Hebrew

Proper noun

יהוה • ‎(YHVH) m

1. The Tetragrammaton, one of the names of God.
2. The proper, personal name of the Jewish God.

Usage notes

• The word is written in the Hebrew Bible either without vocalisation or as יְהֹוָה, using the vocalization of the word אֲדֹנָי ‎(adonái, “my Lord”), because of the prohibition of uttering the name. It is thought that the original pronunciation was probably lost around the Hellenistic era. In some cases, when preceded by the word אֲדֹנָי ‎(adonái, “my Lord”), it is written as יֱהֹוִה, using the vocalization of the word אֱלֹהִים ‎(elohím, “God”).
• Secular Jews in Israel pronounce the word as אדוני \ אֲדֹנָי ‎(adonái) usually, under most circumstances.
• Religious Jews pronounce it as אֲדֹנָי ‎(adonái, “my Lord”) only for liturgical purposes, otherwise they use הַשֶּׁם ‎(hashém, “the name”).
• Samaritans pronounce it as שְׁמָא ‎(š'mā, “the name”) (the Aramaic equivalent of הַשֶּׁם ‎(hashém)) under all circumstances, even in liturgy.

See also

• אהיה
• יְיָ
• אֵל ‎(él)
• אלוהים \ אֱלֹהִים ‎(elohím)
• הַשֵּׁם ‎(hashém)
• The Tetragrammaton on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Names of God in Judaism on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

References

• Brown, Francis; Driver, Samuel Rolles; Briggs, Charles Augustus (1906) A Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, Oxford: Clarendon Press