Sacred Scriptures Bethel Edition

Sacred Name Bible

Sacred Scriptures Bethel Edition

Photograph of the 2001 issue of the SSBE

Abbreviation| SSBE
OT published| 1981
NT published| 1981
Derived from| English Revised Version 1881–1885
Textual basis| NT: Westcott and Hort 1881 and Tregelles 1857, (Reproduced in a single, continuous, form in Palmer 1881). OT: Masoretic Text with some Septuagint influence).
Translation type| Formal equivalence
Reading level| High school
Copyright| 1981
Religious affiliation| Assemblies of Yahweh

Genesis 1:1–3

In the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the earth. And the earth had become waste and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep: and the Spirit of Elohim moved upon the face of the waters. And Elohim said, Let there be light: and there was light.

John 3:16

For Yahweh so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes on him should not perish, but have eternal life.

The Sacred Scriptures Bethel Edition (SSBE) is a Sacred Name Bible which uses the names Yahweh and Yahshua in both the Old and New Testaments (Chamberlin p. 51-3). 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 of the first edition in 1981.[1] It is also used by some members of the Sacred Name Movement.

## History

[edit]

### Use

[edit]

In the early years of the ministry, Jacob O. Meyer, the Directing Elder of the Assemblies of Yahweh, would preach using a King James Version (KJV) Bible, simply replacing Lord, Jesus and God by Yahweh and Yahshua.

> Throughout this time, Elder Meyer longed for the opportunity to produce a scholarly version of the Bible, with correct use of the Sacred Names and with translation errors corrected to give a good representation of the historically accepted Hebrew and Greek base texts

> — Sacred Name Broadcaster, January 2012, p.14<[2]

The KJV presented a problem in that as pointed out by Bible scholars, there are numerous errors in the text. During the late 19th century and into the early 20th century, a number of notable Bible translations came about which were more accurate than their predecessor, the KJV. These include the American Standard Version, the New International Version and the New American Standard Bible. The year 1966 saw the significant progressive step of a Bible produced by the Roman Catholic Church, the Jerusalem Bible. In their effort to be literal with their translation they retained the Sacred Name Yahweh in the Old Testament texts, but as a limited Sacred Name Bible did not include it in the New Testament texts. Other limited Sacred Name Bibles were produced such as the Anchor Bible, but none which seamlessly retained Yahweh (or indeed Yahshua) throughout the texts. This was one of the main reasons why the Sacred Scriptures Bethel Edition came in to being.

### Based on the ASV

[edit]

As Meyer studied Hebrew and Greek and the original texts, Meyer came to believe that most false doctrines found in modern religious teaching originated from the translation of the text into modern language, not from the original texts. For example, the SSBE does not use the term "cross" but rather "stake" or "pole" in reference to the death fixture used on the Messiah because in the underlying text, the term stauros or xulon is used, which does not mean a cross but rather an upright stake. As a basis for the SSBE translation, Meyer chose the ASV as a basis, as he noticed that professors would often comment that it was the English translation that would provide the best approximation of the original.[citation needed] Meyer wrote in the preface of the Sacred Scriptures Bethel Edition:

> The American Standard Version published in 1901 was probably the most accurate translation work ever put in to print. It maintains the delicate balance of providing a very literal translation while simultaneously preserving a fair amount of ethnic idiom evident in the text.

> — Preface, Sacred Scriptures Bethel Edition

### Joint effort

[edit]

As Meyer wished the Assemblies of Yahweh to be in complete unity, with all reading from the same Bible, rather than different people reading different versions, Meyer put out an annual report around the Feast of Tabernacles in 1980.

> When the assembled brethren would read from the Bible, in unison, there was anything but a unified sound. Some would be reading from the KJV, some from the Holy Name Bible, and several from other available translations. Rather than a unified voice of praise reading from Yahweh's Psalms, what was heard could almost be described as cacophony

> — Sacred Name Broadcaster, January 2012, p.15[3]

In the annual report, he announced that the project of producing an accurate Bible translation would go forth for the glory of Almighty Yahweh. Firstly, the funds had to be acquired for typesetting, printing and binding expenses, as well as the cost of time spent reviewing, editing and making corrections. Donations came in from all over the world to complete the project. That, with securing a loan from the bank, made it possible to advance this project. In the Spring – Summer of 1981, editing was done to the text, assisted by office staff and Obadiah School of the Bible students. Because the editing work was being done in a time before the computer technology became common, editorial changes were all done by hand by Meyer. Yahweh and Yahshua were put back in the text to replace LORD and Jesus, and the Hebrew titles Elohim, Eloah and El were also restored to the texts. Further, the Shakespearean English was updated to reflect the usage of language in the 20th century.

