There are many proper names in the Old Testament affixed with yhv (yeho- or -yahu), and yhvh is the very name of God, which is known from inscriptions dated c. 830 BC.
The Hebrew derivation of yhv is unclear, and scholars have suggested that it may have a non-Israelite origin, with some seeking meanings in Aramaic or Arabic or Egyptian. Although Sanskrit sources, where the same term is found with exactly the connotations appropriate to the biblical usage, have rarely been considered.
Why did the followers of Abraham and Moses refer to their god as Yahweh? The evidence from Hebrew language seems rather slight.
From ‘The Oxford Companion to the Bible’:
The name yahweh looks like the third-person singular of the verb hāwā, a rare alternative to the usual hāyā, “to be”. The “a” vowel suggests a causative theme of the verb (“he causes” or “will cause to be”), but that theme is not used with this verb in the Bible.
If, however, the name is archaic or of non-Israelite origin, then another meaning is possible, and some have sought a meaning found in Aramaic (“to fall” as well as “to be”) or in Arabic (“to fall, blow,” etc.), but firm evidence is lacking.
More plausible ~ though still uncertain ~ is a connection with yhw (perhaps yahweh) in Egyptian texts from ca. 1400-1200 BC, which may be a place associated with pastoral nomads in or near the Sinai peninsula.
Both the name and the nature of the God, however, are easily taken straight from ancient Sanskrit usage. And yahva (yahvaH or yahvIH), which is doubtfully explained from Hebrew grammar, is repeatedly found in vedic Sanskrit, with exactly the same connotations as apply to the biblical term (yhv, yhvh, or ‘yahweh’).
YHV appears 41 times in 33 of the Rgveda’s 1028 hymns ~ in maNDala I (5x), II (2x), III (9x), IV (5x), V (5x), VI (1x), VII (4x), VIII (2x), IX (3x), and X (5x) ~ with forms of the masculine yahva appearing 21 times, and forms of the feminine yahvI appearing 20 times. And there are 16 hymns with yahva, 16 with yahvI, and only one with both (RV 3.1) ~ making 33 hymns altogether (trayastriMsha, the traditional sum of the Gods).
In hymns to agni:
RSi kaNva ghaura
pra vaH yahvam purUNAm vishAm devayatInAm |
agnim sUktebhiH vacobhiH Imahe yam sIm it anye ILate || 1.36.1 ||
RSi nodhA gautama
bRhatI iva sUnave rodasI giraH hotA manuSyaH na dakshaH |
svarvate satyashuSmAya pUrvIH vaishvAnarAya nRtamAya yahvIH || 1.59.4 ||
RSi parAshara shAktya
agnim vishvAH abhi pRkshaH sacante samudram na sravataH sapta yahvIH |
na jAmibhiH vi cikite vayaH naH vidAH deveSu pramatim cikitvAn || 1.71.7 ||
svAdhyaH divaH A sapta yahvIH rAyaH duraH vi RtajñAH ajAnan |
vidat gavyam saramA dRLham Urvam yena nu kam mAnuSI bhojate viT || 1.72.8 ||
RSi vishvAmitra
avardhayan subhagam sapta yahvIH shvetam jajñAnam aruSam mahitvA |
