מַה שְּׁמוֹ וּמַה שֶּׁם בְּנוֹ כִּי תֵדָֽע

 

1. In the Hebrew Scriptures “ יהוה ” represents the personal name of the Creator, the Elohim of Israel. It is found there over 6,600 times.¹ Often called the “Tetragram” or “Tetragrammaton” (meaning roughly, "The Four Letters") by technical writers and lecturers, this word, יהוה , is composed of the four letters Yud י , Hei ה , Vav ו , and Hei ה . Do we know what it means or how to pronounce it? In most Jewish and Christian circles it is not spoken. Jews call him in Hebrew, Adonai אֲדֹנָי (Lord), or HaShem הַשֵּׁם (The Name), while Christians use, “The LORD.”² These are titles. They are substitutions for his Name. But, why? Why is his Name not used when speaking to him or about him? To answer this question we must go to the Mishnah, which was compiled at the beginning of the third century. Our answer lies there, in the so-called “Oral Torah” or “Oral Law” which embodies Pharisaic/Rabbinic tradition from second Temple times.

3. According to the Mishnah, when the “Priestly Blessing” of Numbers 6:24-26 was recited over the people in the temple, the Name was spoken as it was written. When the blessing was said outside the confines of the temple courts, the “Pseudonym” was used. It is generally understood that “Adonai” is the pseudonym to which reference is made but we know that HaShem הַשֵּׁם (The Name) was also used.⁵

Exodus 3:14-15 ... יהוה ...This is my Name forever, and this is my Mention (“memorial” KJV) to all generations.

5. The Creator expressly states here that יהוה is his Name forever. It is how he wants to be remembered or “mentioned” to all generations. While “memorial” (as the King James Version renders the Hebrew zeikher זֵכֶר ) might be appropriate for one who is dead, it is not fitting for him who is The Living One. The word zeikher זֵכֶר , from the root Zayin Kaf Reish ז.כ.ר. , conveys the thought that this is how he wants his people to “call him to mind” or “mention” him.⁶ One specific way to mention him is to take our oaths in his name. This is expected of us.

Deuteronomy 10:20 You shall fear יהוה your Elohim; him shall you serve, and to him shall you cleave, and in his Name shall you swear.

6. This instruction is for both houses of Israel as well as the Gentile. It is valid for the native-born Hebrew and grafted-in Goy. It is in force for all who would learn his ways and be his people.

Jeremiah 12:16-17 “And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my Name, ‘ יהוה lives,’ as they taught my people to swear by Ba’al, then shall they be built in the midst of my people. But if they will not listen, I will totally uproot and destroy that nation,” says יהוה .

Isaiah 8:20 To the Torah and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, they have no light.

Shem Tov's Hebrew Matthew 15:1-9 Then the sages and the Pharisees came to Yeshua and said to him, “Why do your disciples transgress the reforms of antiquity in that they do not wash their hands before eating?” But Yeshua said to them, “And why do you transgress the words of Elohim for the sake of your reforms?... You despise the words of Elohim by your reforms... Woe, hypocrites! Behold Yeshayah prophesied of you, saying, ‘Thus says יהוה : Because this people draw near with their mouth, and with their lips they honor me, but they have removed their heart far from me, so that their fear toward me is the erudite commandment of men...’”⁸

 

Eh’yeh אֶהְיֶה

10. Let’s start with the basics. When the Almighty first revealed his Name to Moshe in Exodus 3:14 he explained it as signifying, "I Am." This is extremely important as the meaning of the Name, “ יהוה ,” will eventually lead us to its true pronunciation. Meaning and pronunciation are inseparable.

Exodus 3:14-15 And Elohim said to Moshe, “I Am That I Am.” And he said, “Thus shall you say to the sons of Yisra’el: I AM has sent me to you.” And Elohim said moreover to Moses, “Thus shall you say to the sons of Yisra’el: יהוה the Elohim of your fathers, the Elohim of Avraham, the Elohim of Yitzchak, and the Elohim of Ya’akov, has sent me to you. This is my Name forever, and this is my Mention to all generations.

11. “I Am That I Am” translates the phrase eh’yeh asher eh’yeh אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה . Eh’yeh אֶהְיֶה is a verb of the Pa’al, or Kal, conjugation. We’ll discuss the seven conjugations in more detail later. For now it is enough to know that this conjugation is the simplest and conveys action in its simplest or most basic form.¹² The root of this verb is Hei Yud Hei ה.י.ה. ( הָיָה ) and has a basic meaning of, “to be, to exist.”¹³ The Aleph א at the beginning of the three letter root signifies the imperfect or future tense, first person singular - “I will...” The meaning of the root Hei Yud Hei ה.י.ה. (to be) taken together with the Aleph א modifier at the beginning (I will) signifies, “I will be,” or, “I am.”

