During the Babylonian captivity the Hebrew language spoken by the Jews was replaced by the Aramaic language of their Babylonian captors. Aramaic was closely related to Hebrew, and while sharing many vocabulary words in common, they contained some words that sounded the same or similar but had other meanings.
In Aramaic, the Hebrew word for blaspheme used in Leviticus 24:16, Anyone who blasphemes the name of YHWH must be put to death began to be interpreted as pronounce rather than blaspheme. When the Jews began speaking Aramaic, this verse was (mis)understood to mean, Anyone who pronounces the name of YHWH must be put to death. Since then observant Jews have maintained the custom of not pronouncing the name, but use Adonai (my Lord) instead. This also lead to some believing that God's name is not pronouncable.
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Jeremiah 23:27.
Through their dreams that they tell one another, they make plans to cause My people to forget My name as their fathers forgot My name through Baal worship.
My translation
Through their imaginings that they tell each other, they made plans to cause my people to forget my name, like their forefathers forgot my name through Baal worship.
Some Biblical theophoric names end in ia(h) or yah as shortened forms of YHWH: That points to the vowels being "a".
Pronouncing the Name of God
Nothing in the Bible prohibits a person from pronouncing the name of God. It is evident from scripture that God's name was pronounced routinely. Many common Hebrew names contain "Yah" and "ia(h)" parts of God's name. For an example the name Jeremiah ends in "ah." The name Yahwah was pronounced as part of daily services in the Temple.
There is no prohibition against pronouncing the name in ancient times. As a matter of fact, the Mishnah recommends using God's name as a routine greeting to a fellow Jew. Berakhot 9:5.
However, in the time of the Talmud, it was the custom to use substitute names for God. Some rabbis asserted that a person who pronounces YHWH according to its letters (instead of using a substitute) has no place in the world to come, and should be put to death for pronouncing the four letter name.
The prohibition on pronunciation applied only to the four letter name YHWH, but Jews customarily do not pronounce any of God's many name titles except in prayer or study.
After killing Hebrew Christians, the Jews would take the New testament scripture written in Hebrew, and carefully cut the name of God out. Then they would place the divine name in a safe place to keep. Following that, they then would burn the remainder of the scrolls in a fire. Rabbi Yose who lived during the second century AD states that, "One cuts out the reference to the divine name which are in them [the Christian writings] and stores them away, and the rest burns." One of his characteristic sayings is, "He who proclaimed the coming of the Messiah, [John] and he who hated scholars and their disciples; [Yahshua] and that false prophet and those slanderers, will have no part in the future world." According to Bacher this was directed against the Hebrew Christians.
Note: The person who proclaimed the coming was John the Baptist, and it was Yahshua who spoke against the scholars of the law. The scholars were the scribes or Pharisees.
And so it is an established fact, the disciples of Yahshua did write the holy name of God into the New Testament.
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It was the Hellenistic Jews who started this practice centuries ago. They started a doctrine believing that the name of God was to sacred or holy to be pronounced. By the time of Yahshua's arrival in the Second Temple Era, they had begun to change traditional Hebrew names that contained even part of the name of God (these are called Theophoric names). So Yahshua's name became shortened to Yeshua because it started with the first two consonant letters of YHWH.
"Yeho" prefixes changed to "Yo" prefixes
In the table below, 13 theophoric names with "Yeho" prefixes have corresponding forms (in bold type) where the letters "eh"' have been omitted.
There is a theory by Christian Ginsburg that this is due to Hebrew scribes omitting the "h", changing Jeho (יְהוֹ
into Jo (יוֹ, to make the start of "Yeho-" names not sound like an attempt to pronounce the Divine Name. Table of theophoric names with "Yeho" and "Yo" prefixes
[Note that theophoric names with "יוֹ" [i.e. "Yo"] are written in bold letters.]
