Hebrew · The Great Words

Yahweh: The Name of God

Yahweh (the four Hebrew letters YHWH) is the personal name God revealed to Moses, tied to the verb ‘to be’, ‘I AM’, and treated in Judaism with the deepest reverence.

The original word

How the Bible uses it

What it means

When Moses asked God his name, the answer came from the verb ‘to be’: ‘I AM THAT I AM.’ The four Hebrew letters that follow, often written YHWH, are called the Tetragrammaton. They point to the One who simply is, who depends on nothing and gives being to everything else.

Out of deep reverence, Jewish tradition does not pronounce this name aloud, reading ‘Adonai’ (Lord) in its place, and the King James follows an ancient custom by printing ‘the LORD’ in small capitals wherever the name appears. We honour that reverence here. The name is holy, not a word to be handled lightly.

And Christ

Christians notice with care how Jesus speaks in John’s Gospel. To people who knew Exodus by heart, he says, ‘Before Abraham was, I am’ (John 8:58), taking up the words of the burning bush, and his hearers understood exactly what he meant. This is not a claim to be made casually, and the whole New Testament is careful with it. But it is why Christians confess that the God who said ‘I AM’ drew near in Jesus.

Frequently asked questions

What does Yahweh (YHWH) mean?

Yahweh, the four Hebrew letters YHWH (Strong's H3068), is God's personal name revealed to Moses, connected to the verb 'to be': 'I AM THAT I AM' (Exodus 3:14). It points to the One who simply is and gives being to all things.

Why is the name of God not spoken?

Out of deep reverence, Jewish tradition does not pronounce the sacred name, reading 'Adonai' (Lord) instead. The King James Bible follows an ancient custom by printing 'the LORD' in small capitals wherever the name appears. The name is treated as holy.

How does Jesus relate to the name I AM?

In John 8:58 Jesus says, 'Before Abraham was, I am', taking up the words of the burning bush before people who knew Exodus well. The New Testament is careful with this, but it is why Christians confess that the God who said 'I AM' drew near in Jesus.