12. Immediately after saying, “Eh’yeh אֶהְיֶה has sent me to you,” the Creator says, “ יהוה ... has sent me to you.” This would seem to indicate that יהוה , like eh’yeh אֶהְיֶה , is a verb. We should expect it to also be of the Kal conjugation. The root of this verb is Hei Vav Hei ה.ו.ה. ¹⁴ and has a basic meaning of, “to BREATH... hence, to live... and in the use of the language, to be, i.q. the common word הָיָה .”¹⁵ The Yud י at the beginning of the three letter root signifies the imperfect or future tense, third person singular - “He will...” The meaning of the root Hei Vav Hei ה.ו.ה. (to be) taken together with the Yud י modifier at the beginning (He will) signifies, “He will be,” or, “He is.” Our search, then, is for how to say, “He will be,” using the root Hei Vav Hei ה.ו.ה. .

13. What can we learn of how he wants to be mentioned from Exodus 3:14? On the surface, it would appear, very little. But in actuality we have already learned a great deal. By way of inference we have learned that the Name is a verb of the Kal conjugation. And by knowing the tradition of “no mention” we can learn how the Name is not said. How? Simply by looking at the vowels the scribes put within it. In Exodus 3:14 and wherever else יהוה stands by itself in the Hebrew text it appears as Y’hvah יְהוָה or Y’hovah יְהֹוָה , depending on the edition of the Tanakh. We get “Jehovah” from this. Whenever יהוה is found with Adonai אֲדֹנָי (Lord) as in אֲדֹנָי יהוה it appears as Y’hvih יְהוִה or Yehovih יְהֹוִה . Why? Well, it has to do with the nature of the Hebrew language, how it fell into disuse, and, of course, Rabbinic tradition.

 

14. Hebrew is, and always has been, a language of consonants. A few of those consonants, were sometimes also used to represent vowel sounds. They are four: Aleph א , Hei ה , Vav ו , and Yud י . Not surprisingly, they are known as “vowel-letters.”¹⁶ The Aleph א and Hei ה can represent an “ah” sound like the “a” in “father.” The Vav ו can be an “oh” like the “o” in “no” or an “oo” like the “u” in “flute.” The Yud י can represent "ee” like the “i” in “machine” or “ay” like the “ei” in “eight.”

15. Different words are often written with exactly the same consonants. For instance, in print, the letters דבר can be understood as, "he spoke," "it was spoken," "word," "word of," "plague," or "pasture."¹⁷ The pronunciation and meaning depend on the context and the place of the word in the sentence. This poses little difficulty to native speakers of the language. Context and syntax are usually enough to decide which word a certain combination of letters represents, even when the word contains no vowel-letters. Even if multiple pronunciations are possible for any particular combination, it's not too difficult to know how it should be pronounced. Many more examples could be cited, but it would not benefit us here. Just thumb through the Analytical Lexicon sometime and you'll see how many combinations are possible for certain words.

4thly. The prophets who flourished soon after the return of the Jews to their own country, namely Haggai and Zechariah, prophesied to them in Hebrew, and so did Malachi, who seems to have delivered his prophecy about an hundred years after that event...

5thly. Nehemiah, who was governor of the Jews about a hundred years after their return from Babylon, not only wrote his book in Hebrew, but in ch. xiii, 23, 24, complains that some of the Jews, during his absence, had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab, and that their children could not speak יהודית the Jews’ language, but spake a mixed tongue... But how impertinent is the remark, and how foolish the complaint of Nehemiah, that the children of some Jews, who had taken foreigners for wives, could not speak pure Hebrew, if that tongue had ceased to be vernacular among the people in general a hundred years before that period?...

Lastly. It may be worth adding, that Josephus, who frequently uses the expressions thn ‘EBRAIWN dialekton [the Hebrew dialect], glwttan thn ‘EBRAIWN [the Hebrew tongue], ‘EBRAISTI [in Hebrew]¹⁸, for the language in which Moses wrote... tells us... that towards the conclusion of the siege of Jerusalem he addressed not only John, the commander of the Zealots, but toij polloij the (Jewish) multitude who were with him, ‘¸EBRAIZWN in the Hebrew tongue, which was therefore the common language of the Jews at that time, i.e. about forty years after our Savior’s death.

