Exposing the Confusion: Jehovah, Yahuwah, and the Sacred Name of Yahweh

For nearly three decades I have dedicated my life to restoring the Sacred Name of Yahweh and upholding the witness of Yahshua the Messiah exactly as the Hebrew Scriptures reveal, free of church traditions, mystical fables, and modern inventions. One of the greatest confusions among sincere believers is the use of forms like Jehovah or Yahuwah as substitutes for the Name that Yahweh Himself gave to Mosheh (Moses). These artificial names are not only linguistically incorrect, they contradict the meaning Yahweh declared and can even imply the opposite of what the Name means in the Torah.

In this article I want to sets the record straight: what the so-called forms Jehovah and Yahuwah really mean when tested against the Hebrew text, where the error comes from, and how these errors can distort the Name into a false witness.

1. The True Name: YHWH

In the Torah, the Sacred Name appears as four Hebrew letters: יהוה (Yod-Hey-Waw-Hey). This is called the Tetragrammaton. Its meaning is rooted directly in the Hebrew verb היה (hayah), “to be.” When Yahweh revealed Himself to Mosheh, He declared:

“Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh” — “I AM THAT I AM.” (Exodus 3:14)“Say to the sons of Yisrael: YHWH, the Elohim of your fathers… this is My Name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.” (Exodus 3:15)

The short form, Yah (as in HalleluYah), preserves this root. The full form, YHWH, is best vocalized Yahweh, “He Who Is” or “He Who Causes to Be.”

2. The Origin of “Jehovah”

The form “Jehovah” is not found in any ancient scroll, inscription, or text. It arose in late medieval Europe when Christian scholars saw the four letters YHWH in the Hebrew text and read them with the vowel points of Adonai (“Master”), which scribes had added to remind readers not to pronounce the Name aloud. Combining YHWH with these unrelated vowels (a-o-a) produced Yahovah, later spelled Jehovah in English.

This hybrid never existed in Hebrew speech or writing during the time of the prophets, scribes, or the apostles. It is the result of a scribal caution misunderstood by later translators.

3. The Meaning of “hovah”

The Hebrew word הַוָּה (hovah) appears in Scripture as a noun meaning ruin, disaster, calamity, perverted, or wickedness. Strong’s Concordance (H1943) defines it precisely this way. Examples include:

• Isaiah 47:11: “Therefore shall evil (hovah) come upon you…”

• Ezekiel 7:26: “Mischief (hovah) shall come upon mischief…”

The root concept behind hovah is not creative existence but ruin and perversion, the opposite of Yahweh’s Name, which means He Who Is, He Who causes to exist.

4. “Ye-” and the Third Person Form

In Hebrew grammar, the prefix Ye- or Yah- is used in the imperfect verb form to mean He will or He is. For example, Yehshua (Joshua) means He saves. The same prefix appears in YHWH, the Name preserves the idea of He Who Is or He Who Causes to Be. While Yahshua means Yahweh saves.

5. What Does “Jehovah” "Yahuwah" and "Yahowah" Then Imply?

When one splits the artificial forms “Jehovah”, "Yahuwah" and "Yahowah into parts, Ye (He) + hovah (ruin, perverted, Strong’s H1943), the combination points not to the meaning Yahweh declared (He Who Is, or He Who Causes to Be), but to a contradictory sense: He is ruin. He is perverted. While this meaning was not the scribes’ intention, the fact remains that mixing the Sacred consonants with the misplaced vowels from Adonai (a-o-a) produced this distorted result.

6. Does “Yahuwah” Repeat the Same Error?

Modern Sacred Name groups, eager to restore the true pronunciation, sometimes construct Yahuwah by blending “Yah” with “hu” (the Hebrew pronoun “he”) plus “wah” to echo the final Waw-Hey. They claim this form means “Yah - He is,” but this is unnecessary repetition: the Name already means “He is” through its root verb hayah. Inserting hu confuses the grammar, and forcing the ending “wah” further distorts the original verbal structure.

When one compares this forced “-wah” ending with the Hebrew spelling הוה (hovah), it echoes the same letters used for ruin or perverted. Though not all pronounce it the same, the overlap illustrates how careless reconstructions can attach an unintended false meaning.

7. The Waw: A Consonant, Not a Separate Syllable

Some argue the ancient Hebrew letter ו (Waw) should be pronounced “u” or “oo,” claiming the “W” sound is modern. This is incorrect. In ancient Hebrew, Phoenician, and Ugaritic inscriptions, the Waw was consistently a semi-vowel consonant, functioning as a “w” sound when used in words and names.

When used inside YHWH, the Waw does not stand alone as “u” or “wah” but joins the consonant sequence that carries the imperfect verb meaning “He is” or “He causes to be.” Early Greek transcriptions (such as Theodoret’s “Iabe”) confirm the consonant was pronounced, and none support an added “u-wah” ending.

8. The Witness of the Earliest Sources

Neither the Dead Sea Scrolls, nor the oldest Paleo-Hebrew inscriptions, nor early Greek or Samaritan witnesses give any variant spelling or pronunciation that would justify Jehovah or Yahuwah. All ancient testimony supports Yahweh, the direct third person imperfect of hayah, the One Who Is, and the One Who Brings into Being.

9. Why This Matters

If the Name Yahweh is the memorial to all generations (Exodus 3:15), then distorting it through hybrid guesses is no small error. When an invented form carries a sense like He is ruin, or a Sufi mystical element like Hu, it does not restore the truth, it testifies falsely about the very One who is set apart.

