Hebrew Voices #106 – Why it’s YEhovah, but HalleluYAh
In this episode of Hebrew Voices, Why it’s YEhovah, but HalleluYAh, I explain why the vowel in “Yehovah” changes in “Yah” and why people who don’t understand this Hebrew rule are pronouncing Yeshua’s name wrong. Kiruv wrote: “Thank you for … Continue reading →
In this episode of Hebrew Voices, Why it's YEhovah, but HalleluYAh, I explain why the vowel in "Yehovah" changes in "Yah" and why people who don't understand this Hebrew rule are pronouncing Yeshua's name wrong. Kiruv wrote: "Thank you for this clear explanation!"
I look forward to reading your comments!
Podcast Version Transcript
Hebrew Voices #106 - Why it's YEhovah, but HalleluYAh
You are listening to Hebrew Voices with Nehemia Gordon. Thank you for supporting Nehemia Gordon's Makor Hebrew Foundation. Learn more at NehemiasWall.com.
Michael: Nehemia, I have a question here. How is halleluyah related to the name?
Benjamin Netanyahu: Le ma’an Zion lo ekhesheh, u’l’ma’an Yerushalayim lo eshkot. (For Zion’s sake I will not be silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest. Isaiah 62:1)
Nehemia: That's a really good question, Michael, I get that a lot. People say, “Well, if it's "Yehovah" with an eh in the beginning, why isn't it hallelu-yeh? And then, we have all these names that end in yah. For example, my name, “Nehem-yah.” And there's Eli-ya-hu, is Elijah. Why isn't it Eli-yeh, Nehem-yeh? Okay, great question.
This question was answered by a Rabbi in 1834 named Samuel David Luzzatto. And what he explains is actually something every Jew learns in kindergarten. He explained this to the German scholar Gesenius, who probably did know it but was ignoring what he knew. And the rule is that when you have a long vowel in the accented syllable in Hebrew, that becomes a short vowel called “shva” or a semi-vowel, when it's not in the accented syllable.
In other words, the pronunciation of the word changes based on where the emphasis is in the word. And so, here's what Samuel David Luzzatto wrote in 1834. He says, “The kamatz of yah…” that's the name of the vowel there, kamatz, “…changes to shva when the word is elongated.” So, an example of that would be the Hebrew word “gadol” which means “big.” When you add a suffix to that, it's gedolim, not gadolim, right? It's just like yah becomes yeh, same exact thing happening. Same vowel, actually, same vowel shift.
And then he says, “The proof is Yehonatan and his friends.” It's a great statement, right? Poetic, but what does he mean? Every name where yud-heh-vav appears at the beginning of the name, it's always “yeho.” And nobody disputes that in the history of the Jewish people, because there's never been a ban on speaking those names. Let me read you some of those names. Yeho'akhaz, Yeho'ash. It's not Yaho'ash, Yaho'akhaz. That's made up Hebrew from people who don't know what they're talking about.
It's your Yehozabad, Yehokhanan, Yehoyada. And you see those names in English, like in the name Jonathan, which is Yehonatan, right? They drop the H there because of what's happening in Greek, Greek doesn't have an H. There are 20 names that begin with yeho, approximately 20 names. There are many names that end in yahu. Now, in the Father's name, is the yud-heh-vav at the beginning of His name or the end of His name? It’s at the beginning.
Michael: At the beginning.
