Terminology
72 Names of God vs the Tetragrammaton
The Tetragrammaton is the four-letter divine name יהוה. The 72 Names are 72 three-letter units derived from Exodus 14:19–21 in later Jewish interpretation. They are related to the broader history of divine Names but are not the same object.
Four letters
What is the Tetragrammaton?
The Tetragrammaton is the four-letter divine name יהוה, conventionally represented as YHWH. It is one of the central divine names in the Hebrew Bible.
Seventy-two triplets
What are the 72 Names?
The 72 Names on this site are 72 separate three-letter combinations traditionally derived from Exodus 14:19–21 through a later interpretive method.
Why are they sometimes confused under “Shem HaMephorash”?
Because Shem HaMephorash has been used differently across periods. Maimonides explicitly identifies it with the Tetragrammaton, while later mystical and esoteric usage can extend the terminology to longer divine-name systems.
Which terminology does this site use?
For clarity, “Tetragrammaton” refers to יהוה; “72 Names of God” or “72 Hebrew triplets” refers to the Exodus-derived sequence. Historical source language is explained rather than silently normalized.
Quick answers
Direct answers.
Is YHWH one of the 72 triplets?
No. The Tetragrammaton is a distinct four-letter divine name.
Does Maimonides call the 72 triplets Shem HaMephorash?
In Guide for the Perplexed I.61, Maimonides identifies Shem HaMeforash with the Tetragrammaton.
Why do some modern sources use the same term for both?
Because terminology broadened in later mystical and esoteric history. Context is necessary.
Which page explains the term itself?
Sources used on this page
Trace the claim.
- Maimonides, Guide for the Perplexed I.61 ↗
Important evidence that Shem ha-Meforash can specifically denote the four-letter Tetragrammaton.
- Jewish Encyclopedia — “Shem Ha-Meforash” ↗
Historical overview of the term and its changing use for divine names of different letter counts.
- Jewish Encyclopedia — “Tetragrammaton” ↗
Historical reference for the four-letter divine name and the terminology surrounding it.
- Rashi on Sukkah 45a:2 ↗
Medieval commentary explicitly describing 72 names embedded in the three 72-letter verses and the first/reversed-middle/last extraction pattern.
- Rabbeinu Bahya on Exodus 14:21 ↗
Medieval commentary stating that the three verses contain 72 letters each and explaining the forward/reverse/forward arrangement into three-letter units.