Is God’s Name Really ‘Jehovah?’ The Surprising Truth About a Little Mistake

For Jehovah’s Witnesses, the name “Jehovah” isn’t just a name—it’s everything. It’s a word of power, the key to a personal relationship with God, and a badge of exclusivity that separates his “true followers” from the rest of the world.

They teach that most religions hide or ignore God’s real name, but as God’s chosen organization on Earth, Watchtower has restored it.

Except there’s a little problem:

• “Jehovah” isn’t actually God’s name.
• It’s a translation mistake made in the 13th century.
• The deity later called YHWH originated as a regional war-and-storm god in the southern Levant before becoming identified as the sole God of Israel.

Let’s break it down—where “Jehovah” really came from, who YHWH actually was, and why this matters for exJWs (and anyone searching for the truth).

About the Bible Translations

For accuracy, all biblical references in this article come from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) unless otherwise noted. The NRSV is widely recognized among scholars as one of the most accurate and neutral translations, based on the best available manuscripts, including the Dead Sea Scrolls. The idea is to minimize doctrinal bias.

For comparison, the New World Translation (NWT)—the version produced by Jehovah’s Witnesses—has been modified in ways that reinforce Watchtower doctrine, sometimes altering the original meaning.

Is God’s Name Jehovah?

Short answer: No. “Jehovah” is a late-medieval hybrid rendering of the divine name YHWH, first appearing in the 13th century when Christian scholars misread Jewish scribal vowel marks.

Where Did “Jehovah” Come From?

1. The Original Name: YHWH – In the Hebrew Bible, God’s name is written as יהוה (YHWH), known as the Tetragrammaton (Greek for “four letters”).
2. Jews Never Spoke It – Ancient Israelites stopped saying YHWH out loud, considering it too sacred. Instead, they said “Adonai” (meaning “Lord”).
3. A Translation Mistake – When medieval Jewish scribes added vowel markings to Hebrew texts, they put the vowels for Adonai under YHWH to remind readers not to say it.
4. Christian Scholars Misread It – In the 13th century, Christian translators didn’t know this was a notation system and combined the wrong vowels with the wrong consonants, producing “Yehovah,” which later became “Jehovah” in English.

“Jehovah” Is a Mashup of Two Separate Words

• YHWH (the original Hebrew name for God)
• Adonai (the substitute word meaning “Lord”)

📖 References:

• Britannica: “Jehovah”
• Tigay, Jeffrey H. Empirical Models for Biblical Criticism. University of Pennsylvania Press, 1986.
• Apologetics Press: Where Did ‘Jehovah’ Come From?
• GotQuestions.org: Is Jehovah the True Name of God?

Bottom line?

• By the late Second Temple period, Jews no longer pronounced the divine name; earlier Israelites likely did.
• It’s a mistake made by scholars who misunderstood Jewish scribal traditions.
• If you really want to use God’s original name, “Yahweh” is closer—but even that’s a scholarly reconstruction.

Who Was YHWH Before He Became “Jehovah”?

Turns out, he wasn’t always the one true God. The earliest Israelite religion was polytheistic, meaning YHWH was just one god among many.

YHWH: The War and Storm God

Archaeologists and scholars have found that YHWH originally had a very specific role—he was a war and storm god worshipped by Canaanites and Midianites before becoming the sole deity of Israel.

Evidence YHWH Was a War God

• Exodus 15:3 – “YHWH is a warrior; YHWH is his name.”
• Judges 5:4-5 – “YHWH came from Edom… the earth trembled, the heavens poured, the clouds indeed poured water. The mountains quaked before YHWH, the One of Sinai, before YHWH, the God of Israel.”
• Many Canaanite and Mesopotamian storm gods, like Baal and Hadad, had similar traits—controlling the weather, leading armies, and demanding absolute loyalty.

📖 References:

• Smith, Mark S. The Early History of God: Yahweh and the Other Deities in Ancient Israel. Eerdmans, 2002.
• Cross, Frank Moore. Canaanite Myth and Hebrew Epic. Harvard University Press, 1973.
• Minerva Wisdom: How Yahweh Became God: The War God Thesis
• Big Think: How Yahweh Became ‘God Almighty’

If “Jehovah” Isn’t God’s Name, Then What?

For Jehovah’s Witnesses, the name “Jehovah” isn’t just a name—it’s a lifeline. Watchtower drills it into members as a sacred shield:

• Use it constantly in speech and prayer.
• Invoke it in times of danger—because it supposedly drives away Satan and demons.
• Repeat it to prove loyalty—because true worshippers must “sanctify God’s name.”

That’s why questioning it feels like the ultimate betrayal.

But “Jehovah” was never God’s name. It was never sacred. It’s a medieval mistake that Watchtower repackaged as divine truth. You’re not betraying “Jehovah” by leaving. You’re literally walking away from a linguistic error.

Once you stop using (and venerating) the name, the automatic responses it triggers—fear, obligation, and guilt—can begin to fade. The word “Jehovah” has been drilled into your brain as a symbol of safety and obedience, but with the facts, you can start to see it for what it really is: just a made-up word.

If you do believe, let that belief be built solidly upon knowledge, and not a made-up word.