Article
What Is God’s Name?
The King James Version prints God, Almighty, Lord, LORD, and in two places JEHOVAH. Jesus is given the name Philippians says is above every name. The Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Bible prints Jehovah where the King James prints LORD.
On this page
The Bible uses more than one name. The King James Version prints God, the Almighty God, Lord, and LORD, and in Exodus 6:3And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
Exodus 6:3 · King James VersionOpen source and Psalm 83:18That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.
Psalms 83:18 · King James VersionOpen source it prints JEHOVAH. Philippians 2:9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Philippians 2:9 · King James VersionOpen source says God gave Jesus a name which is above every name. Jehovah’s Witnesses use “Jehovah” where this King James text prints LORD. Their Bible is the New World Translation.
Key points
- Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Genesis 1:1 · King James VersionOpen source says God created. The Hebrew word page is Elohim (H430). - Genesis 17:1
And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
Genesis 17:1 · King James VersionOpen source says “I am the Almighty God.” The word page is Shaddai (H7706). - Exodus 3:14
And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
Exodus 3:14 · King James VersionOpen source says “I AM THAT I AM.” Exodus 3:15And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
Exodus 3:15 · King James VersionOpen source says “this is my name for ever,” and the King James prints LORD in that verse. - Exodus 6:3
And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
Exodus 6:3 · King James VersionOpen source says “by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.” Psalm 83:18That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.
Psalms 83:18 · King James VersionOpen source says “whose name alone is JEHOVAH.” The word page is YHWH (H3068). - Isaiah 42:8
I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
Isaiah 42:8 · King James VersionOpen source says “I am the LORD: that is my name.” - Deuteronomy 6:4
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
Deuteronomy 6:4 · King James VersionOpen source says “The LORD our God is one LORD.” The Jehovah’s Witnesses’ New World Translation says “Jehovah our God is one Jehovah.” - Matthew 1:21
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Matthew 1:21 · King James VersionOpen source names him JESUS. John 8:58Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
John 8:58 · King James VersionOpen source says “Before Abraham was, I am.”
Names the King James text prints
Genesis 1:1In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Genesis 1:1 · King James VersionOpen source opens with God. Elohim (H430) is that word’s page. Genesis 17:1And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
Genesis 17:1 · King James VersionOpen source says the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I am the Almighty God.” Shaddai (H7706) is the word behind “Almighty.” Adonai (H136) is the word the King James often prints as Lord, distinct from the name printed LORD or JEHOVAH.
Exodus 3:14And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
Exodus 3:14 · King James VersionOpen source says God said to Moses, “I AM THAT I AM,” and “I AM hath sent me unto you.” Exodus 3:15And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
Exodus 3:15 · King James VersionOpen source says the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has sent him, and “this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.” In that verse the King James prints LORD, not JEHOVAH.
Exodus 6:3And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
Exodus 6:3 · King James VersionOpen source, King James Version:
And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
Exodus 6:3 · King James Version
Psalm 83:18That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.
Psalms 83:18 · King James VersionOpen source says that men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth. Isaiah 42:8I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
Isaiah 42:8 · King James VersionOpen source says “I am the LORD: that is my name,” and that his glory will not be given to another. YHWH (H3068) is the Hebrew word those lines are reading. The page’s short gloss is Jehovah. This site’s King James text is the English beside it.
Yahweh, Jehovah, and LORD
Readers meet three spellings. The King James Version prints JEHOVAH in Exodus 6:3And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
Exodus 6:3 · King James VersionOpen source and Psalm 83:18That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.
Psalms 83:18 · King James VersionOpen source, and LORD in many other verses of the same Hebrew name, including Exodus 3:15And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
Exodus 3:15 · King James VersionOpen source, Isaiah 42:8I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
Isaiah 42:8 · King James VersionOpen source, and Deuteronomy 6:4Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
Deuteronomy 6:4 · King James VersionOpen source. “Yahweh” is a spelling readers meet in other books. This page does not have a fetched account of how the vowels were supplied, so it does not give one. The evidence on this page is the King James printing and the Hebrew word page.
Jehovah’s Witnesses treat Jehovah as God’s name and print it where the King James prints LORD. Their Bible is the New World Translation.
- King James Version: Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD — Deuteronomy 6:4
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
Deuteronomy 6:4 · King James VersionOpen source - New World Translation, the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Bible: Listen, O Israel: Jehovah our God is one Jehovah — Deuteronomy 6:4
“Listen, O Israel: Jehovah our God is one Jehovah.
Deuteronomy 6:4 · New World Translation · Jehovah’s Witnesses’ BibleOpen source
The Hebrew of that verse is on the verse page. What Do Jews Believe? reads the same Shema as Israel’s confession. Whether “Jehovah” belongs in the Greek New Testament, where the manuscripts read Lord, is Does “Jehovah” Belong in the New Testament?.
The name given to Jesus
Matthew 1:21And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Matthew 1:21 · King James VersionOpen source says Mary’s son will be called JESUS, because he will save his people from their sins. Philippians 2:9–112:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:9–11 · King James VersionOpen source says God highly exalted him and gave him a name which is above every name, and that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow. Revelation 1:8I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
Revelation 1:8 · King James VersionOpen source says “I am Alpha and Omega.” Who speaks that title is Who is the Alpha and the Omega?.
