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  • From: Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] YHWH pronunciation
  • Date: Sun, 31 Jul 2005 18:22:08 +0100

On 31/07/2005 11:54, Jack Kilmon wrote:

I still believe it possible that yhwh is just what it is, the qal of hwh taken
from a TITLE phrase as a hypocoristicon of EL, ala Albright and Cross. A
title like "El caused the world to come into being". I believe so because
it is a formula seen throughout the ANE, like kheper khepera kheperu from
Egypt.

At some point in time YHWH passed into folk etymology as the hiph'il, perhaps at the time
of the Yahwist author/editor.


I'm confused. If the meaning of YHWH is "(El) caused the world to come
into being", then surely this corresponds to the hiphil of HWH/HYH, not
its qal.

Sometimes I see all this NAME of God stuff as a big joke played on us by
history or, indeed, history's God. My sense of the collective Pentateuch is
that the SOUND of God's voice gives existence to something when he CALLS it
much like a baby did not become a person until its NAME $m was called out by
the father. In Genesis 1:5 wayqara elohym l'owr yom w'lachoshek qara
layileh and in Genesis 1:8 wayqara elohym laraqiya shemayim.....hence
everything that was called into existence with a NAME $m was SHEMAYIM. Now
EL was not CALLED into existence, was he? He was not part of the shemayim.
Was he created? If HE was not created, why would he have a name?
He would just BE as he so told Moses in
the narrative. The NAME is $m and all that is named is $mym and what we
HEAR is $m( and $m also means what is existing because it is THERE $m and
unless God was created by being named..he has no name. l) $m.


Are you suggesting that shemayim, or more precisely shamayim at least in
Genesis 1:8 which you (mis)quote, is a plural of "shem"? This is highly
unlikely as shamayim is from a distinct Semitic root from shem, as is
clear for example from their distinct Arabic cognates (samaa' vs. 'ism);
and shema` = "hear" is yet another root. Or are you simply making a word
play, or suggesting that the author of Genesis is doing so?

--
Peter Kirk
peter AT qaya.org (personal)
peterkirk AT qaya.org (work)
http://www.qaya.org/




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