I’ve recently been in conversations with Jehovah Witnesses on a number of subjects. If you don’t know much about JW’s you probably still aren’t surprised to know that using the name ‘Jehovah’ for God is something that they find of great importance. So, I thought I would give a little background about the name to explore JW’s claim that we should only call God Jehovah.
One claim JW’s make about the name Jehovah is that it was taken out of the Bible. So was Jehovah taken out of the Bible? Well, No. In fact it was never even in the Bible. Let me explain. The origin of Jehovah started from what we call the tetragrammaton, this is the letters YHWH, which the writers of the Old Testament wrote down as God’s name starting in Genesis 2:4. There are two things we should note here. First, YHWH is not the only name given to God, for instance Elohim is used 35 times before YHWH is used. Second, YHWH is not the actual name. Because Jews thought the tetragrammaton was too holy to write out completely, they took out the vowels which left us with YHWH. No one knows what the original vowels were and we have no writings that contain them. Later, when the Jews were less superstitious about the name they inserted the vowels from another name for God, Adonai, to make the name Yahoweh or Yahweh.
So where does the name Jehovah come from? Even the Jehovah witnesses admit in their own sources that the name is rooted in English pronunciation of Yahweh. This means the name Jehovah is rooted in English tradition rather than the Hebrew or Greek the Bible was actually written in. Furthermore, the name also didn’t come into the English language till 1901 even according to Jehovah Witness’.
So, here is the point. Jehovah Witnesses often get very focused on Jehovah being the name we should use for God, but there are several problems with believing this.
Jehovah is a man made term that never appeared in the Bible, but only in English Translations of the Bible.
First, there are other names for God that are used such as Elohim, Adonai, Alpha and Omega, and more. There seems to be no reason why we should use the name Jehovah while ignoring the other names for God in the Bible.
Second, the name Jehovah isn’t specifically from the Bible, but from the English pronunciation of Yahweh. Yahweh is rooted in man’s insertion of vowels from Adonai into the original YHWH, so Yahweh itself is a man made word. This means Jehovah rooted in an English pronunciation of a man made term, that is made up from a word that does appear in the Bible but the term itself does not. In the end it seems we have been playing a long game of telephone and Jehovah Witness’ are insisting we use a name that has clearly changed over the centuries. It seems odd, maybe even heretical to become dogmatic about using a term which comes from man and not God for God.
Finally, even the original tetragrammaton doesn’t appear at all in the New Testament. If God wanted mankind to be so sure that we used YHWH why does no one use the name in the New Testament including Jesus?
So should we use the name Jehovah exclusively for God? Absolutely not! in fact we shouldn’t use Jehovah as a name for God at all! At best we should use Yahweh or Yahoweh that is at least rooted in Hebrew.
BEARDED DISCIPLE 
Fascinating! … And appears to become more important with time. For example, Allah is not in the Greek or Hebrew OT or NT writings either, This understanding can preclude the growing trend toward equivocation intended to help others “feel” better about their own interpretation of God instead of the Bible.
Yeah, Allah would be interesting to study as well. If my understanding is correct Allah is the name of what was kind of the head polytheistic God in Mecca at the time of Muhammad and he just shifted it to mean the one true God.
The existence of a God should also substantiate the creation of mankind removing the confusion which is created by the name Allah and returning the power to the Almighty God as Jehovah . Jesus being the king of kings and the father of Christianity along with the Holy Spirit alone means salvation to the world we live in..
JESUS is an English translation of Yeshua. The pronunciation of his name has been lost to time.
Yet it is an acceptable English translation of his name. If you believe Jesus is God then you are comfortable using an improper pronunciation of that name..
The word Jehovah is an accepted english translation of the divine name. The word is accepted as a word that is used in definition of God’s name. When one uses that word there is only one definition, one identity. The God of the Hebrews. The true God.
The definition of the word Jesus is “Jehovah is Salvation” Notice the “JE” in his name. If you hate the name Jehovah then you should not be using the name Jesus. It is in his name.
This makes a lot more sense
yess !! exactly the text above contradicted itself, if Yeshua is the hebrew translation of Jehovah then shouldn’t we be using the name Jehovah as it is the closest english term to the original name and is used in the Bible more than 7000 times. We are not hebrew and God intentionally made different nations with different languages so it should okay to say Jehovah If it was used SO many times in the Bible AND, is the closest translation to the original name which he HIMSELF introduced his name to us, then why should that be a problem? God wants us to be close to him aswell as worship him.
With all due respect Yeshua is not the same as Jehovah. They are different names. Yeshua is the name Joshua we have in English. You are saying I hate the name Jehovah. I don’t never said that I did.
Amen!
I agree, and I am Catholic. God and Lord are titles, not names. We should address our Father God by name as we do Jesus—if the English pronunciation is acceptable for him, it should be for Jehovah, as well.
The name of the Angle that came to Mary and Joseph was Jesus. Its in Luke 1
Ummm read it again. The angel was Gabriel that told her she would have Jesus.
You better do your research that’s not what the Bible says.
Try Gabriel. READ beardeddisciple COMMENT
That’s what I just said.
Jehovah witnesses believe that it’s of great importance that the God they worship be called Jehovah as they said that God can be referring to other Gods that people worship. I believe if I say God and not jehovah, my god or jehovah knows whom I’m referring to, so I don’t think that it’s a big deal to refer to Jehovah as God. When I say God I mean almighty God, God of the universe, creator of all things on earth, but according to JWs they would argue or being prosecuted before they say God instead of Jehovah. What do you think?
The origins of the name yahweh https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3viHpQBZwM
You say that Jehovah was not used in English bibles until 1901. That is an error. I have copies of the Geneva 1590 bible and it uses Jehovah at Psa 83:18. Jehovah is the commonly known name for the One True God. The Aramaic manuscripts of the Christian scriptures, which may predate the Greek, uses YHWH to refer to the one true God. It is perfectly acceptable to use Jehovah or Yahweh to refer to the One True God because they both use YHWY as their basis.
Good points. I find it so interesting that Trinitarians are fine to use the name Jesus for God when the pronunciation of his name has been lost. But are so quick to criticize the name Jehovah. The English translation Jehovah is a perfectly good use of Gods name because it is not used for anything else other than Gods name. As well it has been shown that YHWH has three syllables.
Another thing to take inconsideration is certain truths would be sealed until the last days “as for you, daniel, keep the words secret, and seal up the book until the time of end” daniel 12:4. “After that i will pore out my spirit on every sort of flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy…” Joel 2:28
We also should know that without holy spirit the fleshly man receives spiritual things as foolishness. This proves there is a divide in carnal interpetation and spiritual truth that is only revealed and never discovered according to his good will. Some will believe others will not, but his kingdom will never stop.
I believe the reason Jehovah witness use this name is out of respect and to differentiate. I myself have been drawn to Yahweh, but I use Jesus or Jehovah too. I feel that it’s not the name but the heart. The intentions. We have so many gods in our lives, whether husbands wives cats dogs money. I think Gods true name is so holy none of us know or can speak it. I saw other names for god “being “ and another “IAM”. God is. Too much reasoning and questions. Let’s just give thanks.