The Sacred Name Escaping the Maze of Mis-Information

Transcription

1 TorahResource Institute Winterim Dec 2011 The Sacred Name Escaping the Maze of Mis-Information Tim Hegg, Instructor

2 Outline: What We ll Cover Some current trends regarding the Name Circumlocutions, or Why the pronunciation of the Name is so difficult to ascertain The Masoretes and the extant Hebrew text of the Tanach The Church Fathers & the Tetragrammaton What does it mean to call upon the Name of YHVH? Summary and Application YHVH in the Greek Manuscripts (Lxx and Apostolic Scriptures) The Heart of the Issue: God s Self-Revelation Exodus 3:14; 6:3

3 Some background: Some Current Trends The term Sacred Name refers to the 4-letter name of the God.יהוה Israel: of The Greek Tetragrammaton (τετραγράµµατον = a word with.יהוה four letters ) became a technical term to refer to יהוה All of God s Names are sacred, so why did the name become especially singled out as the Sacred Name? The emphasis upon יהוה is based upon texts such as Ex 3:15 and Isaiah 42:8 Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, The LORD,(יהוה) the God (אלהים) of Abraham, the God (אלהים) of your fathers, the God (אלהים) of Isaac, and the God (אלהים) of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations. I am,יהוה that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, nor My praise to graven images.

4 Some Current Trends,יהוה This heightened emphasis upon the name along with the fact that it is the most often used Name of God in the Tanach, has given rise to spectacular claims among some Messianic groups. Powerful and effective prayer comes only when one pronounces the Name when praying: It is, in addition, also vitally important that we know how to use the Names of the Father and the Son as a means of intelligent effective prayer as a means of getting positive answers to our prayers. (John Charles Green, What is His Name? [selfpublished, 2002], p. 55)

5 Some Current Trends,יהוה This heightened emphasis upon the name along with the fact that it is the most often used Name of God in the Tanach, has given rise to spectacular claims among some Messianic groups. If a person substitutes a translation ( Lord, God, Adonai, etc.) for the Sacred Name, they are using the Name in vain or even engaging in idolatry. The Scripture makes it clear that we are not to use YaHuWaH's Name in Vain, but that is exactly what one does when you replace His Sacred Name with Adonai, which means Master, or the LORD, which means master but is another name for Baal. Calling YaHuWaH God or Lord is no different than calling Him Allah or Satan. ( retrieved 12/4/2011)

6 Some Current Trends,יהוה This heightened emphasis upon the name along with the fact that it is the most often used Name of God in the Tanach, has given rise to spectacular claims among some Messianic groups. Using the sacred Name (which is also in the Son s Name) gives greater anointing, especially for the last times. There is a higher sacred anointing in the Hebrew Name of YAHUSHUA and in MY Name, YAHUVEH. Now the end time is nigh and I warn you teach others what you now know as truth. There is more anointing in OUR Holy Sacred Names. Use them, make no more excuses. During the Great Tribulation you must call upon MY Son's Hebrew Name YAHUSHUA ha MASHIACH. MY Name YAH is in HIS Name, the Name above all Names. ( retrieved 12/4/2011)

7 Some Current Trends,יהוה This heightened emphasis upon the name along with the fact that it is the most often used Name of God in the Tanach, has given rise to spectacular claims among some Messianic groups. Groups that identify themselves under the banner of Sacred Name are not unified on how to pronounce the Name. You will find advocates for: Yahweh, Yahveh, Yahuveh, Yahuah, Yehovah, Yehowah, and more. So why isn t the pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton obvious? After all, since the Name occurs some 6828 times in the Tanach, its pronunciation should be well known!

8 Read Differently Than Written The reason that the pronunciation of the Name is difficult to ascertain relates to (a) the manner in which the Hebrew language was written, and (b) the scribal methods used to transmit Tanach. 1. The manner in which Hebrew was written Hebrew, like most Semitic languages, was originally written only with consonants. The vowels, while pronounced in speech, were not written. Written signs for the vowels (nikkud, points ) were developed by Hebrew scribes in the middle ages, most likely beginning around 500CE and later. דברים consonants accent/cantilation vowels

9 Cholem (ō) אלהים Hebrew Vowels אדני Cholem (ō) Chiriq Yod (ē) Chataf Seghol (ĕ) Qametz (ă) Chataf Patach (ă) יהוה Cholem (ō) Cholem (ō) יהוה E-lO-hIm A-dO-nAy Chiriq (ē) Sheva ( e ) Qametz (ă) Sheva ( e )

10 Read Differently Than Written 2. The Scribal Methods The primary reason for writing the vowels was because after the failure of the 3rd Jewish revolt (Bar Kokhba) in 136CE, the Jewish population was dispersed and the Hebrew language began to be lost as a living language among the Jewish communities. In order to maintain the ability to read the Tanach in the synagogue and within the Jewish community, the vowels had to be written in order to teach people how to read the Hebrew. But since the consonantal text of the Bible was held as sacred, nothing could be added to it by way of new letters. Therefore, a system of dots and dashes was developed to represent the various vowel sounds in the Hebrew language.

