Yahweh

Yahweh (/ˈjɑːhweɪ/, or often /ˈjɑːweɪ/ in English; Hebrew: יהוה) is the national god of the Iron Age kingdoms of Israel (Samaria) and Judah. His origins are mysterious, although they reach back to the early Iron Age and even the Late Bronze: his name may have begun as an epithet of El, head of the Bronze Age Canaanite pantheon, but the earliest plausible mentions are in Egyptian texts that place him among the nomads of the southern Transjordan. In the oldest biblical literature he is a typical ancient Near Eastern “divine warrior” who leads the heavenly army against Israel’s enemies; he later became the main god of the Kingdom of Israel (Samaria) and of Judah, and over time the royal court and temple promoted Yahweh as the god of the entire cosmos, possessing all the positive qualities previously attributed to the other gods and goddesses. By the end of the Babylonian exile (6th century BCE), the very existence of foreign gods was denied, and Yahweh was proclaimed as the creator of the cosmos and the true god of all the world.

The Israelites originated as Bronze Age Canaanites, but Yahweh was not a Canaanite god. The head of the Canaanite pantheon was El, and one theory is that the name Yahweh is a shortened form of el dū yahwī ṣaba’ôt, “El who creates the hosts,” meaning the heavenly army accompanying El as he marched beside the earthly armies of Israel. But Yahweh’s earliest possible occurrence is as a place-name, “land of Shasu of YHW,” in an Egyptian inscription from the time of Amenhotep III (1402–1363 BCE), the Shasu being nomads from Midian and Edom in northern Arabia. In this case a plausible etymology for the name could be from the root HWY, which would yield the meaning “he blows,” appropriate to a weather divinity.

There is considerable but not universal support for the view that the Egyptian inscriptions refer to Yahweh. The question that arises is how he made his way to the north. A widely accepted hypothesis is that traders brought Yahweh to Israel along the caravan routes between Egypt and Canaan, the Kenite hypothesis, named after one of the groups involved. The strength of the Kenite hypothesis is the way it ties together various points of data, such as the absence of Yahweh from Canaan, his links with Edom and Midian in the biblical stories, and the Kenite or Midianite ties of Moses. However, while it is highly plausible that the Kenites, Midianites and others may have introduced Israel to Yahweh, it is highly unlikely that they did so outside the borders of Israel or under the aegis of Moses, as the Exodus story has it.

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Author: Wikipedia

Keywords: Yahweh, Jehovah, God's divine name, Divine name, God's name, Name of God, Holy name, YHWH, I am, I am that I am, I am the Lord, LORD, Lord God, Self existent one, I will be, I am the Being, I am He Who Is, Tetragrammaton, Tetra, Tetragrammatron, Tetragramatron, Tetragramaton, Deity

