YHWH
/ˈjɑːweɪ/ or /ˈjɛhoʊvə/
proper noun
Origin
Biblical Hebrew
היה — to be
Overview
Meaning Now
- The proper name of the God of Israel in the Hebrew Bible, represented by the four Hebrew letters yod, he, waw, and he.
Literal older meaning
He is / He causes to be
Language path
Proto-Semitic → Biblical Hebrew
Earliest form
יהוה
Earliest period
8th century BCE
Journey
The name is central to the Hebrew Bible, first revealed to Moses at the burning bush. Out of reverence, the name ceased to be spoken aloud by the Second Temple period, replaced by 'Adonai' (my Lord) or 'HaShem' (The Name) in liturgical contexts.
Evolution
- Bronze Age/Iron Age
*Yahweh
“He causes to be”
Reconstructed ancient pronunciation.
- Second Temple Period
יהוה
“The Name”
Euphemistic avoidance of pronunciation began.
- Middle Ages
Jehovah
“The Name”
Combination of consonants YHWH with the vowels of 'Adonai'.
Connections
Word parts
YHWH
root
The Tetragrammaton
Related across languages
Aramaic
יהו
YHWH (in the Elephantine Papyri)
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Related to YHWH
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.