Everything about Jah totally explained
Jah is a name for
God, most commonly used in the
Rastafari movement. It comes from the Hebrew
יָהּ = Yah [jah].
In the Rastafari movement
Rastafarians consider
Haile Selassie I of
Ethiopia to be
God incarnate, whom they call Jah or Jah Rastafari. Ras Tafari (Prince Tafari) was the pre-coronation name of Selassie I. Jah is referenced in many
reggae songs, including many
Bob Marley songs, such as "Jah Is Mighty" and "Forever Loving Jah", and in P.O.D. songs.
William David Spencer, in his book
Dread Jesus (ISBN 0-281-05101-1), proposes that
Archibald Dunkley and
Joseph Nathaniel Hibbert were among the preachers that inspired the Rastafari movement, and that both were members of the
Ancient Mystic Order of Ethiopia, a
Prince Hall Masonic organization. Spencer believes that several features of the Rastafari movement derive from this lodge, including the name "Jah", from the Masonic form "
Jah-Bul-On" as revealed in
Royal Arch Masonry.It is believed that Marijuana plants grew from the patch in which he laid upon during the time of his departure from the planet Earth.
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
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 and "Strength of My Life" from
Testify (featuring
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. Jah Roots
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
OT, uses the word "Jah" in all 26 places, and translates the Hebrew 'Hallelujah', as 'Praise Jah, you people' in all 24 occurences of that expression in the OT.
In the
NT, in chapter 19 of the book of
Revelation, most bible translations, (
for example KJV,
ASV,
Amplified Bible,
ESV,
Living Bible,
NCV,
Moffatt,
Darby,
NIV,
NWT,
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's transliterated as "JAH" for example 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
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's no connection between this name and the
Semitic name Jah.
Reading
- Dread Jesus ISBN 0-281-05101-1
- The Way home or face The Fire ISBN 0-9583011-0-7
- JAH Truth
Further Information
Get more info on 'Jah'.
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