יהוה about 6823 i.e.
יַהְוֶה proper name, of deity Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel —
1. MT
יְהוָֺה about 518 (Qr
אֲדֹנָי), or
יֱהוִֺה 305 (Qr
אֱלֹהִים), in the combinations
אדני יהוה &
יהוה אדני (see
אֲדֹנֶי), and with preposition
בַּיהוָֺה,
לַיהוָֺה,
מֵיהוָֺה (Qr
בַּאדֹנָי,
לַאדֹנָי,
מֵאדֹנָי), do not give the original form.
and other Vrss follow the Qr. On the basis of
Exodus 20:7;
Leviticus 24:11 was regarded as a
nomen ineffabile (see Philo
de Vita Mosis iii. 519, 529), called by the Jews
הַשֵּׁם and by the Samaritans
שׁימא. The pronunciation
Jehovah was unknown until 1520, when it was introduced by Galatinus; but it was contested by Le Mercier, J. Drusius, and L. Capellus, as against grammatical and historical propriety (compare Bö
§ 88). The traditional
Ἰαβέ of Theodoret and Epiphanius, the
יָֿהוּ,
יְהוֺֿ of compound proper name and the contracted form
יָהּ all favour
יַהְוֶךְ (compare
יַהֲלֹמ֑וּן Psalm 74:6;
תַּהֲרוּ [
H3069 Isaiah 33:11]), see Lag
Sym i.14 Baudissin
Studien i.179 ff.; Dr
Stud. Bib. i. 1 ff. For
Jeve see Sta
ZAW 1881, 346 De
ib.1882, 173 f. & Gn. Excurs. ii.
2. on literature of interpretations see Nes
Eg.67 Dr
l.c. — Many recent scholars explain
יַהְוֶה as Hiph. of
היה (=
היה)
the one bringing into being, life-giver (compare
חַוָּה Genesis 3:20) Schr HSch;
giver of existence, creator, Kue Tiele;
he who brings to pass (so already Le Clerc),
performer of his promises, Lag, Nes
Eg.88 (but Nes
Eg.91 inclines to Qal as RS
Brit. & For. Ev. Rev see below); or from
היה he who causes to fall, rain or lightning RS
OTJC.ed.1, 423; om.ed.2, 245, compare We
Skizzen iii.175; '
Fäller,' destroying foes, Sta
G.i.429 (dubiously). But most take it as Qal of
הוה (=
היה);
the one who is: i.e.
the absolute and unchangeable one, Ri;
the existing, ever living, as self-consistent and unchangeable, Di; or
the one ever coming into manifestation as the God of redemption, De Oehl; compare also RS
Brit. & For. Ev. Rev. 1876,
he will be it, i.e all that his servants look for (compare Ew
infr.),
he will approve himself (
give evidence of being, assert his being Dr
l.c.17)).
**Theories of non-Hebrew or non-Semitic origin, opposed (in their older forms) by Bau
Rel. i. 181 ff. (see especially 230); Dl
Pa 162 ff. claimed Babylonian origin for
יהו, against this Kue
national Religions, etc., Note iv (Eng. Trans. 329 ff.) Jastr
JBL xiil {1894}, 103 f. compare Hpt
BAS i. 170 N; Dl
Babel u. Bibel, 46 f., 73 f. makes same claim for
יהוה, against this see especially Hirsch
ZAW xxiil {1903}, 355 ff. Zim
KATS. 465 ff.; Spiegelb
ZMG:liii {1899}, 633 ff. proposes (improbable) Egyptian etymology for
יהוה; further discussions see in Kö
EB NAMES, § 112 and n.3. 'Jehovah' found in Jacob (? Johannes) Wessel († 1480), according to Schw
ThLZ, 1905, col. 612.