Bible reference(s): Genesis 2:4, Genesis 2:5, Genesis 2:7, Genesis 2:8, Genesis 2:9, Genesis 2:15, Genesis 2:16, Genesis 2:18, Genesis 2:19, Genesis 2:21, Genesis 2:22, Genesis 3:1, Genesis 3:8, Genesis 3:9, Genesis 3:13, Genesis 3:14, Genesis 3:21, Genesis 3:22, Genesis 3:23, Genesis 9:26, Genesis 24:7, Genesis 24:27, Genesis 24:48, Genesis 28:13, Exodus 3:15, Exodus 3:16, Exodus 3:18, Exodus 4:5, Exodus 5:1, Exodus 7:16, Exodus 9:1, Exodus 9:13, Exodus 9:30, Exodus 10:3, Exodus 15:2, Exodus 23:17, Exodus 32:27, Exodus 34:6, Exodus 34:23, Deuteronomy 1:11, Deuteronomy 1:21, Deuteronomy 4:1, Deuteronomy 6:3, Deuteronomy 12:1, Deuteronomy 26:7, Deuteronomy 27:3, Deuteronomy 29:25, Joshua 7:13, Joshua 7:19, Joshua 7:20, Joshua 8:30, Joshua 9:18, Joshua 9:19, Joshua 10:40, Joshua 10:42, Joshua 13:14, Joshua 13:33, Joshua 14:14, Joshua 18:3, Joshua 22:22, Joshua 22:24, Joshua 24:2, Joshua 24:23, Judges 2:12, Judges 4:6, Judges 5:3, Judges 5:5, Judges 6:8, Judges 11:21, Judges 11:23, Ruth 2:12, 1 Samuel 2:30, 1 Samuel 10:18, 1 Samuel 14:41, 1 Samuel 25:32, 1 Samuel 25:34, 2 Samuel 5:10, 2 Samuel 12:7, 1 Kings 1:30, 1 Kings 1:36, 1 Kings 1:48, 1 Kings 2:26, 1 Kings 8:15, 1 Kings 8:17, 1 Kings 8:20, 1 Kings 11:9, 1 Kings 14:7, 1 Kings 14:13, 1 Kings 15:30, 1 Kings 16:13, 1 Kings 16:26, 1 Kings 16:33, 1 Kings 17:1, 1 Kings 17:14, 1 Kings 18:37, 1 Kings 19:10, 1 Kings 19:14, 1 Kings 22:53, 2 Kings 2:14, 2 Kings 9:6, 2 Kings 10:31, 2 Kings 14:25, 2 Kings 18:5, 2 Kings 19:19, 2 Kings 19:20, 2 Kings 21:12, 2 Kings 21:22, 2 Kings 22:15, 2 Kings 22:18, 1 Chronicles 15:12, 1 Chronicles 15:14, 1 Chronicles 16:4, 1 Chronicles 16:36, 1 Chronicles 22:1, 1 Chronicles 22:6, 1 Chronicles 22:19, 1 Chronicles 23:25, 1 Chronicles 24:19, 1 Chronicles 28:4, 1 Chronicles 28:20, 1 Chronicles 29:1, 1 Chronicles 29:20, 2 Chronicles 2:12, 2 Chronicles 6:4, 2 Chronicles 6:7, 2 Chronicles 6:10, 2 Chronicles 7:22, 2 Chronicles 11:16, 2 Chronicles 13:5, 2 Chronicles 13:12, 2 Chronicles 13:18, 2 Chronicles 14:4, 2 Chronicles 15:4, 2 Chronicles 15:12, 2 Chronicles 15:13, 2 Chronicles 17:4, 2 Chronicles 19:4, 2 Chronicles 20:19, 2 Chronicles 21:10, 2 Chronicles 21:12, 2 Chronicles 24:18, 2 Chronicles 24:24, 2 Chronicles 26:5, 2 Chronicles 26:18, 2 Chronicles 28:6, 2 Chronicles 28:9, 2 Chronicles 28:25, 2 Chronicles 29:5, 2 Chronicles 29:10, 2 Chronicles 30:1, 2 Chronicles 30:5, 2 Chronicles 30:6, 2 Chronicles 30:7, 2 Chronicles 30:19, 2 Chronicles 30:22, 2 Chronicles 32:16, 2 Chronicles 32:17, 2 Chronicles 33:16, 2 Chronicles 33:18, 2 Chronicles 34:23, 2 Chronicles 34:26, 2 Chronicles 36:13, 2 Chronicles 36:15, 2 Chronicles 36:23, Ezra 1:2, Ezra 1:3, Ezra 4:1, Ezra 4:3, Ezra 6:21, Ezra 7:6, Ezra 7:27, Ezra 8:28, Ezra 10:11, Psalms 41:13, Psalms 71:16, Psalms 72:18, Psalms 73:28, Psalms 84:11, Psalms 106:48, Isaiah 3:15, Isaiah 7:7, Isaiah 10:23, Isaiah 10:24, Isaiah 17:6, Isaiah 21:17, Isaiah 22:5, Isaiah 22:12, Isaiah 22:14, Isaiah 22:15, Isaiah 24:15, Isaiah 25:8, Isaiah 28:16, Isaiah 28:22, Isaiah 30:15, Isaiah 37:21, Isaiah 40:10, Isaiah 48:16, Isaiah 49:22, Isaiah 50:4, Isaiah 50:5, Isaiah 50:7, Isaiah 50:9, Isaiah 52:4, Isaiah 56:8, Isaiah 61:1, Isaiah 61:11, Isaiah 65:13, Isaiah 65:15, Jeremiah 2:19, Jeremiah 2:22, Jeremiah 5:14, Jeremiah 7:20, Jeremiah 11:3, Jeremiah 13:12, Jeremiah 21:4, Jeremiah 23:2, Jeremiah 25:15, Jeremiah 30:2, Jeremiah 35:17, Jeremiah 44:26, Jeremiah 46:10, Jeremiah 49:5, Jeremiah 50:25, Jeremiah 50:31, Jeremiah 51:56, Ezekiel 