Jehovah Meaning: What the Name Means in the Bible
Updated October 22, 2026. Counts from the full KJV and World English Bible text.
Jehovah (Hebrew יְהוָה) means the self-existent, eternal one. Strong's Hebrew dictionary lists it as H3068 (Yhwh). In the King James Version text, Jehovah appears 7 times in 7 verses.
The first verse in the King James Version text that matches is Genesis 22:14.
What Jehovah means
Jehovah is how the KJV prints the four Hebrew letters YHWH, God's personal name. The form Jehovah is a later blend of those consonants with the vowels of Adonai; most scholars think the original pronunciation was closer to Yahweh. The KJV uses Jehovah only a few times and prints LORD in capitals everywhere else.
| Hebrew | יְהוָה |
|---|---|
| Transliteration | YHWH (yĕhōvâ), written Jehovah in the KJV |
| Literal meaning | the self-existent, eternal one |
| English Bibles print it as | LORD |
| Strong's | H3068 יְהֹוָה (Yhwh): (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God |
Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890), Hebrew dictionary, public domain. Every Hebrew form, transliteration and definition on these pages was read against the matching Strong's entry on Biblehub on 2026-10-22. Verse text is the King James Version and the World English Bible, both public domain.
Where Jehovah appears in the Bible
Counting the KJV's capitals gives the closest English count of the name, and the World English Bible, which writes Yahweh each time, gives an independent count. The two translations word the name differently, so each count is shown on its own and not added together.
| English text searched | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| Jehovah | 77 verses | not searched |
| LORD in capitals | 6,5775,554 verses (6,573 OT, 4 NT) | not searched |
| GOD in capitals | 309299 verses (308 OT, 1 NT) | not searched |
| Yahweh | not searched | 6,8295,791 verses |
All 7 verses (KJV, Jehovah): Genesis 22:14, Exodus 6:3, Exodus 17:15, Judges 6:24, Psalm 83:18, Isaiah 12:2, Isaiah 26:4.
First use of Jehovah
And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.
Abraham called the name of that place Yahweh Will Provide. As it is said to this day, “On Yahweh’s mountain, it will be provided.”
And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
and I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty; but by my name Yahweh I was not known to them.
That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.
that they may know that you alone, whose name is Yahweh, are the Most High over all the earth.
Names related to Jehovah
- Yahwehיהוה: the personal name of God, as the World English Bible writes it
- Adonaiאֲדֹנָי: my Lord, a title of respect and rule
- Elohimאֱלֹהִים: God, the general Hebrew word for deity
- Jehovah Jirehיְהוָה יִרְאֶה: the LORD will provide
See all names: the names of God and their meanings.
Common questions
What does Jehovah mean?
Jehovah is the English form of YHWH, God's personal name. Strong's glosses it as the self-existent or eternal one, which matches God's reply in Exodus 3:14, "I AM WHO I AM".
Is Jehovah the same as Yahweh?
Yes. Both stand for the Hebrew letters YHWH. Yahweh is the reconstructed pronunciation most scholars prefer, and Jehovah is the older English form that the KJV uses.
Why does the KJV say LORD instead of Jehovah?
The KJV follows the Jewish custom of reading Adonai (Lord) aloud in place of the name, and marks the name with LORD in capitals. It prints the name itself only a few times.
How many times is Jehovah in the Bible?
Searching the full King James Version text for Jehovah finds 7 times in 7 verses. English Bibles translate Hebrew names, so a count in English counts the translation, not the Hebrew word.
Sources
Source: H3068 via biblehub.com/hebrew, read 2026-10-22. Hebrew meanings: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890), Hebrew dictionary, public domain. Verse text: King James Version and World English Bible, public domain. Counts: Bible Says About, 2026-10-22.
Verses on our topic pages: Bible verses about trust, Bible verses about faithfulness, Bible verses about worship. Word counts: God, Lord and Bible names and their meanings.
Counted by Bible Says About from the full public-domain text of the King James Version (1769 edition) and the World English Bible. Verse text only: headings and psalm titles are left out. A word is a run of letters: a hyphenated name like Beer-sheba counts as two, and an apostrophe stays inside its word (LORD'S is one). Matching ignores capital letters. Data compiled 2026-10-22.