Greek transcriptions of the Hebrew Divine Name
Iaoue is an English transliteration of the Greek name "ιαουε". The Greek name "ιαουε" is used by some scholars as evidence that the tetragrammaton in the Hebrew Bible is pronounced Yahweh.
The Jewish Encyclopedia of 1901-1906 states that "ιαουε" was used in the writings of the Church Fathers to represent the Hebrew Tetragrammaton, "יהוה". Under the Article Heading, "Church Fathers and Magic Papyri", it says:
- "It was in connection with magic that the Tetragrammaton was introduced into the magic papyri and, in all probability, into the writings of the Church Fathers, these two sources containing the following forms, written in Greek letters: (1) "Iaoouee," "Iaoue," "Iabe,";...
- It is evident that (1) represents “יהוה”,...
- The three forms quoted under (1) are merely three ways of writing the same word, [e.g. “יהוה”] though "Iabe" is designated as the Samaritan pronunciation." 1
Some scholars believe that "ιαουε" is found in the Greek writings of Clement of Alexandria.
The Catholic Encyclopedia of 1908 states that the most complete edition of the Greek writings of Clement of Alexandria is that of J. Potter, (Oxford, 1715). These writings were reproduced in Migne, P.G. VIII, IX. 1A"Migne, P.G." is Jacques Paul Migne’s Patrologiae Graecae, which is a collection of the writings of church leaders who wrote in Greek. Migne, P.G. Volume VIII and VIX contain the Greek writings of Clement of Alexandria, as well as Migne’s Latin translations.
English translations of the Greek writings of Clement of Alexandria can be found in the Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume II [e.g. ANF-02].
For a full discussion of various transliterations (Jehovah, Yahweh) of the Tetragrammaton in English, and the discussion on its original pronunciation, see Tetragrammaton. This article only focuses on one aspect.
ANF-02 and Clement's Stromata Book V. Chapter 6:34 ["ιαουε" or "ιαου"].
- The Ante Nicene Fathers Volume II [ANF-02] provides an English translation of Clement of Alexandria’s Greek Stromata Book V. Chapter 6:34, which reads:“Further, the mystic name of four letters which was affixed to those alone to whom the adytum was accessible, is called Jave, which is interpreted, "Who is and shall be." 2
Some reputable scholars believe that the Greek word underlying “Jave”, [in the ANF-02 English translation of Clement's Greek Stromata Book V. Chapter 6:34 above] is "ιαουε". However, there are other equally reputable scholars who can provide evidence that the underlying Greek of “Jave” is "ιαου" and not "ιαουε". It should be noted that the Greek name "ιαουε" supports the English transliteration Yahweh, while the Greek name "ιαου" does not support the English transliteration Yahweh.
Since scholars disagree with scholars on this issue, and since Greek manuscripts disagree with Greek manuscripts on this issue, it is the intention of this article to present evidence on both sides of this issue.
Sources that say that Stromata Book V., 6:34 used "ιαουε", not "ιαου".
In the ANF-02's English translation of Clement of Alexandria's Greek Stromata, Book V. Chapter 6:34, it says: “Further, the mystic name of four letters which was affixed to those alone to whom the adytum was accessible, is called Jave, which is interpreted, "Who is and shall be." 2
- Anson F. Rainey, Professor of Ancient Near Eastern Cultures and Semitic Linguistics, Tel Aviv University states that:"First, I mentioned the evidence from Greek transcriptions in religious papyri found in Egypt. The best of these is Iäouiēe (London Papyri. xlvi, 446-482). Clement of Alexandria said “The mystic name which is called the tetragrammaton...is pronounced "ιαουε", which means ‘Who is, and who shall be’." 3
- In his book: "The Name of God Y.EH.OW.AH Which is Pronounced as it is Written I_EH_OU_AH", Gerard Gertoux,on page 105, notes that Clement of Alexandria used "Iaoue" and provides Note #167 which refers to "A. le Boulluec -Les Stromates V.VI:34,5 In: Sources chretiennes n 278,279 Paris 1981 Ed Cerf"
- Martin Rose mentions in his booklet "Jahweh (1978:7,8)" that Clemens Alexandrinus used the name "ιαουε". Martin Rose also mentions in his booklet "Jahweh (1978:15)", that "Clemens Alexandrinus mentions in his Stromata...this name was "ιαουε".4
- Smith's 1863 "A Dictionary of the Bible" notes that "ιαουε" is found in "a catena to the Pentateuch in a MS. at Turin." 5
There are possibly four extant Catenas on the Pentateuch which are written in Greek, plus there is an extant Latin Fragment from Zephyrus's Latin Catena on the Pentateuch, which was published in 1572. The English translation of this Latin Fragment will be discussed in a later sub-topic.