11 Read Differently Than Written 2. The Scribal Methods But this created a problem: the tradition of substituting words for indelicate expressions, and using updated pronunciations (other than what was written in the text), would be missed by those who read the text phonetically but without understanding the meaning of the words they were reading. Even more, if the vowels were added to the Tetragrammaton, a person might accidentally pronounce the Name of God in a thoughtless or even vain way.

12 Circumlocutions 2. The Scribal Methods Long before the time when the dots and dashes to represent the vowels were developed, the tradition of substituting words when the divine Name was encountered had been set in place to guard against profaning the Name. For example, note Lev 24:16 in the Hebrew (MT) and Lxx Hebrew (MT) ;ו 5 נ: 9 ב ש 6 ם י 5 הו 4 ה מוֹת י 2 מ ת And the one who יהוה blasphemes the name of shall surely be put to death Lxx ὀνοµάζων δὲ τὸ ὄνοµα κυρίου θανάτῳ θανατούσθω And the one who names the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death The Lxx of the Torah was made in the 3rd Century BCE

13 Circumlocutions 2. The Scribal Methods We find the same rule, not to pronounce the Name, was part of the Qumran society s established halachah: Anyone who speaks aloud the M[ost] Holy Name of God, [whether in ] or in cursing or as a blurt in time of trial or for any other reason, or while he is reading a book or praying, is to be expelled, never again to return to the Council of the Yahad. (1QS ) 1QS (Community Rule) most likely originated around 100 BCE (Geza Vermes, The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English [Penguin Press, 1997], p. 97)

14 Circumlocutions 2. The Scribal Methods In fact, the tradition of substituting another word when encountering the Tetragrammaton may have been based upon the Torah itself. Note Ex 5:22 ו?יּ שAב מ א ל י 5 הו 4 ה ו?יּ אמ ר א >נ 4 י ל מ ה הI ע תAה ל ע ם ה זּ ה ל מּ ה זּ ה שEל ח תּ נBי: Then Moses returned to יהוה and said, Adonai, why have You brought harm to this people? Why did You ever send me? Note that when Moshe addresses,יהוה he uses Adonai. This is not a scribal substitution of Adonai for an original YHVH, for the Samaritan Pentateuch, which predates the Masoretic era, also has Adonai in this verse.

15 Read Differently Than Written 2. The Scribal Methods In order to assure that the text of the Tanach would be read correctly according to the scribal traditions, the Masoretes,כּ תKיב / IJי developed a system of marginal notations called k e tiv/q e re, where ketiv = what is written and qere = what is to be read. ובטחרים קרי A circule marks the word to which the note refers Deut 28:27 Aleppo Codex The note means: ובטחרים Read using the vowels written with ובעפלים Thus, boils rather than hemorrhoids

16 Read Differently Than Written 2. The Scribal Methods In some cases, the Masoretes prescribed a perpetual Ketiv/Qere, meaning that some written words are always read differently. These perpetual Ketiv/Qere include the proper name Jerusalem (written י 5 ר 2 שAל ם but read,(י 5 ר 2 שAל יBם the proper name Issachar (written יBשּ שכ ר but read,(יbשּ כ ר the 3rd feminine singular pronoun she (written ה וא but read,(ה יא and the Tetragrammaton. These are not marked with a circule nor have a marginal note. The vowels attached to these perpetual Ketiv/Qere were to help the reader pronounce the word that was to be substituted. On the Tetragrammaton, special care was taken to guard the reader from attempting to pronounce the Name, so often only the first and last vowels of the substitute word were written.

17 Circumlocutions for the Name The majority of the time, Adonai א >נ 4 י was to be substituted when the Tetragrammaton was encountered. Thus, the first and last vowel of י 5 הו 4 ה Name, Adonai were written on the consonants of the א >נ 4 י Adonai = Read י 5 הו 4 ה In the Leningrad Codex, this pointing of the Tetragrammaton occurs 5682 times.

18 Circumlocutions for the Name Forty-four times (in the Leningrad Codex) the Tetragrammaton is pointed like this (with all three vowels of Adonai: י 5 ה ו 4 ה א >נ 4 י However, when Adonai YHVH are found together, substituting Adonai for the Tetragrammaton would have yielded Adonai, Adonai. To avoid this redundancy, the Tetragrammaton was pointed to indicate that Elohim should be substituted by using the first and last vowels of Elohim. י 5 הוBה אO ה ים This vowel pattern is found 271 times in the Leningrad Codex. 31 times the middle vowel (cholem) is included. A few other vowel patterns occur when a preposition or other particle is attached to the Tetragrammaton.

19 Summary Circumlocutions for the Name When the Masoretes intended a word to be read differently than how it was written in the text, they would mark the word with a circule and put the correct reading of the word in the margin. This method was called Ketiv / Qere. The vowels attached to the written form are the vowels that are to be used for the word that is read. In the case of the Tetragrammaton, the vowels written indicate whether to read Adonai or Elohim. They are not the original.יהוה vowels of the divine Name In fact, there are no extant Hebrew manuscripts of the Tanach in which the actual vowels for the proper pronunciation of יהוה are written.

