Jah - Definition and Overview

Jah is traditionally thought to be a shortened form of the name Yahweh or Jehovah. Thus, the term Hallelujah would mean "Praise Jah." It is pronounced Yah.

In the original text of the Hebrew Bible, "Jah" occurs 26 times alone and 24 times in the term "Hallelujah".

It is transliterated "Jah" in a single instance (Psalm 68:4) in the King James Version of the Bible , and An American Translation has Yah at the same place. New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures of Jehovah's Witnesses preserves for the reader all occurrences, while Rotherham's Emphasised Bible, 49 of them.

It is the name commonly used for God in the religious movement of Rastafarianism.

The word Jah-Man is used for one Rastafarian among them. Haile Selassie of Ethiopia is known as the personification of Jah.

Jah is also an alternative spelling of the name of the Egyptian deity Iah. Some believe there could be a connection between this name and the Semitic name Jah.

Other uses

• Jah is also the first name of Jah Asikari, the God Soldier.

See also

• Tetragrammaton
• names of God