Translators use 'Lord' (LORD in capitals) instead of 'Jehovah' because Jewish writers held the sacred name in such reverence that they would not pronounce it, and English translations followed that Jewish practice.
Les Feldick explains that the name Jehovah was held in such awe that the average Jew did not want to breathe it, so they substituted the term 'Lord.' Throughout the Old Testament, when the KJV prints LORD in all capitals, it stands for Jehovah. This convention shows courtesy to Jewish reverence while still identifying the same divine person.
Exodus 6:2–3 — Here God connects 'I am the LORD' with the name JEHOVAH, providing the basis for understanding the translated title LORD.
Genesis 2:4 — The first use of 'the LORD God' in the KJV introduces Jehovah as the God who deals with the human race.
Acts 9:5 — Saul—a Jew who would think 'Lord' meant Jehovah—asks 'Who art thou, Lord?' and Jesus answers, 'I am Jesus.'
Scripture preserves the divine name in Hebrew, and the King James Version often renders it as LORD with capital letters. In Exodus 6:2–3, God tells Moses: 'I am the LORD: And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.' The fully capitalized LORD is thus the English placeholder for the Hebrew name Jehovah/Yahweh. In Genesis 2:4, the Bible switches from 'God' (Elohim) to 'the LORD God,' introducing the covenant name into the creation account. The Bible itself does not explain the translation convention, but it repeatedly uses LORD where the Hebrew text has the divine name.
Les Feldick explains the translation choice from Jewish practice: the name Jehovah was so holy and revered that the average Jew did not even feel adequate to repeat it, so writers substituted 'Lord.' That is why, in the Old Testament, a fully capitalized L-O-R-D stands for Jehovah. The convention also appears in the New Testament: Saul of Tarsus, a 'good Jew,' would mentally be asking, 'Who are you, Jehovah?' when he said 'Who art thou, Lord?'—and Jesus answered, 'I am Jesus.' Les also teaches that Jehovah is the person of the Godhead who is especially involved with the human race—the communicator, the Word, and God the Son—so 'LORD' and 'Jehovah' can be interchanged without harming the meaning.
Les says the name Jehovah carried such awe and high esteem that the average Jew didn't want to breathe it. Instead of pronouncing or writing the sacred name, they used the substitute 'Lord.' This is why translators did not simply write 'Jehovah' in every place where the Hebrew text has the divine name.
Yes, according to Les. 'All the way through the Old Testament, when you see capital L, capital O, capital R, capital D, it's Jehovah.' Moses speaks to the LORD (Jehovah) in Exodus 4, and the word of the LORD in Genesis 15 is the word of Jehovah. A lowercased 'lord,' by contrast, can be a different Hebrew name for deity—Adonai—rather than the name Jehovah.
Les says yes. He points to Exodus 6: 'He says, I AM Jehovah,' because the word LORD in the KJV can be interchanged with Jehovah. In the account of Saul's conversion, the Jewish Saul would have had 'Jehovah' on his mind when he said 'Lord.' Thus the translator's 'Lord' is not misleading; it preserves the Jewish custom while pointing to the same person.
Les notes that the KJV capitalizes 'Lord' in Genesis 18:3, but some other translations use a small 'l.' He tends to agree with the small 'l' because nothing in the surrounding verses indicates Abraham knew one of the three visitors was Jehovah at that moment. The chapter later makes clear that it was the LORD, but the initial translation nuance reflects Abraham's gradual recognition.
Jehovah Introduced as LORD God
Les shows that Genesis 2:4 changes from 'God' to 'LORD God,' introducing Jehovah as the person of the Godhead who works with the human race.
Jewish Substitution of Lord for Jehovah
Les explains that Jews were so reverent toward the name Jehovah that they would not breathe it; they substituted 'Lord,' and capitalized LORD in the Old Testament is therefore Jehovah.
Lowercase lord vs. Capital LORD
Les distinguishes the lowercase 'lord' in Hebrew as Adon/Adonai, a different name of deity, from the capitalized LORD that represents Jehovah.
Saul's Mental Question: 'Who Are You, Jehovah?'
Les shows that Saul, a good Jew, would have had Jehovah in mind when he said 'Who art thou, Lord?'—and Jesus identified Himself as that same Lord.
Abraham and the Capital LORD in Genesis 18
Les questions whether Genesis 18:3 should be capitalized, because Abraham may not yet have recognized that one of his visitors was Jehovah.
LORD Interchangeable with Jehovah
Les says the word LORD in Exodus 6 can be interchanged with Jehovah: 'I AM the LORD' means 'I AM Jehovah.'
Jehovah as the Communicator
Les explains that Jehovah/ capitalized LORD is the communicator, the Word, God the Son, who comes to fellowship with man.
Moses Speaking to Jehovah
Les points out that when Exodus 4 says Moses spoke 'unto the LORD' with all capitals, Moses was speaking to Jehovah.
Genesis 2:4: These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,
This verse introduces the title 'LORD God,' which Les identifies with Jehovah.
Exodus 3:14: And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
The 'I AM' name is connected by Les to Jehovah and the capitalized LORD.
Exodus 6:2: And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD:
Les says this phrase can be read as 'I am Jehovah.'
Exodus 6:3: And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
This is the key verse where the divine name JEHOVAH appears in the KJV.
Genesis 15:1: After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward:
A capitalized LORD in the KJV represents Jehovah in Abram's vision.
Acts 9:5: And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
Saul, a Jew, would have had Jehovah in mind when he said 'Lord,' and Jesus answered as that same Lord.
Les Feldick says the name Jehovah was of such awe and high esteem that the average Jew did not even want to breathe it. Rather than risk using the sacred name, Jewish writers substituted the word 'Lord,' and the translators followed that practice.
According to Les, in the Old Testament a fully capitalized L-O-R-D stands for Jehovah. When you see 'the word of the LORD' or 'Moses said unto the LORD,' the reference is to Jehovah.
Not always. Les explains that capitalized LORD represents the divine name Jehovah, while a lowercased 'lord' in Hebrew can be Adonai, a different Hebrew name for deity. Context and capitalization matter.
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