John 8:58Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
John 8:58 · King James VersionOpen source is the sentence readers set beside Exodus 3:14And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
Exodus 3:14 · King James VersionOpen source.
- King James Version: Before Abraham was, I am — John 8:58
Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
John 8:58 · King James VersionOpen source - New World Translation, the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Bible: before Abraham came into existence, I have been — John 8:58
Jesus said to them: “Most truly I say to you, before Abraham came into existence, I have been.”
John 8:58 · New World Translation · Jehovah’s Witnesses’ BibleOpen source
The Greek under the King James line is on that verse page. Jehovah’s Witnesses read the New World Translation wording as Jesus’ prehuman existence, not as the name in Exodus. John 1 and the Word and Should Jesus Be Worshipped, or Only Given Obeisance? are the next pages. The Christian claim is Is Jesus God? and the incarnation: the Son took flesh and remained God. The Trinity is why this site does not treat the Father’s name as a denial that Jesus is God.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Hebrew name of God?
YHWH (H3068) is the word the King James prints as LORD and, in two verses, as JEHOVAH. Exodus 3:14And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
Exodus 3:14 · King James VersionOpen source gives the sentence “I AM THAT I AM” beside that name. Elohim (H430), Shaddai (H7706), and Adonai (H136) are the other words this page names.
What does Yahweh mean?
“Yahweh” is a spelling readers meet. This page does not have a fetched history of the vowels. Exodus 3:14And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
Exodus 3:14 · King James VersionOpen source is the sentence “I AM THAT I AM.” Exodus 6:3And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
Exodus 6:3 · King James VersionOpen source is where this King James text prints JEHOVAH.
Is Jehovah God’s real name?
The King James Version prints JEHOVAH in Exodus 6:3And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
Exodus 6:3 · King James VersionOpen source and Psalm 83:18That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.
Psalms 83:18 · King James VersionOpen source, and LORD for the same Hebrew word in Deuteronomy 6:4Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
Deuteronomy 6:4 · King James VersionOpen source. The Jehovah’s Witnesses’ New World Translation prints Jehovah in that Shema. Both printings are linked above. Does “Jehovah” Belong in the New Testament? is the Greek manuscript question.
How many names does God have?
This page does not have a fetched total, so it does not give one. The names in the verses above are God, Almighty, LORD, JEHOVAH, and Jesus. Does the Bible Contradict Itself? points here instead of inventing a count.
Did God rename people in the Bible?
Genesis 17:5Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.
Genesis 17:5 · King James VersionOpen source says Abram’s name will be Abraham. Genesis 32:28And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
Genesis 32:28 · King James VersionOpen source says Jacob’s name will be Israel. John 1:42And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.
John 1:42 · King James VersionOpen source says Simon will be called Cephas, a stone. Those are new names for people. They are not a second name for God. Who Was the First Pope? is the argument about Peter’s office, and it does not decide it.
Keep reading
References
- Book of Exodus, 3:14–15; 6:33:14
And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
3:15And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
Exodus 3:14–15 · King James VersionOpen source. King James Version - Book of Psalms, 83:18
That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.
Psalms 83:18 · King James VersionOpen source. King James Version - Book of Isaiah, 42:8
I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
Isaiah 42:8 · King James VersionOpen source. King James Version - Book of Genesis, 17:1
And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
Genesis 17:1 · King James VersionOpen source. King James Version - Book of Deuteronomy, 6:4
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
Deuteronomy 6:4 · King James VersionOpen source. King James Version - Gospel of Matthew, 1:21
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Matthew 1:21 · King James VersionOpen source. King James Version - Gospel of John, 8:58
Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
John 8:58 · King James VersionOpen source. King James Version - Letter to the Philippians, 2:9
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Philippians 2:9 · King James VersionOpen source. King James Version - Book of Revelation, 1:8
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
Revelation 1:8 · King James VersionOpen source. King James Version - New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, Deuteronomy 6:4 (2013 revision)
“Listen, O Israel: Jehovah our God is one Jehovah.
Deuteronomy 6:4 · New World Translation · Jehovah’s Witnesses’ BibleOpen source (The Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Bible.) - New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, John 8:58 (2013 revision)
Jesus said to them: “Most truly I say to you, before Abraham came into existence, I have been.”
John 8:58 · New World Translation · Jehovah’s Witnesses’ BibleOpen source (The Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Bible.)
See also
- The Trinity — Christians confess that the one God is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit: not three gods, and not one person taking turns.
- Do Buddhists Believe in God? Is Buddhism a Religion? — The Buddha’s first sermon, in Thanissaro Bhikkhu’s translation, does not confess a creator. It teaches the end of further becoming. Christians confess the God who made the world.
- Do Muslims and Christians Worship the Same God? — Is Allah the same God? Muslims and Christians both confess one Creator, the God of Abraham. They do not confess the same account of who that God is: Christians say Jesus is God, and the Qur'an denies it.
- Does God Exist? — Christians say everything that exists depends on God, who is not one more object inside the world, and they point to what has been made and to Jesus.
- The Problem of Evil — Scripture records the protest against suffering. Christians answer from the cross and the resurrection, and they do not itemize a reason for each horror.