The Watchtower (study edition), “A Living Translation of God’s Word”
“The 2013 revision of the New World Translation includes the name 7,216 times, which is 6 more than the 1984 edition. Five of the additional instances are found at 1 Samuel 2:25; 6:3; 10:26; 23:14, 16.”
The article states the three principles the committee set in the 1940s — sanctify God’s name, translate literally where possible but convey the correct sense where a word-for-word rendering would distort, and use easy-to-understand language. It also records a change in the meaning assigned to the divine name: the 1984 edition said the name means He “causes himself to become the Fulfiller of promises”, whereas Appendix A4 of the 2013 edition says “it is not limited to what he himself chooses to become. It also includes what he causes to happen with regard to his creation and the accomplishment of his purpose.” A footnote to the new meaning adds: “Some reference works present this understanding, though not all scholars agree.”
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Provenance and verification note for The Watchtower (study edition), A Living Translation of God’s Word
Confidence note. Opened on the Watchtower Online Library on 19 September 2026 and read in full; the issue was confirmed from the Online Library listing for the study edition of 15 December 2015 and page numbers from the document’s embedded page markers.
Corroborated by. src-nwto-nwtsty-a4-divine-name-hebrew, src-nwto-it-jehovah-count
Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID. src-nwto-w-2015-1215-living-principles