Divine Name Abbreviations - Complete Reference Guide

Overview

This comprehensive reference documents all abbreviations, acronyms, and shortened forms used for divine names throughout biblical literature, ancient manuscripts, liturgical traditions, and modern scholarship. Understanding these abbreviations is crucial for biblical studies, manuscript analysis, and comparative religious research.

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Table of Contents

1. Hebrew Divine Name Abbreviations
2. Greek Divine Name Abbreviations (Nomina Sacra)
3. Latin Divine Name Abbreviations
4. Modern Scholarly Abbreviations
5. Liturgical and Devotional Abbreviations
6. Manuscript Traditions
7. Cross-Cultural Divine Name Abbreviations
8. Digital and Unicode Representations

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Hebrew Divine Name Abbreviations

Primary Tetragrammaton Abbreviations

Full Name	Hebrew	Abbreviation	Hebrew Script	Usage Context	Pronunciation
YHWH	יהוה	YH	יה	Psalms, poetry, Hallelujah	yah
YHWH	יהוה	YHW	יהו	Personal names, theophoric elements	yaho
YHWH	יהוה	YHH	יהה	Alternative poetic form	yah
YHWH	יהוה	Y	י	Extreme abbreviation (rare)	yod

Compound Divine Name Abbreviations

Full Name	Hebrew	Abbreviation	Hebrew Script	First Occurrence	Theological Significance
YHWH Elohim	יהוה אלהים	YE	יא	01 Genesis 2:4b	Personal + Universal deity
YHWH Sabaoth	יהוה צבאות	YS	יצ	1 Samuel 1:3	Lord of heavenly armies
YHWH Adonai	יהוה אדני	YA	יד	Ezekiel 2:4	Double lordship emphasis
El Shaddai	אל שדי	ES	אש	01 Genesis 17:1	God Almighty
El Elyon	אל עליון	EE	אע	01 Genesis 14:18	Most High God

Sacred Name Substitutions and Abbreviations

Substitute	Hebrew	Abbreviation	Usage	Pronunciation	Context
Adonai	אדני	ADN	אדן	adonai	Liturgical reading
HaShem	השם	HS	הש	hashem	”The Name” - reverential
Elohim	אלהים	ELH	אלה	elohim	Generic divine reference
Shaddai	שדי	SH	ש	shaddai	Almighty (abbreviated)
Yah	יה	Y	י	yah	Shortest divine name

Manuscript Abbreviation Conventions

Dead Sea Scrolls Traditions

Manuscript	Divine Name Treatment	Abbreviation Style	Example
1QS (Community Rule)	Avoids writing YHWH	[BLANK]	_____
1QH (Thanksgiving Hymns)	Uses El, Elohim	E, EL	א, אל
4QDeut	Preserves YHWH	YHWH	יהוה
11QPs (Psalms Scroll)	Mixed practice	YH, YHWH	יה, יהוה

Masoretic Text Traditions

Tradition	Abbreviation Method	Hebrew	Transliteration	Purpose
Ketiv	Written/Read distinction	כתיב/קרי	ketiv/qere	Sacred name protection
Masoretic Pointing	Vowel substitution	יְהֹוָה	yəhōwāh	Adonai vowels with YHWH
Tiqqune Sopherim	Scribal corrections	תקוני סופרים	tiqqune sopherim	Theological editing

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Greek Divine Name Abbreviations (Nomina Sacra)

Early Christian Manuscript Traditions

Divine Name	Greek Full Form	Abbreviation	Greek Script	Overline	Manuscript Era
Theos	θεός	ΘΣ	ΘΣ	Θ̅Σ̅	2nd century CE+
Kyrios	κύριος	ΚΣ	ΚΣ	Κ̅Σ̅	2nd century CE+
Kyrios	κύριος	ΚΥ	ΚΥ	Κ̅Υ̅	Alternative form
Iesous	Ἰησοῦς	ΙΣ	ΙΣ	Ι̅Σ̅	Jesus abbreviation
Christos	Χριστός	ΧΣ	ΧΣ	Χ̅Σ̅	Christ abbreviation
Pneuma	πνεῦμα	ΠΝΑ	ΠΝΑ	Π̅Ν̅Α̅	Spirit abbreviation

