What is God's Name In the Bible?

Summary

The video delves into the mystery behind the pronunciation of God's name in the Hebrew Bible. Known as the Tetragrammaton (YHWH), the exact pronunciation has been lost over time due to Jewish traditions of not vocalizing it. The video explores the evolution of how different cultures and translations, such as the Septuagint and the King James Bible, have rendered the name, leading to variations like Jehovah. Scholars believe the most likely pronunciation is 'Yahweh', though it's ultimately an educated guess, with the video offering a humorous exploration of this historical linguistic puzzle.

Takeaways

• 😀 God's personal name in the Hebrew Bible is represented by the four letters YHWH, known as the tetragrammaton.
• 😀 The exact pronunciation of God's name is lost because the Hebrew alphabet only includes consonants, with vowel sounds inferred by fluent readers.
• 😀 Jewish tradition eventually made it taboo to pronounce God's name, leading to the use of titles like Adonai (My Lord) or Hashem (The Name) in its place.
• 😀 The Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, often rendered YHWH as 'Kyrios' (Lord), but some early manuscripts included the Hebrew letters YHWH in Greek texts.
• 😀 Greek speakers misread the tetragrammaton as 'Pi Iota Pi Iota' (Pee Pe), humorously leading to the creator of the universe being called 'Pee Pe' in some instances.
• 😀 In the Middle Ages, Hebrew scribes introduced vowel signs (nikud) to their writing, which eventually led to the mistaken pronunciation 'Yaha' for the tetragrammaton.
• 😀 William Tyndale's English Bible translation in the 16th century popularized the form 'Jehovah,' a mispronunciation based on the inserted vowels.
• 😀 Modern scholarship suggests the original pronunciation of the tetragrammaton was likely 'Yahweh,' with 'Yah' appearing in names like 'Elijah' and 'Hallelujah.'
• 😀 The Septuagint's variation of the tetragrammaton in some fragments was rendered as 'Yao,' indicating another shortened form of God's name.
• 😀 In Exodus 3, God’s response to Moses, 'I am that I am,' plays on a root meaning 'to be' in Hebrew, supporting the 'Yahweh' pronunciation as 'He causes to be.'
• 😀 Although the exact pronunciation remains uncertain, the reconstruction of 'Yahweh' is a widely accepted and useful convention for discussions about God in Abrahamic faiths.

Q & A

What is the tetragrammaton, and why is it significant in the Hebrew Bible?

The tetragrammaton refers to the four-letter name of God, represented as YHWH in Hebrew. It is significant because it is the personal name of God, used repeatedly in the Hebrew Bible. Its exact pronunciation is unknown due to the lack of vowel markers in ancient Hebrew texts.

Why do we not know the exact pronunciation of the tetragrammaton?

The exact pronunciation is unknown because ancient Hebrew was written without vowels. Hebrew speakers were expected to infer pronunciation from the consonants alone, and over time, the name of God became taboo to pronounce aloud, further obscuring its original form.

What substitutions did Jewish readers make when encountering the tetragrammaton in the Bible?

Jewish readers replaced the tetragrammaton with titles like 'Adonai' (My Lord) or 'Hashem' (The Name) when reading aloud, as speaking the name of God became taboo over time.

What is the Septuagint, and how did it handle the tetragrammaton?

The Septuagint is the first Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. When it encountered the tetragrammaton, it typically translated it as 'kurios' (Lord). However, some early manuscripts retained the Hebrew letters YHWH, which led to confusion among Greek speakers.

What was the humorous result of misreading the tetragrammaton in Greek texts?

Greek speakers misread the tetragrammaton (YHWH) as the Greek letters 'pi iota pi iota,' leading to the humorous and unintended name 'Pee Pe' for God.

How did the Middle Ages influence the pronunciation of the tetragrammaton?

In the Middle Ages, Hebrew scribes introduced vowel markings called *nikud* to indicate vowel sounds. This led to the pronunciation 'Yaha' when applied to the tetragrammaton, which later influenced the development of the name 'Jehovah' in English Bibles.

Why did the name 'Jehovah' become popular in English Bibles?

The name 'Jehovah' became popular in English Bibles after William Tyndale's 16th-century translation. It resulted from the application of vowel signs from 'Adonai' to YHWH, combined with the evolution of certain letters in English (e.g., I becoming J and U becoming V).

What is the most widely accepted reconstruction of the tetragrammaton today?

The most widely accepted reconstruction of the tetragrammaton is 'Yahweh.' This is based on linguistic evidence and early Christian writings, as well as the shortened form 'Yah' found in biblical names like Elijah and Isaiah.

What variations of the tetragrammaton have been proposed over time?

Various reconstructions of the tetragrammaton have been proposed, including 'Yahweh,' 'Yahwa,' 'Yahhoo,' and others. However, 'Yahweh' is the most widely accepted among scholars.

How does the passage in Exodus 3 contribute to the understanding of God's name?

In Exodus 3, when Moses asks God for His name, God responds with 'I am' or 'I will be.' This suggests that God's name is related to the verb 'to be' in Hebrew, supporting the pronunciation 'Yahweh,' which implies 'He causes to be.'