Strong's # Hebrew word Strong's Transliteration Strong's Words Compounded English Spelling
3059 יְהוֹאָחָז Yehow'achaz Jehovah & achaz [# 270] Jehoachaz
3099 יוֹאָחָז Yow'achaz "a form of 3059" Joachaz
3060 יְהוֹאָש Yehow'ash Jehovah & 'esh [# 784] Jehoash
3101 יוֹאָש Yow'ash "a form of 3060" Joash
3075 יְהוֹזָבָד Yehowzabad Jehovah & zabad [# 2064] Jehozabad
3107 יוֹזָבָד Yowzabad "a form of 3075" Jozabad
3076 יְהוֹחָנָן Yehowchanan Jehovah & chanan [# 2603] Jehochanan
3110 יוֹחָנָן Yowchanan "a form of 3076" Jochanan
3077 יְהוֹיָדָע Yehowyada Jehovah & yada [# 3045] Jehojada
3111 יוֹיָדָע Yowyada "a form of 3077" Jojada
3078 יְהוֹיָכִין Yehowyakiyn Jehovah & kuwn [# 3559] Jehojakin
3112 יוֹיָכִין Yowyakiyn "a form of 3078" Jojakin
3079 יְהוֹיָקִימ Yehowyaqiym Jehovah & quwm [# 3965] Jehojakim
3113 יוֹיָקִימ Yowyaqiym "a form of 3079" Jojakim
3080 יְהוֹיָרִיב Yehowyariyb Jehovah & riyb [# 7378] Jehojarib
3114 יוֹיָרִיב Yowyariyb "a form of 3080" Jojarib
3082 יְהוֹנָדָב Yehownadab Jehovah & nadab [# 5068] Jehonadab
3122 יוֹנָדָב Yownadab "a form of 3082" Jonadab
3083 יְהוֹנָתָן Yehownathan Jehovah & nathan [# 5414] Jehonathan
3129 יוֹנָתָן Yownathan "a form of 3083" Jonathan
3085 יְהוֹעַדָּה Yehow'addah Jehovah & 'adah [# 5710] Jehoaddah
3087 יְהוֹצָדָק Yehowtsadaq Jehovah & tsadaq [# 6663] Jehotsadak
3136 יוֹצָדָק Yowtsadaq "a form of 3087" Jotsadak
3088 יְהוֹרָם Yehowram Jehovah & ruwm [# 7311] Jehoram
3141 יוֹרָם Yowram "a form of 3088" Joram
3092 יְהוֹשָפָט Yehowshaphat Jehovah & shaphat [# 8199] Jehoshaphat
3146 יוֹשָפָט Yowshaphat "a form of 3092" Joshaphat
After the Roman conquest of Greece in the first century BC, Latin adopted the Greek letters Y and Z. It was not until the Middle Ages that the letter W (originally a ligature of V and V) was added to the Latin alphabet, to represent sounds from the Germanic languages which did not exist in medieval Latin, and only after the Renaissance did the convention of treating I and U as vowels, and J and V as consonants, become established. Prior to that, the former had been merely allographs of the latter.
About the eighth century AD the Hebrew Waw was abandoned for Vav, possibly as a Germanic influence upon the Hebrew language.
In Aramaic, the Hebrew word for blaspheme used in Leviticus 24:16, Anyone who blasphemes the name of YHWH must be put to death began to be interpreted as pronounce rather than blaspheme. When the Jews began speaking Aramaic, this verse was (mis)understood to mean, Anyone who pronounces the name of YHWH must be put to death. Since then observant Jews have maintained the custom of not pronouncing the name, but use Adonai (my Lord) instead. This also lead to some believing that God's name is not pronouncable.
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Jeremiah 23:27.
Through their dreams that they tell one another, they make plans to cause My people to forget My name as their fathers forgot My name through Baal worship.
My translation
Through their imaginings that they tell each other, they made plans to cause my people to forget my name, like their forefathers forgot my name through Baal worship.
Some Biblical theophoric names end in ia(h) or yah as shortened forms of YHWH: That points to the vowels being "a".
Pronouncing the Name of God
Nothing in the Bible prohibits a person from pronouncing the name of God. It is evident from scripture that God's name was pronounced routinely. Many common Hebrew names contain "Yah" and "ia(h)" parts of God's name. For an example the name Jeremiah ends in "ah." The name Yahwah was pronounced as part of daily services in the Temple.
There is no prohibition against pronouncing the name in ancient times. As a matter of fact, the Mishnah recommends using God's name as a routine greeting to a fellow Jew. Berakhot 9:5.
However, in the time of the Talmud, it was the custom to use substitute names for God. Some rabbis asserted that a person who pronounces YHWH according to its letters (instead of using a substitute) has no place in the world to come, and should be put to death for pronouncing the four letter name.
The prohibition on pronunciation applied only to the four letter name YHWH, but Jews customarily do not pronounce any of God's many name titles except in prayer or study.
After killing Hebrew Christians, the Jews would take the New testament scripture written in Hebrew, and carefully cut the name of God out. Then they would place the divine name in a safe place to keep. Following that, they then would burn the remainder of the scrolls in a fire. Rabbi Yose who lived during the second century AD states that, "One cuts out the reference to the divine name which are in them [the Christian writings] and stores them away, and the rest burns." One of his characteristic sayings is, "He who proclaimed the coming of the Messiah, [John] and he who hated scholars and their disciples; [Yahshua] and that false prophet and those slanderers, will have no part in the future world." According to Bacher this was directed against the Hebrew Christians.
