Names for God (Yahweh)

When it comes to the names of the God of the universe, none is more commonly used in Scripture than the name Yahweh.

Some people pronounce and spell this name differently. Some spell it Jehovah, some pronounce it ‘yeh-ho-vaw’, and it is sometimes written as YHWH excluding vowels out of holiness for his name. This name is written in Hebrew over 6,000 times in the Old Testament. The name Yahweh means “the existing One”, depicting God’s sovereignty and sustainer of the universe. Some may be confused on the usage of saying ‘God’ v.s “Yahweh’. In English, we have become accustomed to the use of ‘God” in place of his actual name. The name Yahweh is the personal name of God revealed to Moses in Exodus 3. It is the same as someone named Bob or Susan, it is their personal name. Out of reverence and fear of breaking the command, many ancient Jews refrained from saying the name Yahweh and eventually, the term ‘God’ took the place of the name Yahweh in our English Bibles. Despite whether or not you agree with this tradition, the meaning remains the same. The God of the universe has a name, His name is Yahweh, and he is the sustainer, provider, and ruler of the universe.