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Comments
Hi Richard, Biblical Hebrew has something called “pausal forms”. This is a special form of words that sometimes appears in a pause such as at the end of a verse (marked with siluk/ sof pasuk) or in the middle of a verse (marked with etnachta or oleh yored). For most words, the pausal and non-pausal forms are identical but for some words there is a change in the vowels turning patach into kamatz (and other changes as well). For example, in Gen 5:16 we have the name יֶ֔רֶד (Yered) with a segol in the yod but in Gen 5:15 it is יָֽרֶד (Yared) with a kamatz. In this case, the segol of the non-pausal form turns into a kamatz in the pausal form. This doesn’t mean segol and kamatz are the same vowel only that the vowels sometime change between non-pausal and pausal forms. The example you cited of mayim with a kamatz is the pausal form of the non-pausal mayim with a patach. For example, Gen 1:6
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֔ים יְהִ֥י רָקִ֖יעַ בְּת֣וֹךְ הַמָּ֑יִם וִיהִ֣י מַבְדִּ֔יל בֵּ֥ין מַ֖יִם לָמָֽיִם
Notice how mayim marked with etnachta and sof pasuk (end of the verse) have the kamatz but mayim marked with the accent tipcha has patach. The kamatz mayim is a pausal form and the patach mayim is a non-pausal form. This shift does not apply to Yahweh (patach) or HalleluYah (kamatz). You can find proof of this by looking firstly at lamed-hey verbs (verbs in which the third letter of the root is hey) in the hifil imperfect (=future) 3rd masculine singular since this is the basis for the hypothetical form Yahweh. we have 103 such examples in the Hebrew Bible. They have patach whether they are pausal forms or non-pausal forms. For example, Isa 40:29 יַרְבֶּֽה with patach at the end of the verse (sof pasuk). In other words, the pausal form of Yahweh and the non-pausal form of Yahweh would both have a patach (I say “would” because this is all hypothetical as Yahweh is never documented in Hebrew Bible manuscripts). Other examples of pausal forms with the same verbal pattern as Yahweh are:
Isa 25:5 יַעֲנֶֽה (sof pasuk + patach)
Hos 12:2 יַרְבֶּ֑ה (etnachta + patach)
These verbs, which are the basis for the speculative form Yahweh, all have patach whether they are pausal or non-pausal forms. There are dozens of examples of non-pausal with patach. For example:
Lev 17:8 יַעֲלֶ֥ה (non-pausal)
Exod 30:15 יַרְבֶּ֗ה (non-pausal)
As far as HalleluYah, it has a kamatz whether it is a pausal or non-pausal form. For example, Ps 104:35 הַֽלְלוּ־יָֽהּ is the last word in the verse (and therefore a pausal form) whereas in Ps 111:1 it is the first word in the verse (and therefore a non-pausal form) and still הַ֥לְלוּ יָ֨הּ.
You say that a Qamets and a Patach can NEVER exchange. However, as I read in Genesis chapter one it occurs multiple times with the word מַ֖יִם with the patach under the mem changing to a Qamets whent he definite article is attached yielding הַמָּ֑יִם.
I do appreciate your explanations about Holy Scriptures. I watched your video ” Hebrew Yeshua vs Greek Jesus several times. May Yehovah Elohim bless you and your projects abundantly.
Sidney, the last three verses, in my copy (George Howard), of The Hebrew Gospel of Matthew go as follows:
V. 18 Jesus (Yeshua) drew near to them and said to them: To me has been given all power in heaven and earth.
V. 19 Go
V. 20 and (teach) them to carry out all the things
which I have commanded you forever.
Hope this throws a little light on the subject.
Shalom…
Totally blew me away, I knew that Yod He Vau He could not equal Yahweh, but was stuck on the correct vowels… I am somewhat amazed that Jehovah is actually closer to the truth than the more popular Yahweh.
Sadly I only studied Greek in Bible College and have no access to the Hebrew Version of the Gospel of Matthew. I have a question about Matt 28:19 according to the best Hebrew manuscripts. Was wondering if they contain the Traditional Baptismal formula or does the confirm the wording contained in the writings of Eusebius of Caesarea… who had copied of the Hebrew Gospel in his library?
Thank you,I always learn something detailed that I don’t hear else where!
Shalom Nehemia
With all the controversy on our creators Name Rachel and I have been looking at halleluyah as the surest way of saying His Name no one then should have a problem with that keep up the good work mate there is another Karaite group called Jews for Karaite Judaism what can you tell me about them they the W and not the Y do you know what is there proof of this version may Yah bless us both
I listened again and I heard “Yehonatan” (no J in Hebrew). Try listening again.
I always love hearing your explanations! Funny question tho, at the end when you said “Jonathan and his friends” (jAH) and according to your explanation not sure why it wouldn’t it be pronounced Jenathan ? (jEH) no need to answer really, it would take too long 😉
Thank-you Nehemia! Appreciate the simple clarity with which you presented the grammatical rules of Biblical Hebrew.
Thank you for sharing your extensive knowledge. I have spent years reading commentaries from others. Through your encouragement to dig deep for ourselves, I am only beginning to scratch the surface. Thank you for showing us the resources to use and giving us guidance to assist in our own research.
I grew up in a Lutheran church, so my Christian Roots run deep. Learning the history of some of those traditions is eye opening. Enjoyed this segment.
Oh my goodness!!! Thank you so much for clearing that up! That has been a nagging mystery for me. 🙂 Love this!!!
Way over my understanding but i know you feed people with avinu Yehovah’s truth, cause that’s your calling
Shalom from a Zionist in Norway
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