20 The Original Pronunciation Recovered? Recently Keith Johnson and Nehemia Gordon have claimed to have recovered the original pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton by looking at photographs of the Leningrad and Aleppo Codices. They base their proposal on the following arguments: 1. They claim that the Tetragrammaton was not a perpetual ketiv/ qere because there never is a time when a scribal note is appended to the divine Name. nowhere in Scripture is there an instance of Qere Perpetuum in which the word written one way but read another way always lacks a scribal note. (Nehemia Gordon, The Pronunciation of the Name, p. 2 [retrieved from Dismissing the idea that the Tetragrammaton was a perpetual ketiv/qere, they propose that the two vowels written in the form (sheva and qametz) are actually the original first and last י 5 הו 4 ה vowels of YHVH. They claim that the Masoretes were willing to write the actual first and last vowels of the Sacred Name because they left out the middle vowel (the vowel on the first,(ה which assured that no one would actually pronounce the Name.

21 The Original Pronunciation Recovered? But as noted above, the perpetual Ketiv/Qere of the proper name Jerusalem (written י 5 ר 2 שAל ם but read,(י 5 ר 2 שAל יBם the proper name Issachar (written יBשּ שכ ר but read,(יbשּ כ ר and the 3rd feminine singular pronoun she (written ה וא but read (ה יא are all read differently than written yet never are they marked with a circule nor is there a marginal note connected with any of them. This entirely undermines their argument that יהוה is not a perpetual ketiv/qere. In fact, the Tetragrammaton is a perpetual ketiv/qere, and the vowels written with it are the vowels of the circumlocution to be read. The constant Qere (Qere perpetuum) is not indicated explicitly with a Masoretic note, but in these cases the Ketib is vocalized with the vowels of Qere. [Emanuel Tov, Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible, p. 59] In the case of the some words, the form traditionally read is always different from that suggested by the letters. This class is related to qere/ketiv, but is not marked as. יהוה such. The leading example is the tetragrammaton [Israel Yeivin, Introduction to the Tiberian Masorah, p. 58]

22 The Original Pronunciation Recovered? 2. The Tetragrammaton does not have the vowels of א >נ 4 י Adonai, for if it did, it would be written יQהוֹ ה, but it is always written as However, without the chataf patach and without the cholem.,י 5 הו 4 ה when we check the earliest manuscripts of Scripture we find that YHVH is written Y e HVaH. This is how YHVH is written in the Ben Asher manuscripts (Aleppo Codex and Leningrad Codex) which preserve the most accurate complete text of Scripture. (Gordon, Pronunciation, Op. cit., p. 3) But let s consider these claims: a. It would be consistent with the methods of the Masoretes to use the simple sheva rather than the combination vowel chataf patach to represent the first vowel in Adonai. i) Masoretes refer to words in abbreviated fashion by writing only.תנ ך = תורה, נבאים, כתובים e.g., the first letter of the word, Another example: = סוף תיבותא,ס ת end of the word

23 The Original Pronunciation Recovered? ii) Since sheva is the first vowel of the combination vowel chataf patach, this would follow the same pattern, of using first and last letters as an abbreviated form for an entire word. The form.א >נ 4 י has the first and last vowels of י 5 הו 4 ה י 5 הו 4 ה c. More likely, however, the use of the single sheva in the form came about on the principles of Hebrew phonology. (שEו 4 ה נ 4 ח) i) the chataf patach is used to replace a vocal sheva whenever it would occur with a guttural. Thus, Adonai,.(א >נ 4 י) which begins with a guttural, has the chataf patach ii) When, however, the vowels of Adonai were put on YHVH, since the first letter is a yod which is not a guttural, it would have been technically incorrect to place a chataf patach there. The simple sheva was used, therefore, which conformed to masoretic phonological rules.

24 The Original Pronunciation Recovered? If the vowels placed on YHVH (י 5 הו 4 ה) actually were representative of the original pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton, what are we to do?(אo ה ים) when YHVH has the vowels of Elohim This is the Torah of mankind, Adonai YHVH. (2Sam 7:19, Aleppo Codex) The initial sheva is there But there is also a cholem (ō) and a chiriq (ē) These are the vowels of Elohim,(אO ה ים) telling the reader to substitute Elohim in this case. י 5 הוBה אO ה ים Gordon agrees that the divine Name was written with these vowels so the reader would substitute Elohim (p. 9). He seems unconcerned that here, as in the form,י 5 הו 4 ה the initial combination vowel of אO ה ים (chataf seghol) is represented by the simple sheva.

25 The Original Pronunciation Recovered? 3. The form י 5 הו 4 ה is missing the middle vowel, the vowel on the first This was done to make sure no one tried to pronounce the.ה sacred Name. However, the medial vowel is found in the Ben Asher texts when YHVH is point to be read as Elohim. Why would the Masoretes include the vowel for the first ה in the form (to indicate Elohim should be read) when they left it out in י 5 ה וBה the form י 5 הו 4 ה (to indicate Adonai should be read)? Nehemia Gordon gives this explanation: The only reason the Masoretic scribes would have left the form Y e hovih [י 5 ה וBה] without dropping the vowel after the he ה is because they knew this was not the true pronunciation of the divine name. In contrast, when they saw Y e h?vah [י 5 הו 4 ה] they knew this to be the true pronunciation of the name and therefore suppressed the middle vowel. [quote continue on next slide]

