The campaign against the word "Allah" in the Bible is launched by certain circles by twisting the real facts about the Indonesian government's stance on the translation of the Indonesian Bible Society (LAI).
The Indonesian government does NOT intervene in the translation of the Bible and instead entrusts the task to LAI. LAI is a legal entity recognized by the State and appointed by the Government as an institution that has the right and authority to translate, print and distribute the Holy Bible (Decree of the Director General of Christian Community Guidance of the Ministry of Religion of the Republic of Indonesia Number: DJ.III/KEP/HK.00.5/77/2011).
Since its establishment on February 9, 1954, LAI has been a partner of churches in Indonesia and is mandated to translate, print, and publish the Bible.
The ecumenical vision of its ministry has also been recognized by the Indonesian Bishops' Conference (KWI).
Therefore LAI will not publish sectarian Bible translations as desired by groups that reject the word "God", even though it has been used for about four centuries by Christians in the archipelago.
For details, read this brief explanation of the equivalent divine names in the Bible(attached)
Biblical Greetings For All.
Pastor Anwar Tjen, PhD, Head of LAI Translation Department
Appendix 1
Attachment 1
Why are the words “God” and “LORD” used in our Bibles?
Introduction
The word "God" is still being questioned by some users of the Bible published by the Indonesian Bible Institute (LAI). This issue has surfaced because there are some groups that reject the use of the word "Allah" and want to revive the use of the name Yahweh or Yahwe. In the Hebrew text, the name Yahweh or Yahwe is actually written with only four consonant letters (YOD-HE-WAW-HE, “YHWH”) without vowels. However, some insist that these four letters must be pronounced. The LAI translation is considered to have deviated, even misleading Christians in the country. Has the LAI, which is trusted by the churches to translate the Bible, made such a fundamental mistake? Where exactly is the problem? The following explanation aims to briefly describe the considerations underlying LAI's policy on this issue.
Why does the LAI use the word "God"?
In the New Translation of the Bible (1974) which is widely used in the country by both Catholics and Protestants, the word "God" is the equivalent of "ELOHIM," "ELOAH" and "EL" in the Hebrew Bible.
James 1:1 “In the beginning God (‘ELOHIM) created the heavens and the earth”.
Ul 32:17 "They sacrificed to evil spirits who were not God (ELOHIM)." Ps 22:2 "My God (ELOHIM), my God, why have you forsaken me?
Language-wise, it is undeniable that the words "ELOHIM," "ELOAH" and "EL" are related to the root "L," the god worshipped in the ancient Semitic world. EL, ILU or ILAH are cognate forms commonly used for the supreme deity. The ancient Israelites apparently used the terms used by the surrounding nations. Does that mean that they were polytheists? Of course not!
The ancient Israelites gave the words a new meaning. They worshipped the one and only Creator of heaven and earth, a process that continues as God's word reaches nations and cultures around the world. Some groups that reject the word “God” do argue that the word should not be present in the Christian Bible. Some argue that “Allah” is the name of the God worshipped by Muslims. Others associate it with the deities of the Arabs. If this were true, the words ‘EL, ‘ELOAH and ‘ELOHIM would have to be dropped from the Hebrew Bible! After all, some inscriptions found in the sixth century show that the word “Allah” was used by Orthodox Christians before the birth of Islam. To this day, Christians in countries such as Egypt, Iraq, Algeria, Jordan and Lebanon continue to use "Allah" in their Bibles. Thus, the word “Allah” cannot be claimed as belonging to one religion only. LAI's policy of translating ‘ELOHIM, ‘ELOAH and ‘EL is not new at all. The first translation of the Bible into Greek around the third century A.D. is the oldest example we have. The translation known as the "Septuagint" was done in Alexandria, Egypt, and was intended for Greek-speaking Jews. In Genesis 1:1, for example, the Septuagint uses the term THEOS which was commonly used for Greek gods.
In fact, the New Testament uses the same word, such as the following example from the Gospel of Matthew: "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel," which means: God (THEOS) is with us (1:23). Immanuel which comes from the lexical elements immanu- („with us") and EL is interpreted as „God (THEOS) is with us". The Apostle Paul also uses the word THEOS to refer to the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, as in the following example: "Blessed be God (THEOS), the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Cor 1:3). Of course, THEOS in these quotations is not understood as a polytheistic worship.
The word "God" in the history of Bible translation in the archipelago
Before the TB-LAI Bible was published in 1974, there were already several Bibles in the Malay language which was the forerunner of the Indonesian language. A. C. Ruyl's Gospel of Matthew (1629) was the first attempt at Bible translation in the archipelago. Interestingly, in this first translation, the word “Allah” was used, as in the following example: "Then you will take the name Emanuel, meaning God (THEOS), and all we are" (Mt 1:23). Later translations also retain the word “God”, among others:
- The translation of Genesis by D. Brouwerius (1662): "Again trang itou Alla ſouda bernamma ſeang" (Gen. 1:5).