In conclusion, we must refer briefly to the linguistic trustworthiness of the Mishnaic tradition... Its trustworthiness is established by the old rule, older than the age of Hillel, that a tradition - which of course, was handed down by word of mouth - must be repeated in the exact words of the master from whom it had been learnt: חַיָּב אָדָם לוֹמַר בִּלְשׁוֹן רַבּוֹ [A man is obligated to speak in his Rabbi’s tongue]²². This rule was strictly observed throughout the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods (cf. ‘Ed. i.3, with the commentaries; Ber. 47a; Bek. 5a), and was in fact, the basis of the authority of the Oral Law. So careful were the Rabbis in the observance of this rule that they often reproduced even the mannerisms and the personal peculiarities of the Masters from whom they had received a particular tradition, or halaka. This rule makes it certain that, at least in most cases, the sayings of the Rabbis have been handed down in the language in which they had originally been expressed.²³

 

Y’hvah יְהוָה and Y’hovah יְהֹוָה

20. Since Pharisaic “reform” dictated an outright ban on speaking the Name “according to the letters,” whenever the scribes encountered “ יהוה ” they inserted into it, with a slight modification, the vowels of the word Adonai אֲדֹנָי (Lord). This was to signify to those who would read the text that Adonai אֲדֹנָי was to be read instead. Depending on the edition of the Tanakh, this looks like Y’hvah יְהוָה or Y’hovah יְהֹוָה . Now, the discerning student is going to notice right away that neither set of these vowels matches exactly the vowels under Adonai אֲדֹנָי . Bear with me for just a few lines. I’ll try to make the reason as simple as possible.

21. The first difference is in the vowels under the initial letter. Under the Yud י of Y’hvah יְהוָה and Y’hovah יְהֹוָה is a Sh’va ( ְ ). Under the Aleph א of Adonai אֲדֹנָי is a Hataph Patach ( ֲ ). The difference in vowels is due to the difference in the nature of the two letters. The Yud י , being a standard consonant, can take a Sh’va at the beginning of a word. The Aleph א , being in essence a mild guttural, cannot. It must take a compound Sh’va, (in this case a Hataph Patach) at the beginning of a word. The scribes simply transferred the nature of the short vowel under the Aleph א to the vowel under the Yud י rather than the exact vowel.

22. The second vowel in Adonai אֲדֹנָי is a Holam ( ֹ ). In the case of Y’hvah יְהוָה it is missing. This is, I believe, to make doubly sure Adonai אֲדֹנָי would be read, as Y’hvah יְהוָה is quite redundant and impossible to pronounce.

 

Y’hvih יְהוִה and Y’hovih יְהֹוִה

23. Often times the words Adonai אֲדֹנָי and יהוה appear side by side in the Hebrew text. When the scribes encountered this combination they inserted the vowels for the word Elohim אֱלֹהִים (Elohim) into the Tetragram so that Adonai Elohim would be read instead of Adonai being read twice. Depending on the edition of the Tanakh, this looks like Adonai Y’hvih יְהוִה אֲדֹנָי or Adonai Y’hovih אֲדֹנָי יְהֹוִה . Again, there is a discrepancy between the vowels under the Yud י of יהוה and the Aleph א of Adonai אֲדֹנָי for the same reasons as stated above. The pronunciation Y’hvih יְהוִה is every bit as impossible as Y’hvah יְהוָה .

24. It is worth noting that the edition of the Tanakh which uses Y’hvah יְהוָה also uses Y’hvih יְהוִה . The other edition uses Y’hovah יְהֹוָה and Y’hovih יְהֹוִה .

25. All this has been said to help us see that the vowels under יהוה are not its real vowels. The following entry is from the popular four volume Even-Shoshan dictionary used in Israel. It verifies what has just been asserted.

יְהֹוָה, יֱהֹוִה ... pronounced “Adonai” or “HaShem” or “Adoshem” - when its vowels are “ יְהֹוָה ”; or “Elohim, Elokim” - when its vowels are “ יֱהֹוִה ”, because of the prohibition of uttering the Name according to its letters.²⁸

26. By the looks of the vowel points under the Tetragram in this entry, it appears that there must be at least a third edition of the Tanakh. The vowel under the initial Yud י , when the Tetragram is to be read as Elohim, is the short Hataph Segol ( ֱ ) which regularly stands under the Aleph א of Elohim אֱלֹהִים . This combination in יהוה is ridiculous, as a Hataph Segol is never found under a Yud י in a legitimate word. It is under the Yud י in יהוה only to remind the reader to read, “Elohim,” and not, “Adonai.”

27. It becomes evident that the vowels assigned to יהוה in the Scriptures are not the vowels which would allow one to speak it “according to its letters.” Y’hovah יְהֹוָה and Y’hovih יְהֹוִה are not, therefore, legitimate pronunciations. They are, in essence, linguistic bastards. They represent the vowels of the nouns Adonai אֲדֹנָי and Elohim אֱלֹהִים , respectively, imposed upon the letters of a verb. Gesenius sums up the matter nicely.

