YHWH

YHWH refers to the tetragrammaton, the biblical name of the God of Israel. In the Hebrew Bible it is treated as a personal name rather than a title, and it is considered sacred and ineffable in Jewish tradition.

The form consists of four Hebrew consonants: Yod, Heh, Vav, Heh (יהוה). The original vocalization is not recorded in the Masoretic text; the vowels were supplied later. Scholarly reconstructions most often render the pronunciation as Yahweh, though exact sounds remain uncertain. The form is commonly linked to the Hebrew root h-y-h, “to be,” and to the idea of God’s self‑existence. Exodus 3:14 presents a related phrase, Ehyeh asher ehyeh (I am who I am), historically associated with the divine name.

In Judaism, pronouncing the tetragrammaton is avoided; readers substitute Adonai (the Lord) or Hashem. The written name is treated with reverence and not used in casual speech or most liturgy. In Christianity, translations vary: many render the term as “the Lord” in the Latin Vulgate and English Bibles, while some use transliterations like Jehovah, a late form created by combining YHWH with Adonai vowels. Jehovah’s Witnesses use Jehovah as the divine name in worship.

Historically, the tetragrammaton appears throughout the Hebrew Bible. The Greek Septuagint typically renders it as Kyrios (the Lord). During later manuscript transmission, scribes often replaced the name with substitutes, a practice reflected in rabbinic, liturgical, and textual traditions that emphasize the name’s sacred status.