The name of God that occurs most frequently in the Old Testament is Jehovah or Yehovah. In Hebrew this name is composed of three words: Je represents a word, ho represents a word, and vah also represents a word. Je means “is,” ho means “was,” and vah means “will be.” Therefore, Jehovah translated into English is “the One who is, was, and always will be.” The verb to be can also be translated as “to be present”; thus, in Revelation 1:8 the Chinese Union Version says, “He who is present, who was present, and who will be present forever.” So Jehovah means that God is present, was present, and will be present forever, and also that He is, was, and will be forever. In addition, this word also means “self-existing and ever-existing, without beginning or end, forever remaining and never ceasing to be,” and “forever unchanging.” In Exodus 3:14-15, “I AM WHO I AM” is the meaning of Jehovah.
In the New Testament, the Lord Jesus referred to Himself often as I Am. This can be seen in John 8:24, 28, and 58. I Am in the New Testament is Jehovah in the Old Testament. This name means that God is everything. It is mentioned more than seven thousand times in the Old Testament and is first used in Genesis 2:4. From the basic title Jehovah ten compound names and an abbreviated name are formed.
This title means “Jehovah our Maker”; it is used in Psalm 95:6.
This title means “Jehovah will provide”; it is used in Genesis 22:14.
This title means “Jehovah who heals you”; it is used in Exodus 15:26.
This name means “Jehovah is my banner.” Jehovah is our banner for going to war; He fights for us. This name is used in Exodus 17:15.
This name means “Jehovah who sanctifies you”; it is used in Exodus 31:13 and Leviticus 20:8.
This title means “Jehovah is peace”; it is used in Judges 6:24.
This title means “Jehovah is my Shepherd”; it is used in Psalm 23:1.
This name means “Jehovah our righteousness;” it is used in Jeremiah 23:6.
This name means “Jehovah Is There”; it is used in Ezekiel 48:35.
This title means “Jehovah of hosts”; it is used in 1 Samuel 1:3 and Jeremiah 2:19.
These ten compound names reveal Jehovah as something to us; therefore, we know that Jehovah is a particular name related to God’s coming to have a relationship with man. In chapter 1 of Genesis there is only the name Elohim. The name Jehovah is mentioned starting from chapter 2 when speaking of the relationship between God and man. This name shows us that God is everything that man needs, just as the Lord referred to Himself as I Am in the New Testament.
This word is an abbreviated form of Jehovah; it is first used in Exodus 15:2. In the book of Psalms, it is combined with hallelu to form the frequently used word hallelujah, meaning “praise Jehovah.” This name is also used in Isaiah. It is used forty-nine times in these three books.