Tetragrammaton

A word that literally means “four letters” (derived from the Greek te·tra-, meaning “four,” and gramʹma, “letter”). It refers to the four Hebrew consonants יהוה (written from right to left) that represent God’s name.

The Tetragrammaton appears nearly 7,000 times in the Hebrew Scriptures. It may be transliterated into English as YHWH (or, JHVH). Like all written words in ancient Hebrew, the Tetragrammaton had no vowels, but when reading, the Jews in ancient times would pronounce the vowel sounds. Today, though, we do not know which vowels were used. While some feel that the name was pronounced “Yahweh,” others favor a pronunciation with three syllables. “Jehovah” is a widely recognized English form and has a long history in the English language.

A number of scholars feel that the divine name comes from a Hebrew verb that means “to become” and may reflect the causative form of that verb. Though we cannot be dogmatic about the meaning of God’s name, the definition “He Causes to Become” is fitting. It describes Jehovah’s role as the Creator of all things and the Fulfiller of his purpose. Not only did he cause the physical universe and intelligent beings to exist but, as events unfold, he continues to cause his will and purpose to be realized.​—For more details on the meaning of the divine name, see App. A4, “The Divine Name in the Hebrew Scriptures.”