The term tetragrammaton is Greek for "the four letters." In a more general, non-Christian context, the word also refers to any mystic or sacred symbol made up of four letters, e.g., Latin, Deus. Within the biblical context the word refers to the personal name of God represented by the four letters 'YHWH' in the Hebrew Old Testament. It is a name that is always linked to Him as the God in covenant with Israel. Very frequently it is paired with 'God,' 'elohim, and translated "the Lord God," in which case it at once and the same time presents Him as the Sovereign and the Almighty. The name occurs some 6800x in the OT, absent only from Esther, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs.
Most modern scholars think that it would have been pronounced Yahweh. Jewish custom, however, held the name too sacred to pronounce aloud. When writing it they would always use the four letters. In reading, however, they say 'adonay, meaning 'Lord,' but everyone would know that Yhwh was meant. Modern English translations have tended to follow this custom and translate the tetragrammaton as 'the Lord'. But, as noted by Terence Fretheim, "Lord obscures the fact that Yahweh is a name and not a title or an epithet" (NIDOTTE, 4.1296). The name is sometimes, especially in older English works (since 1520 when it first appeared), translated Jehovah. Jehovah represents no known ancient pronounciation, but is accomplished by inserting the vowels from 'adonay into the tetragrammaton to yield 'YaHoWaH,' and since J & Y and V & W were interchangeable in older European languages, as well as the habit of vowel reduction in which the initial 'a' sound becomes reduced to 'e', it became Jehovah. Jehovah is, therefore, a mixed-up word, and we suggest avoid using it altogether; it does nothing to preserve the sanctity of the tetragrammaton itself as the Jewish 'adonay is meant to do, nor does it add any theological depth to our understanding of God in its use.
Modern scholars vary in their practice of expressing the name. Some would happily use 'Yahweh,' others 'YHWH.' Bruce Waltke, e.g., takes another way out by using 'I AM,' which is what the Hebrew root signifies.
The tetragrammaton appears for the first time in Gen 2:4, where it is paired by the generic term for God, 'elohim. It is found frequently in the Pre-Patriarchal Narratives, but always as the author's name for God, never on the lips of any of the characters, so that we cannot be certain that it was by this name that they knew and/or worshipped Him. Abram is the first person with whom we find specific mentions of such a relationship with YHWH (Gen 12:7-8, 13:3-4). Abram was even reported as having, with raised hand "sworn an oath to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth" (14:22), and spoken of how Lord had spoken to him (24:7). Isaac (26:25), Jacob (28:21, and even Leah (29:32) were supposed to have called on His name. But that personal name of God seemed to have been forgotten by the Israelites during their extended time of sojourn in Egypt. When God met Moses at the burning bush and commanded him to return to Egypt to do His bidding, he seemed ignorant of the name and had to ask to be enlightened about the name of "the God of your fathers" (Exo 3:13). Before He reveals His name afresh to Moses ("Say to the Israelites, 'The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.' 'This is my name for ever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation'" v15), God explains the meaning and significance of His name: He says, "I AM WHO I AM ['ehyeh 'asher 'ehyeh]. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM ['eheyeh] has sent me to you'" (v14).
Some scholars have suggested that "I am who I am" (or "I am that which I am," "I will be who I will be" or "I will cause to be what I cause to be" are other possible translations) represents a refusal by Yahweh to reveal His name, and amounts to saying, "I am who I am, my name is none of your business." This seems highly unlikely in the light of the next sentence. It is also out of character from everything else that the OT reveals about Him.
Yahweh's response is, in fact, a highly positive one, as we may note the following about it.
1. In doing this the Lord is bracing Moses for the task appointed him. Moses had ask, "Who am I to do this?" The Lord's reply is to suggest that the task given him does not depend on who he is but on who He is. If Moses is to be successful he has to know privately as well as proclaim publicly, that it will be the Lord who will accomplish the task to which he has been called. Without a vast and trained army behind, Moses has only recourse to Him who is. (See also Lord of Hosts.)
2. To say that "He is," the Lord asserts that the others are not. This is to claim final and absolute authority over all things to Himself. In confronting the pharaoh, who thinks himself lord over all life in his land, Moses needed to know the power with and by which he would challenge the king. Moses needed to know that, ultimately, the Lord 'is' and Pharaoh 'was not.'
3. This explanation from the Lord also explains the root significance of His name, YHWH. Both 'I am" ('eheyeh) and YHWH are simply different forms of the same verb for existence (in English we call it the 'verb-to-be'). Yahweh is simply "Is"; He has always been and always will, and He is the source of all other existence. When Moses had successfully accomplished his task of bringing the Israelites out of Egypt, he would reflect on and remind the new generation of Israelites who were getting ready for the final conquest of Canaan, what Yahweh had done for them in Egypt. Moses asked them:
Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes? You were shown these things so that you might know that the Lord is God; besides him there is no other. From heaven he made you hear his voice to discipline you. On earth he showed you his great fire, and you heard his words from out of the fire. Because he loved your ancestors and chose their descendants after them, he brought you out of Egypt by his Presence and his great strength, to drive out before you nations greater and stronger than you and to bring you into their land to give it to you for your inheritance, as it is today. Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other. (Deut. 4:34-39 NIB)
Twice Moses underlines the fact for the Israelites: besides Yahweh there is no other. He is, therefore the others are not. It follows from this—a point that Moses stresses so strenuously in Deuteronomy—why Israel is to worship Yahweh alone.
Resources:
Michael Marlowe, The Translation of the Tetragrammaton. Bible Research (bible-researcher.com) 2011.
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