Jehovah

American  

[ji-hoh-vuh] / dʒɪˈhoʊ və /

noun

1. a name of God in the Old Testament, a rendering of the ineffable name, JHVH, in the Hebrew Scriptures.

2. (in modern Christian use) God.

---

Jehovah British  

/ dʒɪˈhəʊvə /

noun

1. Old Testament the personal name of God, revealed to Moses on Mount Horeb (Exodus 3)

---

Jehovah Cultural  

1. Another name for God; an approximation of the holiest name of God in Hebrew (the name was held so sacred that it was never written or spoken, and scholars are not sure exactly how it should be pronounced). It means “I am that I am,” or “I am the one who is.” In the incident of the burning bush in the Book of Exodus, God, speaking out of the bush, tells Moses that this is his name.

---

Other Word Forms

• Jehovic adjective

Etymology

Origin of Jehovah

C16: from Medieval Latin, from Hebrew YHVH: the original vocalization was considered too sacred to be pronounced and the vowels of Eloah (God) were therefore substituted in the Masoretic text, whence Yetto Vah

Compare meaning

How does jehovah compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Jehovah vs. Yahweh

Example Sentences

When we spoke, Davis described her mother as being intellectually curious, someone who, like Davis, was a voracious reader, subscribing to five newspapers; a practicing Jehovah’s Witness, but also involved in political activism.

From Los Angeles Times

As a 3-year-old, Smith recalls grilling her mother during evening prayers, posing metaphysical questions about Jesus and the soul, immersing herself in Bible study and later joining her mother as a Jehovah’s Witness.

From Los Angeles Times

“We had a Jehovah’s Witness knock on our door and ask, ‘How do you feel about the world?’

From MarketWatch

Like Junaid, Martin Riley - who was brought up a Jehovah's Witness - was also ostracised by his family.

From BBC

Lemon was a Jehovah’s Witness and declined to receive blood transfusions.

From Los Angeles Times