As it is thus evident that the word יהוה does not stand with its own vowels, but with those of another word, the inquiry arises, what then are its true and genuine vowels?²⁹

 

Y’hó יְהֽוֹ , Yáhu יָֽהוּ and Y’hu יְהוּ

Y’hó יְהֽוֹ is how the Name appears at the beginning and in the middle of a man's name. It has two syllables. The first letter, Yud י , is pronounced as the “y” in “yes.” The Sh’va ( ְ ) under the initial Yud י ( יְ ) indicates “the absence of a vowel.”³⁰ It is such a slight sound that one hears little more than the consonant with which it is associated. The first syllable is Y’- יְ- . The next letter, Hei ה , is the first letter of the second syllable. Pronounced as the “h” in “hoe,” it is often treated as though it were a silent letter and disappears from both speech and the printed page. The horizontal line ( ֽ ) under the Hei ה ( הֽ ) is the accent mark. The accent is on the second syllable due to the nature of the Sh’va under the first. The letter which follows the Hei ה is Vav ו , the third letter of the Tetragram. It is not a consonant here, but a vowel, as there is a Holam ( ֹ ) above it. The Vav/Holam combination ( וֹ ) is pronounced “oh” like the “o” in “no.” The second syllable is -hó -הֽוֹ . The Sh’va under the Yud י , followed by the often silent Hei ה , helps us understand why Y’hó יְהֽוֹ is often found in a man’s name shortened to Yó יֽוֹ .

Yáhu יָֽהוּ is how the Name appears at the end of a man's name. The accent was assigned to the first syllable. The Kamatz ( ָ ) under the initial Yud י ( יָ ) is pronounced “ah” like the “a” in “father.” The first syllable is Yá יָֽ- . Instead of the Vav/Holam combination ( וֹ ) after the Hei ה of the second syllable there is a Shuruk ( וּ ) which is pronounced “oo” like the “u” in “flute.” The second syllable is -hu -הוּ . Yáhu is often found shortened to Yáh יָֽה .

Y’hu יְהוּ is how the Name sometimes appears at the end of one particular name. The characteristics and pronunciation of the Yud י and the Sh’va of the first syllable is the same as in Y’hó יְהֽוֹ . The pronunciation of the Hei ה and the Shuruk ( וּ ) of the second syllable is the same as in Yáhu יָֽהוּ . Although the second syllable should take the accent due to the nature of the Sh’va under the initial Yud י , the scribes saw fit to exclude it.

 

Y’hó יְהֽוֹ

29. When found at the beginning of someone's name, the Name is pronounced Y’hó יְהֽוֹ as in Y’hónatan יְהֽוֹנָתָן (Jonathan) in 1 Samuel 14:6 & 8. Jonathan means, “ יהוה Has Given.” When it appears in the middle of a man's name the pronunciation is the same - Y’hó יְהֽוֹ as in El’Y’hóeinai אֶלְיְהֽוֹעֵינַי (Elioenai). Elioenai means, “My Eyes Are Toward יהוה .” We find this name in 1 Chronicles 26:3. As already mentioned, and as is common in modern Hebrew, the Hei ה in Biblical Hebrew often vanishes. So it is that we find Y’hó יְהֽוֹ often shortened to Yó יֽוֹ , Thus Y’hónatan יְהֽוֹנָתָן becomes Yónatan יֽוֹנָתָן in 1 Samuel 13:2, 3 & 22 while El’Y’hóeinai אֶלְיְהֽוֹעֵינַי becomes El’Yóeinai אֶלְיֽוֹעֵינַי in 1 Chronicles 4:36.

Yáhu יָֽהוּ

30. When the Name appears at the end of a proper name it is pointed Yáhu יָֽהוּ as in MíkhaYáhu מִֽיכָיָֽהוּ (Michaiah) in 2 Chronicles 17:7, and EliYáhu אֵלִיָּֽהוּ (Elijah) in I Kings 17. “Michaiah” means, “Who Is Like יהוה ?” while Elijah means, “ יהוה Is My Elohim.” This pronunciation also gets shortened. Thus EliYáhu אֵלִיָּֽהוּ appears in Malachi 3:23 as EliYáh אֵלִיָּֽה and MíkhaYáhu מִֽיכָיָֽהוּ becomes MikhaYáh מִיכָיָֽה in Nehemiah 12:35.

Y’hu יְהוּ

31. There are several examples of an exception to how the Name looks at the end of proper names, but only in one name. In Judges 17 verses 1 & 4, I Kings 22:8 ff, 2 Chronicles 18:7 and Jeremiah 36:11 & 13, where we would expect to find Michaiah as MíkhaYáhu מִֽיכָיָֽהוּ , we find instead MikháY’hu מִיכָֽיְהוּ . To my knowledge, this is the only name in which the Name is ever pointed like this.

