God's "real" name, as revealed in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), is represented by the tetragrammaton YHWH (יהוה). This name is considered the personal and proper name of God in Judaism and Christianity. It is often vocalized as "Yahweh," which is the scholarly consensus on its historical pronunciation
. The name YHWH was revealed to Moses in the book of Exodus, where God says "I AM WHO I AM" (Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh), indicating a self-existent, eternal being
. Because of its holiness, Jews traditionally do not pronounce YHWH aloud, substituting it with "Adonai" (Lord) in reading
. The form "Jehovah" arose from a medieval misunderstanding when the vowel points of "Adonai" were combined with the consonants YHWH, creating a hybrid form that appeared in some early English Bible translations but is now considered a mistaken vocalization
. Some also mention "Yahshua" as a name related to God, but this is generally understood as a form of the name of Jesus (Yeshua), meaning "Yahweh saves," rather than the name of God Himself
. In summary:
- The original and most authentic name of God is YHWH, pronounced "Yahweh"
- "Jehovah" is a later, incorrect vocalization derived from combining YHWH with vowels from "Adonai"
- God also identifies Himself as "I AM" (Ehyeh), emphasizing His eternal existence and uniqueness
Thus, "Yahweh" is widely regarded as God's real name in the biblical tradition.
