Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Eduardo M. Acuna" <eacuna AT mail.giga.com>]

4QLXXLevb translates YHWH as IAW, which is a greek phonetic transcription
for an inverse (i.e., magic) substitution of the (incomplete) vowels of
ADONAI : IANODA.

The complete phonetic transcription of the vowels from IANODA, IAWA, was
not used probably because it could lead common people to the knowledge of
the magic spell, something occult reserved only for the initiated.

The incomplete phonetic transcription of the magic spell, the inverted
ADONAI, is probably the origin for the non pronunciation of the Name YHWH.
An argument about a temporary restriction for the non pronunciation of
YHWH in Amos 6:10-11 is found in the post: “IAW Kurios Pantokrator =
Jehova/YHWH?” http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek/archives/97-08/0156.html in
the same post, the author Rolf Furuli, mentions the LXX Lev 24:16 as an
argument against pronouncing the Name. However, Lev 24:16 is part of the
24:11 as linked by 24:14 and the non pronunciation refers to a blasphemous
pronunciation.

In late LXX the complete greek word for ADONAI, KURIOS, was used as a
replacement for YHWH. It is worth to note that it was not inverted
(SOIRUK). The abbreviation KS from K(URIO)S may stand as a recognition of
the abbreviation of Y(HW)H, as YH.

The complete phonetic transcription: IAWE, is the samaritan pronunciation
IAVE documented by Photius in his letter 162 to Amphiloque, which is the
modern Iahveh, Yahveh or Yahweh.

Petrus Galatinus (De arcanis catholicae veritatis. 1518) provides, in my
opinion, the correct pronunciation of YHWH: Iehouah, as well as Iehovah or
Jehovah.

Eduardo M. Acuna.

> Dear Eduardo,
> What does your perception of Ieoua do with the shortened forms YaH and YaHu?
> Also, how do you account for LXX  YABE?
> Charles David Isbell
> 
> > The absence of vowels is valid for the entire biblical hebrew, not only
> > for the name of God. It is also the same for the name of Judah: YHWDH,
> > which is the name of God plus a Daleth. Therefore, the most likely
> > pronunciation of YHWH is: Ieoua. Just by eliminating the D from Ieouda
> > (modern, Judah).
> > Eduardo.
> >