 

Ecclesiastes 11:3 and Sham Y’hú שָׁם יְהֽוּ

33. "There it shall be," translates sham y’hú שָׁם יְהֽוּא . Sham שָׁם means “there.” The Analytical Hebrew Lexicon, which breaks up each word in the Hebrew text into its component parts, gives us some very interesting information about the word y’hú יְהֽוּא . It is a third person singular, masculine, Kal future (he will...) form of the verb Hei Vav Hei ה.ו.ה. (to be)! ("Tree" is a masculine word in Hebrew.) A note in brackets also informs us that y’hú יְהֽוּא is apocopated (abbreviated as “ap.” or “apoc.”). “Apocopated” simply describes “the loss of one or more sounds or letters at the end of a word...”³¹ Here is the entry:

יְהֽוּא Kal fut. 3 per. sing. masc. [for יְהוּ ap. for יֶהֱוֶה § 24. rem. 3] . . . . . . . הוה ³²

34. According to the Analytical Lexicon the word y’hú יְהֽוּא is a shortened verbal form of Yeheveh יֶהֱוֶה . It reflects the meaning of the Name exactly and is identical in pronunciation with how it is pronounced at the end of Michaiah's name sometimes. The note in brackets also directs us to section 24 remark 3 at the front of the lexicon where we read that y’hú יְהֽוּא is a shortened “Syriac” form of Yih’veh יִהְוֶה .

The verbs הָיָה to be and חָיָה to live, which would properly have in the fut. apoc. יִהְי , and יִחְי , change these forms into יְהִי and יְחִי ... A perfectly Syriac form is יְהוּא Ec. 11.3, for יִהְוֶה , ap. יְהוּ (from הָוָה to be).³³

35. In the first quote from the Analytical Lexicon we are told that y’hú יְהֽוּא is a shortened form of Yeheveh יֶהֱוֶה , while in the second we read that it is a shortened form of Yih’veh יִהְוֶה . The discrepancy arises from the fact that neither of the longer forms is found in any Hebrew literature. The longer forms are hypothetical reconstructions based on what we know of Hebrew verb patterns. Since it is the shortened form which mirrors the pronunciation of the Name in Michaiah’s name, it is the shortened forms of y’hi יְהִי and y’hu יְהוּ which next require our attention.

 

Y’hi יְהִי and Y’hu יְהוּ

36. So, we have in the words y’hí יְהִי (root Hei Yud Hei ה.י.ה. ) and y’hú יְהֽוּ (root Hei Vav Hei ה.ו.ה. ) shortened forms of the imperfect. Normally this shortened form represents a nuance of meaning called the “jussive,”³⁴ which expresses a “command or wish”³⁵ and is recognized in Lamed-Hei ל"ה verbs³⁶ by the loss of the -ֶה ending of the usual imperfect.³⁷ The third person masculine imperfect of Hei Yud Hei ה.י.ה. is yih’yéh יִהְיֶה . The shortened form is y’hí יְהִי . Although we have no concrete witness as to the long form of the third person masculine imperfect of Hei Vav Hei ה.ו.ה. , we have the shortened form - y’hú יְהֽוּ . Working backwards from there, based on the vowel pattern of yih’yéh יִהְיֶה , the grammarians surmise that the regular imperfect is yih’véh (yih’wéh)³⁸ יִהְוֶה or yehevéh (yehewéh) יֶהֱוֶה as seen in the last two quotes above.

37. It seems odd, though, does it not, that the form of the Name as it appears within so many personal names reflects not the usual form of the imperfect, but the shortened form, the form that usually stands for the jussive? So, what about Ecc. 11:3? Are we to understand it as, “Where the tree falls, there let it be?” Is it a jussive? Actually, no, it is not. Gesenius, in his Hebrew Grammer, says the jussive is often used for the regular imperfect. He cites twenty specific instances where y’hí יְהִי is used in place of the full form yih’yéh יִהְיֶה

Moreover, in not a few cases, the jussive is used, without any collateral sense, for the ordinary imperfect form, and this occurs not alone in forms which may arise from a misunderstanding of the defective writing... but also in shortened forms, such as יְהִי Gen 49¹⁷ (Sam. יִהְיֶה ), Dt 28⁸, 1S 10⁵, 2S 5²⁴, Ho 6¹, 11⁴, Am 5¹⁴, Mi 1², Zp 2¹³, Zc 9⁵, R 72^16f. (after other jussives), 104³¹, Jb 18¹², 20^23.26.28, 27⁸, 33²¹, 34³⁷, Ru 3⁴.”³⁹

38. It is evident that in the passages cited above by Gesenius, where y’hi יְהִי is used for the ordinary imperfect, the final Hei ה of the full imperfect form disappears. This is common for Lamed-Hei ל"ה jussives. It is also evident that in Ecclesiastes 11:3 where y’hú יְהֽוּא is used for the ordinary imperfect, it does not lose its final letter, but exchanges it for an Aleph א . This is most uncommon for Lamed-Hei ל"ה jussives. Should we understand this phenomenon as a “perfectly Syriac form” as Benjamin Davidson says? Or should we go with the opinion of Gesenius that the true reading of Ecc. 11:3 is found in the few manuscripts which read sham hu שָׁם הוּא (there he is) instead of sham y’hú שָׁם יְהֽוּא (there he will be)?⁴⁰ Or is there yet another way of looking at it? Could it be that this shortened form of the imperfect, which does not lose its final letter, is used for the usual imperfect because the usual imperfect was never used for this particular verb? Perhaps we should abandon our search for the “ordinary imperfect” of Hei Vav Hei ה.ו.ה. and view y’hú יְהֽוּא as the legitimate heir to the throne. Perhaps in this particular Lamed-Hei ל"ה verb the jussive and imperfect are not merely interchangeable as they appear to be in other Lamed-Hei ל"ה verbs,⁴¹ but indistinguishable.

