Origin of "God"

Article taken from: http://scripturaltruth101.blogspot.com/2011/09/origin-of-word-god.html

Origin of the word “God”

A prophecy for the end-time is given in Isa 65:11 wherein our Mighty One warns of the apostasy of His people, “But you are those who forsake YHWH… who prepare a table for Gad, and who furnish a drink offering for Meni.” All commentators agree that Gad is a pagan deity, and so is Meni. Gad is usually interpreted as the well-known Syrian or Canaanite deity of “Good Luck” or “Fortune,” and Meni the deity of “Destiny.” This Gad is written in the Hebrew as GD (gimel dalet), but the Massoretes afterwards vowel-pointed it, adding an “a,” to give us “Gad.” However, we find other references in Scripture to a similar deity, if not the same one, also spelt GD in the Hebrew text but this time vowel-pointed to read “Gawd” or “God” (Josh 11:17, 12:7, 13:5), where we find “Baal-Gawd” or “Baal-God,” according to the vowel-pointed Massoretic Hebrew text. This Baal-Gawd or Baal-God was obviously a place named after their deity.

The Astrologers identified Gad with Jupitar, the Sky-deity or the Sun-deity. Other sources of research also testify of “Gad” being the Sun-deity. Rev Alexander Hislop wrote, “There is reason to believe that Gad refers to the Sun-god… The name Gad… is applicable to Nimrod, whose general character was that of a Sun-god… Thus then, if Gad was the ‘Sun-divinity’, Meni was very naturally regarded as ‘The Lord Moon.’”

Keil and Delitzsch, Commentaries on the Old Testament, comments on Isaiah 65:11, “There can be no doubt, therefore, that Gad, the god of good fortune… is Baal (Bel) as the god of good fortune… this is the deified planet Jupiter… Gad is Jupiter… Mene is Dea Luna… Rosenmuller very properly traces back the Septuagint rendering to this Egyptian view, according to which Gad is the Sun-god and Meni the lunar goddess as the power of fate.”

Isaiah 65:11 tells us then that YHWH’s people have forsaken Him and in the end-time are found to be serving Gad, the Sun-deity as the deity of “Good Luck,” and Meni, the Moon-deity of “Destiny.”

As pointed out above, this Gad (GD with an “a” vowel pointing) is probably the same deity as we read of in the book of Joshua, GD with a vowel-pointing of “aw” or “o,” making it “Gawd” or “God.” The vocal-pointing of the Massoretes cannot always be relied on, but we can rely on the Hebrew Scriptures before the vocal pointings was done. It could well be that GD of Isaiah 65:11 is the same as the “Gawd” or “God” of the book of Joshua. But, let us not try to establish a fact on an assumption. Let us rather do some research on the word “God.”

The word God (or god), like the Greek Theos (or theos) is used in our versions as a title, a generic name, usually. It translates the Hebrew Elohim (or elohim), El (or el), and Eloah. However, in quite a few places it is used as the substitute for the Tetragrammaton, the Name of our Father, e.g. Matthew 4:4 (quoted from Deut 8:3), Romans 4:3 (quoted from Gen 15:6) etc. If the word God is then used as a substitute for the Name, it must be accepted that the word God has become a name again.

How and when did this title or name become adopted into our modern languages? Encyclopedia Britannica, 11^th edition, says, “GOD – the common Teutonic word for a personal object of religious worship… applied to all those superhuman beings of the heathen mythologies. The word ‘god’ on the conversion of the Teutonic races to Christianity was adopted as the name of the one Supreme Being…”

Webster’s Twentieth Century Dictionary, Unabridged, 1^st edition, says, “The word is common to Teutonic tongues… It was applied to heathen deities and later, when the Teutonic peoples were converted to Christianity, the word was elevated to the Christian sense.”

James Hastings, Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics, vol. 6, pg 302, reads, “After the conversion of the Teutons to Christianity the word came to be applied also to the Christian Deity… Its etymology and its original meaning are obscure, and have been much debated.”

