The Tetragrammaton

in the Bible text

and Bible translations
PAVLOS D. VASILEIADIS
ARISTOTLE UNIVERSITY OF THESSALONIKI, GREECE
 “The ancient reverence of the Hebrews

yhwh wrote the unutterable name of God in

peculiar characters, thus endeavouring to
set forth its infinite excellence.”

in Greek translations (OT) 6/15 —Basil of Caesarea, On the Holy Spirit 18.44
[written between 373 and 375 CE].

variety of practices :
× A Tetragrammaton in square Aramaic script within the Greek
biblical text of Deuteronomy 25:15–17, dated to the mid first
century BCE. (P.Fouad 266b / Rahlfs 848 / LDAB 3451)
× The Greek form ιαω in a papyrus manuscript fragment (No. 20)
containing segments from Leviticus chapters 4 and 5, dated to the
first century BCE. (4QpapLXXLevb / 4Q120 / Rahlfs 802) See:
https://www.acade
× Tetragrammata in Paleo-Hebrew script within the Greek biblical mia.edu/30967321/
text in Zechariah 8:23-9:2, dated between 50 BCE and 50 CE.
(8ḤevXII gr / LXXVTS 10 / Rahlfs 943 / B-370936, Plate 538, Frag. 1)
× Paleo-Hebrew Tetragrammaton in the book of Job, dated
in the early first century CE. (P.Oxy.L 3522 / Rahlfs 857)
× Paleo-Hebrew Tetragrammaton extant in a LXX Psalms scroll
within the Greek text, dated between 50 CE and 150 CE.
(P.Oxy.77.5101 / Rahlfs 2227)
9
yhwh
in Greek translations (OT) 8/15
Greek versions of Hexapla: yhwh in paleo-Hebrew originally,
and in square Aramaic script by Origen?

Paleo-Hebrew Tetragrammata
in Psalm 69:30, 31 [LXX 68:31, 32]
in Symmachus version.
(SymP.Vindob.G.39777, late 3rd–early 4th
cent. CE)
His renderings do not appear
to have survived in Jewish circles
but were much admired by early Christian scholars,
thanks to their preservation in Origen’s Hexapla.

pipi for yhwh in Psalm 80:4 [LXX 79:5]

× The Hebrew Tetragrammaton appearing in all five columns in Aquila’s version of the first part of
of the Hexapla of Psalm 28:6, 7 [LXX 27:6, 7]. «κύριε ὁ θεὸς τῶν δυνάμεων».
(Vat.gr.752.pt.2, fol. 256v, 11th cent. CE)
The first column with the Hebrew text was not included
while the fourth column includes the LXX, in the palimpsest
of Milan, Biblioteca Ambrosiana, Ms. O 39 sup., 9th cent. CE.
(Giovanni Mercati, Psalterii hexapli reliquiae, Vol. 1 Codex rescriptus Paleo-Hebrew Tetragrammaton
Bybliothecae Ambrosianae O 39 SVP, Roma 1958, pp. 10, 11) in a palimpsest of Aquila’s version of Psalm 103:6 [LXX 102:6].
12
(Cambridge UL, T-S 12.188, 5th–6th cent. CE)
yhwh
in Greek+ translations (OT) 9/15
in marginal comments,
mainly as Hexaplaric readings :

pipi (πιπι) in marginal

notes in 1 Kings
of Codex Marchalianus,
explaining the nomen
sacrum κc as standing
for the Hebrew
Tetragrammaton.
(Vat. gr. 2125=Rahlfs Q,
6th cent. CE)

māryā = &%$# (pypy) : in the margin of Syro-Hexapla in

BNF Syr. 27 (fol. 65r); 719 CE (2 Kings 18:6). [Middeldorf 1835]
māryā = "!"! (yhyh) : in the margin of Codex Syro-hexaplaris
Ambrosianus, C. 313 inf. (fol. 175r); 8th cent. copy of the version
made in 617 CE by Paul, bishop of Tella (Isaiah 6:3, 5). [Ceriani 1874] 13
yhwh
in Greek translations (OT) 12/15
Medieval Greek translations of the OT (2/3) :
× In Graecus Venetus (Gr. Z. 7=377)
yhwh rendered as: See: https://www.academia.edu/33651190/
× ὀντωτὴς (ontotes)
× ὀντουργὸς (ontourgos)
× οὐσιωτὴς (ousiotes)
× meaning “maker of being[s]” and “giver of essence”
× the nomen sacrum θc is also used
× A remaining of the Biblia Triglotta, probably made by the
Constantinopolitan humanist scholar Simon Atumano, earlier
monk and scribe, later the Bishop of Gerace in Calabria Exodus 3:14-16; 9:13; Proverbs 3:32
(south Italy) from 1348 until 1366 and the Latin Archbishop in Graecus Venetus, in the end of 14th cent.
of Thebes (central Greece) thereafter until 1380. He (Gr. Z. 7=377), fol 75b, 83b, 282b.
(Gebhardt & Delitzsch, Graecus Venetus, pp.
translated partly at least the OT in Greek and Latin from 112, 125, 430)
Hebrew and the NT in Hebrew and Latin from Greek.

