What is God’s Personal Name?

In the four heavenly books believed in by all Muslims (Taurat, Zabur, Injil, Quran), there are many different names and titles for God. For example, the Arabic Quran speaks of God as Ar-Rahman (the Gracious) and Ar-Rahim (the Merciful) at the head of every surah except for one. The Hebrew Taurat (Tanakh) frequently mentions God as Shaddai (Almighty); 31 times in the story of Ayub (Job) alone. In the Greek Injil (New Testament), Revelation addresses God as Alpha (the Beginning) and Omega (the End). These are just examples—there are many, many more. All these names have meanings that can be translated, and teach us something about God.

Aside from all these wonderful names and titles, God has himself claimed a name to be his personal name. That name belongs to him alone. What do you think this personal name might be? Many people assume that God’s personal name is Allah, as found in the Arabic Quran—”in the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.” But is that really the case? The Arabic word Allah can be, and very often is, translated into English as “God.” So how is that a personal name?

Also, the Arabic word Allah was used by Jews and Christians before the advent of Islam to describe God in the Arabic language. However, they have never believed that the Arabic name Allah is God’s personal name. They knew already that God himself had revealed his personal name in the holy Taurat of Prophet Musa (Moses):

God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.” (Exodus 3:15)

His Name is YAHWEH

So what is God’s personal name? His personal name is YAHWEH, or Yahweh. This name was revealed and written down in Hebrew. The Hebrew text contains no vowels, so in its most basic form, the name consists of four consonants, YHWH. Though not written in the text, the vowels of the Name are agreed to be what are given here. In English, God’s personal Name is spelled Yahweh. On this website, the Name is often spelled with ALL CAPS, simply to emphasize that it is the personal Name of God, unique and different from other names and titles of God.

Why it Matters

Perhaps this is new to you, and you wonder why it matters? Is it really very important that God’s personal name is YAHWEH? Well, it is so important to Jews that they do not SAY God’s Name out of respect for the Name, and out of a fear of accidently blaspheming God’s Name. The third of the famous Ten Commandments says this:

You shall not take the Name of YAHWEH your God in vain, for YAHWEH will not hold him guiltless who takes his Name in vain. (Exodus 20:7)

Since ancient times, Jews have substituted other words for God’s Name, in case they inadvertently take God’s Name in vain. Even when translating the Taurat into other languages, God’s Name has been substituted with another name or word, out of deep respect for the Name. The most well-known example is the Septuagint (LXX) translation of the Old Testament in Greek. In the LXX, God’s Name is usually replaced with kurios (meaning “Lord” in Greek). Today, most English translations of the Hebrew Taurat (Tanakh or Old Testament), replace YAHWEH with words such as “the Lord,” Adonai (Hebrew for “the Lord”), or Hashem (Hebrew for “the Name”).

The Prophets Speak

None of that stopped the prophets who came after Prophet Musa (Moses) from using and affirming YAHWEH as God’s Name:

Prophet Asaph — “That they may know that you alone, whose Name is YAHWEH, are the Most High over all the earth.” (Zabur 83:18)

Prophet Hosea — “Even YAHWEH God All-Powerful; YAHWEH is the Name by which he is to be remembered!” (Hosea 12:5)

Prophet Armiya (Jeremiah) — “Thus says YAHWEH who does it, YAHWEH who forms it to establish it; YAHWEH is his Name.” (Armiya 33:2)

Prophet Amos — “Seek him who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns the shadow of death into the morning, and makes the day dark with night; who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out on the surface of the earth, YAHWEH is his Name.” (Amos 5:8)

Altogether, God’s Name YAHWEH occurs 6,827 times in the pages of the Taurat.

God’s Word is Final

God continues to remind the reader of the Taurat that his Name is YAHWEH:

I am YAHWEH, that is my Name; and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to engraved images. (Shaya / Isaiah 42:8)

Therefore, behold, I will cause them to know, this once will I cause them to know my hand and my might; and they shall know that my Name is YAHWEH. (Armiya / Jeremiah 16:21)

The fact that God himself claims that his Name is YAHWEH, should be enough for us to think that it matters. God said it is his Name forever, and that has not changed. The Zabur agrees with the Taurat and uses the Name freely (see Prophet Asaph above). The Injil makes no claim about God changing his Name for its original Greek audience. In fact, the Injil quotes from about 78 verses of the Taurat that contain YAHWEH in the original Hebrew text. The Quran also makes no claim about the Name of God changing from YAHWEH to anything else. God’s Name is YAHWEH and it will remain so forever.