> Indeed this was an ambitious undertaking for a small organization with limited resources, but Elder Meyer assured all that were present that Yahweh would provide and the work would press forward in faith.

> — Sacred Name Broadcaster, January 2012, p.16[4]

### Published and distributed

[edit]

The manuscripts were completed by in 1981. The Sacred Scriptures Bethel Edition went to press and was delivered to the International Headquarters between December 1981 and January 1982. The Assemblies of Yahweh have continuously put the SSBE open at Psalm 101 to Psalm 103 on display at the altar table of the Bethel Meeting Hall.

> The Sacred Scriptures Bethel Edition has been the standard and accepted Bible used in all Assemblies of Yahweh worship services and publications since its release in 1982. Now, when passages are read aloud by the congregation, the joyful sound of a unified voice is heard and an inspiring moment is enjoyed by all.

> — Sacred Name Broadcaster, January 2012, p.16[4]

## Sacred names

[edit]

Main articles: Yahweh and Yahshua

## Yahweh

[edit]

Sacred Name supporters often cite from passages such as Isaiah 42:8 where, in the original Hebrew texts, Yahweh (יהוה) is found. The name is found approximately 7,000 times in the Hebrew Scriptures. Some claim that the pronunciation was lost, or unknown. However, most prominent, authoritative reference works today support the view that the Name Yahweh was known, and is the most accurate spelling in to the English language.[5][6] The Encyclopedia Judaica makes the following statement:

> The true pronunciation of the name YHWH was never lost. Several early Greek writers of the Christian Church testify that the name was pronounced Yahweh.

> — Encyclopaedia Judaica, vol.7, pp. 679–680 (1971) "God, Names of"

Prominent religious leaders have agreed that Yahweh cannot be translated into any word exactly (Herbert Armstrong, pp. 128 – 129). The Assemblies of Yahweh transliterate the Name. Some Bible translators point out that the reason for not pronouncing Yahweh and producing the form Jehovah, was due to a misunderstanding of Jewish tradition (Anchor Bible, page XIV). Bible translations such as the Rotherham's Emphasized Bible, the Anchor Bible, and the Jerusalem Bible have retained the name Yahweh in the Old Testament. The SSBE is one of the few English Bible translations that uses Yahweh in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.

> We have restored the Sacred Name and the Sacred titles to the English texts.

> — Preface, The Language of the Bible

The Assemblies of Yahweh point out that Yahweh's Word and Law prohibits the usage of other names to address Yahweh in scriptures like Exodus 23:13, Joshua 23:7, Psalm 16:4 and Psalm 44:20-21.

## Yahshua

[edit]

The term Yeshua is the most popular choice to the proper transliteration of Jesus' name, however, the Assemblies of Yahweh point out that 'Ye' was used as a substitute for 'Yah' by the Jews to prevent the Name of Yahweh (Yah) appearing in proper nouns largely owing to a misunderstanding of the third commandment. The explanation of the name of Yahshua appears in Matthew 1:21 where it tells us that 'he shall save his people from their sins'. The AOY explain that the 'he' relates to Yahweh, while the 'save his people' element relates to one of the four Hebrew verbs meaning salvation, most likely 'Yahsha'. Here is reflected the name of the Messiah. The attempted transliteration of the Hebrew name into English by most Bible translations give the variation "Jehoshua". However, the form Jehoshua is questionable in that firstly, the vowel points which dictate this form of transliteration are less ancient than the letters of the word having been introduced between 600 and 900 C.E.

The Assemblies of Yahweh consistently treat both Sacred Names the same, rejecting the vowel points later added to the Name Yahweh (יהוה), and the name Yahshua (יהושע), as it produces a hybrid word i.e. Jehoshua. According to Josephus, in The Jewish War, Book 5, Chapter 5, Section 7, as well as Hebrew grammar books, the first three letters of the Sacred Name are actually vowels. When the Name Yahweh appears in the name of a person, it was always intended to be abbreviated by using the form 'Yah' (יה). The whole Tetragrammaton is never applied to the name of a mortal in the Sacred Scriptures, only the abbreviated form.

