God reveals Himself to Moses in Exodus 6:2-3 as the LORD, a name by which He was not known to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who knew Him only as God Almighty. The four-letter name YHWH, known as the Tetragrammaton, therefore holds a central place in Scripture, yet some within the broader fellowship have elevated its precise pronunciation to the defining feature of their faith. After the Babylonian exile, particularly from the third century BC onward, Jewish practice ceased vocalizing YHWH in public reading, substituting the title Adonai, a custom later reflected in the Septuagint's rendering Kyrios and in halakhic instruction that the name be pronounced only as Adonai during prayer. This post-exilic restraint supplied the foundation for the modern sacred-name movement, which insists that salvation or acceptable worship requires the exclusive use of the Hebrew sounds Yahweh for the Father and Yahshua for the Son. The New Testament, however, composed in Greek, consistently employs Greek equivalents such as Theos, Pater, and Kyrios rather than the Hebrew Tetragrammaton, even when quoting Old Testament passages. Jesus Himself addresses the Father as Pater in the Lord's Prayer and cries out Eloi rather than YHWH from the cross, demonstrating that no single Hebrew pronunciation is mandated. Because the movement's demand for one correct vocalization of YHWH lacks support in the apostolic writings and in the example of Christ, the text presents the teaching as an unbiblical emphasis that should not become a test of fellowship, while still urging compassionate forbearance toward those who hold it sincerely.

YHWH is the Hebrew name of God, always rendered LORD in the King James Version, and it means the Eternal, the Ever-Living, the Self-Existent One, the One who was, is, and is to come. Rabbinic sources derive it from the Hebrew verbs for was, is, and will be, so God's very name encompasses past, present, and future, in harmony with Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 13:8, and Revelation 1:8. No one can be certain how to pronounce it, since the vowels are lost and its advocates disagree among themselves, though many think Yahweh is probably correct. Jesus never once used YHWH in His recorded ministry, though He spoke Hebrew. Paul never used it with the Greeks, and the Holy Spirit did not inspire it anywhere in the Greek New Testament, which uses Greek words conveying its meaning. No New Testament manuscript contains it. God's name is not a magic password or a particular sound. It conveys meaning and the authority of the One named, and name in Scripture signifies character, rank, and authority. Exodus 3:15 gave the name in Hebrew because Israel spoke Hebrew, and the full name there is YHWH Elohim. Psalm 83:18 does not limit God to one name, and Psalm 68:4 shows that Elohim and Jah are also His names. Using YHWH before people who do not understand Hebrew would give an uncertain sound.

The Eternal first introduced His name as YHWH (LORD) in Exodus 3, where He calls Himself YHWH Elohim, rendered LORD God in most English Bibles. In the Authorized Version, the name appears in small capitals as GOD or LORD wherever the original Hebrew reads YHWH. The Hebrew text contains only consonants, forming the four-letter tetragrammaton YHWH, which derives from the verb "to be" and shares the meaning of the name I AM (hayah) given in Exodus 3:14. Hebrew scholars understand YHWH to convey "He exists" or "He causes to be," with English equivalents such as the Ever-Living or the Eternal. The name and the One who bears it are both everlasting. Although scholars believe the original pronunciation was Yahweh, the missing vowels remain unknown because, after the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, Jews regarded vocalizing YHWH as unlawful and substituted the word Adonai. The hybrid form Jehovah arose in AD 1520 through human invention and possesses no biblical foundation. The text presents these facts about YHWH to illustrate the spiritual principle that fearing the glorious and awesome name of God is essential to obedience. Reverence is shown not by safeguarding a particular pronunciation or treating the letters themselves as sacred, but by honoring the character and sovereignty the name represents through willing submission to His commands.

God names Himself, because no one is higher who could name Him. In Exodus 3 He gives Moses the name Yahweh, "I AM that I AM," and He gave His own name to Adam, Noah, and Abraham rather than trusting them to name Him. Since the namer is superior to the one named, this self-naming declares that He is the Most High. Only God legitimately makes a name for Himself, as in Isaiah 63, where leading Israel through the Red Sea made for Him an everlasting name, while man's attempt at Babel to make a name for himself and rival God ended in confusion. Whenever God gives a name, it is a true one that fits its bearer, as with Abraham, Sarah, Jesus, and Babel. In Hebrew thought the name of the Lord carries His authority, power, and presence. His name defends, so that His people trust in it rather than in chariots and horses; it is a strong tower where the righteous run and are safe; and David met Goliath in it. God chooses and places His name in Jerusalem, where His Tabernacle and Temple stood, and intends it to abide there permanently and continue in the New Jerusalem. Placing His name there signals His presence, glory, sovereignty, and ownership. His glory departed because of Israel's sins, yet He will again choose Jerusalem and holds it in loving, attentive care.