What YHWH Really Means — and Why It Changes Everything

For most of your life, you’ve probably called Him “God.”

But that’s a title, not a name.

The Bible reveals something far deeper:

God has a Name.

And it’s used more than 6,800 times in Scripture — yet very few use it today.

That Name is YHWH (יהוה) — pronounced Yahweh.

It’s known as the Tetragrammaton — four Hebrew letters that hold more meaning than most people realize.

The Name Revealed

In Exodus 3:13–15, Moses asks the question we’ve all wondered:

God answers with a thunderclap:

In Hebrew, it reads:

It’s a form of the verb hayah — to be. The root of the divine name YHWH.

This Name doesn’t describe what God does. It reveals who He is:

He was, is, and is to come (Revelation 1:8).

YHWH isn’t becoming something greater. He isn’t part of the universe. He is existence itself. The Source of all. Dependent on none.

The Covenant Name

YHWH is not a philosophical concept — it’s personal.

This is the Name spoken from Sinai. The Name attached to plagues, promises, prophecies, and miracles.

It’s the covenant name — the one Israel swore by, worshiped, and sometimes profaned.

Yet it was never replaced.

Only suppressed — by Jewish tradition (which feared saying it aloud) and later by Bible translators who swapped it out for “LORD.”

But the Name remained — hidden in plain sight.

The Son Bears the Name Too

Now here’s where it changes everything:

That Word — the One who became Yahshua (Jesus) — was also YHWH.

He was the visible YHWH who spoke to Moses, walked with Abraham, and led Israel through the wilderness (1 Corinthians 10:4).

Then He came in the flesh — not to replace the Father, but to reveal Him (John 1:18).

And yet — the Father is also YHWH.

The Bible reveals two divine Persons — both eternal, both bearing the Name YHWH.

• The Father is Abba YHWH El Elyon (God Most High).

• The Son is YHWH Yahshua (YHWH Saves).

They are not the same Person.

But they are one in Spirit, one in will, and one in divine essence.

Two YHWHs in One Verse?

Don’t believe it? Look at Genesis 19:24:

Two Beings.
One on earth, speaking with Abraham.
One in heaven, sending judgment.

Both called YHWH.

Many scholars try to explain this away.
Some call it a literary device.
But when read alongside John 1:1 and John 8:58, it becomes clear:

Not “I was.”
I AM.

The crowd knew what He meant.
They picked up stones to kill Him — for claiming the sacred Name.

What This Means for You

To call on YHWH isn’t just to utter an old Hebrew name.

It’s to recognize the eternal nature of your Creator.
The covenant God who never changes.
The Father and the Son — both working in perfect unity to redeem and restore mankind.

When I pray now, I don’t just say “God.”

I call on my Abba YHWH and on His Son, YHWH Yahshua — knowing they are real Beings who always were, always are, and always will be.

The foundation of all reality.
And still… a Father who hears His children.

Final Thought:

His Name is YHWH.
It’s not just a label.
It’s a promise:

For more in-depth information on this fascinating subject, please read our Biblical Truths article, Who Was the God of the Old Testament?