Since these letters are vowels and not consonants, Meyer explains it is impossible to pronounce them as YEHU. They must be pronounced YAHW as they are equivalent to the English vowels IAU. Jacob O. Meyer writes:

> Therefore, the first three letters are pronounced as one syllable and waw (ו) draws out the hay (ה) so that instead of a short exhalation as is normal at the end of the hay, the sound emerges as YAHW. Try saying it to yourself

> — What is the Messiah's Name, by Elder Jacob O. Meyer

The last two letters of the savior's name is שע. It is pronounced "shua" as according to the Strong's Concordance #8668. Hence you have the name Yahshua.

In explaining the reason for the Sacred Scriptures Bethel Edition, Meyer writes:

> However, the text of this volume was maintained in strict majesty of expression as befits the Word of our Heavenly Father Yahweh and His Son, Yahshua the Messiah. We have not resorted to the modern corrupt slang common in American English. While striving to make the text of the Bible more understandable for the modern reader, the majesty with which the Bible should be comprehended was not sacrificed; therefore, this text emphasizes our need to think of our Heavenly Father and Messiah on a higher level. We hope you will enjoy The Sacred Scriptures Bethel Edition. Read and accept it as the very Word of our Heavenly Father Yahweh. May Almighty Yahweh by His Holy Spirit bless all who read His Word and come to love it more deeply with each passing day. In Yahshua the Messiah's Name, HalleluYah.

> — The Sacred Name Broadcaster, January 2012. Meyer, Jacob. p.21

## Notable aspects

[edit]

### Preface section

[edit]

The SSBE is distinguishable by its preface section, which describes the setting, language and name of the Bible. Evidence is offered to show how the rendering Jehovah is a serious mispronunciation of the Tetragrammaton. Among some of the terms used by scholars to describe the name Jehovah are "morphological monstrosity"[7] and a "mispronunciation".[8][9][10]

Meyer wrote in the Sacred Name Broadcaster:

> We as humans cannot choose the name which we personally wish to call him. He has already named himself!

[11]

Also, "the best transliteration of this name into English is spelled Yahweh, and is so pronounced".[11] They therefore reject the English titles for God's name, claiming to trace such titles etymologically to the worship of other deities.[citation needed]

### Corrected terms and glossary

[edit]

The Sacred Scriptures Bethel Edition is a Bible which attempts to restore the original words, which would have appeared in the original texts, by restoring the names Yahweh and Yahshua to the text and other words. In a Pure Religious Vocabulary section,  Meyer  explains that changes have occurred in the usages of the English words themselves over the centuries, and that we should return to the original texts as closely as we can. Meyer admonishes the reader of the Pure Religious Glossary section of the Bible to be like the  noble Bereans and prove these scholarly items relating to the origin of some of the words for themselves. [12]

Here are just some of the corrected terms used along with their definitions:

>   * Christ - A Greek term which translates "anointed." Some scholars have linked it with the Hindu idol Krishna.[13] The Greeks actually had no ceremony for installing leaders by pouring oil on them as did the Israelite's, therefore, the word Christ was not comprehended by the masses. As a corrupted form, it is not used by the True Worshipers, who have found it to convey a distorted picture of the Hebrew Messiah.
>   * God - a term used to indicate any object of worship, but commonly employed to designate the Almighty. It is clearly linked etymologically with the worship of  fortune, good luck, also a molten image.[14]
>   * Gospel - Specifically, either one of the first four books of the New Testament or in general, the good news of the salvation in Yahshua the Messiah. Its use is avoided by the True Worshiper because of its etymological link to "God". The Greek word euaggelion, which it translates actually means "Good News" or "Glad Tidings".
>   * Jesus - A Greek-Latin name assumed to be that of the Hebrew Messiah and Savior. Its use is studiously avoided by all followers of Yahshua, whose Name means "Yahweh is salvation".
>   * Lord - A common term for "master, ruler." Its use is equated with that of the Hebrew word "baal" [15] \- a pagan unacceptable word to the True Worship and abhorred by Yahweh
>   * Church - a term commonly equated with any religious group. Tracing etymologically to the pagan idol Circe, it also denotes a building rather than a group of people. It bears no relationship to the Greek ecclesia, "a called out assembly of believers".

