RESTORING A PEOPLE, REBUILDING A NATION
Weak Letter
That the second of the weak letters is " ו " may surprise you - for it doesn't sound weak at all - and actually is not a weak sound. The answer is that the sound of "vav" a long time ago wasn't "vav" at all but " waw " and " waw " is weak. .................................. "Vav" or rather "waw" used to be the sixth letter of the Greek alphabet ( as it is of the Hebrew). It died completely out of the Greek lanuage, leaving only one trace behind.
The Yemenite Jews Arabia who retain an ancient, correct and pure pronounciation of Hebrew still pronounce the " ו " as "w" - as does Arabic, the close sister lanuage of Hebrew
PLATE II
Ancient Hebrew had no system of vowel notation. Finding only the consonants the reader supplied the proper vowel. In some cases help was given by the use of certain consonants ( Aleph) and (Hey) to denote (a), (Yod) " to denote (i) or (e), and " Vav " to denote (o) or (u). After Hebrew had ceased to be a living speech, a system of vocalization was invented to preserve the proper pronunciation and meaning of the Sacared Writings.
The Palestinian system emplots points and signs above, below, and in the bosom of consonantal letters.
PLATE III
The Hebrew vowel signs we now use were invented quite late and first came into use the seventh century of the common era. In the 600's, in the city of Tiberias, there was a perfected series of symbols for the Hebrew vowels. These are the well-known vowel signs that we now use. They were grandually into the Hebrew writings.
PLATE IV
Just around the seventh century A.D., a vocalic sysytem was introduced by the Massoretes, a group of people interested in preserving and vocalising the traditional Hebrew text and who derived their name from the Hebrew word, for "tradition". The system consisted of vowel points or signs which were written in and around the consonants so as not to interfere with their traditional sacredness.
PLATE V
The lexicon in general use in Germany in the latter part of the eighteenth century was that of I. Simon (1752; 2d ed., 1771). Simon defended the pronunciation Jehovah, which he regarded as representing the three tenses of היה הוה . The third edition of Simons Lexicon (1793) was revised by J.G. Eichhorn, who, in the first paragraphs of the article יהוה (p. 423), set forth his own opinion as follows: יְהוׇה nomen propriom Dei, a Mose demum introductum, cum qui re praestiturus sit. quod olim promiserit, ex ipsa loci Mosaici authentica explicatione Exod. 3, 14, significans, adeoque יֶהְוֶה vel יֵהְוֶה proprie efferendum, ut ex veteribus Theodoretus et Epiphanius Jabe h. e. Jave scrips (Under יׇהּ [ p.681] he writes יַהַׅוֶה
28 Winer, in the fourth edition of Simon 1828, says that the learned are divided between יְהוֶֺה יֵהְוֶה יֵהְוֺה
and leaves the question undecided.
PLATE VI
הֱיוֹת הָיֹה to be, to exist הֱיֵה הָיָה
Past
הָיִינוּ הָיִִיתִי
היה
הֱיִיתֶם הָיִיתָ
הֱיִיתֶן הָיִית
הָיוּ הָיָה
הָיְתָה
Future
Present
נִהְיֶה אֶהְיֶה
תִּהְיוּ תִּהְיֶה
תִּהְיֶינָה תִּהְיִי
יִהֽיוּ יִהְיֶה
תִּהְיָינָה תִּהְיֶה
הֹוֶה
הֹוֶה
הֹויֶה
הֹוִים
הֹווֹת
The first, so far as I know, to suggest the pronunciation Jahveh was Genebrardus, who, after inveighing against the new and ignorant pronunciation Jehovah, gives it as his opinion that, if the true pronunciation be not irrecoverably lost, it is Ihue [ יׅהְוֶה ], or Iahue, in support of which he adduces the sortened form Jah and Theordoret's statement that the Samaritans pronounced 'IaBal ['IaBe]. Mercerus would pronounce יֶהֳוֶה , after the analogy of אֶהְיֶה in Exod. 3:15. Arias Montanas infers from the analogy of similar nouns that it should be pronounced Jeveh. Similarly Cornelius a Lapide (1637). Scaliger recognized that Theodoret's 'IaBe represents יַהְוֵה or יֶהְוֵה
PLATE VIII
1) יה׀ה , YAHWEH, the proper name of God is either pointed with the vowels of אדֹנׇי "LORD," יׇהוׇׄה or אֳלֺהִים "God," יהוה and is to be pronounced as the word whose vowels it borrows. The deliberate mispointing was an effort by the scribes to keep the name of God from being taken in vain. This device was misinterpreted in 1520 by on Galatimus who mixed the vowels of אֲדֺנׇי with the consonants of יהוה thus producing the hybrid form Jehovah, which has remained with us to this day.