shishum na jAtam abhi AruH ashvAH devAsaH agnim janiman vapuSyan || 3.1.4 ||
vavrAja sIm anadatIH adabdhAH divaH yahvIH avasAnAH anagnAH |
sanAH atra yuvatayaH sayonIH ekam garbham dadhire sapta vANIH || 3.1.6 ||
pituH cit Udhar januSA viveda vi asya dhArAH asRjat vi dhenAH |
guhA carantam sakhibhiH shivebhiH divaH yahvIbhiH na guhA babhUva || 3.1.9 ||
akraH na babhriH samithe mahInAm didRksheyaH sUnave bhARjIkaH |
ut usriyAH janitA yaH jajAna apAm garbhaH nRtamaH yahvaH agniH || 3.1.12 ||
RSi vishvAmitra gAthina
tisraH yahvasya samidhaH parijmanaH agneH apunan ushijaH amRtyavaH |
tAsAm ekAm adadhuH martye bhujam ulokam u dve upa jAmim IyatuH || 3.2.9 ||
vishpatim yahvam atithim naraH sadA yantAram dhInAm ushijam ca vAghatAm |
adhvarANAm cetanam jAtavedasam pra shaMsanti namasA jUtibhiH vRdhe || 3.3.8 ||
pAti priyam ripaH agram padam veH pAti yahvaH caraNam sUryasya |
pAti nAbhA saptashIrSANam agniH pAti devAnAm upamAdam RSvaH || 3.5.5 ||
ut u stutaH samidhA yahvaH adyaut varSman divaH adhi nAbhA pRthivyAH |
mitraH agniH IDyaH mAtarishvA A dUtaH vakshat yajathAya devAn || 3.5.9 ||
mAdhyaMdine savane jAtavedaH puroLAsham iha kave juSasva |
agne yahvasya tava bhAgadheyam na pra minanti vidatheSu dhIrAH || 3.28.4 ||
RSi vAmadeva gautama
mA nindata yaH imAm mahyam rAtim devaH dadau martyAya svadhAvAn |
pAkAya gRtsaH amRtaH vicetAH vaishvAnaraH nRtamaH yahvaH agniH || 4.5.2 ||
idam me agne kiyate pAvaka aminate gurum bhAram na manma |
bRhat dadhAtha dhRSatA gabhIram yahvam pRSTham prayasA saptadhAtu || 4.5.6 ||
tRSu yat annA tRSuNA vavaksha tRSum dUtam kRNute yahvaH agniH |
vAtasya meLim sacate nijUrvan Ashum na vAjayate hinve arvA || 4.7.11 ||
yam sIm akRNvan tamase vipRce dhruvakshemAH anavasyantaH artham |
tam sUryam haritaH sapta yahvIH spasham vishvasya jagataH vahanti || 4.13.3 ||
sindhoH iva prAdhvane shUghanAsaH vAtapramiyaH patayanti yahvAH |
ghRtasya dhArAH aruSaH na vAjI kASThAH bhindanUrmibhiH pinvamAnaH || 4.58.7 ||
RSi budha Atreya
abodhi agniH samidhA janAnAm prati dhenum iva AyatIm uSAsam
yahvAH iva pra vayAm ujjihAnAH pra bhAnavaH sisrate nAkam acha || 5.1.1 ||
RSi pUru Atreya
adha hi agne eSAm suvIryasya maMhanA |
tam it yahvam na rodasI pari shravaH babhUvatuH || 5.16.4 ||
RSi vasiSTha maitrAvaruNi
yaH dehyaH anamayat vadhasnaiH yaH aryapatnIH uSasaH cakAra |
sa nirudhya nahuSaH yahvaH agniH vishaH cakre balihRtaH sahobhiH || 7.6.5 ||
ayam u sya sumahAn avedi hotA mandraH manuSaH yahvaH agniH |
vi bhAH akar sasRjAnaH pRthivyAm kRSNapaviH oSadhIbhiH vavakshe || 7.8.2 ||
RSi havirdhAna AÑgi
vRSA vRSNe duduhe dahasA divaH payAMsi yahvaH aditeH adAbhyaH |
vishvam sa veda varuNaH yathA dhiyA sa yajñiyaH yajatu yajñiyAn RtUn || 10.11.1 ||
And to apAMnapAt:
RSi gRtsamada bhArgava (originally AÑgirasa) shaunaka
