , the term could be rendered "Praise Jah."
With the rise of the Reformation
, reconstructions of the Tetragrammaton became popular. The Tyndale Bible
was the first English translation to use the anglicized reconstruction.
In the original text of the Hebrew Bible
, "Jah" occurs 50 times, 26 times alone and 24 times in the term "Hallelujah". In the King James Version of the Bible
it is transliterated as "JAH" (capitalised) in only one instance: "Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him". An American Translation
renders the Hebrew word as "Yah" in this verse. The complete Tetragrammaton was sometimes rendered differently, an example being the forms Yahuah. Rotherham's Emphasised Bible includes 49 uses of Jah.
In the Sacred Scriptures Bethel Edition
Bible, the Jerusalem Bible
, and the New Jerusalem Bible
(prior to 1998) the Name YHWH and abbreviated form Yah is found. The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures
, a Bible translation used primarily by Jehovah's Witnesses
, features the word "Jah" for all 26 occurrences of the shortened name in the Hebrew-Aramaic Scriptures (Old Testament), and translates 'Hallelujah' as 'Praise Jah, you people' in all 24 occurrences of that expression in the Hebrew Scriptures as well as its 4 occurrences in the Christian Greek Scriptures.
The popularity of reggae
associated with the Rastafari movement
has spread the name "Jah" (derived from the KJV Psalms 68:1) beyond the West Indies. Rastafarians use the terms "Jah" and "Jah Jah" as a term for God and/or Haile Selassie I who is also known by the Amharic title Janhoy (literally "Your Majesty").
songs. For example, it is referenced in Bob Marley
's "Is this Love
", in the line: We'll share the same room, for Jah provide the bread. The Mighty Diamonds
song "Pass The Kutchie", has the following lyric: Cause the spirit of Jah, you know he leads you on. Similarly, Mystic Roots' "Pass The Marijuana" contains the words: Pass the marijuana, give Jah thanks and praise today. Also Stevie Wonder
's ode to Marley, "Master Blaster (Jammin')", contains the following verse lyric: We've agreed to get together, joined as children in Jah. P.O.D.
's Song, "Strength Of My Life", from their album Testify
, contains the words: If Jah is for me, tell me whom I gon' fear? (no I won't fear), And Jah of Jacob, deserving of my love. Also, Jah is referenced many times in Damian Marley's song Road to Zion and in the songs of Costa Rican singer, Noah, such as "If you don't believe in Jah, we can not be together" Additionally, Jah has been linked to acid-reggae music. For example, the name can be heard in Thievery Corporation
's song "The Outernationalist". Hardcore Punk/ Reggae band Bad Brains'
first album
contains the song 'I Luv I Jah'
"Jah" appears in other genres as well. The first line of Camper Van Beethoven
's song "Take the Skinheads Bowling" is "Every day, I get up and pray to Jah."
Tetragrammaton
The term Tetragrammaton refers to the name of the God of Israel YHWH used in the Hebrew Bible.-Hebrew Bible:...
(YHWH, Latin JHVH). The name is most commonly associated with the Rastafari movement
Rastafari movement
The Rastafari movement or Rasta is a new religious movement that arose in the 1930s in Jamaica, which at the time was a country with a predominantly Christian culture where 98% of the people were the black descendants of slaves. Its adherents worship Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia , as God...
or within the word hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Halleluyah, and the Latin form Alleluia are transliterations of the Hebrew word meaning "Praise Yah". The last syllable is from the first two letters of the name of God, YHWH, written JHVH in Latin). Hallelujah is found primarily in the book of Psalms...
, although Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
groups may use the name to varying degrees. For example, Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
use a form of the name in over 400 languages. The name is used in some English Bible translations
English translations of the Bible
The efforts of translating the Bible from its original languages into over 2,000 others have spanned more than two millennia. Partial translations of the Bible into languages of the English people can be traced back to the end of the 7th century, including translations into Old English and Middle...
which reconstruct the Tetragrammaton; other versions sometimes use the academic Hebrew reconstruction "Yah". Some languages use the letter "I" instead of "Y" or "J": This should not be confused with the phonetically, theologically, and historically unrelated Egyptian
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
god Iah
Iah
Iah is a very early god of the moon in ancient Egyptian religion, and his name, jˁḥ , simply means "moon." Nevertheless, by the New Kingdom he was less prominent as a moon deity than the other gods with lunar connections, Thoth and Khonsu...