10. What does “Hu” or “Huwa” mean?

In the Hebrew language of the Torah and Prophets, the word הוּא (hu) is the standard third person masculine singular pronoun. It simply means “he.”

For example: “Ki YHWH hu haElohim…” - “For Yahweh, He is the Elohim…” (Deuteronomy 4:35)

In Aramaic, the word is nearly identical: הוּ (hu) or הוּא, also meaning “he.”

In Arabic, the language of Islam, the word هو (huwa) likewise means “he.” It is the ordinary grammatical pronoun for a masculine subject, no different from the English “he.”

In all three languages, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Arabic, this word is simply a functional pronoun, never a proper name.

11. Why do Sufis chant “Hu”?

In Islam, the formal name used for their deity is Allah. The Quran never gives “Hu” or “Huwa” as a separate divine name. However, within Islamic mysticism, specifically Sufism, the word Hu took on a symbolic mystical usage.

Sufis developed the practice of repeating “Allah Hu” (“Allah, He [alone]”) and “Hu Hu Hu” as a form of chant or meditation. In this context, “Hu” became a mystical utterance meant to express the ineffable nature of the divine, the idea that the deity is beyond names or forms and is simply “He.”

This use of “Hu” does not originate in the Quran but developed later within the spiritual techniques of Sufi brotherhoods. It is entirely mystical and symbolic, a chant to remind the devotee that “He alone exists.”

12. The Hebrews never used “hu” in His Name or as a name.

In the Hebrew Scriptures, hu remains a simple grammatical pronoun. It appears constantly to clarify the subject of a sentence, “He.”

For example: “YHWH hu haElohim…” - “Yahweh, He is the Elohim.” “Ki hu…” - “For He…”

In every instance, hu describes who Yahweh is. It never stands alone as His Name. The prophets and scribes never wrote or spoke “Hu” as an alternative title or hidden syllable within the Sacred Name.

13. How did “Yahuwah” appear in modern Sacred Name circles?

Many sincere believers who wanted to restore the true pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton looked for ways to vocalize the four Hebrew letters YHWH (יהוה). In the modern period, especially from the 1800s onward, some researchers and groups attempted to “reconstruct” the pronunciation by blending fragments of Hebrew grammar with mystical ideas borrowed from other traditions.

One line of reasoning went like this:

• The short form “Yah” is well known.

• The word “hu” means “He.”

• Some teachers combined these: “Yah” plus “hu” plus the final “ah” to create “Yahuwah,” claiming it means “Yah - He who is.”

However, this is not how Hebrew grammar works. The Waw (the “W” or “U” sound) in YHWH is not the separate pronoun “hu.” Rather, it is one of the four consonants forming a single verbal Name. The Sacred Name is rooted in the verb היה (hayah - to be), expanded into an imperfect causative form: “He causes to be” or “He will be.”

At Sinai, Yahweh revealed the meaning Himself:“Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh” — “I AM THAT I AM.” (Exodus 3:14) Then He declared: “Say to the sons of Yisrael: YHWH... this is My Name forever.” (Exodus 3:15)

The Waw is part of this verbal construction. It is not an added pronoun. There is no known ancient Hebrew manuscript, scroll, inscription, or transliteration that records “Yahuwah.”

14. What do the Scriptures actually say?

The Sacred Name is given plainly and repeatedly. Yahweh says:“ This is My Name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.” (Exodus 3:15)

Its meaning is rooted directly in the verb “to be.” The short form is “Yah” - as in HalleluYah, “Praise Yah.” The full form is YHWH, best vocalized “Yahweh,” not “Yahuwah.” The Name of Yahshua the Messiah includes the same root: Yah (Yahweh) and shua (salvation). This is consistent in every ancient witness, including early Greek transcriptions, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and ancient inscriptions.

No biblical prophet or disciple ever said “Yahuwah.” No scroll or stone carving supports it. The Hebrew grammar does not support inserting “hu” or reading the Waw as a separate “U”-syllable that creates “wah.”

The word hu means “he.” It is a pronoun, not a hidden name. Its mystical use in Sufism does not belong to the Hebrew faith. The Sacred Name was never hidden in a chant or a secret syllable. It was given to Mosheh clearly: YHWH - Yahweh - He Who Is, He Who Causes To Be.

The letter Waw is a consonant that contributes a “w” sound, not an independent “u” that creates a “wah.” There is no linguistic, historical, or textual evidence that the ending “-wah” was ever present in the pronunciation of the Name.

Yahshua the Messiah bears this Name in truth: “Yahweh saves.” This is the pure testimony that must be restored, without foreign ideas, mystical wordplay, or modern additions.

The Name of Yahweh is complete and perfect as revealed. It does not need human repairs or guesswork. It only needs to be honored, guarded, and spoken exactly as it was given. From the first breath given to Adam, the sound of Yahweh’s Name has lived in the rhythm of every living soul. For its true pronunciation was never lost. It has always lived in the breath of humanity itself: it is as near and simple as the sound of every inhale and exhale declaring Yah…weh…, the breath of life He placed in our nostrils from the beginning.

No tradition, no scribe, no empire has erased it. Though men tried to silence it, the wind still speaks it, the heart still speaks it, and the breath of every creature bears witness: Yah....weh, He Who Is.

Let every sincere believer stand apart from these inventions and return to the clear witness given at Sinai: YHWH - Yahweh - He Who Is.

By: Carlos Jimenez