This study is the first
monograph on the meanings given to the divine name YHWH in the Jewish
tradition. It seeks to trace the interplay between the motivation to speak
about God and the wish to speak to Him through the meanings given to the name
YHWH, in three central stages of Jewish thought: the Hebrew Bible, rabbinic
literature, and medieval philosophy and mysticism. From a textual perspective,
the current study offers a close reading in a variety of Jewish texts and
genres, including the Old Testament, Mishna, Midrash, Philo’s writings, Jewish
medieval philosophy, biblical exegesis and various mystical texts.
There is hardly an exegetical or contemplative Jewish text that does not
in some way deal with the name YHWH. Accordingly, almost every scholarly field
related to Judaism discusses it in some capacity. However, despite the
immensity of the literature, YHWH and its status as a proper name have not been
the focus of a comprehensive scholarly work. None have yet attempted to paint a
picture of YHWH’s meaning over a spectrum of periods and genres, while offering
conceptual and textual discussion. This study seeks to fill that gap.