Septuagint Abbreviation Patterns

Hebrew Original	Greek Translation	LXX Abbreviation	Usage Frequency	Theological Impact
YHWH	κύριος	ΚΣ	6,828 times	Universalizes covenant name
Elohim	θεός	ΘΣ	4,295 times	Emphasizes monotheism
El Shaddai	παντοκράτωρ	ΠΝΤΚΡ	48 times	Cosmic ruler emphasis
Adonai	κύριος	ΚΣ	439 times	Same as YHWH rendering

Patristic and Byzantine Abbreviations

Church Father/Era	Divine Name	Abbreviation	Greek	Commentary
Justin Martyr	God	ΘΣ	Θ̅Σ̅	Earliest systematic usage
Origen	Lord	ΚΣ	Κ̅Σ̅	Hexapla tradition
John Chrysostom	Trinity	ΤΡΙΑΣ	Τ̅Ρ̅Ι̅Α̅Σ̅	Trinitarian emphasis
Byzantine Liturgy	Holy	ΑΓΙΟΣ	Α̅Γ̅Ι̅Ο̅Σ̅	Liturgical abbreviation

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Latin Divine Name Abbreviations

Vulgate Traditions

Latin Name	Full Form	Abbreviation	Usage Context	Jerome’s Practice
Deus	Deus	DS	General divine reference	Standard practice
Dominus	Dominus	DNS	Lord (for YHWH)	YHWH substitute
Dominus Deus	Dominus Deus	DD	Lord God	Compound forms
Altissimus	Altissimus	ALT	Most High	El Elyon equivalent
Omnipotens	Omnipotens	OMP	Almighty	El Shaddai equivalent

Medieval Manuscript Abbreviations

Manuscript Type	Divine Name	Abbreviation	Script Style	Period
Book of Hours	Dominus	D̅N̅S̅	Gothic	13th-15th cent.
Psalters	Deus	D̅S̅	Carolingian	9th-12th cent.
Bibles	Dominus Deus	D̅D̅	Textualis	12th-15th cent.
Breviary	Omnipotens	O̅M̅P̅	Cursive	14th-16th cent.

Liturgical Latin Abbreviations

Liturgical Context	Divine Name	Abbreviation	Full Form	Translation
Mass Ordinary	Gloria	GIA	Gloria in excelsis	Glory to God
Divine Office	Te Deum	TD	Te Deum laudamus	We praise you, God
Benediction	Tantum Ergo**	TE	Tantum ergo	Therefore we
Antiphons	Magnificat	MAG	Magnificat anima	My soul magnifies

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Modern Scholarly Abbreviations

Academic Biblical Studies

Divine Name	Standard Abbreviation	Alternative	Source Critical	Usage Notes
YHWH	YHWH	Yah, LORD	J (Yahwist)	Tetragrammaton
Elohim	Eloh	God, El	E (Elohist), P (Priestly)	Generic divine
Adonai	Adon	Lord	Various	Master, Lord
El Shaddai	ElShad	Shad	P (Priestly)	God Almighty
YHWH Sabaoth	YHWHSab	LordHosts	D (Deuteronomist)	Lord of Hosts

Documentary Hypothesis Notation

Source	Divine Name Preference	Abbreviation	Theological Emphasis	Dating
J Source	YHWH dominant	J-YHWH	Anthropomorphic, intimate	10th-9th cent. BCE
E Source	Elohim until Exodus 3	E-El	Transcendent, ethical	8th cent. BCE
P Source	Elohim → El Shaddai → YHWH	P-Prog	Systematic, cosmic	6th-5th cent. BCE
D Source	YHWH exclusive	D-YHWH	Covenantal, legal	7th cent. BCE

Comparative Religion Abbreviations

Tradition	Divine Name	Abbreviation	Scholarly Usage	Cross-Reference
Ugaritic	El	Ug-El	Comparative studies	Hebrew El cognate
Akkadian	Ilu	Akk-Il	ANE background	Semitic divine term
Canaanite	Baal	Can-Ba	Polemic context	Hebrew rejection
Aramaic	Elah	Aram-El	Linguistic evolution	Hebrew cognate

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Liturgical and Devotional Abbreviations

Jewish Liturgical Traditions

Prayer/Context	Divine Name	Hebrew Abbreviation	Transliteration	English Usage
Shema	YHWH	יי	YY	Adonai substitute
Amidah	HaShem	הש	HS	”The Name”
Kaddish	Elohim	אלק	ELQ	God (euphemism)
Hallel	Yah	יה	YH	Praise context
Torah Reading	YHWH	ה׳	H’	Four dots substitute

