especially Hirsch ZAW xxiii (1903), 355 ff. Zim KAT 3, 465 ff. ; Spiegelberg ZMG liii (1899), 633 ff.
proposes (improb.) Egyptian etymol. for יהוה ; further discussions see in Kö EB N AMES , § 112 and n. 3 . ‘Jehovah’ found in Jacob (? Johann.) Wessel ( • 1480), according to Schwally ThLZ , 1905, col. 612 .
I.
יהוה
is not used by
E
in Gn, but is given
Ex 3:12–15
as the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb, and is explained thus:
אֶהְיֶה
עִמָּ˜ךְ
I shall be with thee
(
v
1
2), which is then implied in
אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה
I shall be the one who will be
it
v
14a
(i.e. with thee
v
1
2) and then compressed into
אֶהְיֶה
v
14b
(i.e. with thee
v
1
2), which then is given in the nominal form
יהוה
He who will be
it
v
15
(i.e. with thee
v
1
2).
Cf.
Ew
BTh ii. 337, 338
RS
l.c.
, Proph. 385 ff.
Other interpretations are:
I am he who I am
, i.e. it is no concern of yours (Le Clerc
Lag
Psalt. Hieron. 156
);
I am
, (this is my name),
inasmuch as I am
(
אֲשֶׁר
=
כִּי
;
AE JDMich We
JD Th xxi, 540
= Comp. Hex
72
);
Di
al.
I am who I am
, he who is essentially unnameable, inexplicable.—
E
uses
יהוה
sparingly by the side of
אלהים
and
האלהים
in his subsequent narrative. The Ephraimitic wriers in Ju S
K
use it in similar proportions.
P
abstains from the use of
יהוה
until he gives an account of its revelation to Moses
Ex 6:3
; but subsequently uses it freely. He gives no explanation of its meaning. He represents that
אֵל שַׁדַּי
was the God of the patriarchs.
J
uses
יהוה
from the beginning of his narrative, possibly explaining it,
Gn 21:33
be
עולם אל
, the evergreen tamarisk being a symbol of the ever- living God;
cf.
De
Gn 21:3
3. Elsewhere
יהוה
is the common divine name in pre- exilic writers, but in post-exilic writers gradually falls into disuse, and is supplanted by
אלהים
and
אדני
. In Job it is used 31 times in prose parts, and
12:9
(a proverb); not elsewhere in the poem. Chr apart from his sources prefers
אלהים
and
האלהים
. Dn uses
יהוה
only in chap. 9 (7 times); Ec not at all. In the Elohistic group of
ψ 42—83
it is used 39 times (see
אלהים
). It occurs as the name of Israel’s God
MI
18. It is doubtful whether it was used by other branches of the Shemitic family,
cf.
COT
Gn 2:4b
Dl
Pa 158 ff. Dr
Stud. Bib.
i. 7 ff.
Zim H. Zimmern.
KAT E. Schrader, Keilinschr. u. d. Alte Testament.
ZMG Zeitschrift d. deutsch. Morgenländ. Gesellschaft. Kö E. König.
EB Encyclopaeddia Biblica, edd. Black and Cheyne.
ThLZ Theol. Literaturzeitung. Ew H. Ewals, Biblische Theologie; AE Aben Ezra.
JDMich J. D. Michaelis. K E. Kautzsch (in B. Aram. Appendix).