J.G.R. Forlong, Encyclopedia of Religions, on “God,” says, “It is remarkable that philologists are unable to decide the origin of this familiar Teutonic word.” Once again, we are strongly suspicious of the rulers of darkness or the Prince of Darkness, having succeeded, once again, in hiding yet another work of darkness.

There is much confusion in the European languages between the words gud (good) and god. The Scandinavian languages, like the old Anglo-Saxon, called god gud and called gud (good) god. Calling good god and god gud is bad enough to confuse us. Even worse is that the Old Netherlands languages regarded god as an idol and gud as the correct deity! Jacob Grimm recorded this for us, as well as Julius Pokorny and Jan de Vries.

This inconsistency of spelling confuses us, as it must have confused the people in those early centuries who were still completely or partially ignorant of the True Mighty One and His Name. Jacob Grimm asserts that this was done because of fear, “Such a fear may arise from two causes: a holy name must not be abused, or an unholy dreaded name, e.g., that of the devil, has to be softened down by modifying its form,” and then gives examples.

Other scholars have explained that the names of national deities were either hid, or modified, in order to prevent their enemies getting hold of these names – enemies who might use it as a magic word against them.

Another reason for this changing of spelling of idols’ names was the ritual of abrenuntiatio, i.e. a solemn renouncing of the names of major deities, whenever a pagan person became converted to Christianity. One of the three major idols of the Teutonic tribes was called Saxnot. It is well documented how this name was renounced and later on came back in a disguised form, Saxneat. We even found that some idols’ names were spelt 17 different ways.

We found further evidence that “gott” or “god” was not only a title, but used as a name too, amongst the Teutonic tribes. Simrock discovered songs wherein “Gott” was used as a Beiname for the deity Odin. In German, Beiname means: surname (or epithet, or appellation).

We further found “Goda” as a proper name of an idol. Moreover, the same author relates how Woden, “The name of the highest god,” also called Woten and Odan, was also called Godan. The Teutonic masculine deities each had its female consort or counterpart. Thus we read that this deity’s female consort was frau Gode. It is commonly known that our Wednesday was named after Woden or Wotan. In Westphalian we find this day being called Godenstag.

Although the majority of dictionaries do not acknowledge it, there are some that frankly admit it and clearly state that the origin of the word “god” is uncertain or unknown. Why uncertain or unknown? What was there to hide?

Other dictionaries propose that the most likely origin of the word “god” is the Indo-Germanic (or Sanskrit) word huta. Some dictionaries prefer to spell this ancient word ghuta. Huta (or Ghuta) was of course an appellative or another name for Indra, Indian Sun-deity, as the more comprehensive dictionaries duly admit. We do accept this, but would be happier to find a word with an “o” instead of a “u.”

In the Indo-Germanic dictionaries there is only one word which resembles the word “god,” in fact, it is pronounced exactly the same. This is the word ghodh. Dictionaries which are not Indo-Germanic, usually spell this word with an “a.” Julius Pokorny, Indogermanisches Etomologisches Wörterbuch, vol. 1, pg 423 says the word ghodh means: union, also sexual union or mating. He says that from this root the following Germanic (European) word came forth: gaden, gatten, gaten, g????d, gader, guot, gut, g????oda, godina, etc.

Sanders-Wulfling, Handwörterbuch der deutschen Sprache, pg. 234, as well as Grimm, Deutsches Wörterbuch, under “gatten,” say that gatten means, to mate. In Dutch this word is commonly used for a marriage partner, a consort, a spouse. This word is also found in the English “beget, begat, begotten.”

Prof. Dr. Eduard Kuck, Luneburger Wörterbuch, vol. 1, pg 594, admits that Gott, got, gode, gade, god and guth (gud) are all the same word! Note well: God is the same as gade! Schiller & L3bben, Mittelniederdeutsches Wörterbuch, says the same on pg 135: got, gode, gade and Gott are the same!

