Biblical Hebrew Forum

[David P Donnelly <davedonnelly1 AT juno.com>]

Bearpecs at aol.com says:

>>>
Except that no word in any Semitic language consists only of vowels.  

In Greek, however, which does have words consisting only of vowels, 

I would expect these Hebrew consonants to be transcribed with vowels. 

The short answer is: NO, 
it is NOT possible that all the letters in the ineffable name were used
strictly as vowels.
>>>

Certainly your short answer is correct according to modern Biblical
Hebrew grammar rules.

Y-a-h   w-e-h treated as consonants and vowels would follow the CVC  CVC
rule, 
but it is found in no extant pointed Hebrew text.

Yehovah would sortof follow the CVCVCVC rule.

Sacred Name ministries make a great case
that if the letters of the Tetragrammaton were all vowels,
it would be pronounced "Yahweh"

Of course Sacred Name ministries don't allow modern Biblical Hebrew
grammar rules to restrict them.

I often wonder if Clement of Alexandria believed that 
the Tetragrammaton was composed of all vowels,
when he came up with IAOUE.


Dave Donnelly 
>From jkilmon AT historian.net  Sun Sep 14 00:43:56 2003
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From: "Jack Kilmon" <jkilmon AT historian.net>
To: "David P Donnelly" <davedonnelly1 AT juno.com>
References: <20030913.175443.2616.1.davedonnelly1 AT juno.com>
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] YHWH: Consonants or Vowels?
Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2003 23:44:09 -0500
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  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: David P Donnelly=20
  To: jkilmon AT historian.net=20
  Cc: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org=20
  Sent: Saturday, September 13, 2003 4:54 PM
  Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] YHWH: Consonants or Vowels?


  Jack says:

  >>>
  Since Genesis was almost certainly written AFTER 900 BCE,=20
  what is  the problem?
  >>>

  Dave says:

  Possibly there is no problem,=20
  if the Book of Genesis was written after 900 BCE.

  Is it your understanding that Yod and He and Waw/Vav=20
  were all being used as vowel letters in the Book of Genesis?

  ALL? No, I would say the use of matres lectionis was inconsistent but =
was used at least as early as the 10th century BCE and became more =
consistent in Hebrew, having been used first in Aramaic (Tel Fekherye =
statue as an example) , by the 7th century BCE.  It is my opinion that =
the 7th century BCE is the earliest date for the writing of Genesis well =
within the timeframe for the plene forms with ML.

  And if your answer is "yes"
  it seems at least possible that Josephus was correct,
  that YHWH was composed of 4 vowels,
  and not 4 consonants.

  I believe it is possible.

  e.g. it is possible that the 3 Hebrew vowel-letters,
  [Yod/once and He/twice and Waw/Vav/once]
  that are found in the Tetragrammaton,
  were being used strictly as vowels.

  I think it is possible but we will never know.

  Jack


  Dave Donnelly=20


  On Sat, 13 Sep 2003 16:15:51 -0500 "Jack Kilmon" =
<jkilmon AT historian.net> writes:
  >=20
  > ----- Original Message -----=20
  > From: "David P Donnelly" <davedonnelly1 AT juno.com>
  > To: <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  > Sent: Saturday, September 13, 2003 8:23 AM
  > Subject: [b-hebrew] YHWH: Consonants or Vowels?
  >=20
  >=20
  > > Are the 4 Hebrew letters of the Tetragrammaton consonants or=20
  > vowels?
  > >
  > > First-century priest and historian Falvius Josephus writes about=20
  > the
  > > sacred Name
  > > that was engraved on the headpiece of the high priest:
  > > >>>
  > > A mitre also of fine linen encompassed his head,
  > > which was tied by a blue riband,
  > > about which there was another golden crown,
  > > in which was engraven the sacred name [of God];
  > > it consists of four vowels.
  > > >>>
  > > Wars of the Jews, Book 5, chapter 5
  > >
  > > It is well known that the Yod and the He and the Waw/Vav
  > > are all used as vowel-letters in the un-pointed Hebrew Text.
  > >
  > > However,
  > > many sources say that vowel-letters were not used until about=20
  > 1000
  > > B.C.-900 B.C.
  > > Is their any solid evidence
  > > that the Yod and the He and the Waw/Vav were not being used as=20
  > vowel
  > > letters
  > > when Genesis 2:4 was first written?
  >=20
  > Since Genesis was almost certainly written AFTER 900 BCE, what is=20
  > the
  > problem?
  >=20
  > Jack
  >=20
  >=20
  >=20