Christian Liturgical Abbreviations

Tradition	Divine Name	Abbreviation	Context	Translation
Anglican	Lord	Ld	Book of Common Prayer	Standard abbreviation
Lutheran	God	G-d	Hymnody	Reverential spacing
Catholic	Dominus	Dom	Roman Missal	Latin liturgy
Orthodox	Kyrios	Κς	Divine Liturgy	Greek tradition
Presbyterian	LORD	LORD	Westminster	Covenant emphasis

Devotional Literature Abbreviations

Genre	Divine Name	Abbreviation	Example Work	Author/Tradition
Mystical Theology	Godhead	GH	Cloud of Unknowing	Anonymous
Pietism	Jesus	JHS	Imitatio Christi	Thomas à Kempis
Puritanism	Providence	Prov	Westminster Confession	Westminster Assembly
Hasidism	Ein Sof	אס	Zohar	Kabbalistic

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Manuscript Traditions

Hebrew Manuscript Abbreviations

Medieval Hebrew Manuscripts

Manuscript Type	Time Period	Divine Name Treatment	Abbreviation System	Examples
Masoretic Codices	9th-11th cent.	Full YHWH with vowel points	Pointing system	Codex Leningradensis
Cairo Geniza	6th-19th cent.	Mixed practices	Various	Ben-Asher tradition
Sephardic MSS	12th-15th cent.	Ornamental YHWH	Decorative	Spanish Hebrew Bibles
Ashkenazi MSS	11th-15th cent.	Standard YHWH	Traditional	French/German Bibles

Qumran and Ancient Manuscripts

Manuscript	Date	Divine Name Practice	Abbreviation Type	Significance
1QIsa	2nd cent. BCE	Standard YHWH	None	Pre-substitution practice
4QMMT	1st cent. BCE	Avoids YHWH	Blank spaces	Sectarian reverence
11QTemple	1st cent. CE	Elohim preference	EL	Alternative practice
Papyrus Fouad 266	1st cent. BCE	Paleo-Hebrew YHWH	Archaic script	Conservative tradition

Greek Manuscript Traditions

Septuagint Manuscripts

Manuscript	Date	Divine Name Treatment	Abbreviation	Notes
Codex Vaticanus	4th cent. CE	κύριος for YHWH	ΚΣ	Consistent substitution
Codex Sinaiticus	4th cent. CE	κύριος standard	ΚΣ	Early Christian practice
Codex Alexandrinus	5th cent. CE	κύριος throughout	ΚΣ	Byzantine tradition
Papyrus Rylands 458	2nd cent. CE	Preserves Hebrew YHWH	Hebrew	Early Septuagint

New Testament Manuscripts

Manuscript	Date	Divine Name Usage	Abbreviation	Christological Impact
P52	2nd cent. CE	Limited divine references	ΚΣ	Earliest NT fragment
P46	3rd cent. CE	Pauline kyrios usage	ΚΣ	Christ=Lord equation
P66	3rd cent. CE	Johannine theology	ΘΣ, ΚΣ	High Christology
Codex Bezae	5th cent. CE	Western text tradition	Various	Textual variants

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Cross-Cultural Divine Name Abbreviations

Ancient Near Eastern Parallels

Culture	Divine Name	Abbreviation	Hebrew Cognate	Scholarly Notation
Ugaritic	ʾil	IL	El	Ug-El
Akkadian	Ilu	IL	El	Akk-Il
Phoenician	ʾEl	EL	El	Phn-El
Aramaic	ʾElāh	ELH	Elohim	Aram-El
Arabic	Allāh	ALH	El	Ar-Al

Modern Interfaith Abbreviations

Tradition	Divine Name	Standard Abbreviation	Academic Usage	Interfaith Context
Judaism	HaShem	HS	Jud-HS	”The Name”
Christianity	Trinity	Trin	Chr-Tr	Trinitarian formula
Islam	Allah	All	Isl-Al	Arabic divine name
Baháʼí	Bahá	Bah	Baha-B	Glory, splendor

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Digital and Unicode Representations

Unicode Standards for Divine Names

Divine Name	Unicode Block	Codepoint Range	Example	HTML Entity
Hebrew YHWH	Hebrew	U+05D9-05D4-05D5-05D4	יהוה	יהוה
Greek Kyrios	Greek Extended	U+03BA-03CD-03C1-03B9-03BF-03C2	κύριος	κυριος
Latin Deus	Latin-1	U+0044-0065-0075-0073	Deus	Deus
Coptic	Coptic	U+2C80-2C99	ⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ	Custom encoding

