Most Bible translations substitute “LORD” for “Yahweh” in Bible translations, as we see in the picture below. Is there any authorization to substitute “LORD” for “Yahweh”?

Notice the following accurate translation.

Isaiah 42:8 – “‘I am Yahweh, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another” (LSB). The name of Yahweh is very important to Almighty God, and in the scriptures.

THE PROBLEM

“It is almost if not quite certain that the Name was pronounced ‘Yahweh'”. (NRSV preface). That is true.

Amos 8:11 – “‘Behold, days are coming,’ declares Lord Yahweh, ‘When I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, But rather for hearing the words of Yahweh'” (LSB). “The title ‘Lord GOD’ underscores the authority and sovereignty of God, reminding the audience of His ultimate control over history and events” (Bible Hub Study Bible). 

Not quite.

Yahweh does, “Lord GOD” doesn’t.

In contradiction with the scriptures, Trinitarianism claims, “the Father is Almighty, the Son Almighty, and the Holy Spirit Almighty” (Athanasian Creed). Thus, in these churches, there is an extreme spiritual famine for hearing Biblical truth about “the only true God” Yahweh, the “Father” (John 17:1,3). “Yahweh declares, ‘ . . . My name is continually blasphemed all day long” (Isaiah 52:5 LSB).

One way this is done is by the Biblically unauthorized generic substitution of “the LORD” for “Yahweh” in their Bibles. Most Bible translations omit virtually all of the almost 7,000 appearances of God’s name from the text in the Bible’s Old Testament.

THE JUSTIFICATION

“Then the men began to call upon the name of Yahweh” (Genesis 4:26 LSB. God’s name Yahweh has a very long history of usage.

“The use of any proper name for the one and only God, as though there were other gods from whom the true God had to be distinguished . . . is inappropriate for the universal faith of the Christian Church” (NRSV preface).

This is almost unbelievable! Using God’s name that is found in the ancient Hebrew manuscripts is “inappropriate”?

NO OTHER GODS?

Have these scholars ever read such scriptures as, “you shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3), and “you shall not worship other gods” (2 Kings 17:18-19)?

How about, ‘the pains of those who have bartered for another god will be multiplied” (Psalm 16:4 LSB; NASB)?

Are they not aware that the Israelites, “went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods whom they have not known and whom He had not apportioned to them” (Deuteronomy 29:26 LSB)? No wonder that today there is “a famine . . . for hearing the words of Yahweh”!

WHAT THE SCRIPTURES TELL US

With 7,000 appearances of “Yahweh” in the Bible, more than all the other names of others, the name has an importance unlike any other, even Jesus. Substituting “LORD” for Yahweh covers up this important scriptural fact.

“The Lord God” is identified in the scriptures as “Yahweh God, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8 LSB margin; Revelation 4:8 LSB margin). Therefore, “Yahweh” is “the Lord God”, “the Almighty”. “Yahweh our God is one Yahweh” (Deuteronomy 6:4 LSB margin). 

There is only one “Almighty” who is “Yahweh”. He is not “the Lamb” Jesus Christ” (Revelation 21:22). Jesus indicated that he is not Yahweh (Matthew 22:41-46).

“Yahweh” “God” is exclusively identified in the scriptures as the “Father” (Malachi 2:10,12 LSB; NASB; 2 Corinthians 6:16-18 LSB margin).

THE SCRIPTURAL WARNINGS

When Jesus commanded his disciples then, and now, to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19), he was authorizing translations. Early Christians faithfully made many copies of the scriptures, in the form of “scrolls” (2 Timothy 4:13 LSB), “papyrus rolls and . . . parchments” (2 Timothy 4:13 NAB), which they disseminated far and wide. However, there was no authorization to change the wording of the text.

Back in the Law of Moses, the warning was given, “You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it” (Deuteronmy 4:2 LSB). This principle would also apply to copying the scriptures. No changes are authorized. 

At the end of the Bible, the warning is given, “If anyone adds anything . . . if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life” (Revelation 22:18-19 NIV). This principle can be applied to any deliberate changes of the wording of scripture in translation. Substituting “LORD” for “Yahweh” in Bible translations of the scriptures falls within this parameter.

CONCLUSION

The substitution of “LORD” for “Yahweh” in Bible translations is completely unauthorized because it violates the Bible principle of tampering with God’s word, by adding to/taking away from the Word of God.