The nations shall know that I am . . . יְהוָֹה Yehovah

And I make My holy name known among My people Israel, and no longer pollute My holy name. The nations will know that I, Yehovah, the Holy One, am in Israel.

YEHEZQĔL (EZEKIEL) 39:7
“And I shall make My set-apart Name known in the midst of My people Yisra’ĕl, and not let My set-apart Name be profaned any more. And the nations shall know that I am יהוה, the Set-apart One in Yisra’ĕl.

YHVH. How do we pronounce it to obey God’s command to use His name?

Evidence:
The four Hebrew consonants, Yod-Hey-Vav-Hey, known as the tetragrammaton, appear in ancient manuscripts without vowels, as ancient Hebrew used only consonants.
Vowel sounds, essential for pronunciation, were added later through markings.

The key question is: which vowels should be used to pronounce the Name?

All names for the Father are proposed. Since no one alive today was there when YHVH told Moshe His name, we didn't hear the vowel sounds. Exodus 3:14. But we can be assured that Yud-Hey-Vav-Hey is His name. Mentioned 6825 times in the Tanakh.

Some pronunciation options include:

Yehovah - Proposed name with thousands of Hebrew documents to back it. Research by Bible Scholar Dr. Nehemia Gordon.
Yehowah differs by consonant sound, not a vowel point. That’s a separate discussion.
Yehuah - Used by some, this name is proposed to come from the similar name Yehuda.
Yahuah - This proposed name is used and created by the Christian Hebrew Roots movement, and the writers of the Cepher Bible, but this name is not supported by any ancient Hebrew texts.
Yahweh - This proposed name was used and created by Gilbert Genebrard, a Christian author, in 1699. In modern times, the name is used by the Assemblies of Yahweh Christian Church.

Some believe the vowels from “Adonai” were inserted into the tetragrammaton, but these do not match any commonly proposed pronunciation of His name.

Some History on the Name Yehovah

Pietro Colonna Galatino, also known as Petrus Galatinus, is often credited with popularizing the name "Jehovah" in the early 16th century, supposedly by combining the Hebrew Tetragrammaton YHVH with the vowels of "Adonai." A, O, A, I? The idea that vowels from Adonai explain YHVH’s pronunciation is unsupported by historical evidence.

However, historical evidence shows that the name "Jehovah" or Yehovah (No J's in Hebrew) was known and used by Jewish Rabbis long before Galatino's time.

Background on Pietro Colonna Galatino

• Birth: c. 1464 in Galatina, Kingdom of Naples
• Death: c. 1540 in Rome, Papal States
• Occupation: Italian Friar Minor, philosopher, theologian, and Orientalist
• Notable Work: Wrote De Arcanis Catholicae Veritatis in 1516, addressing Jewish writings and the authority of the Tetragrammaton.

The Name Jehovah

• Origin: The name "Jehovah" is a Latinized form of the Hebrew Tetragrammaton (YHVH).
• Galatino's Role: Galatino is often credited with popularising the name "Jehovah" in the early 16th century through his writings, particularly in De Arcanis Catholicae Veritatis.
• Historical Usage: While some argue that "Jehovah" was invented by Galatino, evidence shows that the name appeared in earlier Jewish texts, dating back to the 10th century.

Controversy Surrounding Yehovah

• Misunderstandings: Critics of the name "Yehovah" often claim it is a modern invention, but historical records indicate its use predates Galatino.

Galatino's contributions to the understanding of the divine name reflect a complex interplay of theology, linguistics, and historical context.

On January 21, 2018, Bible Scholar Dr. Nehemia Gordon and his team of researchers discovered the 1,000th Hebrew Bible manuscript containing the original name of God in Hebrew with vowels. For four hundred years, scholars have believed based on Greek sources and conjecture that the Hebrew name of God was originally pronounced “Yahweh.” In late 2016, Gordon found never-translated traditional Jewish sources that explicitly identified the vowels of God’s name in Hebrew as “Yehovah.” 

The Aleppo Codex is the oldest known Hebrew Bible manuscript, created around 930 CE, and it contains the Tetragrammaton, which is often represented as "Yehovah."

