Pronouncing the Tetragrammaton
If you regularly read Bible History Daily posts, Biblical Archaeology Review articles, or are a fan of biblical history in general, you’ve probably come across the name Yahweh once or twice when referring to the God of Israel. Someone new to the world of biblical scholarship, however, might be left a bit confused about the name, since it isn’t found anywhere in the most common Bible translations. Even the most famous translation of the Bible—the King James Version—uses the name Jehovah for the God of Israel in the Old Testament. Many, then, might ask where the name Yahweh originated.
In the original Hebrew, the name of God is given as four letters, YHWH, known as the Tetragrammaton; these letters are the root of both Jehovah and Yahweh. In “Parsing the Divine Name” in the Fall 2024 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review, biblical scholar Ronald Hendel explains how scholars and archaeologists came to the conclusion that Yahweh was the most likely pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton. As Hendel argues, “The vocalization of the first syllable is actually preserved, mostly in liturgical expressions and personal names. ‘Halleluyah,’ a frequent refrain in the Psalms, means ‘Praise Yah.’” Likewise, Hendel explains, the names of many individuals in the Hebrew Bible contain the name “Yah,” such as Obadiah, Isaiah, Hezekiah, Josiah, and Nehemiah. Therefore, Hendel concludes, “this is obvious evidence for the ancient pronunciation of the first syllable of the name YHWH as Yah.”
Read Biblical Archaeology Review online, explore 50 years of BAR, watch videos, attend talks, and more
As Hendel explains, some of the confusion over the correct pronunciation of the divine name resulted from the early Jewish prohibition against speaking the name of God out loud, which stems from Exodus 20:7, “You shall not take the name of YHWH your God in vain.” While this commandment originally referred to cursing God or using his name when taking false oaths, later Second Temple traditions expanded on the commandment to include any utterance of the divine name. When reading from the scriptures, they would speak the name Adonai (“my Lord” in Hebrew) in the place of YHWH. Thus, when the Greek Septuagint version of the Hebrew Bible was translated in the early second century BCE, YHWH was replaced with Kurios (“Lord” in Greek). This tradition is even kept alive in the majority of modern English translations of the Bible, with YHWH being replaced with “the Lord” in all capital letters.
When Hebrew vowel points were invented by rabbis in the medieval period, they decided to put the vowels for Adonai under YHWH in order to remind the reader not to speak the divine name out loud. It was these medieval scriptures that would be compiled into the Masoretic Text—the oldest known complete Hebrew Bible. This text is the foundation for most English translations of the Bible, including the King James Version. Many early Protestant reformers read these texts at face value and believed it to be the correct pronunciation of the divine name, resulting in the name Jehovah. Although this reading is incorrect, we cannot fault these early translators for misunderstanding what they saw in the Hebrew text.
Want to know more? Be sure to read “Parsing the Divine Name” by Ronald Hendel in the Fall 2024 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review.
BAS Library Members: Read the full article “Parsing the Divine Name” by Ronald Hendel in the Fall 2024 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review.
Not a BAS Library or All-Access Member yet? Join today.
Not a BAS Library or All-Access Member yet? Join today.
Sign up to receive our email newsletter and never miss an update.
Dig into the illuminating world of the Bible with a BAS All-Access Membership. Get your print subscription to BAR and your online access to the BAS Library—as well as FREE online talks and Travel/Study discounts. Start your journey into the biblical past today!