Lyrics
Verse 1
Your name is great
Your name is higher
You're my strength
And my desire
Uliyeko, Utakaye kuwako
Nakuabudu wewe tu
Verse 2
God always does it in the right time
He does all things even more than we prayed
He is amazing God, He is so faithful God
What He says is what He does
Chorus
Wewe ni Yahweh (Yahweh)
Mungu mwenye nguvu
Uliye mtoshelevu
Mshika maagano
Usiye na mfano
Nakuabudu wewe tu
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
Wilfred Joel's "Yahweh" is a short worship song that moves between English and Swahili. It begins by calling God's name great and higher, and naming God as "my strength" and "my desire". The Swahili line "Uliyeko, Utakaye kuwako" describes the One who is and will be, which echoes the meaning of the divine name.
The middle section is spoken testimony in English. It says God works in the right time, does more than was prayed for, and is faithful: "What He says is what He does". That gives the song a note of trust in waiting.
The chorus is the centre: "Wewe ni Yahweh", followed by lines calling God mighty, the One who satisfies, the keeper of covenants, and the One without equal. Each section ends on "Nakuabudu wewe tu", a pledge of worship for God alone. The mix of languages suits congregations that sing in both.
Related Scripture
- Exodus 3:14 God reveals the name "I AM", the root of Yahweh.
- Revelation 1:8 The One who is, who was and who is to come, matching "Uliyeko, Utakaye kuwako".
- Numbers 23:19 God does not speak and fail to act, as in "What He says is what He does".
- Psalm 73:25-26 God as strength and portion, the same note as "my strength" and "my desire".