Jah 97293 225709407 2008-07-15T00:45:58Z 67.130.210.122 /* Iah */ '''Jah''' ({{pronEng|ˈdʒɑː}}) is a name for [[God]], most commonly used in the [[Rastafari movement]]. It comes from the Hebrew '''יָהּ''' = Yah {{IPA|[jah]}}. ==Other uses== Jah (Yah) is often used as a shortened form of the name [[Jehovah]] or [[Yahweh]]. Thus, the term [[Hallelujah]] would mean "Praise Jah", or "Praise ye the [[LORD]]" (Psalm 104:35 [[King James Version|KJV]] and footnote). In the West Indies, the recent popularity of Christian [[reggae]] has led to the use of the names "Jah" and "I and I" in [[Christian]] circles, especially among younger believers. This term is also used in [[Christian hip hop]], typically for no reason but to rhyme, by such artists as [[KJ-52]] and Pigeon John of [[LA Symphony]]. [[P.O.D.]] has also controversially popularized Rastafarian terms such as "Jah" among young Christians. According to the band, they use such terms to refer to elements of the Bible. Songs such as "The Messenjah" from ''[[Satellite (album)|Satellite]]'' and "Strength of My Life" from ''[[Testify (P.O.D. album)|Testify]]'' (featuring [[Matisyahu (reggae artist)|Matisyahu]]) explicitly use common Rastafarian terms to describe elements of [[Christianity]] and [[Judaism]]. Matisyahu has also used Rastafarian terminology (particularly on his debut album ''[[Shake Off the Dust...Arise]]''), but never to the same extent. In the original text of the [[Hebrew Bible]], "Jah" occurs 50 times, 26 times alone and 24 times in the term "Hallelujah" (see footnote to Psalm 104:35 KJV). The [[Jehovah's Witnesses]]' [[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures]], in the [[Old Testament|OT]], uses the word "Jah" in all 26 places, and translates the Hebrew 'Hallelujah', as 'Praise Jah, you people' in all 24 occurrences of that expression in the OT. In the [[New Testament|NT]], in chapter 19 of the book of [[Revelation]], most bible translations, (''e.g.'' [[King James Version|KJV]], [[American Standard Version|ASV]], [[Amplified Bible]], [[English Standard Version|ESV]], [[Living Bible]], [[New Century Version|NCV]], [[Moffatt, New Translation|Moffatt]], [[Darby]], [[New International Version|NIV]], [[New World Translation|NWT]], [[Revised Standard Version|RSV]].) include 'jah' four times in the word "Hallelujah", this word being a direct transliteration of the Greek expression 'Hallelujah'. In the [[King James Version of the Bible]] it is transliterated as "JAH" i.e. all capital letters, in a single instance (Psalm 68:4). The ''[[An American Translation]]'' renders the Hebrew word as "Yah" in this verse. The complete [[Tetragrammaton]] is [[Yahuah|not]] always rendered as Jehovah. Rotherham's ''Emphasised Bible'' includes 49 uses of Jah. [[Masoretic]] [[Tanach]]: [[Psalms]] 68:19, יָהּ אֱלֹהִים - Yah [[Elohim]]. Due to the frequent use of the word, in some parts of the world, notably [[South Africa]], a Rastafarian is colloquially referred to as Jahman. ==Iah== Jah is also an alternative spelling of the name of the Egyptian deity [[Iah]], however, there is no connection between this name and the [[Semitic]] name Jah. ==Reading== *''The Way home or face The Fire'' ISBN 0-9583011-0-7 *[http://www.jahtruth.net/ JAH Truth] ==References== <references/> [[Category:Rastafari]] [[Category:Names of God]] [[Category:Deities in the Hebrew Bible]] [[da:Jah]] [[el:Γιαχ]] [[fr:Jah]] [[it:Jah]] [[ja:ヤハ]] [[no:Jah]] [[nn:Jah]] [[pl:Jah]] [[pt:Jah]] [[ru:Джа]] [[sl:dža]]