# What Is the Tetragrammaton?

> The Tetragrammaton is YHWH, the four Hebrew letters of God’s personal name. How the King James Version prints it as LORD and JEHOVAH, its Strong’s number, its link to I AM in Exodus 3, and how the New Testament renders it.

- Canonical: https://apologetics.wiki/god/what-is-the-tetragrammaton
- Religions: none
- Denominations: none
- Beliefs: God
- Tags: god, names, hebrew, jehovah
- Updated: 2026-10-13
- Author: [Paul Ambrose](https://apologetics.wiki/author/hi-its-paul) ([GitHub](https://github.com/hi-its-paul))


import NameSection from '../../components/NameSection.astro';
import RefTable from '../../components/RefTable.astro';
import HebrewWord from '../../components/HebrewWord.astro';
import GreekCardScript from '../../components/GreekCardScript.astro';
import GreekShare from '../../components/GreekShare.astro';
import { nameStrongs } from '../../data/god/names';

<GreekCardScript />
<GreekShare file="src/content/articles/what-is-the-tetragrammaton.mdx" hebrew={nameStrongs(['yhwh', 'yah'])} />

The Tetragrammaton, Greek for “four letters,” is YHWH (יהוה), the personal name of God in the Hebrew Bible. Strong’s numbers it H3068 and defines it “Jehovah, Jewish national name of God.” [(1)](#ref-1) The King James Version prints it LORD in small capitals almost everywhere, and JEHOVAH in [Exodus 6:3](/bible/exodus/6/3), [Psalm 83:18](/bible/psalms/83/18), [Isaiah 12:2](/bible/isaiah/12/2), and [Isaiah 26:4](/bible/isaiah/26/4).

## Key Points

- The four letters are yod, he, waw, he. The name is Strong’s <HebrewWord strong="H3068" gloss="the LORD, the divine name" />, the most frequent name of God in the Hebrew Bible.
- In [Exodus 3:14–15](/bible/exodus/3/14) God answers Moses, “I AM THAT I AM,” and then, “The LORD God of your fathers… this is my name for ever.” The name and the verb “to be” stand side by side.
- When the name follows Adonai, the King James prints “Lord GOD,” and Strong’s numbers that spelling <HebrewWord strong="H3069" gloss="GOD, the divine name" />. See [What Does Adonai Mean?](/god/adonai)
- The short form is <HebrewWord strong="H3050" gloss="Jah, the short form of the name" />, printed JAH in [Psalm 68:4](/bible/psalms/68/4) and heard in hallelujah.
- The New Testament quotes verses with the name using the Greek kurios, Lord. [Philippians 2:10–11](/bible/philippians/2/10) applies [Isaiah 45:23](/bible/isaiah/45/23), where every knee bows to the LORD, to Jesus.
- The New World Translation (Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Bible) prints “Jehovah” in the Old Testament and also in New Testament verses where the Greek has kurios. That practice is examined in [Does Jehovah Belong in the New Testament?](/jehovahs-witnesses/does-jehovah-belong-in-the-new-testament)

## The Name in the Hebrew Bible

<NameSection id="yhwh" />

Every verse is on the [YHWH word page](/bible/hebrew/yehovah-h3068).

## Where the King James Prints JEHOVAH

<RefTable keys={['exodus:6:3', 'psalms:83:18', 'isaiah:12:2', 'isaiah:26:4']} caption="The King James Verses That Print JEHOVAH" />

The King James also prints the name in three place names, Jehovahjireh, Jehovahnissi, and Jehovahshalom, on [The Jehovah Compound Names](/god/jehovah-compound-names).

## Yah, the Short Form

<NameSection id="yah" />

## The Name and Jesus

[Isaiah 42:8](/bible/isaiah/42/8) says, “I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another.” The New Testament applies several verses about the LORD to Jesus. [Joel 2:32](/bible/joel/2/32), “whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered,” is quoted in [Romans 10:13](/bible/romans/10/13) of calling on Jesus as Lord. The table of those passages is on [The Names and Titles of Jesus](/god/names-and-titles-of-jesus#titles-shared-with-yhwh), and the full case is [What Is the Deity of Christ?](/christianity/deity-of-christ)

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Is Jehovah God’s Real Name?