2:4, Ezekiel 3:11, Ezekiel 3:27, Ezekiel 5:5, Ezekiel 5:7, Ezekiel 5:8, Ezekiel 5:11, Ezekiel 6:3, Ezekiel 6:11, Ezekiel 7:2, Ezekiel 7:5, Ezekiel 8:1, Ezekiel 11:7, Ezekiel 11:8, Ezekiel 11:16, Ezekiel 11:17, Ezekiel 11:21, Ezekiel 12:10, Ezekiel 12:19, Ezekiel 12:23, Ezekiel 12:25, Ezekiel 12:28, Ezekiel 13:3, Ezekiel 13:8, Ezekiel 13:9, Ezekiel 13:13, Ezekiel 13:16, Ezekiel 13:18, Ezekiel 13:20, Ezekiel 14:4, Ezekiel 14:6, Ezekiel 14:11, Ezekiel 14:14, Ezekiel 14:16, Ezekiel 14:18, Ezekiel 14:20, Ezekiel 14:21, Ezekiel 14:23, Ezekiel 15:6, Ezekiel 15:8, Ezekiel 16:3, Ezekiel 16:8, Ezekiel 16:14, Ezekiel 16:19, Ezekiel 16:23, Ezekiel 16:30, Ezekiel 16:36, Ezekiel 16:43, Ezekiel 16:48, Ezekiel 16:59, Ezekiel 16:63, Ezekiel 17:3, Ezekiel 17:9, Ezekiel 17:16, Ezekiel 17:19, Ezekiel 17:22, Ezekiel 18:3, Ezekiel 18:9, Ezekiel 18:23, Ezekiel 18:30, Ezekiel 18:32, Ezekiel 20:3, Ezekiel 20:5, Ezekiel 20:27, Ezekiel 20:30, Ezekiel 20:31, Ezekiel 20:33, Ezekiel 20:36, Ezekiel 20:39, Ezekiel 20:40, Ezekiel 20:44, Ezekiel 20:47, Ezekiel 21:7, Ezekiel 21:13, Ezekiel 21:24, Ezekiel 21:26, Ezekiel 21:28, Ezekiel 22:3, Ezekiel 22:12, Ezekiel 22:19, Ezekiel 22:28, Ezekiel 22:31, Ezekiel 23:22, Ezekiel 23:28, Ezekiel 23:32, Ezekiel 23:34, Ezekiel 23:35, Ezekiel 23:46, Ezekiel 23:49, Ezekiel 24:3, Ezekiel 24:6, Ezekiel 24:9, Ezekiel 24:14, Ezekiel 24:21, Ezekiel 24:24, Ezekiel 25:3, Ezekiel 25:6, Ezekiel 25:8, Ezekiel 25:12, Ezekiel 25:13, Ezekiel 25:14, Ezekiel 25:15, Ezekiel 25:16, Ezekiel 26:3, Ezekiel 26:5, Ezekiel 26:7, Ezekiel 26:14, Ezekiel 26:15, Ezekiel 26:19, Ezekiel 26:21, Ezekiel 27:3, Ezekiel 28:2, Ezekiel 28:6, Ezekiel 28:10, Ezekiel 28:12, Ezekiel 28:22, Ezekiel 28:24, Ezekiel 28:25, Ezekiel 29:3, Ezekiel 29:8, Ezekiel 29:13, Ezekiel 29:16, Ezekiel 29:19, Ezekiel 29:20, Ezekiel 30:2, Ezekiel 30:6, Ezekiel 30:10, Ezekiel 30:13, Ezekiel 30:22, Ezekiel 31:10, Ezekiel 31:15, Ezekiel 31:18, Ezekiel 32:3, Ezekiel 32:8, Ezekiel 32:11, Ezekiel 32:14, Ezekiel 32:16, Ezekiel 32:31, Ezekiel 32:32, Ezekiel 33:11, Ezekiel 33:25, Ezekiel 33:27, Ezekiel 34:2, Ezekiel 34:8, Ezekiel 34:10, Ezekiel 34:11, Ezekiel 34:15, Ezekiel 34:17, Ezekiel 34:20, Ezekiel 34:30, Ezekiel 34:31, Ezekiel 35:3, Ezekiel 35:6, Ezekiel 35:11, Ezekiel 35:14, Ezekiel 36:2, Ezekiel 36:3, Ezekiel 36:4, Ezekiel 36:5, Ezekiel 36:6, Ezekiel 36:7, Ezekiel 36:13, Ezekiel 36:14, Ezekiel 36:15, Ezekiel 36:22, Ezekiel 36:23, Ezekiel 36:32, Ezekiel 36:33, Ezekiel 36:37, Ezekiel 37:5, Ezekiel 37:9, Ezekiel 37:12, Ezekiel 37:19, Ezekiel 37:21, Ezekiel 38:3, Ezekiel 38:10, Ezekiel 38:14, Ezekiel 38:17, Ezekiel 38:18, Ezekiel 38:21, Ezekiel 39:1, Ezekiel 39:5, Ezekiel 39:8, Ezekiel 39:10, Ezekiel 39:13, Ezekiel 39:17, Ezekiel 39:20, Ezekiel 39:25, Ezekiel 39:29, Ezekiel 43:18, Ezekiel 43:19, Ezekiel 43:27, Ezekiel 44:6, Ezekiel 44:9, Ezekiel 44:12, Ezekiel 44:15, Ezekiel 44:27, Ezekiel 45:9, Ezekiel 45:15, Ezekiel 45:18, Ezekiel 46:1, Ezekiel 46:16, Ezekiel 47:13, Ezekiel 47:23, Ezekiel 48:29, Daniel 9:3, Hosea 12:5, Amos 1:8, Amos 3:7, Amos 3:8, Amos 3:11, Amos 3:13, Amos 4:2, Amos 4:5, Amos 5:3, Amos 5:15, Amos 6:8, Amos 7:1, Amos 7:4, Amos 7:6, Amos 8:1, Amos 8:3, Amos 8:9, Amos 8:11, Amos 9:5, Amos 9:8, Obadiah 1:1, Jonah 4:6, Micah 1:2, Habakkuk 3:19, Zephaniah 1:7, Zechariah 9:14

Source: This article uses material from the Wikipedia article “Yahweh,” which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.

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