Bible Lexicons

Girdlestone's Synonyms of the Old TestamentGirdlestone's OT Synonyms

Jehovah

All the titles by which the living and true God was made known to Israel have now been brought under consideration with the exception of one, namely, Jehovah (יהוה ), which occurs about 5500 times in the O.T. this name has been preserved by our translators in a few passages, but the word Lord, spelt in small capitals, has usually been substituted for it. The LXX set a precedent for this course by almost invariably adopting the word Κύριος, Lord, as a rendering, the only exception being Proverbs 29:26, where δεσπότης, Ruler or Master, is found.

The shorter form, Jah, occurs in Exodus 15:6; Exodus 17:16, in each of which passages our translators have rendered it Lord; it is also found a few times in Isaiah, and in thirty-five passages in the Psalms, the earliest instances being Psalms 77:11; Psalms 89:8. We are familiar with it in the expression Hallelujah, i.e. Praise Jah, also in compound names suc has Elijah and Jehoshua.

It is a strange fact, with respect to the word Jehovah , that critics should differ as to its pronunciation, its origin, and its meaning. The first difficulty has arisen from the mystery with which the Jews have always surrounded this sacred and (as they hold) incommunicable name; but we may rest content with the traditional pronunciation of the word until there is stronger re as on than appears at present for the substitution of Jahveh, or of some other form. The Assyrians represent it in Israelitish names by the forms Yahu and Yahava (Sayce). The doubt about the signification of the name is owing probably rather to the finiteness of the human understanding than to any uncertainty as to the revelation of Jehovah contained in Scripture.