INF010

The unpronounceable name of God

YHWH, God's proper name in the Hebrew Bible, consists of four Hebrew consonants (the Tetragrammaton). Its exact pronunciation is unknown because ancient Hebrew does not write vowels. Out of respect for the third commandment (Ex 20:7), Jews replace it with 'Adonai' or 'Ha Elohim'. Translated as 'Kyrios' in Greek and then as 'the Eternal' in Protestant Bibles, this name appears nearly 6,800 times in the Old Testament.

2 min YHWH Tetragrammaton name of God Adonai the Eternal

YHWH, the unpronounceable name of God

The name of God, transcribed in French as , is considered unpronounceable because it consists of four Hebrew consonants: Yod (י), He (ה), Waw (ו) and He (ה).

Vowels are not written in Hebrew, which makes the exact pronunciation uncertain. This name appears about 6,800 times in the and is considered holy.

In accordance with the third commandment, which forbids taking the divine name in vain (Exodus 20.7), Jews avoid pronouncing it. Instead, they use other terms such as Adonai (my Lord) or Ha Elohim (the God). Some Bible translations also use the names Yahvé, Yahweh or Jehovah to represent the Tetragrammaton.

The Tetragrammaton would eventually be translated by the Greek word Kyrios, meaning Lord, which would in turn be replaced by ‘the Eternal’ in our Protestant Bibles.
The One God of the Jews, who is also the God of Christians, therefore has an unpronounceable name.