16
yhwh
in Greek translations (OT) 13/15

Medieval Greek translations of the OT (3/3) :

× In Constantinople Pentateuch (1547) [CPP]
yhwh is written/rendered as:
× qyryos (‫=)קיריוש‬kyrios in the Hebrew aljamiado of the
Greek translation
× yrwh (‫ )ירוה‬in the Hebrew column, a corrupted form
of yhwh
× Ex 3:14 as “I will be who I will be ... Eie ... the Lord,”
“Nὰ εἶμαι ὃς νὰ εἶμαι ... ὁ Ἐϊέ ... ὁ Κύριος.”
× CPP was prepared in every probability
by Karaite scholars (probably in collaboration with Rabbis)
Pentateuchus Hebraicus, Hispanicus, Barbaro-
in Constantinople. Graecus, Constantinople, in domo Eliezeris Berab
Gerson Soncinatis, 1547.
17
See: https://www.academia.edu/33651190/
yhwh
in Greek translations (OT) 15/15

× 1831 : ιεοβα – N. Vamvas et al, Ψαλτήριον, η Βίβλος των Ψαλμών,

Μεταφρασθείσα εκ του Εβραϊκού Πρωτοτύπου,
London: Ρ. Ουάττς 1831, p. 156.
× 1832 : ιεοβα – N. Vamvas et al, Ψαλτήριον, η Βίβλος των Ψαλμών,
Μεταφρασθείσα εκ του Εβραϊκού Πρωτοτύπου, London: Ρ. Ουάττς 1832, p. 156.
× 1835 : κυριος – N. Vamvas et al, Ψαλτήριον· ή, Βίβλος των Ψαλμών, Εκ του Εβραϊκού
Πρωτοτύπου εις Κοινήν Ελληνικήν Διάλεκτον Μεταφρασθείσα, London: Ρ. Ουάττς 1835, p. 120.
19
yhwh
in Greek literature 1/3
πιπι (pipi) for ‫( יהוה‬yhwh) :
× ‫( יהוה‬yhwh) resembling Greek πιπι:
Vat.gr.749.pt.1 (p. 24, 8th–9th cent. CE).
× πιπι for ‫( יהוה‬yhwh): Vat.gr.747 (fol. 260v, 11th
cent. CE).
× πιπι for ‫( יהוה‬yhwh): British Library, Ms. Burney
34 (fol. 318v, mid 16th cent. CE).
× πιπι for ‫( יהוה‬yhwh): Hexaplaric reading of Ps
80:4 [LXX 79:5: «κύριε ὁ θεὸς ταῶν δυνάμεων»]
(Vat.gr.752.pt.2, fol. 256v, 11th cent. CE).

20
yhwh
in Greek literature 2/3
A variety of trisyllable renderings of yhwh was used :
× γεχαβα : used in Nikolaos Hydrountinos’ Adversus Judæos dialogi
[Dialogue against Jews], written in the first half of the 13th cent. CE.
(MS. Grec 1255, Bibl. Nationale de France, Département des manuscrits)
× ιεωβα : translation by Martin Crusius (Kraus) of Jakob Heerbrand’s
Compendium Theologiae (1582), p. 136.
× ιεοβαχ : used by the then Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria Cyril III
Lucaris and later Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Cyril I, entitled
Σύντομος πραγματεία κατὰ Ἰουδαίων [A Brief Treatise against Jews],
× a) in manuscript
(Harley MS. 1803, British Libr., c. 1602–1627), and
× b) published (Constantinople, 1627).
× ιεχωβα : in the Ορθόδοξος Ομολογία της Καθολικής και Αποστολικής Εκκλησίας
της Ανατολικής [Orthodox Confession of Faith of the Catholic
and Apostolic Church of the East], translated from Latin into Modern Greek
by Meletios Syrigos,
× a) in manuscript
(Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Ms. Grec 1265, 1643), and
× b) published (Amsterdam, 1666, p. 24). 21
 New World Translation in Greek (2017)

yhwh
in Greek+ translations (OT) 2/5
however, Constant rendering of yhwh as Iehouáh
at all places found in the Hebrew text (here, Exodus 6:1–13)
the Septuagint practice in Christian tradition in the Italian Dominican friar and Biblical scholar Santes Pagnino’s
Latin Biblia Veteris ac Novi Testamenti.
of rendering yhwh as kyrios (Basileae: per Thomam Guarinum, 1564)

was courageously rejected

by numerous translators
in Latin, Greek, English, etc.