26 The Original Pronunciation Recovered? 3. The form י 5 הו 4 ה is missing the middle vowel, the vowel on the first This was done to make sure no one tried to pronounce the.ה sacred Name. However, the medial vowel is found in the Ben Asher texts when YHVH is point to be read as Elohim. Why would the Masoretes include the vowel for the first ה in the form (to indicate Elohim should be read) when they left it out in י 5 ה וBה the form י 5 הו 4 ה (to indicate Adonai should be read)? Nehemia Gordon gives this explanation:?י 5 הו 4 ה But what is the missing vowel in Y e hvah Comparing the two forms Y e h?vah and Y e hovih it appears that the missing vowel was o (cholam). This means that the Masoretic scribes knew the name to be Y e hovah and suppressed its pronunciation by omitting the o. This is confirmed by the fact that the scribes actually forgot to suppress the vowel o in a number of instances. (Gordon, Pronunciation, Op. cit., pp. 9 10)

27 The Original Pronunciation Recovered? But let s consider this argument a bit closer: i) It is true that in the Aleppo Codex, the middle vowel (on the first ה in (יהוה is missing whenever the Name is pointed with initial sheva and final qametz (to be read Adonai ). It is also true that the middle vowel (cholem) is written (32x) only when YHVH is pointed with initial sheva and final chiriq (to be read Elohim ). ii) But this is not true of all Ben Asher manuscripts. For in the Leningrad Codex, the form,י 5 ה ו 4 ה (to be read Adonai ), is pointed with medial cholem 44 times! (Gen 3:14; 9:26; Ex 3:2; 13:3, 9, 15; 14:1, 8; Lev 25:17; Deut 31:27; 32:9; 33:12 13; 1 Kings 3:5; 16:33; Jer 2:37 3:1; 3:13, 21 22, 25; 4:3, 8; 5:2 3, 9, 15, 18 19, 22, 29; 6:9; 8:13; 30:10; 36:8; Ezek 44:5; Nah 1:3; Psa 15:1; 40:5; 47:6; 100:5; 116:5 6; Prov 1:29). iii) The argument that the scribe of the Leningrad Codex forgot to suppress the middle vowel 44 times, writing it by mistake, is far-fetched and runs contrary to the well-attested meticulous standards by which the Masoretes wrote their manuscripts.

28 The Original Pronunciation Recovered? Genesis 3:14 Leningrad Codex

29 The Original Pronunciation Recovered? Further, it is clear that the tradition to substitute Adonai for YHVH pre-dated the masoretic era. This is proven when we compare Isaiah 3:17 18 in the Aleppo Codex and in the Dead Sea Scrolls: No vowel Aleppo Codex 1QIs a column 3 Therefore Adonai will afflict the scalp of the daughters of Zion with scabs, And YHVH will make their foreheads bare. In that day Adonai will take away the beauty of their anklets, headbands, crescent ornaments.

30 The Original Pronunciation Recovered? Aleppo Codex Isaiah 3:17 and YHVH No vowel patach Aleppo Codex Isaiah 2:1 and Jerusalem No vowel chiriq Whenever Jerusalem is written with attached vav and, the original first vowel, which is sheva, disappears, and the vowel under the vav is chiriq. This conforms to the rule that when a vav is attached to a word that begins with the letter yod which has sheva as its vowel, the yod loses the sheva and combines with the vowel of the vav to form chiriq yod.

31 The Original Pronunciation Recovered? Aleppo Codex Isaiah 3:17 and YHVH No vowel patach Aleppo Codex Isaiah 2:1 and Jerusalem No vowel chiriq Therefore, if sheva were the original vowel of יהוה as Johnson and Nehemia propose, when a vav conjunction is attached to it, it would be written as וBיהו 4 ה (with chiriq under the vav) not ו?יהו 4 ה (with patach under the vav). Yet every time ויהוה is found in the Aleppo and Leningrad Codices, the vav is written with patach, not chiriq. Why?

32 The Original Pronunciation Recovered? Aleppo Codex Isaiah 3:17 and YHVH No vowel patach Aleppo Codex Isaiah 2:1 and Jerusalem No vowel chiriq The reason is that the original first vowel of יהוה is not sheva. Rather, the scribe(s) of the Aleppo and Leningrad Codices vocalized the vav conjunction attached to יהוה with patach because they expected the reader to substitute Adonai. When vav is attached to,א >נ 4 י the aleph becomes quiescent, meaning it loses its vowel, and the vav is pointed with patach. The resultant pronunciation is va-donay.

33 The Original Pronunciation Recovered? Aleppo Codex Isaiah 3:17 and YHVH No vowel patach Aleppo Codex Isaiah 2:1 and Jerusalem No vowel chiriq יהוה Codices, This proves beyond doubt that in the Aleppo and Leningrad was considered to be a perpetual qere, and when it was written in this form,י 5 הו 4 ה the first vowel (sheva) represented the first vowel of Adonai, not the supposed original vowel of YHVH.

