
Meaning “LORD God most high”, this is found in Genesis 14, when Melchizedek blesses Abram just before God promises him a son and countless descendants. Another variation is when God addresses His people, saying “I am the LORD your God”. One variation on this is יְהוָֽה אֱלֹהָי, Yahweh Elohai, which means “the LORD my God” instead. This name can be translated “LORD God” but it emphasizes God’s creative nature as in Genesis 2:4. Each of them reveals yet another aspect of God’s awesome character. יהוה is combined with other words to show us His character even more specifically. That’s just one of the features that has made it my favorite version. The Scriptures Bible from the Institute for Scripture Research has restored יהוה as the name for God throughout the text, rather than replacing it with other words. Many Christians are interested in returning to more literal interpretations of scripture, including the name of God. Instead, it’s often replaced by “HaShem”, meaning “the name” or “Adonai”, meaning “my Lord” as well as other terms of honor. 15:2), Yah is the name used for “LORD”.Īs the name of God is holy, many don’t speak it out of reverence and respect. When Moses and the people of Israel sing “The LORD is my strength and song” (Ex. 2:7).Ī shortened form of Yahweh, Yah (יָהּ), is used in many places. One example is when He appeared to Moses in the burning bush (Ex. יהוה is used as God’s name mostly in situations where He’s interacting with His people. This would make sense as God referred to Himself as “I AM”, which is a form of the verb “to be”. יהוה comes from the Hebrew root word meaning “to be”. Most Hebrew words are derived from a 3-consonant root word and the words derived from that root are similar in meaning. This second pronunciation would render another familiar name for God – “Yehovah” or the common translation of “Jehovah”.

Many agree that it’s pronounced “Yahweh”, with the vowels appearing as יַהְוֶה, yet others propose that the vowels are as such instead יְהֹוָה. Since no vowels accompany these four consonants in the oldest texts, there’s some speculation on the pronunciation of this name. In English translations, it appears as “LORD” in all capital letters to distinguish it from other Hebrew words for God. It’s referred to as the Tetragrammaton, Greek for “made of four letters”. יהוה is used 6,823 times and found in all but three books of the Old Testament (Ecclesiastes, Esther, and Song of Songs). This is the most common name of God used in the Bible. If you’re new to the Hebrew language, it may be helpful to start with my posts on the Hebrew Alphabet and the Hebrew Vowels.
#Elyon pronunciation pdf#
The Names of God: Adonai, Our Lord and MasterĬlick here for a free printable PDF Names of God Chart to use in your studies!

The Names of God: Revealing God’s Personality Traits
#Elyon pronunciation series#
If you’re interested in even more names of God, here are other articles in this series you may enjoy. As His character is revealed, so are His attributes and we can get to know who He is! When we study, we see what God can do and how He interacts with His people. Studying the Bible can teach us so much about life but perhaps the most important thing we can learn from the Bible is the character of God. For more information, visit our Affiliate Information Page. I only advertise items I personally recommend and may receive a small commission from qualifying purchases.
