Philo (u still there?),
Reference, Podcast 7; 14:50 (origins of the name Jehovah, sources E & J)
I have a question and was wondering what your thoughts were on a particular point with reference to the name JEHOVAH spelled out in the KJV of Exodus. As you know, Smith changed Ex 6:3 to allow the name Jehovah as a name used previous to Moses' time.
Exodus 6:3 KJV wrote:And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
Exodus 6:3 JST wrote:And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob. I am the Lord God Almighty; the Lord JEHOVAH. And was not my name known unto them?
The actual manuscript for the JST Exodus 6:3 is here:
Old Testament Revision 2
Anyway, as you know, Smith depended heavily on the Adam Clarke Commentary and I think he employed the (?) for the JST based on suggestion in the commentary for
Verse 3:
Adam Clarke wrote:But by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them. — This passage has been a sort of crux criticorum, and has been variously explained. It is certain that the name Jehovah was in use long before the days of Abraham, see Genesis 2:4, where the words יהוה אלהים Jehovah Elohim occur, as they do frequently afterwards; and see Genesis 15:2, where Abraham expressly addresses him by the name Adonai JEHOVAH; and see Genesis 15:7, where God reveals himself to Abraham by this very name: And he said unto him, I am JEHOVAH, that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees. How then can it be said that by his name JEHOVAH he was not known unto them? Several answers have been given to this question; the following are the chief: -
1. The words should be read interrogatively, for the negative particle לא lo, not, has this power often in Hebrew. "I appeared unto Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by the name of God Almighty, and by my name Jehovah was I not also made known unto them?"
So, do you think Smith borrowed from No. 1 comment and therefore changed the verse and added the question mark (?) based on Clarke's observation? Thoughts?