34 The Original Pronunciation Recovered? Conclusion: The claim of Keith Johnson and Nehemia Gordon to have recovered the original pronunciation of the divine Name rests on faulty data and far-fetched speculation. 1) The tradition of substituting Adonai or Elohim for YHVH was not developed in the era of the rabbis, but was ancient, pre-dating the Masoretic era when the vowels were first written in the manuscripts of the Tanach. 2) The Aleppo Codex attests to this as well, as seen when YHVH has an attached vav conjunction ( and ). That the vav is vocalized with patach and not chiriq proves beyond doubt that the scribes did not intend the sheva in the form י 5 הו 4 ה to represent the original first vowel of the Tetragrammaton. Rather, the initial sheva of the Tetragrammaton represented the first vowel of the circumlocution Adonai.

35 The Original Pronunciation Recovered? Conclusion: The claim of Keith Johnson and Nehemia Gordon to have recovered the original pronunciation of the divine Name rests on faulty data and speculation. 3) The absence of the middle vowel in the form י 5 הו 4 ה was not intentionally left out by the Ben Asher scribes in order to hide the true pronunciation of the Name. This is proven by the fact that in the Leningrad Codex, the middle vowel (cholem) appears 44 times in the form י 5 ה ו 4 ה (indicating Adonai was to be substituted). 4) The presence of the middle vowel (cholem) in the form י 5 ה וBה does not reveal the original middle vowel of the divine Name, but is the middle vowel of Elohim. This was the standard method used by the masoretic scribes to indicate that Elohim was to be substituted for the Tetragrammaton when this vowel pattern was encountered.

36 The Original Pronunciation Recovered? Conclusion: The claim of Keith Johnson and Nehemia Gordon to have recovered the original pronunciation of the divine Name rests on faulty data and speculation. 5) Therefore, Johnson and Gordon have not recovered the original pronunciation of the divine Name. Their proposal is overturned both by the historical and grammatical data provided by the Aleppo and Leningrad Codices themselves. Furthermore, their proposal rests upon a far-fetched speculation (that the masoretic scribes mistakenly included the middle vowel of the Tetragrammaton in some instances) which has also been shown to be faulty.

37 Did the Church Fathers Know the Pronunciation? Some people have suggested that the original pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton was known by the early Church Fathers, and that we can learn what it was from their writings. A. Examples from the Church Fathers 1) Irenaeus (report of Gnostics) Iaoq (= Ia + Sabaoth?) 2) Clement of Alexandria (Stromata ) Iaoue (I-a-ou-e) with variants Iaou (I-a-ou), Ia ouai (I-a ou-ai), Ia oue (I-a ou-e) 3) Origen Iao, Iaw Ia (Iao, Iaō Ia) 4) Epiphanius, Theodoret & Samaritans Iabe, Iaw (Iabe, Iaō) B. Examples from Magical Literature יה יהוה = zebuq 1) Cumaen tomb, 2nd or 3rd Cent CE iaw iabe Sabaoth Yah YHVH (?) צבאות 2) On a tablet of tin shall be written before sunrise among other words iabe zebuq (= YHVH Sabaoth) 3) On a chalice one shall write besides other words iabe zebuq [For documentation, cf. Adolf Deissman, Bible Studies (T&T Clark, 1923), pp )]

38 Did the Church Fathers Know the Pronunciation? Some people have suggested that the original pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton was known by the early Church Fathers, and that we can learn what it was from their writings. C. Conclusion While the manner in which the Church Fathers transliterated the Tetragrammaton may shed some light on how they thought the Name should be pronounced, (a pronunciation that is in some cases also found in magical texts), the wide variations make it impossible to receive one transliteration as more authentic than the others. In the end, we find no clear and undisputed data from the Patristic period by which we could confidently ascertain the original pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton.

39 Was the Tetragrammaton Written in Lxx Manuscripts? It is true that in some of the Lxx texts found at Qumran and Nachal Hever, the Tetragrammaton is written in paleo-hebrew script. Some people have suggested that since the Tetragrammaton was written in the ancient copies of the Lxx, this could help us know the original pronunciation of the divine Name. However, when the Tetragrammaton was written in Lxx manuscripts found at Qumran, only the consonants were written and no vowels were included:

40 Scrap of Lxx from Nachal Hever, PAM Col IV Jonah 4:5b Micah 1:7a We see the divine Name YHVH written in paleo- Hebrew in this Lxx scrap from Nachal Hever But no vowels are written, only the consonants, so this gives no clue to the pronunciation of YHVH.

41 Was the Tetragrammaton Written in NT Manuscripts? On the basis of a notice found in the Tosefta, some have maintained that originally the Tetragrammaton was written in early Greek manuscripts of the Apostolic Scriptures: הגליונים וספרי מינים אין מצילין אותן מפני הדליקה אלא נשרפין במקומן הן ואזכרותיהן The gilyonim and scrolls of the minim, they do not rescue them [on the Sabbath] from before the fire. Rather they are allowed to burn in their place, they and their remembrances (i.e., the divine Name written therein). t.shabbat 13.5 [14.4 in some editions] Does this notice indicate that the Tetragrammaton was written in the Gospels (gilyonim) or in the scrolls (i.e., Torah scrolls or scrolls of the Prophets & Writings)? This issue is disputed among scholars.* But regardless, we do not have even one example where the Tetragrammaton appears in a manuscript or scrap of the Apostolic Scriptures. *[cf. L. Schiffman, Who Was a Jew? (KTAV, 1985), pp. 62ff; Daniel Boyarin, Border Lines (Penn State Univ., 2004), pp. 54ff; R. Herford, Christianity in Talmud & Midrash (KTAV, reprint of 1903 edition), pp. 155ff.]

