Who is Yahweh in the Bible?
“Who is Yahweh in the Bible?” is both a linguistic and theological question. In Scripture, Yahweh (the tetragrammaton YHWH) is the covenant name of Israel’s God, revealed to Moses and proclaimed across the Law, Prophets, and Writings as the one true God who saves, judges, and reigns. Over time, Jewish reverence for the divine name led to the practice of substituting “Adonai” (Lord) or simply “the Name,” a convention reflected in many English Bibles by the small-caps LORD. Understanding who Yahweh is in the Bible involves (1) the name and its pronunciation, (2) the historical spread of Yahweh-worship in Israel, (3) the meaning and possible etymologies of the name, (4) how Israel identified Yahweh with older divine titles such as El, (5) what Scripture says about Yahweh’s character and works, and (6) how the New Testament proclaims the saving presence of Yahweh among his people.
1. The name Yahweh and the question of pronunciation
From the Achaemenid period onward, reverence led Israel to avoid vocalizing YHWH in liturgy and daily speech, substituting “Adonai” (Lord) or “the Name.” Because the vowels of Adonai were later written with the consonants YHWH in the Masoretic scribal tradition, the hybrid form “Jehovah” arose; scholars widely recognize “Yahweh” as the likely vocalization, supported by early Greek transliterations (e.g., Iao, Iabe). Abbreviated forms—Yah, Yahu, Yo, Yeho—survive in Hebrew names (e.g., Isaiah, Hezekiah, Jehoshaphat), reflecting living devotion to Yahweh in Israel’s theophoric naming practices. In the Bible, the name signals covenant nearness and faithfulness: “This is my name forever” (Exod 3:15); “I am the LORD, that is my name” (Isa 42:8).
Key takeaways
YHWH is the personal covenant name revealed to Israel.
“LORD” in English Bibles usually renders YHWH.
“Jehovah” is a later hybrid; “Yahweh” is a scholarly convention.
2. Where Yahweh-worship came from and how it spread in the Bible
Extra-biblical references are sparse and late; biblically, several theophany hymns remember Yahweh “coming” from the south (Seir, Teman, Sinai, Paran; Judg 5:4–5; Deut 33:2; Hab 3:3). These memories cohere with the picture that Yahweh’s cult was not native to Canaan’s traditional pantheon but entered Israel’s story and became central. Within Israel’s Scripture:
Southern associations: “Yahweh came from Sinai,” “dawned from Seir,” “shone forth from Mount Paran” (Deut 33:2).
Kenite-Midian connections: Moses’ Midianite ties (Exod 2–3; 18) show Yahweh-worship known beyond Israel before the Exodus narrative embeds it in Israel’s covenant life.
National adoption: With the rise of the monarchy, Yahweh publicly becomes Israel’s national God (2 Sam 6; 1 Kgs 3:4), and Yahwistic names dominate inscriptions from the period.
In short, who Yahweh is in the Bible emerges historically as Israel confesses the one who brought them out of Egypt (Exod 20:2), established kings (2 Sam 7), judged injustice (Amos 5:24), and preserved a remnant (Isa 10:20–23).
3. What the name “Yahweh” may mean (and why etymology is not everything)
Exodus 3:14–15 links the name to God’s self-identification: “I AM WHO I AM… I AM has sent me to you.” Many take Yahweh (from the root hwy/hyh, “to be”) as “He is/He causes to be,” stressing either faithful presence or sovereign causation. Others note possible Semitic parallels that suggest “He appears/manifests,” or even weather-language resonances (storm-theophany themes in Judg 5; Ps 18). Yet Scripture itself cautions against reducing theology to etymology: the meaning of the name unfolds in Yahweh’s acts and words.
Three guiding statements
The Bible itself interprets the name by narrative: Yahweh is who he shows himself to be in redemption and judgment.
Theologically, the name signals self-existence, faithfulness, and unchanging purpose (Mal 3:6).
Functional meaning outweighs philology: Israel knows who Yahweh is by covenant deeds (Exod 6:2–8).