Digital Manuscript Abbreviations

Digital Format	Divine Name Abbreviation	Encoding Standard	Usage
TEI XML	<abbr>YHWH</abbr>	TEI P5	Scholarly markup
OSIS	<divineName>LORD</divineName>	OSIS 2.1	Bible software
JSON-LD	"@type": "DivineName"	Schema.org	Semantic web
Dublin Core	dc:subject="YHWH"	DC Terms	Metadata

Software-Specific Abbreviations

Software	Divine Name Display	Abbreviation Format	Export Options
Logos Bible Software	LORD (small caps)	{yhwh}	Multiple formats
Accordance	YHWH transliterated	yhwh	Hebrew/English
BibleWorks	User configurable	Various	Custom settings
Olive Tree	Publisher dependent	Standard	Limited options

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Abbreviation Usage Guidelines

Academic Writing Standards

Context	Recommended Abbreviation	Avoid	Rationale
Scholarly Articles	YHWH	Yahweh, Jehovah	Respect for uncertainty
Student Papers	LORD	God (generic)	Source specificity
Textual Criticism	MS abbreviations	Modern forms	Historical accuracy
Comparative Religion	Culture-specific	Anglicized	Cultural sensitivity

Liturgical Usage Guidelines

Religious Context	Appropriate Abbreviation	Pronunciation Guide	Community Standard
Jewish Worship	Adonai	ah-doe-NYE	Traditional practice
Christian Liturgy	LORD	lord	Denominational variance
Academic Study	YHWH	yah-way (hypothetical)	Scholarly consensus
Interfaith Dialogue	Context sensitive	Respectful	Mutual understanding

Digital Publication Standards

Platform	Divine Name Standard	Abbreviation Policy	Accessibility
Academic Journals	YHWH standard	No substitution	Screen reader friendly
Religious Publishers	Denominational	Traditional	Community appropriate
Digital Humanities	TEI compliant	Marked up	Machine readable
Open Access	Unicode standard	Full forms	Universal access

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Historical Development of Abbreviations

Timeline of Abbreviation Development

Period	Innovation	Examples	Significance
3rd cent. BCE	Septuagint substitution	κύριος for YHWH	First systematic change
1st cent. CE	Nomina Sacra development	ΘΣ, ΚΣ	Christian manuscript tradition
7th cent. CE	Masoretic pointing	יְהֹוָה	Vowel substitution system
13th cent. CE	Latin abbreviations	D̅N̅S̅	Medieval manuscript economy
16th cent. CE	Printing innovations	LORD small caps	Typography standards
20th cent. CE	Digital encoding	Unicode	Global standardization

Regional Variation Development

Geographic Region	Abbreviation Tradition	Distinctive Features	Modern Legacy
Middle East	Original Hebrew	Paleo-Hebrew preservation	Archaeological evidence
Alexandria	Greek substitution	Septuagint tradition	Christian adoption
Rome	Latin adaptation	Vulgate influence	Western Christianity
Byzantium	Greek continuation	Orthodox tradition	Eastern Christianity
Medieval Europe	Vernacular development	National languages	Modern translations

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Conclusion

Divine name abbreviations represent a complex intersection of theological reverence, practical necessity, and cultural transmission. From the earliest Hebrew manuscripts through modern digital formats, these abbreviations preserve both the sacred character of divine names and the scholarly precision required for academic study.

Understanding these abbreviation systems is essential for:

• Biblical Scholarship: Accurate textual analysis and source criticism
• Manuscript Studies: Proper paleographic and codicological analysis
• Comparative Religion: Cross-cultural divine name study
• Digital Humanities: Proper encoding and markup standards
• Interfaith Dialogue: Respectful engagement across traditions

This reference guide provides the foundation for navigating the rich tradition of divine name abbreviations across languages, cultures, and historical periods, enabling both scholarly precision and religious sensitivity in the study of sacred texts.

Future Research Directions

• Digital Manuscript Analysis: AI-assisted abbreviation pattern recognition
• Cross-Cultural Studies: Comparative abbreviation traditions
• Historical Linguistics: Evolution of sacred name pronunciation
• Theology and Technology: Digital age sacred name treatment
• Interfaith Studies: Respectful abbreviation practices across traditions

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This document serves as a comprehensive reference for scholars, students, and practitioners working with divine names across biblical, liturgical, and academic contexts.