42 Did Yeshua Pronounce the Sacred Name? Some have suggested (or presumed) that Yeshua and His disciples were in the habit of pronouncing the Sacred Name (YHVH). But there is no evidence to support this claim, and plenty of evidence to deny it. 1) Yeshua regularly uses circumlocutions: a) kingdom of Heaven (in the Gospel of Matthew, 31 times) b) Most High (Lk 6:35) c) right hand of Power (Matt 26:64) in this case, the Cohen Gadol (High Priest) charges Yeshua with blasphemy because He identified Himself with the One Who sits on a heavenly throne, as spoken of by Daniel (7:13 14). He did not pronounce the divine Name but used the circumlocution right hand of Power. d) Yeshua regularly uses Father or Abba in prayer. 2) Yeshua taught His disciples to address God in prayer as Father : Our Father Who is heaven (Matt 6:9; cp. Lk 11:2) 3) All the evidence we have from the Apostolic Scriptures shows that Yeshua did not pronounce the divine Name, nor did His disciples, but used other Names or circumlocutions.

43 The Heart of the Issue: God s Self-Revelation In Semitic culture, a name stands for a primary characteristic of the person or a major event in their lives. Avrahm Avraham Father of a multitude of nations (Gen 17:5) Ya acob Israel wrestled and prevailed (Gen 35:10) Moshe Because I drew him out of the water (Ex 2:11) Nabal pay no attention to this worthless man, Nabal, for as his name is נ 4 ב ל) = fool ), so is he. (1Sam 25:25) The meaning of the divine Name is revealed in connection with God s intention to deliver Israel from the slavery of Egypt. Two important texts & their larger contexts explain the meaning יהוה of the divine Name Exodus 3:14 Moshe at the burning bush Exodus 6:3 God s promise that Israel would know His Name

44 The Heart of the Issue: God s Self-Revelation Exodus 3:13 14 Then Moses said to God, Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you. Now they may say to me, What is His name? What shall I say to them? God said to Moses, I AM WHO I AM ; and He said, Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, I AM has sent me to you. א ה יYה א ש@ר א ה יYה AM I AM WHO I The Hebrew is in the imperfect aspect, which could more literally be translated I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE. say to the sons of Israel, I WILL BE (א ה יYה) has sent me to you. The primary issue here is not etymology, i.e., whether the.(יbה יYה or ה י 4 ה) be Tetragrammaton is based upon the verb to The issue, as the context makes clear, is the faithfulness of God to the covenant He made with Avraham, Itzchak, and Ya acov

45 The Heart of the Issue: God s Self-Revelation Exodus 3:15 God, furthermore, said to Moses, Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel,,יהוה the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations. יהוה = א ה יYה א ש@ר א ה יYה I Will Be Who I Will Be Notice how often, in the immediate context of Exodus 3:14-15, I will be (א ה יYה) occurs in God s promise to be with Moshe: 3:12 I will be (א ה יYה) with you 4:12, 15 I will be (א ה יYה) with your mouth The emphasis is not upon the essence of being but upon doing. God reveals Himself through His works, which demonstrate His faithfulness, His sovereignty, and His infinite justice and mercy.

46 The Heart of the Issue: God s Self-Revelation Exodus 3:15 God, furthermore, said to Moses, Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel,,יהוה the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations. יהוה = א ה יYה א ש@ר א ה יYה I Will Be Who I Will Be Even as God promised to be with His servant Moshe, the mediator of His covenant promises to Israel, so in the same way God promises always to be with Israel, i.e., to establish Israel as His eternal, covenant people. God s faithfulness: He would never forsake Israel God s sovereignty: He would providentially secure Israel s existence throughout time, for in order for Him to keep His word, Israel as a nation must endure.

47 The Heart of the Issue: God s Self-Revelation Exodus 3:16 17 Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them,,יהוה the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, I am indeed concerned פּ ] Zתּ י) (פּ [ד about you and what has been done to you in Egypt. So I said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, to a land flowing with milk and honey. I WILL BE your King, faithfully maintaining My covenant with you your Helper, always ready to come to your aid your Savior, to take you out from under the affliction of Egypt your Shield, defeating the Egyptians who seek to destroy you your Provider, bringing you to a land flowing with milk and honey

48 The Heart of the Issue: God s Self-Revelation Was God s covenant Name (יהוה) not known before He spoke with Moshe at the burning bush? Note Ex 6:2 3 God spoke further to Moses and said to him, I am ;יהוה and I,(א ל שAדּ י) appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as El Shaddai but by My name,,יהוה I did not make Myself known to them. How did God reveal Himself to Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya acov as El Shaddai? Each time the Name El Shaddai appears in Genesis, it is in the context of God s gift of children. Gen 17 the promise that Sarai would give birth to a son Gen 28 Yitzchak s blessing on Ya acov: May El Shaddai bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. Gen 35 the promise to Ya acov: I am El Shaddai; Be fruitful and multiply; A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come forth from you.

