When translating Hebrew and Greek texts and scriptures to traditional languages, a replica is usually found for English words.
In the Yoruba language, God is often translated as Olorun. But who is Olorun in the Yoruba context? Olorun means the owner of heaven.
Olorun is the most powerful and wisest god in the Yoruba people's mythology. He is also known as Olofin-Orun (Lord of Heaven), Oba-Orun (King of the Sky), and Olodumare (Almighty).
The God of Christianity is the same as the Hebrew God, referred to as Yahweh, which means ‘to be’. In Christianity, God means “the creator and ruler of the universe and source of all moral authority; the supreme being.”
If you know the Yoruba and Christian creation stories, you will find some similarities and differences between them.
1. Both Olorun and the God of Christians are the source of all created things
However, there is a difference in that Olorun himself didn’t create the earth, but Obatala (his son) sought permission from Olorun to create the earth.
After creating the earth, Obatala was lonely, so he made clay figures, and Olorun breathed life into them, and that turned into humanity. This is quite similar to how God breathed life into Adam during creation and to the fact that Adam, the first man, was said to be made from clay.
2. Olorun has no gender, God does
Olorun has no gender or physical form; he is just said to exist in a spiritual form. However, the God of the Bible is gendered as a man. He is described as male, although sometimes female analogies are used to describe his nature in the Bible. For example, “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion for the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you." Isaiah 49:15.
3. Both omnipotent and omniscient
Olorun is seen as all-knowing and all-powerful. However, Olorun is said to be both good and evil. God in Christianity is also all-powerful and all-knowing, but he is separate from evil and is seen as only good.
4. Olorun has no shrine for worship, God is worshipped
Olorun is not worshipped, but other lesser goods like Orunmila, Obatala, Oshun, Sango and so on are worshipped. No shrine exists to worship Olorun. However, it is the God of the Bible that Christians worship through Jesus Christ. Jesus himself came to earth so God could be worshipped properly.
5. God exists in 3 forms, Olorun is one of two creators
Olorun was one of the two creator gods; there was Olorun who ruled the skies and Olokun, who ruled the waters. They eventually battled themselves to find out who was the most powerful, and Olorun won. However, God in the Bible is depicted as one but in three different forms: the father, son, and spirit.
The question remains: is Olorun the perfect translation of the God of the Bible? Since it only means the owner of heaven and not the owner of heaven and the earth?