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==Definition==

==Definition==

The usual form, among scholars, of the personal name of God in the Old Testament, representing the most likely vocalization of the ‘sacred tetragrammaton’ YHWH

The usual form, among [[scholars]], of the [[personal]] name of [[God]] in the [[Old Testament]], representing the most likely vocalization of the ‘[[sacred]] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/tetragrammaton’ YHWH

 

==Description==

==Description==

'''Yahweh''' (הוהי) is the proper [[name]] of the [[God]] of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Israel ancient Israel]. He is also called El, [[literally]] "God," and Elohim, also meaning "God," although the latter was [[originally]] a plural noun meaning "gods, [[pantheon]]." By a remarkable [[act]] of theological reduction, the [[complex]] [[divine]] [[hierarchy]] of prior [[polytheistic]] religion was [[transformed]] into the [[authority]] of a sole high god. However, Yahweh was not the only god in Israelite [[religion]]. Like a king in his [[court]], Yahweh was served by lesser [[deities]], variously called "the [[Sons of God]]," "the [[Host of Heaven]]," and similar titles. This host (the word also means "army") sometimes fought battles of holy [[war]] (cf. the battle of Jericho, where Joshua meets the divine "captain of Yahweh's army"; ([http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Book_of_Joshua#Chapter__.5 Joshua. 5:13–15]) and were also [[represented]] as [[stars]] ([http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Book_of_Judges#Chapter_.5 Judges. 5:20]): "the stars fought from heaven;" (also [http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Book_of_Job#Chapter_.38 Job. 38:7]). These lesser [[deities]] attend Yahweh in [[heaven]], as in the prophet Micaiah's vision: "I saw Yahweh seated on his throne with all the Host of Heaven standing beside him, to his right and left" ([http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=First_Book_of_Kings#Chapter_22 1 Kings. 22:19]). At times they are also equated with the gods of other nations: "He [[established]] the boundaries of the nations according to the number of the Sons of God" ([http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Book_of_Deutoronomy#Chapter_.32 Deuteronomy. 32:8] with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qumran Qumran] and the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Septuagint Septuagint]; similarly, ([http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Book_of_Deutoronomy#Chapter_.4 Deuteronomy. 4:19]). A third category of [[divine]] [[beings]] (after Yahweh and the [[Sons of God]]) consisted of [[messenger]] gods, called [[angels]]. The angels carry Yahweh's [[messages]] to [[earth]], as illustrated by Jacob's dream vision of the angels ascending and descending the celestial staircase that links heaven and earth ([http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Book_of_genesis#Chapter_.28 Genesis. 28:12]). In late biblical books, the [[Sons of God]] and the [[angels]] merge into a single category and proliferate: In Daniel's [[vision]] of the heavenly [[court]], "thousands upon thousands serve him" ([http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Book_of_Daniel#Chapter_7 Daniel. 7:10]).

'''Yahweh''' (הוהי) is the proper [[name]] of the [[God]] of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Israel ancient Israel]. He is also called El, [[literally]] "God," and Elohim, also meaning "God," although the latter was [[originally]] a plural noun meaning "gods, [[pantheon]]." By a remarkable [[act]] of theological reduction, the [[complex]] [[divine]] [[hierarchy]] of prior [[polytheistic]] religion was [[transformed]] into the [[authority]] of a sole high god. However, Yahweh was not the only god in Israelite [[religion]]. Like a king in his [[court]], Yahweh was served by lesser [[deities]], variously called "the [[Sons of God]]," "the [[Host of Heaven]]," and similar titles. This host (the word also means "army") sometimes fought battles of holy [[war]] (cf. the battle of Jericho, where Joshua meets the divine "captain of Yahweh's army"; ([http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Book_of_Joshua#Chapter__.5 Joshua. 5:13–15]) and were also [[represented]] as [[stars]] ([http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Book_of_Judges#Chapter_.5 Judges. 5:20]): "the stars fought from heaven;" (also [http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Book_of_Job#Chapter_.38 Job. 38:7]). These lesser [[deities]] attend Yahweh in [[heaven]], as in the prophet Micaiah's vision: "I saw Yahweh seated on his throne with all the Host of Heaven standing beside him, to his right and left" ([http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=First_Book_of_Kings#Chapter_22 1 Kings. 22:19]). At times they are also equated with the gods of other nations: "He [[established]] the boundaries of the nations according to the number of the Sons of God" ([http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Book_of_Deutoronomy#Chapter_.32 Deuteronomy. 32:8] with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qumran Qumran] and the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Septuagint Septuagint]; similarly, ([http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Book_of_Deutoronomy#Chapter_.4 Deuteronomy. 4:19]). A third category of [[divine]] [[beings]] (after Yahweh and the [[Sons of God]]) consisted of [[messenger]] gods, called [[angels]]. The angels carry Yahweh's [[messages]] to [[earth]], as illustrated by Jacob's dream vision of the angels ascending and descending the celestial staircase that links heaven and earth ([http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Book_of_genesis#Chapter_.28 Genesis. 28:12]). In late biblical books, the [[Sons of God]] and the [[angels]] merge into a single category and proliferate: In Daniel's [[vision]] of the heavenly [[court]], "thousands upon thousands serve him" ([http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Book_of_Daniel#Chapter_7 Daniel. 7:10]).