Iehoua in the Spanish theologian Yahweh in the scholarly work of the

Casiodoro de Reina’s, The Jerusalem Bible.
La Biblia, Qve Es, Los Sacros Libros Del Vieio
y Nvevo Testamento. (Basel 1569)
(Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1966) 24
yhwh
in Greek+ translations (OT) 3/5
the case of Casiodoro de Reina’s
translation (1/3) :
× a Spanish (c. 1520–1594) Roman
Catholic Hieronymite monk
× converted to Lutheranism
× was condemned as a heresiarch
Iehoua in Casiodoro de Reina’s,
La Biblia, Qve Es, Los
Sacros Libros Del Vieio
y Nvevo Testamento (Basel 1569).
“In the first case we have retained the name Jehova for important reasons. First,
because wherever it appears in our version, it is there in the Hebrew text and we did
not think we could leave it out or replace it with another name without both infidelity
and a singular sacrilege against the Law of God in which we are commanded neither to
omit anything from it nor add anything to it. […] In the case of the name Jehova,
previous practice has been precisely to both remove and add, by removing the name
Jehova and adding Lord or God in its place: while the reference is unchanged, the
context and sense are changed significantly.
It is evident that this change cannot be made without contradicting the will of God and
in a certain way wishing to correct it, as if He had made a mistake every time His Spirit
in the Scriptures used this name, when it should have been the other one. It is certain
that with specific and grave purpose God revealed this name to the world and wanted
his servants to know it and invoke him by it: it is a reckless thing not to use it, and a
reckless superstition not to use it under the pretext of superstition. […] Modern rabbis
(not understanding the intent of the law) introduced to the people the superstition that
it was unlawful to pronounce the word or declare the sacred name, ignoring the fact
that (in addition to the intent of the law being clear in the case of the blasphemer) after
the institution of that law, Moses, Aaron, Joshua, Caleb, Deborah, Gideon, Samuel,
David and all the prophets and pious kings pronounced it, and finally that it was most
sweet in the mouth of all the people, who sang it in psalms and praises, as is evident
throughout the whole narrative of Sacred History.
25
yhwh
in Greek Scriptures (NT)
«Ἐπεὶ καὶ ἐν τῷ φάσκοντι ψαλμῷ·
«Εἶπε Κύριος τῷ Κυρίῳ μου. Κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου»,
Nomina sacra survive διὰ τῶν ἀνεκφωνήτων παρ’ Ἑβραίοις τεττάρων
στοιχείων ἐγέγραπτο.
in most ancient mss. Ὁ δὲ δεύτερος, ὃν ἑαυτοῦ Κύριον ὁ προφήτης
ἐδήλου φάσκων, «Τῷ Κυρίῳ μου,» ἑτέροις
for both God & Christ στοιχείοις ἐδηλοῦτο, οἷς καὶ πᾶς ὁ ἐν ἀνθρώποις
δούλου κύριος σημαίνεται.
[…] Τοῦτο δὲ ὅμοιον τυγχάνει τῷ, «Εἶπε Κύριος τῷ
Κυρίῳ μου·» ὁ μὲν γὰρ πρῶτος ὁ ἐπὶ πάντων εἴη ἂν
Θεός· ὁ δὲ δεύτερος Κύριος ὁ ἀκούων· «Κάθου ἐκ
δεξιῶν μου,» ἐμὸς τυγχάνει Κύριος· διὸ, «Εἶπε
Κύριος τῷ Κυρίῳ μου.» Καὶ ἐνταῦθα τοίνυν τὸν
δεύτερον σημαίνων ὁ αὐτὸς προφήτης φησίν· «Αἱ
πορεῖαι τοῦ Θεοῦ μου, τοῦ βασιλέως μου, τοῦ ἐν τῷ
ἁγίῳ.» Ἐὰν γὰρ λέγω θεωρουμένας πορείας, μή τις
The “lords” of Mat 22:44 both in the form of νομιζέτω με λέγειν τοῦ ἐπὶ πάντων Θεοῦ· ἀλλὰ τοῦ
nomina sacra in Codices Θεοῦ μου καὶ τοῦ βασιλέως μου».
a) Sinaiticus (mid 4th cent. CE) and
b) Vaticanus (early 4th cent. CE).
—Eusebius, Generalis elementaria introductio
(=Eclogae propheticae) 42.21
30
 “In the Old Testament
let the word Jehovah
be rendered by Jehovah,
and also the word Kurios
in the New [Testament],
in passages in which
there is an allusion to the Old [Testament],
or where it may be proper
to distinguish God from Christ.

