Charles D. Lyons writes:

There is an apparent issue with your 2nd Addition translation dealing with Cepher Philippiym 2:11

The Cepher says: V.11 ~ "And that every tongue should confess that YAHUAH is YAHUSHA HAMASHIACH, to the glory of YAH the Father.

Now...This seems to be seen by many as a deliberate "trinitarian" mistranslation because your earlier version lines up with most other translations.

Many of us are beginning to question intentions because of Scripture verses such as but not limited to: B'madbar/Numbers 23:19 ~ "El is not a man that He should lie, or a son of man that He should repent. Has He said, and shall He not do it? And has He spoken, and shall He not make it good?"

Can you see how this can become an issue?

Just food for thought...

This is a great inquiry, and I am thankful that this issue has been raised between the brethren that clarity might prevail.  There is no question that the publishing of the Eth Cepher has opened a new battlefield in the heavens.  Apparently, someone is greatly upset with the work, and more importantly, greatly upset with … well, let’s see.  I think it is the notion of the divinity of MASHIACH. 

I will try to summarize our thinking. Let’s begin with the passage that has drawn the ire of those who deny MASHIACH, who deny the divinity of YAHUSHA, and who otherwise have converted to Judaism:

Philippiym (Philippians) 2:10-12

That at the name of YAHUSHA every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that YAHUAH is YAHUSHA HAMASHIACH, to the glory of YAHUAH the Father. 12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Although there are those who are calling for our death (“they should not live! . . .”), they have not yet found the passage that reads:

Qorintiym Rishon (First Corinthians) 12:1-2

NOW concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. 2 Ye know that ye were the other people, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. 3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the RUACH YAHUAH calls YAHUSHA accursed: and that no man can say that YAHUAH is YAHUSHA, but by the RUACH HAQODESH.

I guess that leaves a lot of people out.  But, let’s continue:

Yahuchanon (John) 14:9

YAHUSHA said unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet have you not known me, Philip? he that has seen me has seen the Father; and how say you then, show us the Father?

And further:

Yahuchanon (John) 17:14-22

I have given them your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 I pray not that you should take them out of the world, but that you should guard them from the evil. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them through your Truth: your Word is Truth. 18 As you have sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the Truth. 20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21 That they all may be yachad; as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be yachad in us: that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 And the glory which you gave me I have given them; that they may be yachad, even as we are yachad:

Now, there are those who are outraged with our generous interpretation of the Greek (and Aramaic, upon which we also relied for this interpretation).

So, we discuss the Greek mindset, versus the Hebrew mindset, in order to understand our translation.  The Greek mindset tends to be very linear.  A, therefore A.  While this logical premise demonstrates consistency, it does not evidence the truth; for if A is a lie, it nonetheless is A, and not B.

Hebrew thinking has been described as an onion.  You can peel off layer after layer and still have an onion.  There is a Hebrew analytic called PaRDeS – pshat, remez, dorash, sod – which helps to understand scripture.  Pshat is the plain meaning; remez is the underlying meaning, dorash is the comparative meaning, and sod is the secret meaning.

Let’s take a look at the tetragrammaton as an example.

YAHUAH in the pshat meaning is simply the name identified in 7300 passages of scripture.

The remez meaning is YAH – I AM; HU – he; HUAH – breathes life. You might be able to tell me, for instance, what your name means. 

The dorash meaning compares the name YAHUAH to A’HA’YAH ASHER A’HA’YAH, YAH, ELOHIYM, ELOAH, EL, etc.

The sod meaning is the secret or hidden meaning.  One example is yod, heh, vav, heh.  Yod, in its paleo pictograph form, means the hand. Heh, in its pictograph form means the window, i.e., to look, to behold.  Vav (some say waw, or uau), in its pictograph form, means the nail.  Therefore, one sod meaning of the tetragrammaton is behold the nail, behold the hand. 

Well, who is it who has nailed hands?

Now, let’s take a look at the two Greek words in question here: Theos and Kurios.

θεος theos (Strong’s G 2316) means in the first instance, a deity, especially (with 3588) the supreme Divinity; but also figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very:—X exceeding, God, god(-ly, -ward). 

So theos can mean in the Greek any deity, the supreme Divinity, or a magistrate.  It seems there is a lot of flexibility there.  For instance, it is possible to interpret, in strict linear application consistent with Greek thinking, the following passage:

In the beginning was the word, and the word was with the magistrate, and the word was the magistrate. 

Does that comport with the Greek, or not? Discuss.

Our next word is κυριος kurios (Strong’s G2962), which means supremacy; supreme in authority; controller.  By implication it also means Master as a respectful title: God, Lord, Master, Sir.

While many have elected to interpret this phrase as Adon, or Adonai, which would be the Hebrew alternative to the word Master, that is not necessarily the meaning of the word kurios, as at its root, it means supreme authority. 

Another word that is used for Master in the Hebrew is בַּעַל ba`al (Strong’s H1167), which means in the first instance, master.  It also means husband and lord.

Arguably, using the Greek hermeneutic again, the passage in Philippiym 2:11 could read:

And that every tongue should confess that YAHUSHA HAMASHIACH is ba’al, to the glory of YAHUAH the Father.

We did not use this interpretation, nor did we use ADON, which has been used by other scriptures, because although the word kurios may infer the word master (Adon / Ba’al), the word in its first instance means supreme authority, not just master.   

Let us consider, for a moment, the use of the word Lord in the English translations.  This word is used interchangeably for both the tetragrammaton and the word Adon/Adonai, is it not? 

The KJV, ASB, Bible in Basic English, Darby’s, Douay Rheims, Weymouth, Young’s Literal Translation, etc. say essentially the same thing by replacement. 

The World English Bible takes exactly the same position as the Eth Cepher, except that is uses its replacement for the tetragrammaton instead of the actual name: and that every tongue should confess that JESUS CHRIST is LORD, to the glory of God the Father. World English Bible.

Now there are those who, having dipped their feet into MASHIACH-denial in the world of Toviyah Singer, are upset by this interpretation, and I can understand why.  They are having the same reaction as the chief priests of the Yahudiym, and for the same reason.

Yahuchanon (John) 19:19-22

And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, YAHUSHA THE NETSERIY AND KING OF THE YAHUDIYM. 20 This title then read many of the Yahudiym: for the place where YAHUSHA was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Ivriyt, and Yavaniy, and Latin. 21 Then said the chief priests of the Yahudiym to Pilate, Write not, And King of the Yahudiym; but that he said, I am King of the Yahudiym. 22 Pilate answered, What I have written I have written.

Now, let’s consider this sign in Hebrew shall we?

               יהושע  

                הנזים

                 ומלכ             

            היהודים

The acronym, should you choose to accept it, is Y H V H. 

Nothing further.