יְהוָֹה

Meaning

Yahweh - God's personal name

It is not a generic term for “god”, but rather the word יְהוָֹה (YHWH) is the name by which God uniquely identifies himself in the Old Testament.

First appearing in , it occurs over 6,000 times in the Old Testament.

Frequently translated into English as “LORD” (all capital letters).

Pronunciation

In ancient Israel, the name was considered too sacred to pronounce aloud. When reading Scripture, Jews would often substitute אֲדֹנָי (Adonai, “Lord”) instead.

The Masoretes (medieval Jewish scribes) added the vowel points of “Adonai” to “YHWH” leading to the hybrid form “Jehovah.”

Most English Bibles today translate it as “LORD” (all in capitals) to distinguish it from “Adonai” (Lord).

Meaning and Etymology

The name is related to the Hebrew verb הָיָה (hayah, “to be”), suggesting meanings such as:

“I am who I am” ()

“He is”

“He causes to be”

This conveys that God is self-existent, eternal, and unchanging. He is the One who depends on nothing else for existence and brings all things into being.

Theological Significance

YHWH is not a general term for “god”, rather it is a personal, covenantal name. It reveals God’s faithfulness and presence with His people:

Exodus 6:2–3 – God tells Moses that He is revealing Himself as YHWH, the God who keeps His promises.

– “Hear, O Israel: The LORD (YHWH) our God, the LORD is one.”

– “YHWH is my shepherd.”

In this sense, YHWH embodies both God’s transcendence and His relational nearness.

Connections with the New Testament

Although the Greek New Testament uses Κύριος (“Lord”) rather than YHWH, many passages apply Old Testament texts about YHWH to Jesus Christ (e.g., Philippians 2:10–11, quoting ).

This reflects the early Christian conviction that Jesus shares in the divine identity of YHWH.

Grammatical forms

Because יְהוָה (YHWH) is a proper personal name, not a regular noun, it does not decline for number, gender, or case like ordinary Hebrew words. Nevertheless, in Scripture, it appears in different grammatical roles and syntactic relationships (for example, as subject, object, or in construct with another noun).

Basic Grammatical Function

Grammatical Function	Description	Example Reference	Hebrew Text
Subject	YHWH is the subject performing the action	– “YHWH will not hold him guiltless…”	יְהוָה
Object	YHWH is the object receiving the action	– “I love You, O YHWH, my strength.”	יְהוָה
Predicate / Apposition	Used in statements identifying or describing God	– “YHWH is a warrior.”	יְהוָה
Vocative (address)	Used when addressing God directly	– “O YHWH, our Lord, how majestic is Your name…”	יְהוָה

Construct or Possessive Relationships

While YHWH itself does not take a construct ending, it appears in construct phrases, especially “YHWH of __.”

Construct Phrase	Meaning	Example Reference	Hebrew Text
YHWH Elohim	“LORD God” — combining God’s personal and general titles	יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים
YHWH Tsevaoth	“LORD of hosts” — the God of angelic armies	יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת
YHWH Shalom	“The LORD is peace”	יְהוָה שָׁלוֹם
YHWH Yireh	“The LORD will provide”	יְהוָה יִרְאֶה
YHWH Tsidqenu	“The LORD our righteousness”	יְהוָה צִדְקֵנוּ

Prepositional Phrases with יְהוָה

Here YHWH follows prepositions. The form itself remains unchanged, but the vowel under the initial consonant may slightly adjust because of the preposition.

Meaning	Prepositional Phrase	Example Reference	Hebrew Text
to / for YHWH	לַיהוָה	לַיהוָה
from YHWH	מֵיְהוָה	מֵיְהוָה
in / by YHWH	בַּיהוָה	בַּיהוָה
with YHWH (object marker + name)	אֶת־יְהוָה	אֶת־יְהוָה
upon / against YHWH (context determines nuance)	עַל־יְהוָה	עַל־יְהוָה