Who is Jehovah?

“Jehovah” is an English rendering of the divine name YHWH used in the King James Version and American Standard Version of the Bible. Most other modern Bible translations render YHWH as “LORD” (in all caps) rather than “Jehovah.” The name “Jehovah” is controversial for two reasons: (1) it does not appear in Hebrew Bible manuscripts and (2) the Jehovah’s Witnesses organization spreads false teaching about its meaning and history.

God reveals His name, translated as “I AM,” to Moses at the burning bush: “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you’” (Exodus 3:14). In the next verse, God elaborates on what He wants Moses to say:


In Hebrew, the third-person form of “I AM”—translated “LORD” in verse 15—is YHWH, often spelled and pronounced Yahweh.

The history of “Jehovah” helps explain the controversy. For centuries, Jewish readers avoided pronouncing YHWH because they feared committing blasphemy and instead said Adonai, meaning “Lord.” Beginning around the sixth century A.D., scribes placed vowel markings associated with Adonai alongside YHWH in biblical manuscripts. These markings reminded readers to say Adonai in place of the divine name. Later, medieval scholars working in Latin combined the consonants of YHWH with these vowel markings, producing a new form of the name. This Latin form later developed into the English word “Jehovah,” with the Y and W in YHWH represented by J and V in Jehovah.

The Bible also contains compounds of the name YHWH that English speakers often express using “Jehovah.” For instance, the name Jehovah-Jireh comes from the Hebrew compound Yahweh-yireh (e.g., Genesis 22:14). Other examples include Jehovah-Rapha from Yahweh-rophe (e.g., Exodus 15:26) and Jehovah-Shalom from Yahweh-shalom (e.g., Judges 6:24).

The Jehovah’s Witnesses organization spreads false information about the name Jehovah. The movement was formed in the late nineteenth century under the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, with Charles Taze Russell (1852—1916) and Joseph Franklin Rutherford (1869—1942) as its leading early figures. Jehovah’s Witnesses deny the Trinity and the deity of Jesus Christ. They believe Jesus was the archangel Michael before His birth. Today, members are known for submitting to the Watch Tower Society and meeting in Kingdom Halls. They also evangelize door-to-door and hand out free literature in public places.

The organization takes its name from its false teaching about “Jehovah.” Russell and Rutherford identified “Jehovah” as God’s name. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that the name “Jehovah” appeared in the original Hebrew Scriptures. They also believe that the divine name appeared in the original New Testament but was later replaced by terms such as “Lord.” The organization’s Bible translation, called the New World Translation, uses “Jehovah” throughout the Old Testament. It also inserts “Jehovah” 237 times in the New Testament, even though the divine name does not appear in any known Greek New Testament manuscript. Jehovah’s Witnesses claim that modern Bible translations “arbitrarily remove” God’s name from the Bible. However, translations like the NIV, ESV, and NASB render YHWH as “LORD” and explain this practice in their translation notes.

A clear example of this appears in Romans 10:13, where the New World Translation says, “Everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved” (Romans 10:13). The Greek word translated as “Jehovah” is neither YHWH nor Adonai. Instead, the apostle Paul uses the word kyrios, meaning “Lord.” Based on this translation, the organization teaches that calling on the name of “Jehovah” in particular is necessary for salvation. It also says that Christianity’s understanding of salvation is satanic.

Historically, Jehovah’s Witnesses have discouraged independent academic study among its members. This pattern helps explain obvious weaknesses in its treatment of history, language, and biblical studies. The organization has also experienced substantial waves of defections. Thousands have left after examining its teachings more closely and concluding that they were false. Many former members and non-members have tested the spirits (1 John 4:1) of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ teaching about Jehovah and found that it fails to reflect biblical truth.