Jehovah

Gen. iv. 26. In the year of the World 3126, before J. C. 874, before the Vulgar Æra 878.JEHOVAH. This is the Name of God, a Name ineffable and mysterious, which God did not declare to the Patriarchs of old, before Moses: a Nomen meum Adonai non indicavi eis. The Hebrew instead of Adonai reads Jehovah. I appeared unto Abraham, and unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name Jehovah was I not known to them. Shaddai signifies he who is self-sufficient; Jehovah¹, he who subsists of himself, and gives being and existence to others. When God declared to Moses, that he had not made known his name Jehovah to the old Patriarchs, he did not mean, that they did not know him under the idea of God the Creator, who was selfexisting; but that he had not revealed this name, which so well expresses his nature, and by which it was his Will principally to be invoked afterwards. It is true, Moses after uses this name in Genesis; for example, he says, that the Sons of Seth called themselves by the name of Jehovah; and that Abraham sware and lift up his hand to Jehovah. And lastly, the Lord said to Abraham, I am the Gen. xiv. 22. Gen. xv. 7.God Jehovah that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, &c. But the reason of this is, that Genesis was written after God had revealed this name to Moses. He uses it in this book by way of anticipation, and because at the time when he wrote, the Jews used commonly the name Jehovah. Herein he followed the custom of his time, not of that when the Patriarchs were in being, whose lives he was giving some account of.

Finally, when we pronounce Jehovah, we follow the croud; for we do not know distinctly the manner wherein this proper and incommunicable Name of God should be pronounced, which is written with jod, hé, vau, hé, and comes from the verb. pressed it differently. Sanchoniathon writes Jevo²; Diodorus³ the Sicilian, Macrobius⁴, St. Clemens⁵ Alexandrinus, St. Jerom⁶, and Origen⁷, pronounce Jao; Epiphanius⁸, Theodoret⁹, and the Samaritans, Jabé or Javé: we find likewise in the Ancients, Jahoh, Javo, Jaou, Jaod. Lewis Capellus is for Javo; Drusius for Javé; Mercer for Jehevah; Hottinger for Jehva. The Moors call their God Juba, whom some believe to be the same as Jehovah. The Latins in all probability took their Jovis or Jovis Pater from Jehovah. It is certain that the four Letters which we pronounce Jehovah, may likewise be expressed by Javo, Jaho, Jaon, Jevo, Jave, Jehvah, &c. and that the ancient Hebrews were not unacquainted with the pronunciation of it, since they recited it in their prayers, and in the reading of their sacred Books.

But the Jews, after the Captivity of Babylon, out of an excessive and superstitious respect for this holy name, left off the custom of pronouncing it, and forgot the true pronunciation of it. I am of opinion, that the Septuagint, that is to say, the Greek Interpreters who are cited by this name, were already accustom’d not to pronounce it, since in their translation, they generally render it Kyrios, the Lord. Origen¹⁰, St. Jerom¹¹ and Eusebius¹², testify, that still in their time the Jews left the name of Jehovah written in their copies with Samaritan characters, instead of writing it in the common Chaldee or Hebrew characters; which shews their veneration for this Holy Name, and the fear which they were under, lest strangers, who were not unacquainted with the Chaldee letters and language, should discover, and misapply it. These precautions notwithstanding did not hinder the Heathens from misapplying it frequently. Origen¹³ informs us, that they made use of it in their Exorcisms, and in their charms against diseases. Clemens Alexandrinus¹⁴ relates, that those Egyptians who were permitted to enter into the Temple of the Sun, carried the name of Jaou about with them. Trallian gives us some magick verses against the Gout, wherein there was the name of Jas or Jaath.

Philo says¹⁵, that after the punishment of the Blasphemer, who was stoned to death in the wilderness, God published a new Law by Moses, importing that, Whosoever curseth the Lord, he shall surely be put to death. Thus the Septuagint and Theodoret read Leviticus xxiv. 15. whereas in the Hebrew and the Vulgate (Elohim) shall bear the punishment of his sin, and he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death. Philo adds, that this Law of Moses is profoundly wise, and that the first part of his Ordinance forbids blaspheming the false Gods of the Gentiles; and the second requires, that the name of God should not be used unseasonably; that it is a crime worthy of death, and punishable in the last degree for any man to make use of this Holy name negligently, and only to adorn and fill up his discourse. Josephus¹⁶ expresses himself with the same reserve concerning the name of God. He says, that God having appeared to Moses in the burning bush, revealed his name to him, which he had never discovered to any man, and I, says he, am not permitted to mention.

