Distinguishing Jehovah from Yahweh

Jehovah vs Yahweh

There are differing opinions among Christians about the true name of God. Some believe it to be Jehovah, as mentioned in the Old Testament, while others argue that the correct name is Yahweh. This article aims to clarify some of the confusion surrounding the name of God.

God is referred to by several names in the Old Testament, but one of the most common is YHWH. This name has been translated as Jehovah in modern times. Even before Christ’s birth, YHWH was considered the name of God in Judaism and was so sacred that people would not even say it aloud. Ancient Hebrew only had consonants, not vowels, so the pronunciation of these four consonants together is unclear. However, scholars generally agree that YHWH would have been pronounced as Yahweh.

YHWH is made up of the Hebrew letters Yodh, Heh, Waw, and Heh. These were mistakenly transliterated as JHVH by Roman scholars, which later became Jehovah. One theory suggests that the word Jehovah was formed by taking the vowels from the word ELOAH, similar to the theory that Yahweh was created by adding the vowels from the word HASHEM to the four-letter word YHWH.

It is clear that the Hebrew word YHWH has been rendered as JHVH in Roman script. When pronounced, YHWH becomes Yahweh and JHVH becomes Jehovah.

Key Takeaways

• The name of God is a subject of debate among Christians, with some believing it to be Jehovah and others arguing for Yahweh.
• The Hebrew word YHWH, which is often translated as Jehovah, is thought to have been pronounced as Yahweh by ancient Jews.
• The confusion surrounding the name of God is due to transliteration errors and the ancient Jewish belief that the name of God should not be pronounced in vain.