יהוה is not used by E in Gn, but is given
Exodus 3:12-15 as the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb, and is explained thus:
אֶהְיֶה עִמָּ֑ךְ I shall be with thee (v
Exodus 3:12), which is then implied in
אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה I shall be the one who will be it v
Exodus 3:14 (i.e. with thee v
Exodus 3:12) and then compressed into
אֶהְיֶה v
Exodus 3:14 (i.e. with thee v
Exodus 3:12), which then is given in the nominal form
יהוה He who will be it v
Exodus 3:15 (i.e. with thee v
Exodus 3:12). Cf. Ew
BTh ii. 337, 338 RS
l. c., Proph. 385 ff. Other interpretations are:
I am he who I am, i.e. it is no concern of yours (Le Clerc Lag
Psalt. Hieron. 156);
I am, (this is my name),
inasmuch as I am (
אֲשֶׁר =
כִּי; AE JDMich We
JD Th xxi, 540 = Comp. Hex. 72); Di al.
I am who I am, he who is essentially unnameable, inexplicable.—E uses
יהוה sparingly by the side of
אלהים and
האלהים in his subsequent narrative. The Ephraimitic writers in Ju S K use it in similar proportions. P abstains from the use of
יהוה until he gives an account of its revelation to Moses
Exodus 6:3; but subsequently uses it freely. He gives no explanation of its meaning. He represents that
אֵל שַׁדַּי was the God of the patriarchs. J uses
יהוה from the beginning of his narrative, possibly explaining it,
Genesis 21:33 by
אל עולם, the evergreen tamarisk being a symbol of the ever-living God; cf. De
Genesis 21:33. Elsewhere
יהוה is the common divine name in pre-exilic writers, but in post-exilic writers gradually falls into disuse, and is supplanted by
אלהים and
אדני. In Job it is used 31 times in prose parts, and
Job 12:9 (a proverb); not elsewhere in the poem. Chr apart from his sources prefers
אלהים and
האלהים. Dn uses
יהוה only in chap. 9 (7 times); Ec not at all. In the Elohistic group of
Psalms 42-83 it is used 39 times (see
אלהים). It occurs as the name of Israel’s God MI
18. It is doubtful whether it was used by other branches of the Shemitic family, cf. COT
Genesis 2:4 Dl
Pa 158 ff. Dr
Stud. Bib. i. 7 ff.