PLATE IX
Partial inscription found at Caesarea, second line reads "Pontius Pilatus"
PLATE I
For centuries learned scholars have been divided over the true pronunciation of THE HOLY NAME יהוה (YHWH). It is in position that since we cannot resurrect Moses, others of the assembly who actually heard the Most High himself pronounce his name that day on MT. Sinai, we therefore cannot be absolutely sure anything we say today is correct. We will therefore not attempt to prove YE-HO-WAH is the correct pronunciation of the HOLY NAME; but, rather that it is the oldest pronunciation of the HOLY NAME used today. There is no argument that the HOLY NAME is spelled יהוה (YHWH), also, there is no argument that
" י " carries a "yeh" sound, and that " ה " a " "Ha" sound. There is, however, some disagreement concerning the pronunciation of the letter " ו " (Vav). Some believe the ancients pronounced this letter ( ו ) "vav". All my research has shown this is not true. The "V" sound is relatively modern among literate people; although the "V" symbol is not. The ancient Romans employed this symbol but pronounced it "U" (you). (See Plate I)
Upon examining the ancient language that are closely related to Hebrew - such as Arabic and Greek - we find no " y " sounds; only " W " sounds. (see plate II)
Therefore, we can be very sure that the most ancient pronunciation of the letter "vav" is " WAW". The most controversial issue concerning the pronunciation of the HOLY NAME is the placing of the vowels. According to Hebrew tradition, The "Massoretes"(Lords of Traditions) are the authors of the voweled text we use today. They attempted to capture the ancient the true pronunciations of the ancient Hebrews by developing a system of sound indicators. (SEE PLATE III)
I obviously agree with the Massoretic text and with the noted 18th century scholar, Simon. We believe the true pronounciation of the HOLY NAME to be a combination of the outstanding sounds that indicate the future tense (YEH-YAY)....the present (HO-WAH)...and the past (HA-YAH) ... (see plates VI & VIII).
The Massoretic text, completed during the 7th century A.D. , is the oldest voweled text. (PLATE IV & V) It is many hundreds of years older than those scholars who employed their intellect during the 15th thru the 19th century, concerning the proper vowel structure.
Thus we have "YE-HO-WAH" , which may be translated to mean "he will be - he is - he was"... or (THE) ETERNAL. Opinions to the contrary pronunciation - "YAH WEH". (See plates VIII & IX). Although I found evidence that the Massoretic scribes deliberately mispointed the HOLY NAME, let's assume (just for the sake of this argument) that this is true. If so, it may follow that after 2000 years the CREATOR would not allow his true name to return in the earth only to be used in vain again. In fact, it must be how the CREATOR will allow his true name to be used only by Israelites whose doctrine is pure and complete. Therefore, we need only examine the doctrine of those who say "YA WEH" as opposed to those who say something else. If their doctrine is not pure torah, as the scriptures say: "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Isaiah 8:20, we can safely assume they are not using the true Holy Name.
THE NAME OF THE CREATOR
" And I appeared unto ABRAHAM, ISSAC and JACOB, by the name of GOD ALMIGHTY (EL SHADDI) , but by my name YAHOWAH was I not known to them"
Exodus 6:3
