In the Bible, there are many names for God. Some apply to God in general, while others refer to Jesus specifically. Most of these names are expressions of character. They highlight specific aspects of who God is and generally correlate with the circumstance and situation God reveals himself in, or what aspect of his character the person calling on him needs. Some of the names of God seem irreconcilable with God because they are negative. Some names of God are a combination of more than one name brought together to prevent the Israelites from uttering a name they considered too holy to pronounce.
What’s in a Name?
The Hebrew word shêm (name) refers to more than just a first name or nickname: it is something you call yourself or someone else. It also relates to authority, character, honor, and reputation. We give similar attributes to the word “name” today when we say “You give the family a bad name” or “Stop in the name of the Law.” So, when the Ten Commandments say “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain” (Exodus 20:7), it does not speak of swearing only.
When Christians conduct themselves in a manner that is not Christlike while professing to be faithful believers, they also take the name of God in vain. They misrepresent the character, authority, honor, and reputation of God. The names of God do not always appear as names when translated. They sometimes seem like a comment about God, though in Hebrew they constitute a proper name. Let’s look at some Old Testament examples.
Adonai
Adonai means Lord or Master. Adonai, like other names for God, is plural but in this instance, it is possessive as well, thus “my Lord.” Generally, the singular adon refers to a man, though sometimes it refers to God when the context indicates. The word appears more than 430 times in scripture with more than half of the instances referring to God as Lord or Master.
Attiyq Youm
Only Daniel refers to God by this name, which means “Ancient of Days.” All three references come from Daniel 7 in which God reveals a future sequence of empires by depicting them as carnivorous creatures. “Ancient of Days” implies God’s wisdom and knowledge and brings to mind how God reveals the future from ancient times, as Isaiah 46:9-10 says: “… remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose … ’”
El Olam
Olam is the Hebrew word for “eternity,” “everlasting,” or “forever.” Combined with El, a generic term for God, the Bible translates the name as Everlasting God. The Bible uses El Olam in Genesis 21:33, Jeremiah 10:10, and Isaiah 26:4. This name highlights that God does not change, which makes him reliable. It resonates with Psalm 90:1-2: “A Prayer of Moses, the man of God. Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”
El Shaddai
El Shaddai means the All-Sufficient One, or God Almighty. The Bible records this name seven times. Shaddai derives either from the Hebrew term shad which means “breast” and implies God nourishes and supplies every need, or from the Akkadian Sadu, which means mountain and projects strength.
El Elyon
Elyon means “most high,” therefore, El Elyon is “Most High God.” It expresses the preeminence of God and his exaltedness above all others. Some translations render the name as “most exalted God.” The Psalms use this name more often than any other book.
Elohim
Genesis 1:1 uses this word, Elohim, to refer to God. The name is in the plural, but it would not be grammatically incorrect to translate it as “Gods.” Generally, the context shows whether the word refers to the God of Israel or pagan gods. The singular form Eloah also appears in the form El as seen in many names of God.
Jehovah Jireh
Jehovah Jireh means “the Lord Will Provide.” This name appears only in Genesis 22:14 when God provided a ram to sacrifice instead of Isaac. Jehovah Jireh is also the symbolic name given to Mount Moriah.
Jehovah Mekoddishkem
This name, which means “the Lord who Sanctifies you” appears only twice in the Bible. The first time is in Exodus 31:13 when God said his Sabbaths are a sign that he is the God that sanctifies his people. The second instance is in Leviticus 20:8 where God said “Keep my statutes and do them; I am the LORD who sanctifies you.” The Hebrew word Kodesh means “to sanctify.”
Jehovah Nissi
Nissi is derived from nes which means “banner.” Combined with Jehovah, it means “the Lord My Banner.” This name appears only once in the Bible, in Exodus 17:15 “And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The LORD Is My Banner.”
Jehovah Rapha
The word for “restore” or “heal” in Hebrew is Rapha. Exodus 15:26 is the only verse in the Bible that contains this name. In it, God self-identifies as “I am the LORD, your healer.” Jesus personified God as a healer by physically, emotionally, and spiritually bringing healing to people. He is also the anticipated ultimate healer when the dead will resurrect, and Christ will clothe them with immortality (1 Corinthians 15:51-54).
Jehovah Rohi
Shepherd in Hebrew is “Rô’eh.” As a protector and one who feeds and leads the flock to green pastures, it can be rendered “companion” or “friend” (rea’) by extension. Jehovah Rohi translated as the “Lord My Shepherd” or the “Lord is my Friend” expresses a close, personal relationship between God and the believer. This name appears in Genesis 48:15 and in Psalm 23:1 and 80:1.
Jehovah Sabaoth
Jehovah Sabaoth translates to “the Lord of Hosts” or “the Lord of Powers.” It occurs in the Bible often and is most used in Isaiah and Jeremiah. Sabaoth means “armies” or “hosts” and highlights the supremacy of God over both spiritual and temporal powers. The name appears from 1 Samuel to the Minor Prophets in almost 300 instances.
Jehovah Shalom
Shalom means peace and derives from shâlêm which, in turn, means “to complete.” It is a common greeting among Jews and is the last part of the name Jerusalem, which means city of peace. Jehovah Shalom means “the Lord of Peace.” It is one of the rare names, mentioned only once in the Bible, in Judges 6:24. It appears after Gideon received assurance from the angel of the Lord that he would not die in the struggle against Midian.
Jehovah Shammah
The symbolic name for the earthly Jerusalem is Jehovah Shammah. Shammah comes from a root that translates to “there.” The name means “the Lord Is There” and served as a beacon of hope to the exiled Jews that God had not completely abandoned Jerusalem. To some extent, the name prefigured the restoration of Jerusalem and the temple. Ezekiel 48:35 is the only instance in the Bible where this name appears.
Jehovah Tsidkenu
The Hebrew word Tzedek means righteousness and comes from a word meaning “straight” or “stiff.” Jehovah Tsidkenu means “the Lord is our righteousness.” It is a name that appears only twice in the Bible, in Jeremiah 23:6 and Jeremiah 33:16. Jesus is the personification of this name. In Jesus, believers are presented as righteous before the Father.
Qanna
In Hebrew, Qanna means jealous. This is often one of the most perplexing names of God to most believers. Associated with covetousness or envy, which is forbidden by the Tenth Commandment, it seems to contradict the principles of God. Surprisingly, the first of the five instances where the Bible uses this name is in the Third Commandment. In English, it says: “I the LORD your God am a jealous God.” In Hebrew, it represents a name related to a marriage relationship, where measured jealousy and exclusiveness are honorable. God often speaks of his people as a woman, depicting himself as her faithful husband. God is jealous, and not willing to share his bride with any false god.
Yahweh
Classic Hebrew does not have vowels. The letters YHWH make up the most sacred name of God and scholars call it the tetragrammaton. To avoid saying the name Yahweh, the Israelites would use the vowels of the name Adonai as vowels for YHWH, which is where the name Yahovah (Jehovah) comes from. The Bible translates the word as Lord or Jehovah. The name Yahweh derives from hayah which is a word God spoke in self-identification to Moses from the burning bush.
The list of names briefly presented in this article is not comprehensive. Several other names also highlight aspects of who God is, what his authority is, and what his character is like. The names listed here represent mostly Old Testament instances where attributes of God were highlighted as names.