Jehovah is an English form of YHWH, and the King James uses it. How the name should be pronounced, and what the Bible calls God, is on [What Is God’s Name?](/christianity/what-is-gods-name)

### Who Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Say Jehovah Is?

See [Who Is Jehovah?](/jehovahs-witnesses/who-is-jehovah) and [How Does the New World Translation (Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Bible) Change Verses About Jesus?](/jehovahs-witnesses/how-the-new-world-translation-changes-verses-about-jesus).

## Keep Reading

- [The Names of God in Hebrew](/god/names-of-god)
- [The I AM Statements of Jesus](/god/i-am-statements-of-jesus)
- [What Is God’s Name?](/christianity/what-is-gods-name)

## Passages Quoted on This Page

### Exodus 6:3

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.

### Psalms 83:18

King James Version.

> That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.

### Isaiah 12:2

King James Version.

> Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.

### Isaiah 26:4

King James Version.

> Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:

### Exodus 3:14

King James Version.

> 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.

### Psalms 68:4

King James Version.

> Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.

### Philippians 2:10

King James Version.

> That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

### Isaiah 45:23

King James Version.

> I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.

### Isaiah 42:8

King James Version.

> I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

### Joel 2:32

King James Version.

> And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.

### Romans 10:13

King James Version.

> For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

### Exodus 3:13–15

King James Version.

> [3:13] And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? [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. [3:15] And 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.

### Philippians 2:9–11

King James Version.

> [2:9] 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.

## Sources
Numbered to match the HTML References list. Item 1 is `#ref-1` under `#references`. Scripture links to the King James Version on this site.

1. [James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary, H3068, H3069, H3050](https://archive.org/details/exhaustiveconcor1890stro) (1890. Public domain. H3068 is defined “Jehovah, Jewish national name of God.”)
2. [Book of Exodus, 3:13–15; 6:3](https://apologetics.wiki/bible/exodus/3). King James Version
3. [Book of Psalms, 83:18](https://apologetics.wiki/bible/psalms/83/18). King James Version
4. [Book of Isaiah, 12:2; 26:4; 42:8; 45:23](https://apologetics.wiki/bible/isaiah/12/2). King James Version
5. [Letter to the Philippians, 2:9–11](https://apologetics.wiki/bible/philippians/2). King James Version

## See Also
- [The Jehovah Compound Names](https://apologetics.wiki/god/jehovah-compound-names) — Jehovah-jireh, Jehovah-nissi, Jehovah-shalom, Jehovah-tsidkenu, Jehovah-shammah, and the other names that join the divine name to a word, with the Hebrew, Strong’s numbers, and every King James verse.
- [The Names of God in Hebrew](https://apologetics.wiki/god/names-of-god) — Elohim, El, Eloah, El Shaddai, El Elyon, El Olam, El Roi, Adonai, YHWH, Yah, the LORD of hosts, and the Jehovah compound names, with the Hebrew, Strong’s numbers, meanings, first occurrences, and King James verses.
- [What Does Adonai Mean?](https://apologetics.wiki/god/adonai) — Adonai is the Hebrew title Lord, used of God alone. Every King James verse with Adonai, how Lord GOD is printed, and why Psalm 110:1 has a different word.
- [What Does El Elyon Mean?](https://apologetics.wiki/god/el-elyon) — El Elyon is God Most High, first in Genesis 14:18 where Melchizedek is priest of the most high God. Every King James verse that calls God the most High, with the Hebrew and Strong’s numbers.
- [What Does El Shaddai Mean?](https://apologetics.wiki/god/el-shaddai) — El Shaddai is God Almighty, the name God gives Abram in Genesis 17:1. Every King James verse with Shaddai, its Hebrew, its Strong’s number, and where the New Testament uses Almighty.

## External Links
- [Francis Brown, S. R. Driver, and Charles A. Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament](https://archive.org/details/hebrewenglishlex00browuoft) — The standard public-domain Hebrew lexicon (1906).