Biblical Hebrew Forum

[K Randolph <kwrandolph AT gmail.com>]

Uri:

This I can attempt to answer:

On Fri, Jun 7, 2013 at 3:43 PM, Uri Hurwitz <uhurwitz AT yahoo.com> wrote:

Dear Rolf,

   The root HWH is attested in Aramaic at least since
 the eighth century (KAI) with the same meaning as the
 biblical HYH. In fact a few cases of the Aramaic form
 are preserved in the HB, compared with thousands of
 cases of the standard HYH. With the exception of the
 medial consonant, they are quite similar.

HWH as a verb occurs only six times in Tanakh, according to a concordance—Genesis 27:29, Isaiah 16:4, Job 37:6, Qohelet 2:22, 11:3, Nehemiah 6:6. It appears it has a meaning more in line with setting up, putting someone in his place, not connected with being per se. (Personally I question the two times the verb ends with an Alep—Job 37:6, Qohelet 11:3—belong with the others in meaning.)

Just because they are similar in form, doesn’t mean that they are the same in meaning. So without a paper trail connecting them (and there is none here) I don’t think we confidently can make the connection.

   Therefore I am at a complete loss to understand 
 when you state:

"..... And continuing the line of uncertainty, we do
 not know whether there is a wordplay (similarity of sounds)
  between the use of HYH in Exodus 3:14 and the name
 YHWH in 3:15. We do not even have any clues that could
 suggest that there was a connection between the verb HYH
and YHWH."

A thought came to mind as I was answering this question, could YHWH refer to the one who created the universe? I.e. “the Creator”?

   Best,

  Uri Hurwitz                    Wilmington, VT

Karl W. Randolph.