—Joseph Priestley, “Rules of translating” for “A plan to procure a

continually improving translation of the Scriptures,”
in: J. T. Rutt, The theological and miscellaneous works of Joseph
Priestley, vol. 17 (London: G. Smallfield, 1797), p. 532.

He was an English chemist, natural philosopher,

and theologian, the discoverer of oxygen.

35
yhwh
in Greek Scriptures (NT)
defining criteria
for identifying
kyrios with yhwh :

John T. Bainbridge,
“Translating Κύριος after 600 Years of ‘the Lord’s’ Faithful Service,”
The Bible Translator 71, no. 3 (December 2020), p. 346.

New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures

(Study Edition, English, 2019; nwtsty1-E), p. 771.

36
yhwh
in Greek+ Scriptures (NT)
NT translations
jehowy : Matthew 1:17-24 in
in other languages : Symon Budny’s
Nowy Testament
znowu przełożony (1574).

jehovah :
jehovah : Matthew 22:44 in John 1:1, 2 in George LeFevre‘s The Christian's
William Newcome’s, An attempt Bible—New Testament: The New Testament of Our
toward revising our English Lord and Saviour Jesus, the Christ. A Translation
translation of the Greek from the Greek, Chiefly of the Codex Sinaiticus
Scriptures, or the New Covenant and Codex Vaticanus. Strasburg, PA, 1929, p. 53)
of Jesus Christ (1796).
In Septuagint Pentateuch,
the Tetragrammaton is sometimes
rendered as “God.”
LeFevre put this practice into reverse :
In the NT, he sometimes renders "God"
using the Tetragrammaton.

38
yhwh
in Hebrew translations (NT) 1/2
OT (Hebrew-Aramaic Scriptures):
Hebrew original à Greek translation H.G. Liddell & R. Scott, A Greek-English lexicon
(Oxford : Clarendon Press, 1901, p. 862).

NT (Christian Greek Scriptures):

Greek original à Hebrew translation

> revealing the semantic inadequacy Λεξικό Liddell, Scott, Κωνσταντινίδου,

of the polysemic kyrios
in place (as a surrogate or translation)
of the monosemic/proper name yhwh
Dictionary of Ancient Greek Language
(transl. X. Moschos, eds. M. & A. Konstantinides,
vol. 2, p. 803; Greek edition).
39
yhwh in
Luther’s NT 1/3
Martin Luther, The Interpretation of Scripture :
The first chapter of Matthew in
“Whoever reads this Bible should also know that I have been the first German Bible, translated
careful to write the name of God, which the Jews call the from the Vulgate. (Johann
Tetragrammaton, in capital letters; thus, LORD [HERR], and the Mentelin, Biblia Übers. aus dem
second name which they call Adonai only half in capital letters; Lat. Mit dt. Tituli psalmorum,
Straßburg, 1466).
thus, LOrd [HErr]. For among all the names of God in Scripture,
these two alone are assigned to the real, true God; while the others
are often ascribed to angels and saints. I have done this so that one
can thereby draw the strong conclusion that Christ is true God. For
Jer. 23[:6] calls him LORD when he says, “They will call him: ‘The
Lord, our righteous one’.” More of the same can be found in other
passages.”

—Euan Cameron, The Annotated Luther, Volume 6: The Interpretation of

Scripture, Fortress Press: 2019, pp. 62, 63.
The first chapters
of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke
See: https://www.academia.edu/43848418/
in Luther’s Das Newe Testament (Wittemberg,
1539).
Mat 1:22–24 in Martin Luther’s Biblia,
das ist die gantze Heilige Schrifft
Deudsch (Wittemberg, 1548).
41
yhwh in
Luther-based NTs

The first chapter of the Gospel of Matthew

in the first Swedish and Danish Bibles
(Biblia : Thet är All then Helgha Scrifft på Swensko,
Vpsala, 1541; Biblia : Det er den gantske Hellige Scrifft,
vdsæt paa Danske, Københaffn, 1550)
44