4. From El to Yahweh: titles, identification, and exclusive allegiance
In the ancient Near East, El was a high-god title; Israel’s Scriptures frequently apply El-titles to Yahweh (e.g., El Elyon, El Olam), not as syncretism but as identification: Yahweh is El—the Most High who chose Zion (Ps 78:35; Gen 14:18–22 interpreted within Israel’s monotheism). Over time:
Continuity: Attributes once attached to “El” (ancientness, counsel, compassion) are confessed of Yahweh (Deut 32:6–7; Exod 34:6).
Polemic and purification: Prophets reject Baalism; Yahweh alone rides the clouds (contrast Ps 68:4 with Canaanite claims), stills sea and chaos (Ps 89:9–10), and rules the divine council (Ps 82; 1 Kgs 22:19).
Liturgical centralization: Deuteronomy presses one sanctuary and one allegiance (Deut 12; 6:4–5), opposing “poly-Yahwism” and the pull of local cults.
Thus, who Yahweh is in the Bible becomes clearer as Israel’s worship is reformed around exclusive covenant loyalty: “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exod 20:3).
5. Who Yahweh is in character and action (according to the Bible)
Scripture answers “Who is Yahweh in the Bible?” by praising his attributes and mighty works:
Covenant character (Exod 34:6–7)
Merciful and gracious
Slow to anger
Abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness
Forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin
Yet by no means clearing the guilty
Royal sovereignty
Creator (Gen 1; Ps 33:6–9)
King over nations (Ps 47; Jer 10:6–7)
Warrior who saves (Exod 15; Ps 24:8)
Nearness and holiness
Dwells among his people (Exod 29:45–46), yet is “Holy, holy, holy” (Isa 6:3).
Demands justice and mercy (Mic 6:8; Isa 1:16–17).
Hears the oppressed (Exod 3:7–8; Ps 34:17).
Redemptive pattern
Calls, covenants, and keeps promises (Gen 12; 2 Sam 7; Ps 89).
Judges idolatry and restores a remnant (Hos 1–2; Isa 40–55).
Promises a new covenant by his Spirit (Jer 31:31–34; Ezek 36:25–27).
6. Yahweh and the Gospel: the LORD present in the Messiah and by the Spirit
The New Testament proclaims that the God Israel knows as Yahweh has drawn near in the Messiah. Passages about “the LORD” are applied to Jesus (e.g., Isa 40:3 with Matt 3:3; Joel 2:32 with Rom 10:13; Ps 110:1 with Acts 2:34–36), not replacing Yahweh but revealing his identity climactically. The risen Christ pours out the Spirit of God (Acts 2:33), so that the church confesses:
One God, the Father—source and author of all (1 Cor 8:6a).
One Lord, Jesus Christ—through whom are all things and we through him (1 Cor 8:6b).
One Spirit—who indwells, seals, and unites (Eph 1:13–14; 4:3–4).
In this way, who Yahweh is in the Bible unfolds across the canon: the LORD who promised to dwell with his people now dwells with them by the Spirit, through the Son, until the renewal of all things (Rev 21:1–3). This keeps the focus on the larger, kingdom-shaped Gospel: the covenant God is making all things new, and his people bear witness in holiness and hope.
Conclusion
Who is Yahweh in the Bible? He is the covenant Lord—self-existent, faithful, holy, and merciful—who reveals his name, rescues his people, rules the nations, and promises final renewal. The history of the name clarifies reverence; the spread of Yahweh-worship clarifies election and mission; the Scriptures clarify his character and acts; and the Gospel clarifies the fullness of Yahweh’s presence in the Messiah and by the Spirit. To ask this question rightly is to be invited into worship: “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!” (Ps 118:1).
Bible verses About Yahweh
“God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ … ‘Say this to the people of Israel: “I AM has sent me to you.” ’ ” (Exodus 3:14)
“The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” (Exodus 34:6)
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.” (Deuteronomy 6:4)
“The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.” (Psalm 24:1)
“You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.” (Psalm 16:2)
“For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.” (Malachi 3:6)
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’ ” (Isaiah 40:3 / Matthew 3:3)
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Joel 2:32 / Romans 10:13)
“To us there is one God, the Father… and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things.” (1 Corinthians 8:6)
“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.” (Revelation 21:3)
