Final answer:
The name of God in later Judaism is considered sacred and not to be spoken out loud. Jews use alternative titles such as 'Adonai' or 'HaShem' to reference God reverently. This stems from the deep reverence for the sanctity and mystery of the divine, in contrast to earlier polytheistic traditions.
Step-by-step explanation:
In later Judaism, the name of God is considered sacred and it is never to be spoken. This reverence for the name of God stems from the belief in the profound sanctity and mystery that surrounds the divine nature. The name, often represented as YHWH, comes from the Hebrew tradition and is related to the verb "to be," suggesting the eternal and self-existing nature of God.
According to Jewish tradition, the name is too holy to be pronounced out of respect, and alternate names or titles such as 'Adonai' (which means 'Lord') or 'HaShem' (which means 'The Name') are used instead.
This practice likely develops from the commandment given to Moses that one should have no other gods and brings to mind the polytheistic traditions where Yahweh was associated with elements of the Canaanite deities, reflecting how religious beliefs evolved over time. However, the concept of God within Judaism eventually transcended these earlier conceptions, leading to a strict monotheism where the very name of God was treated with great reverence and not spoken lightly.