Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Alexander Oldernes <alexander AT oldernes.no>]

This subject can be (and has been) explored and discussed for decades, and 
still there is no end of the arguments and possibilities.
We can bury ourselves down in history, archaeology, ancient grammatical 
rules, and a great many books written on this subject.

Since we don't have 100% proof for a specific pronunciation, it ends up in 
which proof and pronunciation we find most logic for ourselves, according to 
our personal 'logic', in connection with the facts presented. (Sometimes our 
personal 'logic' may be too influenced by what we wish to be true, and that 
may prevent ut from investigating all the facts the right way).

I know some of you are able to say a million arguments against this, but 
this is what I personal find logic, based only on the biblical text (the way 
we have it today, with the pronunciation we know today)...

- When I read all the theophoric names:

Jehoaddah, Jehoaddan, Jehoahaz, Jehoash, Jehohanan, Jehoiachin, Jehoiada, 
Jehoiakim, Jehoiarib, Jehonadab, Jehonathan, Jehoram, Jehoshabeath, 
Jehoshaphat, Jehosheba, Jehozabad, Jehozadak - and all the names that ends 
with -jahu

...my personal logic tells me that the YHW in the tetragrammaton can be 
pronounced Yeho- or Yahu-.

- When I see that the shortened form of YHWH, that is YH, is to be 
pronounced YaH

...my personal logic tells me that the tetragrammaton may have a vowel "a".

When I see name Jehudah, YHWDH, I see that the difference from the 
tetragrammaton is the Daleth.
If I remove the Daleth from YeHUDaH, and keep the vowel "a", I get YeHUaH / 
YeHUWaH.

...my personal logic tells me that the pronunciation may not be very 
different from Jehudah.

( One interesting detail is the 3rd person masculine HaWaH in Ecclesiastes 
11:3, which is pronounced YeHU[a] )


I'm sure my 'logic' is not perfect, and neither my knowledge. But I like to 
keep it simple, and simple is often the best.
These were just some thoughts, based on only the biblical text.


Alexander Oldernes
Norway