Sources that say that Stromata Book V., 6:34 used "ιαου", not "ιαουε".
In the ANF-02's English translation of Clement of Alexandria's Greek Stromata, Book V. Chapter 6:34, it says: “Further, the mystic name of four letters which was affixed to those alone to whom the adytum was accessible, is called Jave, which is interpreted, "Who is and shall be." 2
- Rudolf Kittel wrote that the underlying Greek word that is translated as "Jave" was the Greek name "ιαου", not the Greek name "ιαουε". Rudolf Kittel wrote: "at Clemens of Alex. Strom. V, 6, 34, we read Ιαου , and not Ιαουαι or Ιαουε ." 6
- Smith’s 1863 “A Dictionary of the Bible” says:"ιαου" (Clem. Alex. Strom. v. p. 666) 7
- The Catholic Encyclopedia of 1910 in the article “Jehovah (Yahweh)” says: "Clement of Alexandria ("Strom.", V, 6, in P.G., IX, col. 60), Jaou;" 8*
- NOTE! "P.G., IX" is volume IX of Migne's Patrologiae Graecae. Column 60 of Minge's P.G. IX contains Clement of Alexandria's Greek Stromata Book V. Chapter 6:34.
- [Note: "Jaou", in Latin,represents "ιαου".]
ANF-02 and Zephyrus's Catena on the Pentateuch ["ιαουε or "ιαου"].
In The Ante-Nicene Fathers Volume II [ANF-02], under the heading: “XII.-Fragments Not Given in the Oxford Edition.” is found a Fragment labeled: “ 9. From the Catena on the Pentateuch, Published in Latin by Francis Zephyrus, P. 146.” [NOTE: A catena is a collection of commentaries of the Fathers of the Church.] The ANF-02 English translation of Zephyrus's Catena on the Pentateuch reads:
- "That mystic name which is called the Tetragrammaton, by which alone they who had access to the Holy of Holies were protected, is pronounced Jehovah, which means, 'Who is, and who shall be'."9
In ANF-02 this above English Fragment has a footnote which reads:
- "See Stromata, book v. chap. vi. p. 452, which is plainly the source from which this extract is taken."
The name of God, too, among the Greeks contains four letters.
Three time in this article the ANF-02 English translation of Clement’s Stromata Book V. Chapter 6:34 has been quoted as follows:
- “Further, the mystic name of four letters which was affixed to those alone to whom the adytum was accessible, is called Jave, which is interpreted, "Who is and shall be." 2
However, the very next sentence says:
- “The name of God, too, among the Greeks contains four letters.”
The Greek name "ιαουε" has five letters, while the Greek name "ιαου" has only four Greek letters.
Use of the Greek name "ιαουε" in the modern analysis of "יַהְוֶה"
The Greek name "ιαουε". plays a significant part in the discussion on the original pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton. The current agreement among most scholars is that our best bet is Yahweh. This English spelling (Yahweh) and the corresponding scholarly reconstructed vowelized Hebrew spelling (see picture to the right) started to appear in scholarly sources in the early and mid 1800’s [and possibly even before].
Smith’s 1863 “A Dictionary of the Bible” states that Wilhelm Gesenius [1786-1842] was familiar with this Hebrew spelling, [e.g. "יַהְוֶה"] in fact Smith writes that Gesenius adopted this form. 10.
The Hebrew spelling "יַהְוֶה" can also be found in the Brown-Driver-Briggs Lexicon, where it is called "the proper name of the God of Israel".
The Hebrew spelling "יַהְוֶה is based in large part on various Greek transcriptions dating from the first centuries BCE and AD:
- (ιαουε—iaoue and ιαουαι—iaouai and ιαβε—iabe).