The glossary of terms briefly traces and presents the etymology of words used frequently by Christian theologians that the translator and scholar  Meyer claims are pagan in origin.[16]

## Editions

[edit]

The Bible in English

* List of English Bible translations
* Old English (pre-1066)
* Middle English (1066–1500)
* Early Modern English (1500–1800)
* Modern Christian (1800– )
* Modern Jewish (1853– )

* * *

Main category: Bible translations into English

Bible portal

* v
* t
* e

The Assemblies of Yahweh continue to use the SSBE as their preferred text. As of 2016[update], it has undergone seven printings: 1981, 1986, 1989, 1993, 1997, 2001, 2008. The Sacred Scriptures Bethel Edition is available at at least one library in England[17][non-primary source needed] and at least one in the United States[18] and is used at Dalet School and Obadiah School of the Bible, both in Bethel, Pennsylvania.[citation needed]. The Sacred Scriptures Bethel Edition is also available on the Kindle, which can be downloaded to smartphones or used on tablets. It has a 4.7 / 5 star rating on Amazon.

## See also

[edit]

* Names and titles of God in the New Testament
* Nomina sacra

## Notes

[edit]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Paul (2003), pp. 162, 163.
2. ^ Meyer (2012), p. 14.
3. ^ Meyer (2012), p. 15.
4. ^ a b Meyer (2012), p. 16.
5. ^ J.D Douglas. New Bible Dictionary, (Wm. B Eerdman's Pub. Co(c) 1962) p. 9.)
6. ^ "Yahweh" Encyclopædia Britannica, 15th Edition
7. ^ Job introduction". Anchor Bible, Volume 15, page XIV
8. ^ "Jehovah". Encyclopædia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 15, p 311.
9. ^ "Jehovah" Jewish Encyclopedia Vol. 7. p 87.
10. ^ "Names of God, YHWH" Jewish Encyclopedia Vol.9. pp 160–165.
11. ^ a b Sacred Name Broadcaster, (4/1987), Radio Message: A Name That Endures Forever, a publication of the Assemblies of Yahweh; Meyer, Elder Jacob
12. ^ Meyer, Jacob. Sacred Scriptures Bethel Edition, A Pure Religious Vocabulary. Assemblies of Yahweh. p. 1.
13. ^ Arya, Ravi Prakash. Jesus Christ A Misnomer of Lord Krishna of India : Jesus Story Revisited. ISBN 9788187710608.
14. ^ "God" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 12 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 169.
15. ^ Botica, Aurelian. "The Theophoric element Baal in Ancient Phoenician Inscriptions." Perichoresis 10.1 (2012): 67-93.
16. ^ Meyer, Jacob (February 2012). "A Pure Religious Vocabulary" (PDF). The Sacred Name Broadcaster: 13–16.
17. ^ "Yahweh Yehōs︠h︡uaʻ : the sacred scriptures : Bethel edition | WorldCat.org". www.worldcat.org. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
18. ^ "Ramseyer Bibliography - Bible in English". D.umn.edu. 1 March 2001. Retrieved 21 July 2012.

### Bibliography

[edit]

* Chamberlin, William J., Catalogue of English Bible Translations: A Classified Bibliography of Versions and Editions Including Books, Parts, and Old and New Testament Apocrypha ... and Indexes in Religious Studies
* Meyer, Jacob O., The Memorial Name Yahweh, U.S.A, Bethel PA: Assemblies of Yahweh
* Meyer, Solomon E. (January 2012). "The Sacred Scriptures, Bethel Edition, 1981-2011" (PDF). Sacred Name Broadcaster.
* Paul, William (2003). "Jacob O. Meyer". English Language Bible Translators. McFarland, NC: Jefferson & Co.

## External links

[edit]

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article "Jehovah".