39. Stop and think for just a moment. The Name is a third person singular, masculine, Kal future verbal form from the three letter root Hei Vav Hei ה.ו.ה. (to be). At the end of Michaiah’s name it is sometimes represented as Y’hu יְהוּ . It drops the final Hei ה as it does within every man’s name. It is a shortened form. Y’hú( א ) יְהֽוּא in Ecc. 11:3 is also a third person singular, masculine, Kal future verbal form, from the root Hei Vav Hei ה.ו.ה. . It, too, is a shortened form, but does not drop its final letter. Rather, it is changed from a Hei ה to an Aleph א . What do we get when we change the “Syriac” style Aleph א back to its original Hei ה ? We get Y’hú( ה ) יְהֽוּה . Is there any difference in speech between y’hú( א ) יְהֽוּא with an Aleph א and Y’hú( ה ) יְהֽוּה with a Hei ה ? No. Neither the Hei ה nor the Aleph א affect the pronunciation. They are both, for all intents and purposes, silent. And what do we get when we return the lacking Hei ה to the Name as it sometimes appears at the end of Michaiah’s name? We get Y’hu( ה ) יְהוּה . And when we supply the accent it would have in normal speech we have Y’hú( ה ) יְהֽוּה . Is there any difference in meaning between Y’hú( ה ) יְהֽוּה with a Hei ה and y’hú( א ) יְהֽוּא with an Aleph א ? Grammatically, no. Both express, “He will be.” But contextually there is a tremendous difference, for y’hú( א ) יְהֽוּא means generically, “he will be,” while Y’hú( ה ) יְהֽוּה is the Name and quite specifically communicates, “He Will Be.” Perhaps that is precisely the reason why Y’hú יְהֽוּ in Ecc. 11:3 was written with an Aleph א and not a Hei ה . A change of the final letter from a Hei ה to an Aleph א would be all that was necessary to distinguish the ordinary, everyday, purely grammatical, "he will be," from the One whose name means, "He Will Be," would it not?

 

Yahweh יַהְוֶה

40. By far, the most common pronunciation of the Name is Yahweh יַהְוֶה . One popular line of reasoning in support of this pronunciation has to do with a statement made by Josephus. According to him, the Tetragram consisted of “four vowels.” Speaking of the high priest’s garments, he says the following:

41. After reading this some have mistakenly concluded that since Josephus calls the letters of the Tetragram, “Four vowels,” they were pronounced as such: The Yud י is pronounced “ee,” the first Hei ה is pronounced “ah,” the Vav ו is pronounced “oo,” and the final Hei ה is pronounced, “ay.” Put them all together and you have, “ee-ah-oo-ay,” hence - Yahweh.⁴³ The Scriptural evidence presented here, however, does not lead us to this pronunciation. Nor does the structure and character of the Hebrew language itself. In order to properly understand what Josephus meant by, “Four vowels,” we must know something about that language, as he originally wrote The Jewish War in Hebrew. He then translated it into Greek. Here it is in his own words:

43. First, though it is true, as was pointed out earlier, that Hei ה , Vav ו , and Yud י are known as “vowel-letters,” it is not true they are always vowels. It would be accurate to say that in a language of consonants, such as Hebrew, they can double as vowels. And when they do, they are always preceded by a consonant. The consonants are said to be “vowel carriers.” Vowels do not stand by themselves. It is, therefore, quite impossible for the Yud י of יהוה to be a vowel. It must be a consonant. The “Four vowels,” for this reason, cannot be four vowels.

46. Each conjugation has its own peculiar vowel patterns for the perfect (past), imperfect (future), and present tenses. Each conjugation, with its corresponding vowel patterns, modifies the simple, root meaning of the verb, conveying a slightly different nuance of meaning.⁴⁶ Not all verbs use all seven conjugations.

