Many Christians who read the Chinese Union Version (和合本) of the Bible are familiar with the divine name 耶和華. In the Old Testament, this name appears thousands of times and is commonly understood as God’s personal name. Yet relatively few readers realize that the form “Jehovah” is not the original Hebrew pronunciation of God’s name, but rather the result of a long history of transmission, public reading, and translation.
The origin of the name begins with the Hebrew word יהוה (YHWH), often called the Tetragrammaton, meaning “the four letters.” This is the personal name by which God revealed himself to Israel. In Exodus 34:6-7, God revealed himself to Moses as YHWH, who is compassionate and gracious and forgives sins. Throughout the Old Testament, YHWH is the covenant name associated with God’s faithfulness, mercy, and saving acts on behalf of his people.
Ancient Hebrew writing originally consisted of consonants, and the divine name was written simply as YHWH. At some point in Jewish history, out of reverence for God’s holiness and out of caution regarding the commandment not to misuse his name, Jewish readers gradually stopped pronouncing the divine name aloud. Instead, whenever they encountered YHWH in the biblical text, they would read the word Adonai (“Lord”). In some contexts they would read Elohim (“God”).
Between the sixth and tenth centuries AD, Jewish scholars known as the Masoretes developed a system of vowel points to preserve the traditional pronunciation of the Hebrew Scriptures. When they came to the divine name YHWH, they did not supply its original vowels. Instead, they inserted the vowels of Adonai beneath the consonants YHWH as a reminder that readers should say “Adonai” rather than attempt to pronounce the name itself.
As a result, the written form appeared something like YeHoWaH. Medieval Roman Catholic scholars who were unfamiliar with this Jewish reading convention mistakenly combined the consonants of YHWH with the vowels of Adonai and treated the result as the actual pronunciation of the divine name. In Latin, this form appeared as Iehoua, which was also written as Jehovah as European languages evolved and the letters J and V acquired their modern forms.
Most modern Hebrew scholars agree that “Jehovah” was not the original pronunciation of the divine name. The majority view today is that the ancient pronunciation was probably Yahweh. This reconstruction is based on ancient Greek transcriptions, early Christian testimonies, and the way the divine name appears in Hebrew personal names such as Isaiah (Yesha “ya” hu) and Elijah (Eli “ya” hu).
Despite all this, the form “Jehovah” is deeply rooted in Christian tradition. It has appeared in numerous theological writings, hymns, and Bible translations. Most notably, the King James Version used “Jehovah” in several passages, such as Exodus 6:3 and Psalm 83:18. As a result, the name became familiar to generations of English-speaking Christians.
This history is particularly significant for Chinese Christianity. Early Protestant missionaries who translated the Bible into Chinese were heavily influenced by the King James tradition and other Protestant translations. Consequently, they adopted the transliterated form 耶和華 as the standard rendering of the divine name. The Chinese Union Version, first published in 1919, continued this practice. Therefore, the widely used Chinese name 耶和華 is essentially a transliteration of the traditional English form “Jehovah,” rather than a direct transliteration of the original Hebrew pronunciation.
Nevertheless, the theological significance of the divine name does not depend on whether Christians pronounce it as Jehovah, Yahweh, or simply “the LORD.” The central issue is the meaning of the name. In Scripture, God’s covenant name reveals his faithfulness and commitment to his people. The name points to the God who created heaven and earth, redeemed Israel from Egypt, and ultimately fulfilled his saving promises through Jesus Christ.
From a Christian perspective, therefore, “Jehovah” should be understood as a historically important traditional form of the divine name. While modern scholarship generally prefers “Yahweh” as a closer approximation of the ancient pronunciation, the name 耶和華 remains deeply embedded in the devotional life, worship, and biblical language of Chinese-speaking Christians. It serves as a reminder of God’s covenant faithfulness and the fact that he remains with his people.
Theology Q&A
Over the years, our professors have been asked many questions in the classroom. Much of the time these questions repeat or have a similar theme. This is because they are important and are on the hearts and minds of our students who truly desire to serve God’s people well and share his truth with the lost. “Theology Q&A” is a response to those questions. Each month a question will be posted with an answer by an ALS faculty member. The answers are not meant to be a full theological/doctrinal treatment of the matter, but rather a pastoral answer that seeks to allow the person asking the question to speak the truth in love to the person in need in the most appropriate way possible. We pray this resource is a blessing to you and those you serve. God bless!