Particularly cited is Clement of Alexandria's spelling of the Tetragrammaton in his Stromata. The previous topics in this Wikipedia article "Iaoue", have shown how reputable scholars disagree with reputable scholars, and how Greek manuscripts disagree with Greek manuscripts, as to whether Clement of Alexandria wrote "ιαουε" or "ιαου", in his Greek Stromata Book V. Chapter 6:34!
The Anchor Bible Dictionary, Volume 6 [1972] states:
- Instances of the divine name written in Greek letters, such as Iao (equivalent to “Yaho”), Iabe (known to the Samaritans, Theodoret [4th century A.D.], and Epiphanius), Iaoue, Iaouai (Clement of Alexandria [3rd century]), and Iae also favor the form “Yahweh” (NWDB, 453).
In particular, the Greek name "ιαουε" was put forth in the debate as to whether the first ה (he) in the Tetragrammaton is meant to be pronounced (most scholars argue it was silent). The omission of any indication of a sound there serves as an argument for this claim. However, Greek lacks a means for indicating an H sound inside of a word.
The Greek name "ιαουε" agrees with both the initial A and the penultimate E.
Arguments based on possible interpretations, and on analogies with other Hebrew words, such as hallelujah, have also been introduced to support it.
Conclusion
There is a lot of information in books and on the internet that states that Clement of Alexandria wrote that the Tetragrammaton was pronounced "ιαουε" in his [e.g. Clement's] Greek Stromata Book V. Chapter 6:34.
However there are extant Greek manuscripts that preserve the Greek spelling "ιαου" at Stromata Book V. Chapter 6:34.
One explanation of this problem is that copyist errors exist in the preservation of the Greek writings of Clement of Alexandria, specifically in the preservation of Stomata Book V. Chapter 6:34!
However, there are other possibilities.
If scholars determined that Clement of Alexandria actually wrote "ιαου" and not "ιαουε" at Stromata Book V. Chapter 6:34, it would definitely hurt the case that 19th century scholars made, when they claimed that the most likely original pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton was "Yahweh".
However, the Roman Catholic Church would have no problem. In their Article on "Jehovah (Yahweh)", they write:
- ...Inserting the vowels of Jabe into the original Hebrew consonant text, we obtain the form Jahveh (Yahweh), which has been generally accepted by modern scholars as the true pronunciation of the Divine name... 11
It should be noted that the Catholic Encyclopedia states that "Jaou" is found in Clement's Greek Stromata Book V. Chapter 6:34. 7 "Jaou" is the Latin transliteration of the Greek name "Iaou".
Footnotes
1.The Jewish Encyclopedia of 1901-1906 [1]
1A. See the article on Clement of Alexandria (sub-topic "EDITIONS") in the Catholic Encyclopedia of 1910
2. Stromata Book V, Chapter 6:34. See an [http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/ANF-02/anf02-65.htm#P7381_2229893 online English translation]. Scroll down until a purple Footnote #81 can be viewed. "Jave" will be seen underneath Footnote #81.
3. Professor Anson F. Rainey supports "ιαουε" in "The Catena on the Pentateuch".
4. [http://hanskrause.de/HKHPE/hkhpe_28_01.htm Martin Rose in his booklet "Jahweh (1978:15)" says that Clemens Alexandrinis used "ιαουε in his Stromata.]
5. [http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-7/264290/IaoueInformationfrom1863trimmed.JPG Smith's 1863 "A Dictionary of the Bible says "ιαουε" is found in a catena to the Pentateuch in a MS. at Turin.]
6. Rudolf Kittel wrote that Clement wrote "ιαου" not "ιαουε".
7. Smith's 1863 "A Dictionary of the Bible says "ιαου" (Clem. Alex. Strom. v. p. 666).
8. The Catholic Encyclopedia -- "Jehovah" (Yahweh) Article says "Jaou" which represents "ιαου"
9. The Catena on the Pentateuch, Francis Zephyrus, P. 146. See an [http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/ANF-02/anf02-85.htm#P10423_2896810) online English translation].
10. [http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-7/264290/YahwehfromSmithsBibleDictionarylowres.JPG This image, which contains text about Gesenius, can be enlarged for easier viewing by clicking on an icon that appears in the lower right of the image.]
