BDB2100
יהוהc. 6823 i.e. יַהְוֶה proper name [of deity] Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel — (
1.
ᵑ0
יְהוָֺהC518 (
Qr
אֲדֹנָי), or יֱהוִֺה305 (
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.
ᵐ5
and other
Vrss
follow the
Qr
. On the basis of Exod 20:7; Lev 24:11
יהוה was regarded as a nomen ineffabile (see Philode 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
Ps 74:6
תַּהֲרוּ
Isa 33:11),
see LagSym i.14
BaudStudien i.179 ff.;
DrStud.Bib.i.1 ff. For Jeve see
StaZAW 1881, 346
Deib.1882, 173 f. & Gn. Excurs. ii.
2. on literature of interpretations see NesEg.67
Drl.c. — Many recent scholars explain
יַהְוֶה as Hiph`il of היה (=היה) the one bringing into
being, life-giver (compare חַוָּה
Gen 3:20) Schr
HSch; giver of existence, creator, Kue
Tiele; he who brings to pass (so already Le
Clerc),performer of his promises, Lag, NesEg.88 (but NesEg.91 inclines
to Qal as
RSBrit. & For. Ev. Rev see below); or from היה
he who causes to fall, rain or lightning RSOTJC.ed.1,
423; om.ed.2, 245, compare WeSkizzen iii.175
; 'Fäller,' destroying foes, StaG.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 RSBrit. & For.
Ev. Rev. 1876, he will be it, i.e all that his servants look for
(compare Ewinfr), he will approve himself (give
evidence of being, assert his being Drl.c.17)).
Theories of non-Hebrew or non-Semitic origin, opposed (in their older forms) by BauRel. i.
181 ff. (see especially 230); DlPa 162 ff. claimed Babylonian origin for יהו,
against this Kuenational Religions, etc., Note iv (Eng. Trans. 329 ff.) JastrJBL xiil {1894}, 103
f. compare HptBAS i. 170 N; DlBabel u. Bibel, 46 f., 73 f. makes same claim for
יהוה, against this see especially HirschZAW xxiil {1903}, 355 ff. ZimKATS. 465
ff.; SpiegelbZMG:liii {1899}, 633 ff. proposes (improbable) Egyptian etymology for יהוה
; further discussions see in KöEB NAMES, § 112 and n.3. 'Jehovah' found in Jacob (? Johannes)
Wessel († 1480), according to SchwThLZ, 1905, col. 612.
I.
יהוה is not used by
E
in Genesis, but is given Exod 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 (Exod 3:12), which is then implied in אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה
I shall be the one who will be it Exod 3:14a (i.e: with thee Exod 3:12) and then compressed into
אֶהְיֶה
Exod 3:14b (i.e.
with thee Exod 3:12
), which then is given in the nominal form
יהוה
He who will be it Exod 3:15 (i.e. with thee Exod 3:12). compare EwBTh
ii. 337, 338
RSl.c., Proph. 385 ff. Other interpretations are:
I am he who I am, i.e. it is no concern of yours (Le Clerc
LagPsalt.Hieron.156); I am (this is my name), inasmuch
as I am (אֲשֶׁר = כִּי; AE
JDMich
WeJD
Th 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
Exod 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,
Gen 21:83 by
אל
עולם, the evergreen tamarisk being a symbol of the ever-living God; compare De
Gen 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 t. 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 t.); Ecclesiastes not at all. In the Elohistic group of Psalm 42-83 it is used 39 t. (see
אלהים) . It occurs as the name of Israel's God
MI18
. It is doubtful whether it was used by other branches of the Shemitic family, compare COT
Gen 2:4b DlPa 158 ff.
DrStud. Bib. i. 7 ff.
II.
1.
יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in
D
;
a. with אֱלֹהֶיךָ in the Ten Words Exod 20:2-12 (5 t.) = Deut 5:6-16
in
the
law of worship of
J
E
,
Exod
23:19
; Exod
34:24
; Exod
34:26
in
D
234 t.;
Josh
1:9
; Josh 1:17
;
Josh 9:9; Josh 9:24 (
D2
); elsewhere
Gen 27:20;
Exod 15:26 (
J
E
), Judg
6:26
Samuel & Kings 20 t.; 1Chr 11:2; 1Chr 22:11; 1Chr 22:12; 2Chr 9:8 (twice in verse); 2Chr 16:7; Isa 7:11;
Isa 37:4
(twice in verse);
Isa 41:13
;
Isa 43:3;
Isa 51:15
;
Isa 55:5;
Jer 40:2 +
(3t.); Hos
12:10
; Hos 13:4
; Hos 14:2
; Amos
9:15
; Ps
81:11
.
b. with אֱלֹהֵיכֶם in
D
46 t.;
D2
28 t.;
H
15 t.;
P
15 t.; elsewhere Exod 23:25 (
E
); Exod
8:24
; Exod 10:8
;
Exod 10:16
;
Exod 10:17
(
J
E
); Judg
6:10
; 1Sam
12:12
; 1Sam
12:14
;
2Kgs
17:39
;
2Kgs
23:21
;
1Chr
22:18
+ (10 t. Chronicles) Ps 76:12; Jer 13:16 + (5 t.) Ezek 20:5; Ezek 20:7; Ezek 20:19; Ezek 20:20
; Joel 2:13
+
(6 t.) Zech
6:15
.