A third witness is that of Wossidlo-Teuchert, Mecklenburgisches Wörterbuch, vol. 3, pg 231, which confirms this and says that the word Gott was anciently known as Gade.

Dr. Arnold Walder, Germanisches Urzeit, pg 300, says that the following words are the same or related: the German GUT, the German GOTT, the Aramaic GAD-a, the Arabian GUD, and also the Greek AGATH-os. Oskar Schade, Altdeutsches Wörterbuch, vol. 1, pg 342 and 359, still tries to distinguish between gut (gud) and got (gott, god), but the lists of variants of these two words are virtually interchangeable!

The evidence is clear: Although the two concepts “good” and “god” developed in two different directions, the one European nation called good “god” and called god “gud,” while another nation called them vice versa. This confusion or interchangeability between the words, as well as the evidence from the above-named sources, brings us to the conclusion that these words had a common origin, namely the concept of “good,” which in turn originated from the concept “union” or “mating,” namely the word ghodh, as revealed to us in Julius Pokorny’s dictionary.

Remember: the Hebrew word “Elohim” has been translated as “God.” But “Elohim” means Mighty One(s), while ghodh (or ghadh) means: union, even sexual union (to mate). The original meaning and concept of “Elohim” and “God” differ totally, especially because of the latter’s carnal or sensual meaning.

Such then was the spirit of paganism which started creeping in at Alexandria in the 2^nd century and which finally took over at Rome in the 4^th century. From there syncretistic mixed religion spread to Europe where it took a few more centuries for it to become further mixed with the pagan elements of our Germanic (Teutonic) ancestors.

If the Teutonic pagans called all their idols by the generic name “gott” or “god,” shall we continue to call the One that we love by the same generic name-title, or name? Why do we not translate the title Elohim (or El or Eloah) with its proper meaning: Mighty One? Also, in those places where “God” has become a substitute name for “YHWH,” shall we continue to invite the wrath of Elohim by doing this?

He has commanded us that we should not destroy His Name (Deut12:3 and 4). He is sorely displeased with those who have forgotten His Name for Baal (Jeremiah 23:27), remembering that Baal rally was the Sun-deity. “Therefore My people shall know My Name” (Isaiah 52:6). “YHWH’s voice cries to the city – wisdom shall see Your Name” (Micah 6:9).

“For Elohim will save Zion… and those who love His Name shall dwell in it” (Psalm 69:35-36). Also read Isaiah 56:6-7. If we love Him, we will love His Name. If we love His Name, we will not destroy it (Deut 12:3-4), we will not forget it (Jeremiah 23:27), we will not substitute it with anything else, let alone substitute it with a title, a generic name, or a name, which had been used for a pagan deity (Exodus 23:13).

Also, and even more applicable to this present study, we will stop substituting His Name with Baal (Jeremiah 23:27 and Hos 2:16) – that great Sun-deity, also known as Bel, who was the primary deity of Babylon – whether “Baal” applies to the name of the Sun-deity, or whether “Baal” is merely used as a title. We are to stop substituting His Name with anything that pertains to a Sun-deity, or even only a title with an idolatrous origin, notwithstanding attempts to justify the “changed meaning of the word.”

There is not a single text in all Scripture which prohibits us from calling Him by His Name. They called upon His Name right back in Gen 4:26. Abram called upon His Name in Gen 12:8 and 13:4, and as “Abraham” again in Gen 21:33. Abraham called the place in Moria “YHWH Yireh” (Gen 22:14). Isaac called upon the Name YHWH (Gen 26:25). Jacob used the Name (Gen 28:16). Leah used it (Gen 29:33 and 35). Moses proclaimed the Name of YHWH (Deut 32:3). David declared YHWH’s Name (Psalm 22:22), and so did our Messiah (Heb 2:12, John 17:6 &26). Finally, Yehoshua promised to do it again (John 17:26) – which you and I are now experiencing!

(Article from a book called: "Come Out of Her My People" by Chris Koster)