Jehova
The English name "jehovah" is translated into German as Jehova.
Jehova is used as a transliteration of the Masoretic vocalization of the Tetragrammaton.
Meaning: transliteration of the Masoretic vocalization of the Tetragrammaton (name)
Did you know?
- The word Jehova is often used in German as a 'Lehnwort' ('loanword') that exists only within religious texts, meaning a native speaker might never say it in a secular conversation.
- In many traditional German hymnbooks, the name is omitted or replaced by terms like der Herr ('the Lord') to maintain a sense of sacred distance, a practice known as avoiding the use of the name in vain.
- In German-speaking theological circles, you might encounter the term Jahwe instead of Jehova. While Jehova is a transliteration, Jahwe is the more common academic German rendering of the Tetragrammaton.
Examples in context
- In der Bibel wird er als Jehova bezeichnet.In the Bible, he is referred to as Jehovah.
- Sie betet zu Jehova.She prays to Jehovah.
- Der Name Jehova ist sehr heilig.The name Jehovah is very holy.
Example conversation
Maximilian and Sarah are discussing a theology book in a cafe.
- MaximilianWie wird der Name in diesem Buch geschrieben?How is the name written in this book?
- SarahHier steht die Form Jehova.It says the form Jehovah here.
- MaximilianIst das die gebräuchliche Schreibweise?Is that the common spelling?
- SarahJa, das ist in diesem Kontext üblich.Yes, that is common in this context.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “jehovah” translations and entries Jehova, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