c. with
אֱלֹהֵינוּ in
D
23 t.; in
D2
5 t.; Exod
8:6
(
J
E
) Exod
3:18
; Exod 5:3
;
Exod 8:22;
Exod 8:23;
Exod 10:25
;
Exod 10:26
(
E
)
Judg
11:24
; 1Sam 7:8
;
1Kgs 8:57
;
1Kgs 8:59
;
1Kgs 8:61
;
1Kgs 8:65
;
2Kgs 18:22
;
2Kgs 19:10
=
Isa 36:7;
Isa 37:20
;
1Chr 13:2
+
(15 t.
Chronicles) Mic 4:5
;
Mic 7:17;
Isa 26:13
;
Jer 3:22 +
(17
t.)
Ps 20:8;
Ps 90:17
(?;
Baer
אֲדנָֹי); Ps 94:23; Ps 99:5; Ps 99:8; Ps 99:9 (twice in verse); Ps 105:7; Ps 106:47
; Ps
113:5; Ps 122:9; Ps 123:2;
Dan 9:10;
Dan 9:13;
Dan 9:14.
d. with
אֱלֹהֵיהֶם
Exod 10:7 (
J
)
Exod
29:46
(twice in verse); Lev 26:44 (
P
) Judg 3:7
;
Judg 8:34;
1Sam 12:9;
1Kgs 9:9;
2Kgs 17:7
;
2Kgs 17:9
;
2Kgs 17:14
;
2Kgs 17:16
;
2Kgs 17:19
;
2Kgs 18:12
;
2Chr 31:6
;
2Chr 33:17
;
2Chr 34:33
;
Neh 9:3 (twice
in
verse); Neh 9:4
;
Jer 3:21;
Jer 22:9;
Jer 30:9;
Jer 43:1
(twice
in
verse); Jer 50:4
;
Ezek 28:26
;
Ezek 34:30
;
Ezek 39:22
;
Ezek 39:28
;
Hos 1:7; Hos 3:5; Hos 7:10;
Zeph 2:7;
Hag 1:12
(twice
in
verse); Zech
9:16
; Zech 10:6
.
e. with אֱלֹהָיו
Num 23:21
(
E
)
Exod
32:11
(
J
) Lev
4:22
(
P
)
Deut
17:19
; Deut 18:7
;
1Sam 30:6;
1Kgs 5:17
;
1Kgs 11:4
;
1Kgs 15:3
;
1Kgs 15:4
;
1Kgs 2:11
;
1Kgs 16:2
;
1Kgs 2:1 + 13
t.
Chronicles; Mic 5:3
;
Jer 7:28;
Ps 33:12
;
Ps 144:15
;
Ps 146:5
;
Jonah 2:2.
f. with אֱלֹהַי
Num 22:18
(
J
E
) Deut 4:5
;
Deut 18:16
;
Deut 26:14
;
Josh 14:8;
Josh 14:9;
2Sam 24:24
;
1Kgs 3:7;
1Kgs 5:18
;
1Kgs 5:19
;
1Kgs 8:28
;
1Kgs 17:20
;
1Kgs 17:21
;
1Chr 21:17
;
1Chr 22:7
;
2Chr 2:3;
2Chr 6:19
;
2Chr 9:5;
Ps 7:2; Ps 7:4; Ps 13:4;
Ps 18:29
;
Ps 30:3;
Ps 30:13
;
Ps 35:24
;
Ps 40:6;
Ps 104:1
;
Ps 109:26
;
Isa 25:1;
Jer 31:18
;
Dan 9:4; Dan 9:20;
Jonah 2:7;
Hab 1:12;
Zech 11:4
;
Zech 13:9
;
Zech 14:5
.
g. with אֱלֹהַיִךְ
Isa 60:9;
Jer 2:17;
Jer 2:19;
Jer 3:13;
Mic 7:10;
Zeph 3:17
.
h. with אלהים, probably always due to later editors, or to a
Qr
which has crept into the text Gen 2:4b — Gen 3:23 (
J
, 20 t. either אלהים inserted by
R
P
as Di
De; or יהוה inserted by
J
in an older source); Exod 9:30 (
J
, but not in
ᵐ5
⅏
; Samaritan אדני יהוה; possibly
ᵑ0
from earlier
Qr
, &
⅏
from later
Qr
);
2Sam
7:22
; 2Sam
7:25
(
ᵐ5
אדני יהוה and 1Chr 17:20-23 only יהוה); 1Chr 17:16; 1Chr 17:17
(but
2Sam 7:18;
2Sam 7:19
אדני יהוה) 1Chr 28:20; 1Chr 29:1; 2Chr 1:9; 2Chr 6:41 (twice in verse); 2Chr 6:42;
2Chr 26:18
(but in the original
Ps 132:8
stood יהוה
(so
ℌ
), or else no divine name); Ps 72:18 (the late doxology) Ps 84:12 (but it makes the line too long);
Jonah 4:6.
