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In this episode, we explore the historical and theological evolution of the divine name in translation, tracing a path from the early Latin Vulgate to the modern digital age. We begin by examining the tension within the Protestant Reformation, where figures like Martin Luther and John Calvin criticized the "foul superstition" of replacing God's personal name with titles, yet often succumbed to tradition in their own Bibles. This chapter highlights the bold stand of Casiodoro de Reina, whose 1569 Spanish translation remains a landmark for its insistence that substituting the Tetragrammaton with "Lord" is a "singular sacrilege" that violates the integrity of the biblical text.

The second half of the discussion shifts to the modern era, where we dissect the "flip-flopping" of major 20th and 21st-century versions. From the American Standard Version’s restoration of "Jehovah" to the subsequent reversals in the RSV and CSB, we look at how linguistic accuracy often loses the battle against liturgical familiarity and the financial pressures of the Bible publishing industry. We conclude by looking at the rise of the Sacred Name Movement and contemporary "Literal" versions, questioning whether modern translations are prioritising reader comfort over the specific, personal identity God revealed to the prophets.

Part 10 - Pronouncing & Translating the Divine Name - Traditions from the Reformations to the Present