- Translation of M. Leijdecker (1733): “In the beginning God made ſthe people and the world” (Gen. 1:1)
- Translation of H.C. Klinkert (1879): “That the spoils of God may be greeted ” (Isa 12:2).
- W.A. Bode's translation (1938): “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God”.
As shown in the examples above, the word "God" that some Christians have recently questioned has been used for hundreds of years in Bible translations circulating in the archipelago.
In short, when continuing to use the word "God", the LAI translation team considered both the historical weight and the cross-cultural translation process already seen in the Bible itself.
What is the basis of LAI's policy on the matter of "YHWH"?
Admittedly, the origin of the name YHWH is not easy to trace. In terms of language, YHWH is often associated with the word HAYAH "to be, to exist", as revealed in Exodus 3:14: "God (ELOHIM) said to Moses: "I AM WHO I AM" ("EHYEH"). Again He said: "You shall say to the children of Israel. I AM WHO I AM (‘EHYEH) has sent me to you." ” The exact meaning is no longer known, but some interpret it as God's constant presence “ALWAYS" accompanying the history of His people. What is the basis for LAI using the word “LORD” (all caps) as an equivalent for YHWH? To answer this, we need to look at history. The Jewish people after the exile were very reluctant to mention the sacred name YHWH directly out of deep respect. After all, the exact pronunciation of YHWH is no longer known. Whenever they encounter the word YHWH in the Hebrew Bible, they say "ADONAY" which means "Lord". This tradition of pronunciation is also evident in the Septuagint which uses the word KYRIOS (“Lord") for YHWH, as in the following example: "KYRIOS shepherds me, and I lack nothing" (Ps 23:1).
In fact, Jesus and the apostles followed the same tradition! For example, in the temptation in the desert, Jesus answered Satan's temptation with a quote from Deuteronomy 6:16: "It is also written: You shall not tempt the Lord (KYRIOS) your God" (Mt 4:7). In this quote, the name YHWH is not found but KYRIOS. If the name YHWH should be written as in the Hebrew text, why did the author of the Gospel of Matthew not retain it? Similarly, in the epistles of the apostle Paul, the name YHWH is never used. In Romans 10:13, for example, Paul quotes Joel 2:32: "Whoever calls on the name of the Lord (KYRIOS) will be saved". Evidently, the word used is KYRIOS, not YHWH. Could Jesus and the apostles have been following a tradition that was “erroneous”? Of course not! Instead, the New Testament writers followed the Jewish tradition of saying "ADONAY" ("LORD") whenever they encountered the name YHWH. Since the New Testament was written in Greek, the word KYRIOS was used as an equivalent for "ADONAY" which reflects the tradition of pronouncing YHWH.In short, LAI follows the example of Jesus and the early Christians when it comes to pronouncing YHWH. In the TB-LAI Bible, the word "LORD" is written in all caps as an equivalent for "ADONAY" which recalls that tradition of pronunciation. This writing is deliberately differentiated from “Lord” (only the first letter is capitalized), the equivalent for ‘ADONAY which does not represent YHWH. Consider the following example: "Zion says: 'The LORD (YHWH) has forsaken me, and my God (ADONAY) has forgotten me'" (Isa 49:14). This distinction is certainly not relevant for the New Testament which does not retain the writing YHWH.Various modern translations also follow the same tradition, for example, in English: “the LORD” (New Jewish Publication Society Version; New Revised Standard Version, New International Version, New King James Version, Today’s English Version); German: “der HERR” (Einheitsübersetzung; die Bibel nach der übersetzung Martin Luthers); Dutch: “de HEER” (Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling); French”: “le SEIGNEUR” (Traduction Oecuménique de la Bible).
Closing
LAI's policy regarding equivalents for divine names is not taken simplistically. Various aspects must be carefully considered, including:
The source text (Hebrew and Aramaic for the Old Testament; Greek for the New Testament) and its interpretation.Traditions of God's people in the Old and New Testaments.History of the use of divine names in the translation of the Bible into various languages and cultures from time to time.
- The policies followed by Bible translation teams around the world, especially those who are members of the United Bible Societies.(United Bible Societies).
- Agreements taken with churches, both Catholic and Protestant, that use the LAI published Bibles to this day. Towards the completion of the TB-LAI Bible, for example, in 1968 a consultation was held in Cipayung with leaders and representatives of churches from various denominations. In this consultation, among other things, it was agreed that the word “God” should continue to be used as in previous translations.
LAI never pretends as if its translations are perfect and need no further improvement. However, given the long and careful process involved in publishing the Bible, the demands of some groups who wish to remove or restore certain names cannot be given in to. In all decision-making processes concerning Bible translations, various factors must be carefully considered, from the source texts, commentaries, translation traditions to the impact on the fellowship and witness of God's people together, especially in our homeland.
Finally, fully aware of our limited human abilities before God, we should offer thanks to Him who has revealed His inspired word for training in righteousness and equipping His people for every good work (2 Tim 3:16-17). It is He who has prepared people to incarnate His word of truth in different languages and cultures from time to time. All things are of Him and by Him and to Him. To Him be the glory forever and ever!