49 The Heart of the Issue: God s Self-Revelation Was God s covenant Name (יהוה) not known before He spoke with Moshe at the burning bush? Note Ex 6:2 3 God spoke further to Moses and said to him, I am ;יהוה and I,(א ל שAדּ י) appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as El Shaddai but by My name,,יהוה I did not make Myself known to them. Gen 43 (Ya acov s sons taking Benyamin to Egypt) may El Shaddai grant you compassion in the sight of the man, so that he will release to you your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved. Gen 48 Then Jacob said to Joseph, El Shaddai appeared to me and said to me, Behold, I will make you fruitful and numerous, and I will make you a company of peoples. Gen 49 From the God of your father who helps you, and by Shaddai who blesses you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb.

50 The Heart of the Issue: God s Self-Revelation Was God s covenant Name (יהוה) not known before He spoke with Moshe at the burning bush? Note Ex 6:2 3 God spoke further to Moses and said to him, I am ;יהוה and I,(א ל שAדּ י) appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as El Shaddai but by My name,,יהוה I did not make Myself known to them. How did God make Himself known to the Patriarchs as El Shaddai? by giving Yitzchak to Sarah who was barren (Gen 11:30) by giving Ya acov to Rivka who was barren (Gen 25:21) by giving children to Rachel, who was barren (Gen 29:31) God demonstrated His Name, El Shaddai, by giving children to the Matriarchs, and particularly to Sarah, Rivka, and Rachel, who conceived only through the special miraculous work of God. El Shaddia reveals God to be the God Who gives children. The Patriarchs came to know the meaning of the Name El Shaddai through the miracles He performed for them in giving children.

51 The Heart of the Issue: God s Self-Revelation Was God s covenant Name (יהוה) not known before He spoke with Moshe at the burning bush? Note Ex 6:2 3 God spoke further to Moses and said to him, I am ;יהוה and I,(א ל שAדּ י) appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as El Shaddai but by My name,,יהוה I did not make Myself known to them. Surely the Name YHVH was recognized and used by the Patriarchs is found 165 times in Genesis). Note Gen 15:2, Abram said, O יהוה) childless.? what will you give me seeing that I,א >נ 4 י יהוה But the Name YHVH was not known in the sense of having been demonstrated to the Patriarchs. Recognizing the letters and even the pronunciation of YHVH did not mean that the Name was known. God had demonstrated His covenant faithfulness on an individual level to each of the three Patriarchs by giving them children. But the meaning of the Name YHVH could only be known when its meaning was demonstrated on a national level, which awaited the event of the exodus from Egypt.

52 The Heart of the Issue: God s Self-Revelation Was God s covenant Name (יהוה) not known before He spoke with Moshe at the burning bush? Note Ex 6:2 3 God spoke further to Moses and said to him, I am ;יהוה and I,(א ל שAדּ י) appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as El Shaddai but by My name,,יהוה I did not make Myself known to them. In other words, the self-revelation God intended to give through His Name, YHVH, could only be known through the exodus event. It was in this historical event that His power and covenant faithfulness to the nation of Israel would be manifest. The fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant is realized ultimately in the unbroken covenant relationship between obedient Israel and God. Note Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God; and you shall know that I am יהוה your God, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. (Ex 6:7)

53 The Heart of the Issue: God s Self-Revelation Note how the use of א ה י$ה appears in the Prophets with this same emphasis: I WILL BE a father to him and he will be My son (2Sam 7:14) the establishment of the Davidic covenant. You shall be My people and I WILL BE your God (Jer 11:4; 24:7; 30:22; 31:1; 32:38; Ezek 11:20; 14:11; 34:24; 36:28; 37:23; Zech 8:8) the establishment of the covenant made with Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya acov. Conclusion: The divine Name YHVH encompasses God s sovereign intention to fulfill His covenant promise to His chosen people, Israel. The meaning of the Name is therefore revealed in all that God has done, is doing, and will do, to establish His covenant with Israel and thereby to prove that He alone is God (there is no other) and that He is able to accomplish all of His holy will. To know the divine Name is not to know its pronunciation, but to witness His marvelous works and to give Him the glory and praise He alone deservers.

54 The Heart of the Issue: God s Self-Revelation In the Psalms, the Name of God is at the heart of Israel s praise. The Name of יהוה expresses all the mystery and wonder of revelation, the object of all prayer, praise and reflection (cf. 7;17; 20:7; 103:1; 113:1-3; 116:4, 13, 17; 118:10-12; 122:4; 124:8; 129:8; 135:1; 148:5, 13). Note 76:1, In Judah Elohim is known, his Name is great in Israel. At Sinai God reveals Himself as יהוה (cf. 50:7; 81:10). His Name has been entrusted to Israel: they know it, meaning they have covenant relationship in the context of the Name (9:10), they fear it (86:11; 102:15), love it (5:11; 69:6; 119:132) and trust in it (32:21). His Name is called on (75:1 79:6; 80:18; 99:6; 105:1; 116:4, 13, 17). People sing,זמר) zamar) the Name and praise רב, ברך) (הלל, the Name; People exult over it, rejoice in it, break into shouts of joy over it. No one can make use of this Name (though God is called by it) or control it; it is holy and terrible.

