Background
Luke 3:4 is one of the 237 instances where the New World Translation (NWT) uses Jehovah:
just as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of Jehovah! Make his roads straight. (NWT)
As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. (ESV)
As stated John the Baptist has quoted Isaiah:
A voice of one calling out in the wilderness: “Clear up the way of Jehovah! Make a straight highway through the desert for our God. (Isaiah 40:3 NWT)
A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. (Isaiah 40:3 ESV)
קֹול קֹורֵא בַּמִּדְבָּר פַּנּוּ דֶּרֶךְ יְהוָה יַשְּׁרוּ בָּעֲרָבָה מְסִלָּה לֵאלֹהֵֽינוּ
The ESV renders the name יְהוָה as LORD. This is a convention which the NWT disputes, believing the Name should be translated. Scholars do not agree on the correct pronunciation, but the NWT states it is "Jehovah" and translates accordingly.1
Thus, the NWT is consistent in treating both the verse in Isaiah and it's citation in Luke by using "Jehovah." Moreover, about 200 years before John, Isaiah had been translated into Greek:
φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν κυρίου εὐθείας ποιεῗτε τὰς τρίβους τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν
The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight the paths of our God. (LXX)
As the NWT notes, no definite article was used: יְהוָה was translated simply as κυρίου and so far as the Name is concerned, one could say the use of "Jehovah" in Luke 3:4 is justified. However, this fails to consider whether John quoted the Greek version of Isaiah and said: "ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν κυρίου εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους αὐτοῦ." In other words, John could have done the same thing the LXX translator did: he avoided using the Name and said "κυρίου." In this case, John simply used the convention established by the LXX and the correct translation is "Lord."
The Greek Isaiah
The New Testament supports understanding John was quoting from the Greek translation of Isaiah. First, the Hebrew Isaiah has מְסִלָּה which means highway (singular). Yet all New Testament witnesses2
have the plural of τρίβος, which means a beaten path. The NWT fails to accurately reflect John's use of Isaiah:
NWT: Prepare the way of Jehovah! Makes his roads straight.
ESV: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
The NWT Study Bible explains the choice of "roads:"
May allude to the custom of ancient rulers to have men prepare the way before the royal chariot by removing large stones and even building causeways and leveling hills.3
This is accurate for the Hebrew Isaiah, but not for the Greek which John used. According to all New Testament writers, John used the plural "τρίβος" for Isaiah's singular "highway." This reflects the Greek Isaiah, which incorrectly rendered מְסִלָּה (a singular highway) as τρίβους (plural paths):
The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight the paths of our God.
φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν κυρίου εὐθείας ποιεῗτε τὰς τρίβους τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν
"Path(s)" is the better choice as can be seen in Psalm 119 [118]:
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (119:105 ESV)
Your word is a lamp to my foot, And a light for my path. (119:105 NWT)
נֵר־לְרַגְלִי דְבָרֶךָ וְאֹור לִנְתִיבָתִֽי
Thy law is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my paths.
ιδʹ νουν λύχνος τοῗς ποσίν μου ὁ λόγος σου καὶ φῶς ταῗς τρίβοις μου [LXX 118:105]
As all three translations show, it is the Hebrew נָתִיב (not מְסִלָּה of Isaiah) which is more accurately rendered into Greek as τρίβους. (Note as in Isaiah, the LXX changed the singular to plural.)
The LXX translator of Isaiah (undoubtedly using Greek logic) recognized the incongruity of "a voice calling in the wilderness to prepare a highway" and made a logical change to use τρίβοις, paths. While a translator pondering the meaning might struggle how best to convey the passage in Greek, John would have no difficulties with either language. The fact he used "plural paths" shows John quoted from the Greek translation of Isaiah not the Hebrew.
In Luke there is a second example showing John used the Greek Isaiah:
Every valley must be filled up, and every mountain and hill leveled; the crooked ways must become straight, and the rough ways smooth; and all flesh will see the salvation of God.’”
(Luke 3:5-6 NWT)
Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’” (Luke 3:5-6 ESV)
Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” (Isaiah 40:4-5 ESV)
Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low: and all the crooked shall become straight, and the rough plains. And the glory of the Lord shall appear, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God: for the Lord has spoken. (Isaiah 40:4-5 LXX)
From Luke 3:5, it is clear John is quoting from the LXX:
Every valley must be filled up...(Luke 3:5 NWT)
Every valley shall be filled...(Luke 3:5 ESV)
Every valley shall be filled... (Isaiah 40:4 LXX)
Every valley shall be lifted up... (Isaiah 40:4 ESV)
As with a "highway in the wilderness", the LXX translator made another logical change from the Hebrew text: valleys should be "filled" or "filled up" not "lifted" or "lifted up."
Hebrews
Another example where the NWT ignores the Greek text of the New Testament when quoting the Old Testament is seen in the book of Hebrews:
And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again, “Behold, I and the children God has given me.” (2:13 ESV)
And again: “I will put my trust in him.” And again: “Look! I and the young children, whom Jehovah gave me.” (2:13 NWT)
The second part of the verse in Hebrews is also taken from Isaiah:
Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. (8:18 ESV)
Look! I and the children whom Jehovah has given me are as signs and as miracles in Israel from Jehovah of armies, who resides on Mount Zion. (8:18 NWT)
As with John the Baptist's use of Isaiah, the NWT looks to the Hebrew Isaiah and renders the name יְהוָה as Jehovah when translating both books.
However, as in the case of John the Baptist, the writer of Hebrews is quoting from the LXX:
Behold I and the children which God has given me: and they shall be signs and wonders in the house of Israel from the Lord of hosts, who dwells in mount Sion. (LXX)
ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ καὶ τὰ παιδία ἅ μοι ἔδωκεν ὁ θεός καὶ ἔσται εἰς σημεῗα καὶ τέρατα ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ Ισραηλ παρὰ κυρίου σαβαωθ ὃς κατοικεῗ ἐν τῷ ὄρει Σιων
The LXX translator chose to use ὁ θεός not κυρίου. Thus the NWT's use of "Jehovah" is not only inaccurate, it is even more egregious because the Greek has the definite article, which according to their position, does not mean the Name.
Conclusion
The New Testament writers use of Isaiah in Matthew, Mark, and Luke and Hebrews is from the LXX which the Jehovah Witness translation replaces "Lord" and "(the) God" with "Jehovah" for reasons apart from their stated translation philosophy.
These examples do not speak directly to the use in Mark 13:20 or other places where the NWT elected to use "Jehovah;" however, it does demonstrate two aspects of the New World Translation:
- It contains deviations from a correct rendering of the Greek texts
- These deviations appear to be driven by a position on the Hebrew name יְהוָה, which is at odds with New Testament writers use of "Lord" and "God".
4
Since the NWT does not apply a consistent textual standard for the decision to render the Greek κύριος as Jehovah, I conclude this is done selectively to create a New Testament which follows a predetermined position rather than an attempt to objectively translate the New Testament.
Notes:
1. There is no "J" letter or sound in Hebrew. יְהוָה begins with "yod" and a phonetically accurate rendering would use the English "Y" - Yahweh or Yehovah, for example.
2. Matthew (3:3) and Mark (1:3), the only times τρίβος is used in the New Testament.
3. Notes from Matthew 3:3 New World Translation Study Bible
4. Overall, it seems the NWT is intent on producing a New Testament which is complete agreement with their position regarding the Name. In both the case of John the Baptist's use of the Greek Isaiah and Hebrews "God" the deviation from the Hebrew could have been explained in a footnote.