DISCLAIMER: I am NOT telling you what is the ONE and ONLY CORRECT version of the Name. In my own opinion, anyone that claims they have the ONE and ONLY TRUE/CORRECT Name hasn't done enough research. These next few comics are my studies on certain Names and the conclusion I came to with them. If you use one of these Names and don't agree with my conclusion, that is totally fine. I know many people that use each of these Names and we get along just fine. This disclaimer will be at the top of all the commentaries for the different Names.

Spoken language has a history of changing over time. Even changing from place to place. Different influences from outside sources sometimes help with these changes. While others just naturally come from the native speakers. In the comic I am point out the th-fronting change happening in British speakers. This change was first noticed in the late 1700s. In America, we have had several of these changes as well, and even have some happening right now. You may have heard of the cot-caught merger. There are those that say these two words differently, and some that say them exactly the same.

Changes like these need to be considered, especially when looking at ancient languages. The ו in Modern Hebrew has a "v" sound. However, in all the neighboring languages, their equivalent letter has the "w" sound. It is even believed that in Ancient Hebrew that the letter had the "w" sound as well. Here is a quote from ancient-hebrew . org: "evidence suggests that in ancient times this letter had a "w" sound and was called the waw instead of the vav."

Another aspect of this pronunciation that many people get behind is the work of Nehemiah Gordon. He has found several manuscripts where the vowel pointings (which were added to the Hebrew text sometime after 500 AD) show the Name to be Yehovah. The counter argument to this is these vowel pointings are not actually for God's Name, but rather the word אדני (Adonai). It is customary in Judaism to not say God's Name, but rather say Adonai instead. However, this causes a problem when in the text, such as Genesis 15:2, where Adonai is present before God's Name (in English translated as Lord GOD). In these instances, the vowels are different for God's Name, and are actually similar to that of אלהימ (Elohim - God), which is what is said instead of repeating Adonai twice.

To put it plainly. In Judaism, when the text reads YHWH, they say Adonai. When the text reads Adonai YHWH, they say Adonai Elohim.

From the masoretic text (the first part of the verse until God's Name - the little symbols intertwined and underneath the Hebrew letters are the vowel pointings):
Genesis 15:2 וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָם, אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה
Genesis 15:4 וְהִנֵּה דְבַר-יְהוָה

If these are actually how to pronounce the Name, then we have two different pronunciations in just a few verses. The "T" looking point under the ו in Genesis 15:4 is called a kamatz, and makes the "ah" sound. However, in Genesis 15:2, the point under the ו is a cheereek and makes the "ee" sound, making the pronunciation of the Name Yehovee in these instances. I have not heard anyone that uses or teaches Yehovah as the Name ever use Yehovee.

But, if we look at it from the placeholder standpoint, it makes sense as the vowels that are changing in these instances correspond with the words that are being said instead.

https://thestraightandnarrow.cfw.me/comics/575

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