Both. “Jehovah” and “Yahweh” are two English attempts to render the same Hebrew name, written with four consonants, YHWH, and known as the Tetragrammaton. The Hebrew Bible was originally written without vowels, and by the time vowel signs were added, Jewish readers had long stopped pronouncing the name aloud. Most scholars today judge that “Yahweh” is closer to how the name was said in ancient Israel, on the basis of early Greek transcriptions, short forms of the name inside the Bible, and Hebrew grammar. “Jehovah” is the traditional English form, built from the four consonants combined with the vowels of Adonai, “my Lord”; it has been used in English Bibles, prayers and hymns for about five centuries. Neither is wrong to use, and neither is a password. This site uses “Jehovah” as its headword because that is the form English readers meet in the King James Version and the American Standard Version, sing in hymns, and search for.
One name behind both spellings
God gave his name to Moses with a promise that it would be remembered in every generation:
And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, Jehovah, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
— Exodus 3:15 (ASV)
The American Standard Version prints the name as “Jehovah” here and in nearly seven thousand other places. The same verse in many modern Bibles reads “the LORD”, and a few print “Yahweh”. All three are pointing to one Hebrew name. The entry YHWH, Yahweh, Jehovah, LORD: the four forms explained sets the forms side by side.
Why scholars favour Yahweh
The case for “Yahweh” rests on several lines of evidence that point the same way.
The first is the short form of the name found in Scripture itself. “Hallelujah” means “praise Yah”, and “Yah” appears on its own in poetry. Many Hebrew personal names end in “-iah” or “-yahu”, such as Isaiah, Jeremiah and Elijah, preserving the first syllable of the name.
The second is ancient transcription. Some early Christian writers, including Clement of Alexandria and Theodoret, recorded Greek spellings of the name that sound close to “Yahweh”.
The third is grammar. Exodus 3 links the name to the Hebrew verb “to be”, and “Yahweh” fits a natural verbal form meaning “he is” or “he causes to be”. The entry What does Jehovah mean? explores that connection.
None of this makes “Yahweh” certain. The final vowels in particular remain a reconstruction. But it is the most probable form, which is why most modern reference works use it.
Why Jehovah endures
“Jehovah” arose from the way the Hebrew text was copied. The medieval scribes who added vowel points to the Bible placed the vowels of Adonai under the four consonants, as a reminder to readers to say “Lord”. Christian scholars in the late Middle Ages read the consonants and vowels together, and forms such as “Iehoua” emerged. William Tyndale used “Iehouah” in his English Pentateuch of 1530, and the King James Version of 1611 printed “JEHOVAH” in a handful of places, including these:
And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name Jehovah was I not known to them.
— Exodus 6:3 (KJV)
That men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, art the most high over all the earth.
— Psalm 83:18 (KJV)
The American Standard Version of 1901 then used “Jehovah” throughout the Old Testament. Through these Bibles and through much-loved hymns, the form became part of the English language. It is not the ancient pronunciation, but it is a real English word with a long and honourable history, much as “Jesus” is the English form of a name first spoken as Yeshua. See How Jehovah entered English for the full story.
Using the name well in practice
If you are reading aloud from the ASV or singing an older hymn, say “Jehovah” without embarrassment. If you are teaching and want to be closer to the Hebrew, “Yahweh” is a sound choice. If you are in a congregation whose Bible prints “the LORD”, following that practice is equally faithful. The Psalms care far more about how the name is used than about its exact vowels:
Thy name, O Jehovah, endureth for ever; Thy memorial name, O Jehovah, throughout all generations.
— Psalm 135:13 (ASV)
Three simple habits help. Do not correct others sharply for using a different form. Do not treat any spelling as a mark of true or false worship. And remember that in the New Testament the name is honoured above all in Jesus Christ, the Son who shares it, through whom we come to the Father by grace.
Where Christians differ
Many modern scholars and some newer translations prefer “Yahweh” and consider “Jehovah” a historical error best retired. Many readers of the King James Version and the ASV, and many hymn-singing congregations, keep “Jehovah” as the familiar and reverent English form. Some Christians, out of respect for the Jewish tradition and the Greek of the apostles, prefer “the LORD” and avoid pronouncing the name at all. Jehovah’s Witnesses give special weight to “Jehovah” as the form to be used in worship; this site is not affiliated with them and holds that the form of the word is secondary. All of these choices can be made in good conscience.
For reflection
Read Exodus 3 and Psalm 135 aloud, first using “Jehovah”, then “Yahweh”, then “the LORD”, and notice that the God described does not change. Pray that his name would be hallowed in your life more than in your pronunciation. And join with your church in calling on the Lord, whatever form of the name your Bible prints.
References
- Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), entry for YHWH.
- Wilhelm Gesenius, Hebrew Grammar, edited by E. Kautzsch, English translation by A. E. Cowley (1910).
- William Tyndale, The Pentateuch (1530).
- The Preface to the American Standard Version (1901).
- The Authorised (King James) Version (1611).
Lexicon answers from the Bible and public-domain reference works. It is a study aid and is not affiliated with any organisation.