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God’s Name Circumlocutions

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Name of God’s Son

The Aramaic MarYah and God

All of the verses listed in Category B on our page God’s Name in Christian Texts use MarYah as circumlocution for God’s Name (YHWH). Consult that page to see them.

However, in addition to those verses, those listed below use MarYah but we choose to translate them as ‘Lord’ or ‘God’ instead. Why? Well, most are mistranslations from Greek into Aramaic. Also, MarYah isn’t always a circumlocution for God’s Name; sometimes it just means ‘Lord’ or ‘Highest Lord’.

Exhaustive details appear below.

Articles in this series

Index

Verses where MarYah refers to God (the Father)

Matthew 3:3, Mark 1:3, Luke 3:4, John 1:23

Decision: Suspected textual corruption

This quote is from Isaiah 40:3, which says YHWH in the Hebrew, so why do we not say [Jehovah/Yahweh] here?

The context of Isaiah 40:9 shows that the Lord who is coming is YHWH. However, in our translation, we use Lord in Isaiah 40:3, not Jehovah/Yahweh, and therefore quote it that way here in these quotes of the verse.

Why do we do this?

Well, we believe that at some point after the return from Babylon, the Jews removed all instances of ‘YHWH’ from the text but then later restored them. In so doing, some references to YHWH were accidentally ‘restored’ where they were not there originally. We think that this is one of those places. However, we’re not dogmatic about this and could be wrong.

Mark 2:26

Decision: Mistranslation into Aramaic

The Aramaic wording mentions the table of MarYah here, just as the parallel account in Matthew 12:4 does.

However, the Greek text does not mention any ‘table of kyrios,’ and such words are omitted entirely. We believe that Mark was originally written in Greek, so our translation goes by the Greek text and leaves this reference out.

Luke 2:24 and Luke 6:4

Decision: Mistranslations into Aramaic

If Luke was originally written in Greek (and we suspect that it was), then there is no mention of Lord or God here at all.

The Aramaic translator added MarYah here, and therefore, we do not believe this mention to be inspired, but just a mistake or mistranslation in the Aramaic text.

Luke 2:38

Decision: No support from the Greek

If this was originally in Greek, the Aramaic translator chose to put MarYah here because, from the context, it’s obvious that AnNa was thanking Almighty God in heaven, not the nearby baby Jesus.

However, since there is no Greek ‘grammar error’ here, this was probably not understood as a circumlocution for YHWH by the author (assuming there was no later tampering, of course).

Now, admittedly, AnNa was probably speaking Aramaic when she said those words. So it’s possible that she was saying MarYah as a circumlocution for YHWH, and when her words were translated into Greek to write the gospel, this inference was lost somehow.

So perhaps this should read as Jehovah/Yahweh after all. We just don’t know.

Luke 17:29

Decision: Mistranslation into Aramaic

This says that the Lord, MarYah, rained down fire on Sodom.

However, Luke was likely originally written in Greek, and the Greek version does not mention the ‘Lord’ here. So our ancient translator friend chose to add a reference to MarYah, confirming that he understood it to be a circumlocution for YHWH. However, it likely does not belong in the text.

Acts 4:24

Decision: Mistranslation into Aramaic

We believe that Acts was very likely originally in Greek, and the Aramaic translator chose to put MarYah here, but the Greek says ‘God,’ not ‘Lord.’

So while it’s possible that God is also a circumlocution for YHWH here, we can’t be sure, so we leave it saying God.

Acts 6:3

Decision: Mistranslation into Aramaic

The Aramaic translator has added Lord (MarYah) here, but it does not appear in (what is likely) the original Greek.

Acts 7:31, Acts 7:33, and Acts 9:15

Decision: Suspected textual corruption

Here Paul describes the voice of MarYah speaking to Moses. However, if we look up the account, it was actually the voice of a spirit messenger (an angel), which we believe the Hebrew originally described as Lord, not YHWH.

You see, we believe that the Name was removed and ‘restored’ incorrectly (in a small number of places) by the Jews after the return from Babylon. Also, this verse in Acts was originally written in Greek, so putting MarYah instead of Mara or Mary could just be the uninspired opinion of the translator.

However, we’re not 100% sure of this.

Acts 7:37

Decision: Mistranslation into Aramaic

If this verse was originally written in Greek, then the inspired account says ‘God’ not ‘Lord.’

The uninspired Aramaic translator chose to put MarYah here by mistake. Therefore, our translation says God.

Acts 15:17

Decision: Mistranslation into Aramaic

This verse was likely originally written in Greek. The Aramaic translator chose to put MarYah here. However, it’s likely that this is not a circumlocution for YHWH since ‘our Jehovah/Yahweh’ just isn’t a common phrase, whereas ‘our Lord’ is.

It’s possible that Paul just meant Lord, and our ancient translator colleague then used MarYah just to mean Lord or Highest Lord and not as a circumlocution for God’s Name. He simply couldn’t use any other version of the word Lord to describe the Almighty.

However, this is a potential circumlocution for YHWH; it would just be an odd-sounding one.

Acts 16:32

Decision: Possible mistranslation into Aramaic

Some Greek texts say ‘the word of the Lord,’ but others say ‘the word of The God.’ It’s very difficult to tell which is correct.

Either way, the article (‘the’) is present beforehand, so it’s probably not a circumlocution for YHWH. Therefore, MarYah may just be the opinion of the Aramaic translator.

Note that the previous verse mentions ‘Lord Jesus’ as Mara in Aramaic (inflected as b'Maran), not MarYah. So while this verse is likely referencing God Almighty, it is probably not a circumlocution for YHWH.

Acts 18:26

Decision: Mistranslation into Aramaic

The original Greek does not say ‘Lord’ here, but ‘God’. This is the same error found in many other places (see above).

Revelation 6:10

Decision: Mistranslation into Aramaic

By calling Him ‘Sovereign Lord,’ no other version of Lord could be used to mean the very highest one. Therefore, this is probably not a circumlocution for YHWH.

And all the rest…

All of the verses listed in Category B on our page God’s Name in Christian Texts use MarYah are a circumlocution for God’s Name (YHWH). Consult that page to see them.

Articles in this series