For
the
combinations with other divine names see those names.
2. the phrase אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy: —
a. after
אמר
either alone
Exod
6:2;
Exod
6:29
(
P
) or before relative and other clauses: Gen 28:13 (
J
) Gen
15:7
(
R
) Exod 6:6
(
P
) with אלהיכם
Judg 6:10;
Ezek 20:5
.
b. after ידע כי (α) Exod 7:17; Exod 8:18; Exod 10:2 (
J
); Exod 7:5
;
Exod 14:4;
Exod 14:18
(
P
);
1Kgs
20:13;
1Kgs 20:28;
Jer 24:7;
Ezek
6:7 + 48 t. Ezekiel; (β) with אלהיכם
Exod 6:7; Exod 16:12
;
Deut 29:5 (
P
)
Exod
20:20
; Joel
4:17
(γ) with אלהיהם
Exod 29:46
(
P
)
Ezek
28:26;
Ezek 34:30; Ezek 39:22; Ezek 39:28 (δ) before relative and other clauses Isa 45:3;
Isa 49:23
;
Isa 49:26
;
Isa 60:16
;
Ezek 7:9;
Ezek 17:24
;
Ezek 21:10
;
Ezek 22:22
;
Ezek 35:12
;
Ezek 36:36
(
ε) with various forms of קדשׁ
Exod 31:13
(
P
)
Ezek
20:12;
Ezek 37:28;
Ezek 39:7 (ζ) with דברתי
Ezek 5:13
;
Ezek 17:21
,
compare ׳
יֵדְעוּ אשׁר אני י
Ezek 20:26
.
c. after כִּי in various combinations Lev 11:44; Lev 11:45; Num 35:34
(
P
), Lev
20:7
; Lev 20:26
;
Lev 21:8;
Lev 21:15
;
Lev 21:23
;
Lev 22:16
;
Lev 24:22
;
Lev 25:17
;
Lev 26:1;
Lev 26:44
(all
H
);
Exod
15:26 (
R
)
Isa
41:13
; Isa 43:3
;
Isa 61:8;
Jer 9:23;
Ezek 12:25
;
Ezek 21:4
;
Zech 10:6
;
Mal 3:6.
d.
emphatic
Exod
6:8
; Exod
12:12
; Lev 26:2
;
Lev 26:45
;
Num 3:13;
Num 3:41;
Num 3:45
(all
P
); Lev
18:5
; Lev 18:6;
Lev 18:21
;
Lev 19:12
;
Lev 19:14
;
Lev 19:16
;
Lev 19:18
;
Lev 19:28
;
Lev 19:30
;
Lev 19:32
;
Lev 19:37
;
Lev 21:12
;
Lev 22:2;
Lev 22:3;
Lev 22:8;
Lev 22:30
;
Lev 22:31
;
Lev 22:33
(all
H
)
Isa
43:15
with אלהיהם
Exod 29:46
with
אלהיךָ
Isa 48:17
with
אלהיכם
Lev 23:43
;
Lev 25:38
;
Lev 25:55
;
Num 10:10
;
Num 15:41
(twice
in verse) (
P
) Lev
18:2
;
Lev 18:4;
Lev 18:30
;
Lev 19:2;
Lev 19:3;
Lev 19:4;
Lev 19:10
;
Lev 19:25
;
Lev 19:31
;
Lev 19:34
;
Lev 19:36
;
Lev 20:24
;
Lev 23:22
;
Lev 26:13
(all
H
) Ezek
20:7
;
Ezek
20:19
; Joel
2:27
with מְקַדֵּשׁ
Lev 20:8;
Lev 22:9;
Lev 22:32
(
H
), with דברתי
Num 14:35
(
P
) Ezek
5:15
+ (11 t. Ezekiel); with clauses Isa 27:3; Isa 41:4; Isa 41:17; Isa 42:6; Isa 42:8; Isa 45:5; Isa 45:6;
Isa 45:7;
Isa 45:8;
Isa 45:18
; Isa
45:19; Isa 45:21; Isa 60:22;
Jer 17:10
;
Jer 32:27
;
Ezek 14:4
;
Ezek 14:7
;
Ezek 14:9
;
Ezek 34:24
אָנֹכִי יהוה is used in the Ten Words Exod 20:2; Exod 20:5 = Deut 5:6; Deut 5:9 cited Ps 81:11; Hos 12:10
; Hos 13:4
elsewhere only Exod 4:11 (
J
)
Isa
43:11
; Isa
44:24
; Isa
51:15
.
3.
יהוה is also used with several predicates, to form sacred names of holy places of Yahweh
יהוה יראה
Gen 22:14 (
J
); יהוה נסי
Exod 17:15
(
E
) יהוה שׁלים
Judg 6:24
יהוה צדקנו
Jer 33:16
(compare Jer 23:6
where it is applied to the Messiah); יהוה שָׁ֑מָּה
Ezek 48:35
. —
On combinations such as ׳
הַר י, צְבָאוֺת
׳
י etc., see
הַר
, צָבָא, etc.
Note. — BonkZAW 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.