* Media related to Sacred Scriptures Bethel Edition at Wikimedia Commons
* Official Assemblies of Yahweh site

* v
* t
* e

English-language translations of the Bible

5th–11th century|

* Wessex Gospels
* Hatton Gospels
* Old English Hexateuch
* Old English Bible translations

Middle English|

* Wycliffe
* Middle English Bible translations

16th–17th century|

* Tyndale
* Coverdale
* Matthew
* Great Bible
* Taverner
* Geneva
* Bishops'
* Douay–Rheims (DRV)
* King James (KJV)

18th–19th century|

* Challoner
* Brenton's Septuagint
* Webster's
* Young's Literal (YLT)
* Revised (RV)
* Living Oracles
* Darby
* Emphatic Diaglott
* Joseph Smith
* Quaker
* Julia E. Smith Parker Translation

20th century|

* American Standard (ASV)
* Rotherham's Emphasized
* Ferrar Fenton
* Moffatt, New Translation
* Knox
* Basic English (BBE)
* Revised Standard (RSV)
* Anchor
* New World (NWT)
* Modern Language (MLB)
* New English (NEB)
* Living English (BLE)
* New American Standard (NASB)
* Good News (GNB)
* Jerusalem (JB)
* New American (NAB)
* Living
* New International (NIV)
* New Century (NCV)
* Bethel
* New King James (NKJV)
* New Jerusalem (NJB)
* Green's Literal Translation (GLT)
* Recovery
* Christian Community (CCB)
* New Revised Standard (NRSV)
* Revised English (REB)
* Contemporary English (CEV)
* The Message (MSG)
* Clear Word (TCW)
* New Life (NLV)
* 21st Century King James (KJ21)
* Third Millennium (TMB)
* New International Reader's (NIrV)
* New International Inclusive Language
* God's Word
* New Living (NLT)
* Heinz Cassirer's translation
* Complete Jewish Bible
* International Standard (ISV)
* Holman Christian Standard (HCSB)
* Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
* The Holy Bible from Ancient Eastern Manuscripts

| Hebrew Bible|

* Jewish Publication Society of America Version
* New Jewish Publication Society of America Tanakh

|

New Testament|

* Worrell
* Phillips

Partial|

* Four Prophets (Phillips)

21st century|

* Palmarian Bible (SH)
* World English (WEB)
* World Messianic
* English Standard (ESV)
* Today's New International (TNIV)
* New English (NET)
* Ignatius (RSV2CE)
* The Voice
* Common English (CEB)
* Apostolic Bible Polyglot
* New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE)
* Lexham English
* The Orthodox Jewish
* Original Aramaic Bible in Plain English
* Divine Name King James
* Names of God
* Tree of Life Bible
* Modern English (MEV)
* Literal English (LEV)
* Christian Standard (CSB)
* The Passion Translation (TPT)
* Revised New Jerusalem (RNJB)
* Evangelical Heritage (EHV)
* New Heart English Bible, Jehovah Edition (NHEB-JE)
* Legacy Standard (LSB)
* Antioch Bible
* Tree of Life Version (TLV)
* Berean Standard (BSB)
* Majority Standard (MSB)
* Free Bible Version (FBV)

| Hebrew Bible|

* Alter

|

Septuagint|

* New English Translation of the Septuagint

Study Bibles|

* Haydock Bible
* Life Application Study Bible
* Oxford Annotated Bible
* Reformation Study Bible
* Scofield Reference Bible
* Thompson Chain-Reference Bible
* Dake Annotated Reference Bible
* Logos International Study Bible
* Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible
* MacArthur Study Bible
* Ryrie Study Bible
* The Wesley Study Bible
* The Lutheran Study Bible
* Orthodox Study Bible
* Study Bible for NIV
* Study Bible for ESV
* Study Bible for NLT
* Study Bible for GNT
* New Interpreter's Study Bible
* Reflecting God Study Bible
* Archaeological Study Bible
* The Life with God Study Bible
* The Green Bible

Picture Bibles|

* The Brick Bible
* The Manga Bible
* The Action Bible

Modern Dialectal & Slang|

* Glasgow
* LOLCat

Notable publishers|

* Cambridge University Press
* Oxford University Press
* American Bible Society
* Zondervan
* Thomas Nelson
* Tyndale House
* HarperCollins
* Holman
* Lockman Foundation
* Crossway
* Hendrickson Publisher
* Ignatius Press
* Saint Benedict Press
* Baronius Press

Additional lists|

* List of English Bible translations
* Old English (pre-1066)
* Middle English (1066–1500)
* Early Modern English (1500–1800)
* Modern Christian (1800–)
* Modern Jewish (1853–)

* v
* t
* e

Assemblies of Yahweh

* Jacob O. Meyer
* Radio station WMLK
* Sacred Scriptures Bethel Edition Bible

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template