I. יהוה is not used by E in Genesis, but is given
Exodus 3:12-15 as the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb, and is explained thus :
אֶהְיֶה עִמָּ֑ךְ I shall be with thee (
Exodus 3:12), which is then implied in
אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה I shall be the one who will be it
Exodus 3:14a (i.e: with thee
Exodus 3:12) and then compressed into
אֶהְיֶה Exodus 3:14b (i.e. with thee
Exodus 3:12), which then is given in the nominal form
יהוה He who will be it
Exodus 3:15 (i.e. with thee
Exodus 3:12). compare Ew
BTh ii. 337, 338 RS
l.c., Proph. 385 ff. Other interpretations are:
I am he who I am, i.e. it is no concern of yours (Le Clerc Lag
Psalt.Hieron.156);
I am (this is my name),
inasmuch as I am (
אֲשֶׁר =
כִּי; AE JDMich We
JDTh xxi, 540 = compare Hexateuch 72); Di and others
I am who I am, he who is essentially unnameable, inexplicable, — E uses
יהוה sparingly by the side of
אלהים and
האלהים in his subsequent narrative. The Ephraimitic writers in Judges, Samuel, Kings, use it in similar proportions. P abstains from the use of
יהוה until he gives an account of its revelation to Moses
Exodus 6:3; but subsequently uses it freely. He gives no explanation of its meaning. He represents that
אֵל שַׁדַּי was the God of the patriarchs. J uses
יהוה from the beginning of his narrative, possibly explaining it,
Genesis 21:33 by
אל עולם, the evergreen tamarisk being a symbol of the ever-living God; compare De
Genesis 21:33. Elsewhere
יהוה is the common divine name in pre-exilic writers, but in post-exilic writers gradually falls into disuse, and is supplanted by
אלהים and
אדני. In Job it is used +
31 times in prose parts, and
Job 12:9 (a proverb); not elsewhere in the poem. Chronicles apart from his sources prefers
אלהים and
האלהים. Daniel uses
יהוה only in chap. 9 (
7 times); Ecclesiastes not at all. In the Elohistic group of
Psalm 42-83 it is used +
39 times (see
אלהים). It occurs as the name of Israel's God MI
18. It is doubtful whether it was used by other branches of the Shemitic family, compare COT
Genesis 2:4b Dl
Pa 158 ff. Dr
Stud. Bib. i. 7 ff.
II.
1. יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D;
2. the phrase †אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy: —
b. after ידע כי
d. emphatic
Exodus 6:8;
Exodus 12:12;
Leviticus 26:2,
Leviticus 26:45;
Numbers 3:13,
Numbers 3:41,
Numbers 3:45 (all P);
Leviticus 18:5,
Leviticus 18:6,
Leviticus 18:21;
Leviticus 19:12,
Leviticus 19:14,
Leviticus 19:16,
Leviticus 19:18,
Leviticus 19:28,
Leviticus 19:30,
Leviticus 19:32,
Leviticus 19:37;
Leviticus 21:12;
Leviticus 22:2,
Leviticus 22:3,
Leviticus 22:8,
Leviticus 22:30,
Leviticus 22:31,
Leviticus 22:33 (all H)
Isaiah 43:15; with
אלהיהם Exodus 29:46; with
אלהיךָ Isaiah 48:17; with
אלהיכם Leviticus 23:43;
Leviticus 25:38,
Leviticus 25:55;
Numbers 10:10;
Numbers 15:41 (twice in verse) (P)
Leviticus 18:2,
Leviticus 18:4,
Leviticus 18:30;
Leviticus 19:2,
Leviticus 19:3,
Leviticus 19:4,
Leviticus 19:10,
Leviticus 19:25,
Leviticus 19:31,
Leviticus 19:34,
Leviticus 19:36;
Leviticus 20:24;
Leviticus 23:22;
Leviticus 26:13 (all H)
Ezekiel 20:7,
Ezekiel 20:19;
Joel 2:27; with
מְקַדֵּשׁ Leviticus 20:8;
Leviticus 22:9,
Leviticus 22:32 (H), with
דברתי Numbers 14:35 (P)
Ezekiel 5:15 + (
11 times Ezekiel); with clauses [
H3069 Isaiah 27:3];
Isaiah 41:4,
Isaiah 41:17;
Isaiah 42:6,
Isaiah 42:8;
Isaiah 45:5,
Isaiah 45:6,
Isaiah 45:7,
Isaiah 45:8, [
H3069 Isaiah 45:18],
Isaiah 45:19,
Isaiah 45:21;
Isaiah 60:22;
Jeremiah 17:10;
Jeremiah 32:27; [
H3069 Ezekiel 14:4],
Ezekiel 14:7,
Ezekiel 14:9;
Ezekiel 34:24;
אָנֹכִי יהוה is used in the Ten Words
Exodus 20:2,
Exodus 20:5 =
Deuteronomy 5:6,
Deuteronomy 5:9 cited
Psalm 81:11 [
Psalm 81:10];
Hosea 12:10 [
Hosea 12:9];
Hosea 13:4; elsewhere only
Exodus 4:11 (J)
Isaiah 43:11;
Isaiah 44:24;
Isaiah 51:15.
Note. — Bonk
ZAW 1891, 126 ff. seems to shew that as prefix, in compare proper name,
יְהוֺ is the oldest and the latest form and that
יוֺ is intermediate, belonging to the earlier post-exilic period until the time of Chronicles; occasional copyists' mistakes being taken into the account.
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