The Jews say, that after their return from the Captivity, the name of God was pronounced once only in the Temple, and this upon the great day of Expiation; moreover, a noise was made on purpose, when the High-Priest pronounced it in the presence of a few chosen Disciples, who might hear him without the people’s hearing him. But after the destruction of the Temple, they forbore intirely to pronounce it; for which reason the true pronunciation of it has been lost. The Jews never at all mention the sacred name of Jehovah¹⁷, but say instead of it, Adonai or Elohim, as often as they read or pray. St. Jerom has imitated them by translating the passage of Exodus vi. 3. I have not discovered to them my name Adonai, instead of, my name Jehovah. The modern Hebrews tell us, that Moses by virtue of the word Jehovah engraved on his miraculous Rod, performed all the prodigies spoken of in the Scripture; and that Jesus Christ by virtue of the same, wrought all his Miracles, having while he was in the Temple stolen the ineffable name, which he put into his thigh between the skin and the flesh. They add, that we might be able to do as much, if we could come at the perfect pronunciation of this name. They flatter themselves that the Messiah at his coming into the World, will teach them this mighty Secret.

The Jews believe, that whoever knows the true pronunciation of Jehovah, or the name with four letters¹⁸, cannot fail of bethe happiness at this day to be heard, it is owing only to their ignorance of the true pronunciation. That Simon the Just, High -Priest of their Nation, was the last who was acquainted with it; that after his death the number of prophane persons encreasing mightily, and they abusing this divine Name, others forbore to pronounce it at all; that in the room of it they substituted another composed of twelve letters¹⁹, which the High-Priest pronounced when he gave the blessing to the people. Tarphon a famous Rabbin, believed to be the same with Tryphon, against whom St. Justin the Martyr argues in his Dialogue; Tarphon, I say, relates, that one day drawing near the Priest to hear his benediction, he perceived that he did not pronounce distinctly the twelve letters, and was satisfied with only muttering, while the Levites sung; that this proceeded from the multitude of prophane persons, to whom it was not prudence to discover this sacred Name, lest they should abuse it. In their Talmud they denounce terrible curses against those who pronounce it; they make a scruple of even trying to do it; and pretend that the Angels have not this liberty.

The very Heathens themselves seem to have had some knowledge of this great, ineffable Name. We have still an oath in Pythagoras’s golden Verses to this purpose; By him who has the four Letters²⁰. Upon the frontispiece of a Temple at Delphi was read, by Eusebius’s relation²¹, this inscription, Thou art. The Egyptians upon one of theirs put this, I am. The Heathens had certain names of their Gods, which they did not venture to pronounce. Of this Cicero²² produces an example in his Catalogue of the Heathen Deities. Lucan says, the Earth would have trembled had any one pronounced them²³:

The name of Romulus was written in the publick Records like that of Jehovah among the Jews, with the four consonants which compose it. But this they did not so much out of respect, as out of fear lest any one should call away the Tutelary Gods of their City²⁴.

The refined very much upon the name of Jehovah. They remark, for example, that in Genesis, Moses calls God by no other name than Elohim, while he speaks of the Creation of the World; but after he had finished the Creation, he gives him the name of Jehovah: the reason they alledge for this, is, that in the Beginning God seem’d in some sort imperfect, while He was producing Beings by parts, and piece-meals: but after he had concluded his work, he took the name of Jehovah, which is a name of infinite Perfection. To this they refer the following words of Deuteronomy: Deut. xxxii. 4.The work of the Rock is perfect, or rather the work of God, this almighty Rock is perfect.

The letters which compose this adorable Name abound with mysteries. Jod, which is the first, denotes the Thought, the Idea of God; this is a Light which no man can approach; it is one of those things which the eye of man hath not seen, nor the mind of man comprehended: of this latter, Job spoke in the following words, Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, &c. The Hé, which is the last of the four letters, discovers the Unity of God and the Creator. From thence issue the four Rivers of Paradise, that is to say, the four Majesties of God, which the Jews call Schekinah.

The name of God includes all things: He who pronounces it shakes Heaven and Earth, and inspires the very Angels with terror. There is a sovereign Authority in this Name; it governs the World by its power. The other names and surnames of the Deity are ranged about it, like officers and soldiers about their King and General; from this they receive their orders, and obey. This is the fountain of graces and blessings; the channel thro’ which God’s mercies are convey’d to men. He who was to know all the mysteries of God’s name, would be ignorant of nothing in all the ways and methods of his Justice and Providence.

Bibl. Orient. p. 460. Hou. & p. 326. Esma.Mussulmen frequently make use of the name, Hu or Hou, which has almost the same signification as Jehovah; that is to say, He, who is. They place this name in the beginning of their Rescripts, Passports, and Letters-Patents; they pronounce it often in their prayers: there are some who repeat it so frequently, and with so much vehemence, crying out with all their strength, hou, hou, hou, that at last they are stunn’d, and fall into fits, which they call extasies. But the great Name of God is Allah, which they pronounce often, and have great confidence in it. They say that it was by virtue of this name, that Noah made the Ark float up and down as he pleased; that Japheth engrahis sons; and by the help of this he could bring down rain when he thought proper. By this very name they say Jesus Christ wrought his Miracles. Lastly, among the Arabians, and all those who make profession of Mahometanism, the name of Allah corresponds with those of Elohim and Adonai in use among the Hebrews, and even with that of Jehovah, which is called ineffable; and from a Greek word Tetragrammaton, or of four letters, which more particularly denotes the Essence of God.

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