47. The vowel pattern of the word Yahweh יַהְוֶה identifies it as a verb of the Hiph’il,⁴⁷ the so-called “causative” conjugation, from the root Hei Vav Hei ה.ו.ה. (to be) which would literally mean, "He Will Cause To Be." That's a problem, though, because the root Hei Vav Hei ה.ו.ה. , like its counterpart Hei Yud Hei ה.י.ה. , has never developed forms in the Hiph’il conjugation. In other words, Yahweh יַהְוֶה , is a verb which does not exist in the Hebrew language. It is wholly unintelligible.⁴⁸ Even if, for sake of argument, Yahweh יַהְוֶה did represent a legitimate verbal form, the accent would be on the last syllable (Yahwéh יַהְוֶֽה ) and his Name would mean, "He Causes To Be." However, the "I AM THAT I AM" of Exodus 3 was communicated in the Kal conjugation, not the Hiph’il. Therefore, the meaning of his Name is not to be associated with the Hiph’il conjugation.

 

Yáhu-Hei יָֽהוּ "ה" ?

49. On the basis of its purely imaginary nature, Yahweh should be disqualified from consideration as the actual pronunciation of the Name. As a Hiph’il verbal form or a word made up of all vowels it is a phantom. Its legitimacy ought to be seriously called into question. We know nothing, really, of its origin. The case for this particular pronunciation rests somewhat precariously on Greek and Latin manuscript evidence. The variants are many. The pronunciation of יהוה is reportedly represented in Greek and Latin⁴⁹ as:

50. In reading some of these transliterations, it does seem like the sound “Yahweh” is what the transliterators were after, doesn’t it? This puzzled me for some time as “Yahweh” is nonsense in Hebrew. Then, one day, I came across this pseudo-scholarly statement about the Name:

The יהו represents YAHU-, and the final ה represents -EH or -WEH.⁵⁰

51. Something in the way that was written just didn’t sound right. And then it hit me: It’s not the Hebrew which represents the transliteration, but the transliteration which represents the Hebrew! What if we turned the sentence around to reflect reality? “-EH represents the final ה and YAHU- represents the יהו .” That rang a bell. If Yahweh really is an ancient pronunciation, is it possible that it is in essence a blended form of Yáhu-Hei יָֽהוּ "ה" - the form Yáhu יָֽהוּ and the name of the final letter Hei ה spoken at the end?⁵¹ Could there have been more than one or two original “pseudonyms” used during second temple times? In addition to Adonai אֲדֹנָי and HaShem הַשֵּׁם , could there have been, or was there also Yáhu-Hei יָֽהוּ "ה" ? This might account for the occurrences of a few Greek transliterations which seem to communicate a Yahweh-like sound to our ears. That is, of course, speculation on my part, but apart from speculation I have no explanation as to its origin.

 

Summary

52. Those of us who believe that the written Word is the standard by which all things are measured need to act like it. The practice of addressing the Almighty exclusively by the title, “LORD,” is a Rabbinical dictum which is not in harmony with the Word. Sure, he is the Master, but that is not his Name, the Name by which he wants to be mentioned. We should be using his Name. In fact, if we were following Biblical protocol, we would be using his Name ninety-eight percent more often than the pseudonyms, “Adonai,” or, “LORD.” That’s right - ninety-eight percent! In the Hebrew text יהוה is found alone over 6,600 times and joined with Adonai אֲדֹנָי (Lord) another 285 times.⁵² Compare that with the 140 times Adonai אֲדֹנָי (Lord) is used by itself,⁵³ and we can see how far we’ve sailed off course. Isn’t it about time we threw the worthless compass overboard and started using the one that points north?

53. We began our study by looking for a form of the verb Hei Vav Hei ה.ו.ה. which would communicate, “He will be.” This is what his Name means. We found such a form in Ecclesiastes 11:3. We found, moreover, that the vowel points of this verb match precisely the form of the Name as it appears in numerous instances at the end of the name, “Michaiah.”

54. Since y’hú יְהֽוּא at Ecc. 11:3 is an authentic verbal form, is it not simple deduction to consider the form Y’hu יְהוּ at the end of the name, “Michaiah,” as the genuine article as well? Should these two not be taken as corroborating witnesses? When we can take y’hú יְהֽוּא at Ecc. 11:3, exchange the substitute Aleph א for the original Hei ה , and come up with the same thing as when we take Y’hu יְהוּ within the name MikháY’hu מִיכָֽיְהוּ (Michaiah), and restore the proper accent and dropped Hei ה , do we not have everything we need to identify יְהֽוּה as the authentic form of the Name? Let me diagram it.

55. This leads us to understand the pointing Y’hó יְהֽוֹ and Yáhu יָֽהוּ within other men’s names as modifications. In both cases the unaccented syllables are the authentic ones. Both unaccented syllables are found together in the unaccented Y’hu יְהוּ at the end of MikháY’hu מִיכָֽיְהוּ (Michaiah). The Name, therefore, is not a “full form imperfect” like Yih’veh (Yih’weh) יִהְוֶה or Yeheveh (Yeheweh) יֶהֱוֶה . If it were, what need would the scribes have had to change the pronunciation of the “shortened” imperfect Y’hú יְהֽוּ to Y’hó יְהֽוֹ and Yáhu יָֽהוּ in the majority of proper names? If his Name was Yih’veh (Yih’weh) יִהְוֶה or Yeheveh (Yeheweh) יֶהֱוֶה the shortened form Y’hú יְהֽוּ would have been all the change necessary to keep it from being spoken in keeping with Rabbinical tradition. And yet it is readily apparent that the “shortened” form has been altered. That speaks volumes in and of itself.

