Trigrammaton

The Trigrammaton (Hebrew: יהו) is a three-letter theonym used in some editions of the Hebrew Bible. It occurs in the 4Q120 manuscript, as well as in the Sefer Yetzirah. It may be transliterated into English as YHW or IHV.

The 4Q120 manuscript, which uses the Greek Trigrammaton ιαω in Leviticus 4:27.

Quotes

Hebrew Bible

• [αφεθησεται] αυτωι εαν [δε ψυχη μια] [αμαρτ]η[ι] [α]κουσιως εκ [του λαου της] [γης] εν τωι ποιησαι μιαν απ[ο] [πασων] των εντολων ιαω ου πο[ιηθησε]
  • 4Q120 manuscript (Leviticus 4:27), which uses ιαω, a Greek version of the Trigrammaton
  • Translation:
    • And if any one of the common people sin through ignorance, while he doeth somewhat against any of the commandments of the Lord concerning things which ought not to be done, and be guilty.
      • KJV translation

Rabbinic literature

• (חמש שלש אותיות מן הפשוטות חתם רום ברר שלש וקבען בשמו הגדול יה״ו. וחתם בהם שש קצוות) [הנוסחא הנכונה: בירר ג׳ אותיות מן הפשוטות בסוד ג׳ אמות אמ״ש וקבען בשמו הגדול וחתם בהם ו׳ קצוות, חמש חתם רום] ופנה למעלה וחתמו ביה״ו. שש חתם תחת ופנה למטה וחתמו ביו״ה. שבע חתם מזרח ופנה לפניו וחתמו בהי״ו. שמנה חתם מערב ופנה לאחריו וחתמו בהו״י. תשע חתם דרום ופנה לימינו וחתמו בוי״ה. עשר חתם צפון ופנה לשמאלו וחתמו בוה״י:
  • Sefer Yetzirah 1:13
  • Translations:
    • He selected three consonants from the simple ones which are in the hidden secret of three mothers or first elements: א״מ״ש air, water and ether or fire. He sealed them with spirit and fastened them to His great name and sealed with it six dimensions. He sealed the height and turned towards above, and sealed it with יהו. He sealed the depth, turned towards below and sealed it with יהו. He sealed the east and turned forward, and sealed it with היו. He sealed the west and turned backward, and sealed it with הוי. He sealed the south and turned to the right and sealed it with ויה. He sealed the north and turned to the left and sealed it with והי.
      • Isidor Kalisch (New York, 1877)
    • He selected three letters from among the simple ones and sealed them and formed them into a Great Name, IHV, and with this He sealed the universe in six directions. He looked above, and sealed the Height with IHV. He looked below and sealed the Depth with IVH. He looked forward, and sealed the East with HIV. He looked backward, and sealed the West with HVI. He looked to the right, and sealed the South with VIH. He looked to the left, and sealed the North with VHI.
      • Westcott translation (New York: Weiser, 1980)

Quotes about the Trigrammaton

• A text discovered at Qumrân (4QpapLXXLev) that contains a fragment of the book of Leviticus in Greek (4:26–28) renders the tetragrammaton as Iaṓ: "If anyone transgresses even one of the commandments of Iaṓ and does not follow it …" (4:27). … This investigation leads to the conclusion that the ancient pronunciation of the name of the god of Israel was "Yahô", which amounts to saying that the tetragrammaton was originally a trigrammaton. The w in "Yhwh" was not a consonant, but a mater lectionis indicating the sound "o". The letter h at the end of the tetragrammaton Yhwh should be understood as indicating a lengthening of the preceding o.
  • Thomas Römer: The Invention of God, ch. 1, "The God of Israel and His Name", p. 31. Harvard University Press (2016). ISBN 0-674-50497-6.

• The form corresponding to the Greek "Iao" does not occur alone in Hebrew, but only as an element in such proper names as Jesaiah ("Yesha'yahu"), Zedekiah ("Ẓidḳiyahu"), and Jehonathan. According to Delitzsch ("Wo Lag das Paradies?" 1881), this form was the original one, and was expanded into יהוה‎; but since names of divinities are slow in disappearing, it would be strange if the primitive form had not been retained once in the Bible. … "Yahu" was in fact used in magic, as is clear from the "Sefer Yeẓirah," which shows many traces of Gnosticism; in the cosmology of this work the permutation of the letters יהו‎ furnishes the instruments of the Creation.
  • Crawford Howell Toy and Ludwig Blau: "Tetragrammaton". Jewish Encyclopedia.

See also

• Names of God
• The Tetragrammaton, an equivalent theonym of four letters (tetragrammaton)