Origin of the Name Yahweh

The name Yahweh is not exclusively derived from the Samaritans, but it is closely associated with their religious practices and beliefs.

Historical Context

• Ancient Semitic Deity: Yahweh was an ancient Semitic deity worshipped in the Levant, particularly by the Samaritans and the fallen Israelites.
• Canaanite Roots: The worship of Yahweh likely has roots in the Canaanite religion, where he was associated with weather and war.

Gilbert Génébrard, born in 1535, a French Benedictine exegete, Orientalist, and Christian scholar, first suggested the pronunciation "Yahweh" for the name of God, he based this on the writings of Theodoret of Cyrus, a 5th-century theologian who mentioned that the Samaritans referred to God as "Yahve." Génébrard's work helped popularize this pronunciation in the 16th century.

Jews didn’t pronounce the name, but the Samaritans (non-Jewish people) pronounced it as “Yahweh.”

Genebrard decided that the name of YHVH should mean “creator.” Based on theology (his beliefs), he chose the pronunciation of “Yahveh” (or Yahweh in English) simply because of Theodoret, and it fit his own desire to call YHVH/god the creator. Yahveh means “he that causes to be,” which does mean YHVH creates.

Historical Context

The name "Yahveh" is often associated with the Samaritans, who, according to Theodoret, used this term. However, there is debate about its authenticity and origins. Some scholars argue that the term may be connected to the Roman god Jupiter rather than to the God of Israel.

Scholarly Debate

The pronunciation "Yahweh" gained traction in modern scholarship, largely due to the influence of Génébrard and later scholars like Gesenius. Gesenius's work solidified the use of "Yahweh" in biblical studies, although it is important to note that the original pronunciation of YHVH remains uncertain due to historical reverence and restrictions on its vocalization among Jews.

Despite this consensus of what some say today, there is no Bible manuscript or ancient Jewish source that offers “Yahveh” or “Yahweh” as a supported pronunciation by the actual vowels found in the texts.

“leolam” (“forever”) Exodus 3:15

Many rabbinical sources indicate that the vowels sheva, holam, and kamatz (short e, long o, short a) are used for God’s name, resulting in the pronunciation “Yehovah,” accented on the third syllable. These sources often point to the same vowel pattern as the Hebrew word “leolam” (“forever”) in Exodus 3:15, building on ancient Jewish linguistic analysis rather than modern Christian theories.

The Hebrew word “leolam,” found in Exodus 3:15 and meaning “forever,” shares the same vowels—sheva, holam, kamatz (e, o, a)—as those found in over 1000 ancient manuscripts containing YHVH vowel markings, all pronounced “Yehovah.”In the Leningrad Codex, the oldest complete Hebrew Scriptures, YHVH (יהוה) first appears with all three vowels (e, o, a) in Genesis 3:14.

The Leningrad Codex is the oldest complete Hebrew Bible manuscript (Masoretic Text, Tiberian vocalization), made in Cairo in 1008 CE.

Examining both sides over the years, I find that all uncontested theophoric names in the Bible start with “Yeho” (e.g., Yehoshua, Yehoshophat, Yehochanon), and scholars universally agree on this pronunciation for these names. This observed consistency strengthens the case for “Yeho-” as the best-supported vocalisation for the divine name prefix.

Without a Hebrew degree, I question: who is the 'theo' in those theophoric names? It's the “Yeho” part, and there should be no disagreement.

This preserved evidence in the Bible is accessible to everyone. No PhD or exhaustive research is required. Relying on agreed vowel sounds in theophoric names and logical reasoning suffices.

“Therefore say to the house of Yisra’ěl, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Yisra’ěl, but for My set-apart Name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. 
“And I shall set apart My great Name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. And the nations shall know that I am יהוה,” declares the Master יהוה, “when I am set-apart in you before their eyes. YEHEZQĔL (EZEKIEL) 36:22-23

Avinu Elohim has preserved His name and its pronunciation for us so we can obey TORAH (His instructions) to use it. He did so in a way that all scholars could accept if they abandoned their agendas. Stop profaning His NAME, יהוה!

By Rabbi Francisco Arbas
📧 franciscoarbas.yisrael@gmail.com
Following His ‘WAY’ — Netzari Mashiach Judaism