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  • From: Alexander Oldernes <alexander AT oldernes.no>
  • To: b-hebrew <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] yhwh pronunciation
  • Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2005 18:44:40 +0200

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






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