Note: The person who proclaimed the coming was John the Baptist, and it was Yahshua who spoke against the scholars of the law. The scholars were the scribes or Pharisees.
And so it is an established fact, the disciples of Yahshua did write the holy name of God into the New Testament.
[/COLOR]
It was the Hellenistic Jews who started this practice centuries ago. They started a doctrine believing that the name of God was to sacred or holy to be pronounced. By the time of Yahshua's arrival in the Second Temple Era, they had begun to change traditional Hebrew names that contained even part of the name of God (these are called Theophoric names). So Yahshua's name became shortened to Yeshua because it started with the first two consonant letters of YHWH.
"Yeho" prefixes changed to "Yo" prefixes
In the table below, 13 theophoric names with "Yeho" prefixes have corresponding forms (in bold type) where the letters "eh"' have been omitted.
There is a theory by Christian Ginsburg that this is due to Hebrew scribes omitting the "h", changing Jeho (יְהוֹ
into Jo (יוֹ, to make the start of "Yeho-" names not sound like an attempt to pronounce the Divine Name. Table of theophoric names with "Yeho" and "Yo" prefixes[Note that theophoric names with "יוֹ" [i.e. "Yo"] are written in bold letters.]
Strong's # Hebrew word Strong's Transliteration Strong's Words Compounded English Spelling
3059 יְהוֹאָחָז Yehow'achaz Jehovah & achaz [# 270] Jehoachaz
3099 יוֹאָחָז Yow'achaz "a form of 3059" Joachaz
3060 יְהוֹאָש Yehow'ash Jehovah & 'esh [# 784] Jehoash
3101 יוֹאָש Yow'ash "a form of 3060" Joash
3075 יְהוֹזָבָד Yehowzabad Jehovah & zabad [# 2064] Jehozabad
3107 יוֹזָבָד Yowzabad "a form of 3075" Jozabad
3076 יְהוֹחָנָן Yehowchanan Jehovah & chanan [# 2603] Jehochanan
3110 יוֹחָנָן Yowchanan "a form of 3076" Jochanan
3077 יְהוֹיָדָע Yehowyada Jehovah & yada [# 3045] Jehojada
3111 יוֹיָדָע Yowyada "a form of 3077" Jojada
3078 יְהוֹיָכִין Yehowyakiyn Jehovah & kuwn [# 3559] Jehojakin
3112 יוֹיָכִין Yowyakiyn "a form of 3078" Jojakin
3079 יְהוֹיָקִימ Yehowyaqiym Jehovah & quwm [# 3965] Jehojakim
3113 יוֹיָקִימ Yowyaqiym "a form of 3079" Jojakim
3080 יְהוֹיָרִיב Yehowyariyb Jehovah & riyb [# 7378] Jehojarib
3114 יוֹיָרִיב Yowyariyb "a form of 3080" Jojarib
3082 יְהוֹנָדָב Yehownadab Jehovah & nadab [# 5068] Jehonadab
3122 יוֹנָדָב Yownadab "a form of 3082" Jonadab
3083 יְהוֹנָתָן Yehownathan Jehovah & nathan [# 5414] Jehonathan
3129 יוֹנָתָן Yownathan "a form of 3083" Jonathan
3085 יְהוֹעַדָּה Yehow'addah Jehovah & 'adah [# 5710] Jehoaddah
3087 יְהוֹצָדָק Yehowtsadaq Jehovah & tsadaq [# 6663] Jehotsadak
3136 יוֹצָדָק Yowtsadaq "a form of 3087" Jotsadak
3088 יְהוֹרָם Yehowram Jehovah & ruwm [# 7311] Jehoram
3141 יוֹרָם Yowram "a form of 3088" Joram
3092 יְהוֹשָפָט Yehowshaphat Jehovah & shaphat [# 8199] Jehoshaphat
3146 יוֹשָפָט Yowshaphat "a form of 3092" Joshaphat
After the Roman conquest of Greece in the first century BC, Latin adopted the Greek letters Y and Z. It was not until the Middle Ages that the letter W (originally a ligature of V and V) was added to the Latin alphabet, to represent sounds from the Germanic languages which did not exist in medieval Latin, and only after the Renaissance did the convention of treating I and U as vowels, and J and V as consonants, become established. Prior to that, the former had been merely allographs of the latter.
About the eighth century AD the Hebrew Waw was abandoned for Vav, possibly as a Germanic influence upon the Hebrew language.
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