55 The Heart of the Issue: God s Self-Revelation In the Psalms, the Name of God is at the heart of Israel s praise..(כּבוֹד) It is majestic (8:1, 9), characterized by glory A frequent Tanach expression says that when a person or a people dies, his or her name or its name is remembered no more (83:4; 109:13). In contrast, the Name of יהוה endures forever and His memory or renown lasts through all ages (135:13). It is to be celebrated throughout all generations (45:17). His Name stands for all that He is and all that He does. Therefore His Name provides protection and salvation (118:10, 11, 12; 54:1). ל מ ע ן שEמוֹ, ל מ ע ן) All of life must be lived with the glory of God's Name in mind שKמa, for His/Your Name sake 23:3; 25:11; 31:3; 106:8; 109:21; 148:5, 13).

56 יהוה To Call Upon the Name of To call upon the Name of יהוה means to entrust one s life to Him and to demonstrate this trust through a life of obedience. Note the parallelism of Ps 105:1 Oh give thanks to,יהוה call upon His Name; Make known His deeds among the peoples. To call upon His Name means to trust in Him for one s deliverance (Joel 2:32, cp. Acts 2:21) And it will come about that whoever calls on the Name of יהוה will be delivered To call upon His Name does not mean to pronounce the Name, as though someone who did not know the original pronunciation of the Name could not be saved. Even a person impaired in hearing and speech could call upon the Name of יהוה by trusting in Him as He has revealed Himself to them.

57 Summary The original pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton,,יהוה is unknown to us. All of the proposed pronunciations are guesses, even if some of these guesses may be close to the original. Therefore, no one who is willing to accept the historical and manuscript evidence should be dogmatic about a particular.יהוה pronunciation of From ancient times, long before the era of rabbinic Judaism, it was the practice to substitute Adonai or Elohim for the divine Name.יהוה Even Moses addressed יהוה as Adonay. Likewise, the translators of the Lxx, and even Yeshua and His disciples, used substitutions rather than pronouncing the Name. Present day claims by some that they have recovered the original pronunciation of יהוה based upon new investigations of the Aleppo and Leningrad Codices are not supported by the data. In fact, the data controvert these claims. Quite often, the current proclivity among some groups to find and use a supposed original pronunciation of יהוה is driven by a misplaced belief that pronouncing the Name results in greater spirituality and power in one s life.

58 Summary As with all of the Names by which God has revealed Himself, יהוה offers a particular emphasis upon the overarching greatness of God by being especially attached to His covenant relationship with Israel. God s eternal and unbending promise to establish Israel as His obedient covenant people is.יהוה central to the meaning of Our lack of knowledge regarding how יהוה was originally pronounced in no way diminishes our ability to know the divine Name, that is, to know God as He has revealed Himself in His Name. All of the Names by which God has revealed Himself are sacred in the sense that together they give the self-revelation of the Almighty. Even as the Hebrew Scriptures were translated into other languages (Aramaic, Syriac, Greek), so the Greek words used in the Apostolic Scriptures to refer to God as well as to Messiah, Yeshua (i.e., kuvrio~, kurios, Lord and qeov~, theos, God, Cristov~, christos, Christ ) were deemed appropriate and used by the Apostles. The assertion that using such translations results in calling God by pagan names is entirely off the mark and misunderstands the use of names in the first place.

59 Application Since we simply cannot be certain about the original pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton, it is foolish to adopt a pronunciation that is based on a guess, even if it might be a good guess. If we would hesitate to mispronounce the name of an earthly king when we addressed him, how much more should we steer clear from mispronouncing the Name of the King of Kings, in Whose presence we live, and move, and have our being! We should follow the pattern established from antiquity, a tradition followed by Yeshua and His Apostles, to substitute Adonai or Elohim, or another biblically warranted circumlocution (i.e., Almighty, Father in heaven, etc.) rather than attempting to pronounce the Tetragrammaton. The common HaShem (ה שּ ם) is also an appropriate term to use in common conversation, since it means the Name and simply makes known that one reveres the divine Name but does not know it s proper pronunciation. We should also reckon with the fact that for many Jewish people who have been raised religiously, attempting to pronounce the Tetragrammaton is a grave offense. Why should we offend our brothers and sisters by pronouncing the Name in a manner that may well be a mispronunciation?

60 Application Finally, let us commit ourselves to know the Name in truth, not focusing merely upon its etymology or how it is to be pronounced. Let us strive to deepen our own faith in the God Who has revealed Himself as the Creator, the God of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya acov, Who demonstrated by the exodus event His eternal intention to redeem Israel and to maintain and bring to fruition His covenant promises to His chosen people. Let us praise and magnify His power and majesty, revealed in His wondrous works throughout earth s history. And above all, let us live out lives of thankfulness and devotion because He sent His Son, Yeshua our Messiah, through Whom we have entered into covenant relationship with Him, and in Whom we enjoy the shalom that surpasses all comprehension. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the Name which is above every name, so that at the Name of Yeshua EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Yeshua Messiah is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9 11