56. But it does not tell us why the name “Michaiah” is not pointed consistently. Why the ambivalence? Why is it written now as MíkhaYáhu מִֽיכָיָֽהוּ , and now as MikháY’hu מִיכָֽיְהוּ ? Could it be that the scribes who pointed the text, in those places where it reflects the actual verbal form, wanted to be sure that his Name indeed endured “forever,” to “all generations,” at least in a few places? Could it be that the name Michaiah was chosen to carry this honored distinction because his name means, “Who Is Like יְהֽוּה ?” Regardless of exactly why, when all the witnesses have been questioned, there it is, the Name above all names. It is available to seekers of every generation, embedded in the name MikháY’hu מִיכָֽיְהוּ and in the text of Ecc. 11:3.

57. I would like to know why this phenomenon has not been entered into the equation. Why has this information not made it into any discussions about his Name? Is it not applicable? Is it not pertinent? If not, why?

58. I have one further observation to make. In each instance where the Name is represented as Y’hó יְהֽוֹ , it is at the beginning of the man’s name. The authentic, unaccented Y’- יְ- is the first syllable. In each instance where the Name is represented as Yáhu יָֽהוּ , it is at the end of the man's name. The authentic, unaccented -hu -הוּ is the last syllable. Perhaps it contains a riddle?

יְהֽוּה is the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

אַבְרָהָם אֶבֶן-שׁוֹשָׁן: קוֹנקוֹרְדַנְצְיָה חֲדָשָׁה (קִרְיַת סֵפֶר, 3891), ד' 044-844.

2 In most English Bibles “LORD” and “GOD” (all capital letters) are regularly employed to represent the Tetragram where it appears in the Herbrew text.

3 The Hebrew reads: אַף הַהוֹגֶה אֶת הַשֵּׁם בְּאוֹתִיּוֹתָיו:

4 The Hebrew reads: בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ אוֹמֵר אֶת הַשֵּׁם כִּכְתָבוֹ: . See also Tamid 7:2.

5 Yoma 3:8, 4:2, 6:2; Sanhedrin 7:5, 8.

6 William Gesenius: Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon (Erdmans,1974), pp. 244-245.

7 The Hebrew is: מִצְוַת אֲנָשִׁים מְלֻמָּדָֽה:

8 The Hebrew quotation from Isaiah is word for word, including מִצְוַת אֲנָשִׁים מְלֻמָּדָֽה - “the erudite commandment of men.”

12 See Table 3 at the end of this article.

14 Gesenius: Lexicon, p. 337.

17 Benjamin Davidson: The Analytical Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon (Zondervan, 1972), p. 144.

18 Translations in brackets [ ] added for clarity.

22 Translation in brackets [ ] added for clarity.

23 M. H. Segal: A Grammar of Mishnaic Hebrew (Oxford, 1983), p. 19.

26 William Gesenius: Hebrew Grammar (Oxford, 1983), p. 37.

29 Gesenius: Lexicon, p. 337.

32 Davidson: Lexicon, p. 300.

36 Lamed-Hei ל"ה verbs have a Hei ה as the third letter of the root.

38 In modern Israeli Hebrew, the waw ו of Biblical Hebrew has a “v” sound.

43 The Sacred Name (Qadesh La Yahweh Press, 2002), pp. 103-104.

44 Josephus: The Jewish War 1:1 (Translated by William Whiston)

45 http://www.preteristarchive.com/JewishWars/

46 See Table 3 at the end of this article for an example.

47 See the paradigm for Lamed-Hei ל"ה verbs in section 24, p. 50 of the Analytical Lexicon.

49 The Sacred Name (Qadesh La Yahweh Press, 2002), pp. 108-111.

51 Try saying Yáhu-hei יָֽהוּ "ה" quickly and repetitively sometime and see what comes out of your mouth.

52 Even-Shoshan: Concordantziah , pp. 17-18, 440-448. אֶבֶן-שׁוֹשָׁן: קוֹנקוֹרְדַנְצְיָה, ד' 71-81, 044-844.

53 Even-Shoshan: Concordantziah , pp. 17-18. אֶבֶן-שׁוֹשָׁן: קוֹנקוֹרְדַנְצְיָה, ד' 71-81.

54 The translation of the word א.כ.ל. - “to eat” was taken from Abraham S. Halkin’s “201 Hebrew Verbs,” page 12.