. Other languages use CH (Choctaw
Choctaw
The Choctaw are a Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States...
), S (Tongan
Tongan
Tongan can refer to:*Tongan people, a person from Tonga*Tongan language*Tong'an District, district in Xiamen, Fujian, China...
), and Z (Chin
Hakha-Chin language
Hakha Chin is a language spoken in southern Asia by 446,264 people. The total figure includes 2,000 Zokhua, and 60,100 Lai speakers...
).
Usage
Jah is often used as a shortened form of the reconstructed TetragrammatonTetragrammaton
The term Tetragrammaton refers to the name of the God of Israel YHWH used in the Hebrew Bible.-Hebrew Bible:...
. The Tetragrammaton is often translated (especially in older English versions of the Bible) by use of the term "", and the word "Hallelujah" by the phrase "Praise ye the " (Psalm 104:35 KJV and footnote). Thus, partially translated and partially transliterated , the term could be rendered "Praise Jah."
With the rise of the Reformation
Reformation
- Movements :* Protestant Reformation, an attempt by Martin Luther to reform the Roman Catholic Church that resulted in a schism, and grew into a wider movement...
, reconstructions of the Tetragrammaton became popular. The Tyndale Bible
Tyndale Bible
The Tyndale Bible generally refers to the body of biblical translations by William Tyndale. Tyndale’s Bible is credited with being the first English translation to work directly from Hebrew and Greek texts. Furthermore it was the first English biblical translation that was mass produced as a result...
was the first English translation to use the anglicized reconstruction.
In the original text of the Hebrew Bible
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible is a term used by biblical scholars outside of Judaism to refer to the Tanakh , a canonical collection of Jewish texts, and the common textual antecedent of the several canonical editions of the Christian Old Testament...
, "Jah" occurs 50 times, 26 times alone and 24 times in the term "Hallelujah". In the King James Version of the Bible
King James Version of the Bible
The Authorized Version, commonly known as the King James Version, King James Bible or KJV, is an English translation of the Christian Bible by the Church of England begun in 1604 and completed in 1611...
it is transliterated as "JAH" (capitalised) in only one instance: "Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him". An American Translation
An American Translation
The Bible, An American Translation consists of The Old Testament translated by a group of scholars under the editorship of J.M. Powis Smith, and The New Testament translated by Edgar J...
renders the Hebrew word as "Yah" in this verse. The complete Tetragrammaton was sometimes rendered differently, an example being the forms Yahuah. Rotherham's Emphasised Bible includes 49 uses of Jah.
In the Sacred Scriptures Bethel Edition
Sacred Scriptures Bethel Edition
The Sacred Scriptures Bethel Edition is a Sacred Name Bible which uses the names Yahweh and Yahshua in both the Old and New Testaments . It was produced by Jacob O. Meyer, based on the American Standard Version of 1901 and it contains over 977 pages. The Assemblies of Yahweh printed 5,500 copies...
Bible, the Jerusalem Bible
Jerusalem Bible
The Jerusalem Bible is a Roman Catholic translation of the Bible which first was introduced to the English-speaking public in 1966 and published by Darton, Longman & Todd...
, and the New Jerusalem Bible
New Jerusalem Bible
The New Jerusalem Bible is a Roman Catholic translation of the Bible published in 1985 by Darton, Longman & Todd and Les Editions du Cerf, and edited by the Reverend Henry Wansbrough.- Contents :...
(prior to 1998) the Name YHWH and abbreviated form Yah is found. The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures
New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures
The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures is a translation of the Bible published by the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society in 1961; it is used and distributed by Jehovah's Witnesses. Though it is not the first Bible to be published by the group, it is their first original translation of...
