Names of God: Jah

Jah is a short form for the name Yahweh, which is the proper name of God in the Hebrew Bible.

This short for of the name occurs 50 times in the text of the Hebrew Bible. Half of those references form part of the phrase “Hallelujah” which is a two-word phrase in Hebrew.

In the King James Version, Jah is only used once in Psalm 68:4, “Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name Jah, and rejoice before him.”

The Jews forbid themselves from speaking the name of Yahweh, but Yah or Jah are allowed in relation to prayer and study.

There are characters in the bible whose names use this phrase including Elijah, Malachijah, and Adonijah.

Other passages where Jah is used in the Hebrew Bible. These are in the King James Version:

Exodus 15:2: “The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.”

Exodus 17:16: “For he said, Because the Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

Isaiah 12:2: “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.”

Isaiah 26:4: “Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.”

Isaiah 38:11: “I said, I shall not see the Lord, even the Lord, in the land of the living: I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world.”