In the written text of the Hebrew scriptures, God’s name is of course present, probably to be pronounced Yahweh. But when the rabbis read out loud, out of reverence they substituted Adonai, meaning “Lord,” each time they saw the word “Yahweh.” And to make sure that no one would pronounce “Yahweh,” they inserted the vowels for “Adonai” beneath the consonants of “Yahweh” as a hint in the written text about how to read it out loud without taking God’s name in vain. - JAMES ROBINSON