Dean Anderson

The Hebrew Bible usually represents the name of the tribal god worshipped by the Isrealites/Hebrews as יהוה (YHWH), without any vowel marks on the Hebrew characters. This does not seem to be something specific to this name, since the older texts (as opposed to the more recent Masoretic texts) have no vowel marks anywhere else, either.

Although some translations will not add vowels, and will leave the name as YHWH whilst happily adding vowels to other names in the text, other translations will translate YHWH as either Yahweh or even Jehovah.

I have often heard it claimed that the actual vowel sounds that the writers of the text would have used when reading them aloud are unknown.

Is this true?

Is YHWH mentioned in the texts/inscriptions of other races and tribes? Is it possible to glean the correct pronunciation from their writings?

If we do not know the correct pronunciation, is "Yahweh" just a guess?

Romach

It is the tetragrammaton representation for the unpronounceable name of God. When the letters, yud, hay, vav, hay, are written, the writer intends for the reader to say Adonai, Lord (when in company), or Hashem, The Name (when the reader is alone). No Jew pronounces it as
Y(A)HW(E)H.

Benni72

An argument I've heard (not being an expert) is the pronunciation of proper names derived from YHWH, such as Johanan etc. Some linguists claim that it really suggests something along the lines of Yahweh. Besides, there are some probable cognates in Ugaritic inscriptions, and even in Egyptian ones, though the vocalization of the latter is quite hypothetical as well.

Dean Anderson

I'd be very interested if anyone has any infomation about such inscriptions...

Dean Anderson

That's the modern Jewish theology about the modern Jewish concept of a monotheistic god, but it does not necessarily match what the ancient Hebrews thought about their henotheistic god.

I am looking to see if anyone can point me at any evidence as to how they said/interpreted the name.

Magdlyn

Scholars I have read, Spong, Price, concur it is an unpronouncable collection of letters, derived from the verb "to be." It is conceivable that once Jewish culture became developed and somewhat organized (around the 8th century BCE) , "the Jews" may have had regional ways of naming God. El, Adonai, Shaddai, HaShem, Baal and many others were used. All the different names are translated and noted in the Oxford Annotated.

There was, and is a tradtional superstition against pronouncing the tetragrammaton. Adonai (Lord) was used, and its letters were eventually combined with the letters of YHWH to create the term Jehovah.

Romach

I don't know who they are. I know the written Torah has been around for about two millenia and that the written Torah is derived from the oral Torah, which has been passed down since about two millenia before the written Torah. So blessings like the Shema are ancient:
Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad!
Baruch shem k'vod malchuto l'olam v'aed!
Hear Israel the Lord our God the Lord is One!
Blessed is the name of his glorious majesty forever and ever!

Benni72

Unfortunately, my sources are offline and not in English. :down:

Nemirovskii, the Russian historian I mentioned in another thread, suggests that the "shasu-yahweh" of Egyptian stelas were in fact the Amalekites who lived around the Sinai mountain, and Yahweh was primarily a local spirit associated with its volcanic activity. Allegedly, the Hebrews adopted him as their tribal god after withdrawing the Amalekites from the place.

Sheshbazzar

We who believe in pronouncing the Name, pronounce it consistent with our praise; "hal'lel-u-YAH" which is in English, "Praise ye YAH", even the Jewish people caught up in stupid man-made traditions and superstitions about "ha-Shem", (that is in English, "The Name"), do not deny the form "YAH" nor rule against the pronouncing of "YAH" as a proper personal Name applying to only ONE.
We allow for such variations in pronunciation of the tetragrammation as the individual's conscience dictates, as everyone of us is constrained under commandment to grow in knowledge, and to sing His praise. It is a shame that so many people open their mouths to sing out words they know not the meaning of.
The Name "YAH" (YA) and the title "El" were known and written in Ebla far before the time of Abraham, and of the men called Hebrews, and are of the heritage of ALL mankind, even whosoever shall believe on His Name, and sing "Hal'lel'-u-YAH" -Sheshbazzar-

Sheshbazzar

Your statement here is provably false, unless you qualify it by the assertion that any Jew who pronounces it is no longer to be considered a Jew.