, a Bible translation used primarily by Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
, features the word "Jah" for all 26 occurrences of the shortened name in the Hebrew-Aramaic Scriptures (Old Testament), and translates 'Hallelujah' as 'Praise Jah, you people' in all 24 occurrences of that expression in the Hebrew Scriptures as well as its 4 occurrences in the Christian Greek Scriptures.
The popularity of reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
associated with the Rastafari movement
Rastafari movement
The Rastafari movement or Rasta is a new religious movement that arose in the 1930s in Jamaica, which at the time was a country with a predominantly Christian culture where 98% of the people were the black descendants of slaves. Its adherents worship Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia , as God...
has spread the name "Jah" (derived from the KJV Psalms 68:1) beyond the West Indies. Rastafarians use the terms "Jah" and "Jah Jah" as a term for God and/or Haile Selassie I who is also known by the Amharic title Janhoy (literally "Your Majesty").
Music
Jah is referenced in many reggaeReggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
songs. For example, it is referenced in Bob Marley
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
's "Is this Love
Is This Love (Bob Marley song)
"Is This Love" is a song by Bob Marley & The Wailers, released on his 1978 album Kaya. The song became one of the best known Marley songs and was part of the Legend compilation...
", in the line: We'll share the same room, for Jah provide the bread. The Mighty Diamonds
The Mighty Diamonds
Mighty Diamonds are a Jamaican harmony trio, recording roots reggae with a strong Rastafarian influence. The group, which comprised Donald "Tabby" Shaw, Fitzroy "Bunny" Simpson, and Lloyd "Judge" Ferguson, was formed in 1969, and remains together as of 2010...
song "Pass The Kutchie", has the following lyric: Cause the spirit of Jah, you know he leads you on. Similarly, Mystic Roots' "Pass The Marijuana" contains the words: Pass the marijuana, give Jah thanks and praise today. Also Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
's ode to Marley, "Master Blaster (Jammin')", contains the following verse lyric: We've agreed to get together, joined as children in Jah. P.O.D.
P.O.D.
Payable on Death is an American Christian metal band formed in 1992. The band's line-up consists of vocalist Sonny Sandoval, drummer Wuv Bernardo, guitarist Marcos Curiel, and bassist Traa Daniels. Their Christian faith is an important part of their music.They have released seven studio albums and...
's Song, "Strength Of My Life", from their album Testify
Testify (P.O.D. album)
Testify is alternative metal band P.O.D.'s sixth studio album and fourth major-label album. It was originally set for a December 2005 release but finally slated for January 24, 2006 by Atlantic Records. This is P.O.D.'s first major-label album not produced by Howard Benson. The full album was...
, contains the words: If Jah is for me, tell me whom I gon' fear? (no I won't fear), And Jah of Jacob, deserving of my love. Also, Jah is referenced many times in Damian Marley's song Road to Zion and in the songs of Costa Rican singer, Noah, such as "If you don't believe in Jah, we can not be together" Additionally, Jah has been linked to acid-reggae music. For example, the name can be heard in Thievery Corporation
Thievery Corporation
Thievery Corporation is a Washington, D.C. based recording artist and DJ duo consisting of Rob Garza, Eric Hilton, and their supporting artists, including current drummer Jeff Franca...
's song "The Outernationalist". Hardcore Punk/ Reggae band Bad Brains'
Bad Brains
Bad Brains is an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1977. They are widely regarded as among the pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members objected to this term to describe their music. They are also an adept reggae band, while later recordings featured elements of...
first album
Bad Brains (album)
Bad Brains is the first full-length studio album recorded by Bad Brains. Adam Yauch of Beastie Boys has been quoted as saying that this album is "the best punk/hardcore album of all time"...
contains the song 'I Luv I Jah'
"Jah" appears in other genres as well. The first line of Camper Van Beethoven
Camper Van Beethoven
Camper Van Beethoven is an American alternative rock group formed in Redlands, California in 1983.An eclectic band, Camper Van Beethoven mixes elements of pop, ska, punk rock, folk and alternative country, as well as various types of world music. Their aggressive musical pluralism created a...
's song "Take the Skinheads Bowling" is "Every day, I get up and pray to Jah."