apAm napAt A hi asthAt upastham jihmAnAm UrdhvaH vidyutam vasAnaH |
tasya jyeSTham mahimAnam vahantIH hiraNyavarNAH pari yanti yahvIH || 2.35.9 ||
asmin pade parame tasthivAMsam adhvasmabhiH vishvahA dIdivAMsam |
ApaH naptre ghRtam annam vahantIH svayam atkaiH pari dIyanti yahvIH || 2.35.14 ||
In hymns to indra:
RSi gaurivIti shAktya
anu yat Im marutaH mandasAnam Arcan indram papivAMsam sutasya |
A adatta vajram abhi yat ahim han apaH yahvIH asRjat sartavai u || 5.29.2 ||
RSi bharadvAja bArhaspatya
paprAtha kshAm mahi daMsaH vi urvIm upa dyAm RSvaH bRhAt indra stabhAyaH |
adhArayaH rodasI devaputre pratne mAtarA yahvI Rtasya || 6.17.7 ||
RSi nArada kANva
tat it rudrasya cetati yahvam pratneSu dhAmasu |
manaH yatra vi tat dadhuH vicetasaH || 8.13.20 ||
tam Imahe puruSTutam yahvam pratnAbhiH UtibhiH |
ni barhiSi priye sadat adha dvitA || 8.13.24 ||
RSi vamra vaikhAnasa
sa yahvyaH avanIH goSu arvA A juhoti pradhanyAsu sasriH |
apAdaH yatra yujyAsaH arathAH droNyashvAsaH Irate ghRtam vAr || 10.99.4 ||
In hymns to soma:
RSi trita Aptya
abhi brahmIH anUSata yahvIH Rtasya mAtaraH |
marmRjyante divaH shishum || 9.33.5 ||
RSi kavi bhArgava
abhi priyANi pavate canohitaH nAmAni yahvaH adhi yeSu vardhate |
A sUryasya bRhataH bRhan adhi ratham viSvañcam aruhat vicakshaNaH || 9.75.1 ||
RSi kashyapa mArIca
tava tye soma pavamAna niNye vishve devAH trayaH ekAdashAsaH |
dasha svadhAbhiH adhi sAno avye mRjanti tvA nadyaH sapta yahvIH || 9.92.4 ||
In hymns to the vishvedevA:
RSi atri bhauma
upa vaH eSe vandyebhiH shUSaiH pra yahvI divaH citayadbhiH arkaiH |
uSAsAnaktA viduSI iva vishvam A ha vahataH martyAya yajñam || 5.41.7 ||
RSi shAryAta mAnava
imam añjaspAm ubhaye akRNvata dharmANam agnim vidathasya sAdhanam |
aktum na yahvam uSasaH purohitam tanUnapAtam aruSasya niMsate || 10.92.2 ||
RSi tAnva pArtha
mahi dyAvApRthivI bhUtam urvI nArI yahvI na rodasI sadam naH |
tebhiH naH pAtam sahyasaH ebhiH naH pAtam shUSaNi || 10.93.1 ||
To the marudgaNa:
RSi vasiSTha maitrAvaruNi
sam yat hananta manyubhiH janAsaH shUrAH yahvISu oSadhISu vikshu |
adha sma naH marutaH rudriyAsaH trAtAraH bhUta pRtanAsu aryaH || 7.56.22 ||
To ashvinIkumAra:
RSi vasiSTha maitrAvaruNi
yAni sthAnAni ashvinA dadhAthe divaH yahvISu oSadhISu vikshu |
ni parvatasya mUrdhani sadantA iSam janAya dAshuSe vahantA || 7.70.3 ||
And in three AprI hymns:
RSi dIrghatamA aucathya
A bhandamAne upAke naktoSAsA supeshasA |
yahvI Rtasya mAtarA sIdatAm barhiH A sumat || 1.142.7 ||
RSi vasushruta Atreya
supratIke vayovRdhA yahvI Rtasya mAtarA |
doSAm uSAsam Imahe || 5.5.6 ||
RSi jamadagni bhArgava (rAma jAmadagnya)
AjuhvAnaH IDyaH vandyaH ca A yAhi agne vasubhiH sajoSAH |
tvam devAnAm asi yahva hotA saH enAn yakshi iSitaH yajIyAn || 10.110.3 ||
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