Khoda - I like it - I think ...

Submitted by Oliver (United States), Mar 11, 2008 at 23:31

zzazzeefrazzee

Forgive me if I continue to ignore your disparaging remarks – be assured I am not ignoring you.

Thank you for finally answering one of my questions from many posts ago. As I perceive from the dictionary entries you provided, Khoda appears to be what ‘I' would define as a generic term to refer to either ‘god' or ‘God' or ‘g-d' or ‘G-d'. It does not appear to have ever been the ‘Name' of an ancient Persian god – it looks to be comparable to the Hebrew term Elohim; the Greek term Theos and the English term God. Are you in the mood for some ‘poetry'?

Jesus – Jesus – Jesus

There's just something about that Name

Master (Khoda) – Savior – Jesus

Like the fragrance after the rain

Jesus – Jesus – Jesus

Let all heaven and earth proclaim

Kings and kingdoms will all pass away

But – there's something about that Name.

If you overheard someone say ‘god damn it!' would you know what god this person is talking to? If that person does not ‘know' the true god then s/he must be speaking out of ignorance or perhaps habit. Now you will say that this is an unacceptable statement for Christians – Jews – Muslims and I would agree, however my ‘real world' (especial Military) experience suggests that this kind of usage of the term ‘god' is lamentably very common in modern American English. I believe ignorance and habit are major factors for this phenomenon. I want to make it perfectly clear that I do not oppose the use of any word of any language for the English word ‘god' so long as it carries the same connotation of meaning as the Greek word Theos or the Hebrew word Elohim.

Exo 3:6 He said also, "I am the Elohim of your fathers, the Elohim of Abraham, the Elohim of Isaac, and the Elohim of Jacob." Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at Elohim.

Exo 3:15 Elohim, furthermore, said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'YHVH, the Elohim of your fathers, the Elohim of Abraham, the Elohim of Isaac, and the Elohim of Jacob, has sent me to you.' This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations.

Isa 42:5 Thus says Elohim, YHVH, who created the heavens and …

Isa 42:6 "I am YHVH; I have called you in righteousness …

Isa 42:8 I am YHVH; that is my name; my glory I give to no other …

In Exo 3:6 the word Elohim appears 5 times in the Hebrew – yet in the Arabic the first 4 times it is translated with Ilah and the last time with Allah – why not Ilah or Allah all 5 times? This smacks of deception to my way of thinking.

In all of these verses it is YHVH that is speaking – He refers to Himself as Elohim but He reveals and confirms His NAME to be YHVH not Elohim. Elohim is NOT a NAME of GOD. I am aiming at clarity of thought / meaning not agreement – it matters not to me whether we ever reach agreement – the only reason I persist is that neither of us seem to have a clear understanding of the other's position.

So let me ask, as clearly as I can:

From your perspective (or the perspective of Arabic speaking ‘Christians'), does Allah carry the same connotation of meaning as the Greek word Theos? Yes or No?

Was Allah the name of the principle god of the ancient Arabian pantheon that still existed at the advent of Islam? Yes or No?

Is Allah the name of the one and only, true and living god – the creator god – the god of Abraham – the god of Isaac – the god of Jacob – the god of Moses – the god of Jesus? Yes or No?

Could I make the following statement, in the presence of English speaking Muslims in an Islamic country and survive?

Zeus, the name of an ancient Greek Allah, was the principle Allah of the ancient Greek pantheon of pagan Allah.

YES or NO?

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