יָהּ (H3050) — Hebrew Lexicon

יָהּ

𐤉𐤄

Yah

H3050 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A short form of the divine name יְהוָה (YHWH), used as a poetic or liturgical designation for the God of Israel. Primarily appears in poetic passages, expressions of praise, and in certain Israelite personal names. The term expresses reverence and invokes the Israelite God, often in the context of worship or thanksgiving. Semantic range: used as a vocative or exclamatory address to the deity, an emphatic divine reference within poetry, or as part of compound proper names.

Semantic Range

short, poetic or liturgical form of the divine name YHWH; used as an exclamatory address or epithet for the Israelite God; element in personal names (theophoric suffix); expression in praise formulas or doxologies

Root / Etymology

Derived as an abbreviated or contracted form from the tetragrammaton יְהוָה (YHWH). The root is הוה/היה (h-y-h), meaning 'to be, exist,' indicating being or existence, but the precise formation of יָהּ as a divine name is a poetic or liturgical contraction.

Historical & Contextual Notes

יָהּ primarily occurs in poetry (e.g., Exodus 15:2; Isaiah 12:2; Psalms, especially in the phrase הַלְלוּיָהּ 'praise Yah'). Its use is distinct from the full tetragrammaton יְהוָה, emphasizing intimacy or heightened emotional or liturgical expression. Most occurrences are postdating the full development of the tetragrammaton as the primary God-name of Israelite religion, particularly in Second Temple period psalms. The contracted form יָהּ also appears at the end of Israelite personal names (theophoric names) as '-iah' or '-yah' in English translation (e.g., Isaiah = Yeshayahu, Jeremiah = Yirmeyahu). Later English renderings like 'Jah' (as in KJV Psalms 68:4) obscure the literary and liturgical character of the term in biblical Hebrew. The term is not a generic term for deity but a specific, poetic invocation of the Israelite national god YHWH; in contrast, titles like אֱלֹהִים (Elohim) are general divine designations. Usage narrows further in post-biblical and synagogue liturgy, where יָהּ becomes popular in doxologies and phrases.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

contraction for יְהֹוָה, and meaning the same; Jah, the sacred name; Jah, the Lord, most vehement. Compare names in '-iah,' '-jah.'

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

היה (Yah) — to be, to exist, to become

Root היה to be, to exist

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H165	אֱהִי	Where is?
H1961	הָיָה	in being
H3068	יְהֹוָה	in Yahweh
H3069	יְהֹוִה	and to the Is-Being One

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`H3050-02`	יָ֔הּ	yah	`HNp`	Yah	Yah, the Existing One	Yah	48
`H3050-01`	בְּ/יָ֣הּ	beyah	`HR/Np`	in Yah	in Yah	in Yah	2

Occurrences in Scripture

50 occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`H3050-02`	Exodus 15:2	יָ֔הּ	yah	`HNp`	YHWH	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Exodus 17:16	יָ֔הּ	yah	`HNp`	Yah	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Isaiah 12:2	יָ֣הּ	yah	`HNp`	Yah	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-01`	Isaiah 26:4	בְּ/יָ֣הּ	beyah	`HR/Np`	in Yah	in Yah	in Yah
`H3050-02`	Isaiah 38:11	יָ֔הּ	yah	`HNp`	YHWH	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Isaiah 38:11	יָ֖הּ	yah-2	`HNp`	YHWH	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-01`	Psalms 68:5	בְּ/יָ֥הּ	beyah	`HR/Np`	in Yah	in Yah	in Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 68:19	יָ֬הּ	yah	`HNp`	Yah	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 77:12	יָ֑הּ	yah	`HNp`	YHWH	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 89:9	יָ֑הּ	yah	`HNp`	Yah	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 94:7	יָּ֑הּ	yah	`HNp`	YHWH	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 94:12	יָּ֑הּ	yah	`HNp`	O YHWH	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 102:19	יָֽהּ	yah	`HNp`	Yah	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 104:35	יָֽהּ	yah	`HNp`	Yah	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 105:45	יָֽהּ	yah	`HNp`	YHWH	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 106:1	יָ֨הּ	yah	`HNp`	YAH	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 106:48	יָֽהּ	yah	`HNp`	Yah	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 111:1	יָ֨הּ	yah	`HNp`	YHWH	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 112:1	יָ֨הּ	yah	`HNp`	Yah	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 113:1	יָ֨הּ	yah	`HNp`	Yah	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 113:9	יָֽהּ	yah	`HNp`	Yah	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 115:17	יָ֑הּ	yah	`HNp`	Yah	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 115:18	יָ֗הּ	yah	`HNp`	YHWH	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 115:18	יָֽהּ	yah-2	`HNp`	YHWH!	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 116:19	יָֽהּ	yah	`HNp`	Yah	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 117:2	יָֽהּ	yah	`HNp`	Yah	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 118:5	יָּ֑הּ	yah	`HNp`	Yah	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 118:5	יָֽהּ	yah-2	`HNp`	Yah	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 118:14	יָ֑הּ	yah	`HNp`	Yah	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 118:17	יָֽהּ	yah	`HNp`	YHWH	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 118:18	יָּ֑הּ	yah	`HNp`	YHWH	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 118:19	יָֽהּ	yah	`HNp`	to YHWH	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 122:4	יָ֭הּ	yah	`HNp`	Yah	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 130:3	יָ֑הּ	yah	`HNp`	Yah	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 135:1	יָ֨הּ	yah	`HNp`	Yah	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 135:3	יָהּ	yah	`HNp`	Yah	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 135:4	יָ֑הּ	yah	`HNp`	Yah	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 135:21	יָֽהּ	yah	`HNp`	Yah	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 146:1	יָ֡הּ	yah	`HNp`	Yah	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 146:10	יָֽהּ	yah	`HNp`	YHWH	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 147:1	יָ֨הּ	yah	`HNp`	Yah	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 147:20	יָֽהּ	yah	`HNp`	YHWH	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 148:1	יָ֨הּ	yah	`HNp`	Yah	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 148:14	יָֽהּ	yah	`HNp`	Yah	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 149:1	יָ֨הּ	yah	`HNp`	Yah	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 149:9	יָֽהּ	yah	`HNp`	Yah	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 150:1	יָ֨הּ	yah	`HNp`	Yah	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 150:6	יָ֗הּ	yah	`HNp`	YHWH	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Psalms 150:6	יָֽהּ	yah-2	`HNp`	YHWH	Yah, the Existing One	Yah
`H3050-02`	Song of Songs 8:6	יָֽה	yah	`HNp`	of YHWH	Yah, the Existing One	Yah

← H3049 Hebrew Lexicon H3051 →