www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Isaias/Isaiah, etc.

I read the Challoner Douay Bible, and of course it uses different spellings than the modern Bibles usually do. For instance, Jeremias instead of Jeremiah, Noe instead of Noah, Elias instead of Elijah, and so on. I have been told, and assumed as well, that these were transliterated from the Greek instead of the Hebrew, and so the variations.

The problem is that pronunciation has me stymied. It has been some time since these were read in churches, and as I am a relatively young man, I have nothing really to go on. I always assumed that Noe is the same as Noah, only because in the Latin there is no silent 'e.' Similarly I assumed that Elias would be like Uh-lee'-us. But, what about Isaias? This one I cannot even form a guess on. Are these similar to the Greek? And if so, how is Isaias pronounced in that tongue? Sorry about posting such a silly and trivial question, but when curiosity gets hold of me, it doesn't let go.

Many thanks and God bless,

Patrick

Dear Patrick,

As the happy owner of a Confraternity Douay-Rheims Challoner Bible from 1939, I am happy to try to help.

The pronunciations are anglicized and therefore not that different from the names used in Protestant Bibles.

Isaias = "eye-ZYE-us'
(In England, Isaiah is "eye-ZYE-uh', too.)

In Greek and Latin it would be something like "ees-ah-EE-ahss'.

Elias = "ee-LYE-us' or "eh-LYE-us'

In Greek and Latin, "eh-LEE-ahss'.

http://oldworldrus.com

Serge,

Tons of thanks. Isaias sounds like a bit of a mouthful. No surprise it didn't catch on in America.

God bless,

Patrick