Name of God

Exodus 3:4–10 NKJV

So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” Moreover He said, “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God. And the Lord said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites. Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”

The Bible presents many names and titles of God, each revealing different aspects of His character, attributes, and roles in the lives of His people. Below is a list of some of the most significant names of God found in the Bible:

1. Elohim (אֱלֹהִים)

Meaning: God, Creator, Mighty One.

Scripture Reference: Genesis 1:1 – "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."

Significance: This name emphasizes God's power as Creator and the fact that He is the sovereign ruler of all creation.

2. Yahweh (Jehovah) (יְהוָה)

Meaning: I AM, LORD, The Eternal One.

Scripture Reference: Exodus 3:14 – "God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM.'"

Significance: Yahweh is the personal, covenant name of God, signifying His eternal, self-existent nature. It is often rendered as "LORD" in English translations.

3. El Shaddai (אֵל שַׁדַּי)

Meaning: God Almighty, All-Sufficient One.

Scripture Reference: Genesis 17:1 – "When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, 'I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless.'"

Significance: This name reflects God's ultimate power and sufficiency to meet all needs.

4. Adonai (אֲדֹנָי)

Meaning: Lord, Master.

Scripture Reference: Psalm 8:1 – "O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!"

Significance: Adonai emphasizes God’s sovereignty and authority over all creation.

5. El Elyon (אֵל עֶלְיוֹן)

Meaning: The Most High God.

Scripture Reference: Genesis 14:18-20 – "Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High."

Significance: El Elyon reflects God's supremacy and His position above all other powers.

6. El Roi (אֵל רֳאִי)

Meaning: The God Who Sees.

Scripture Reference: Genesis 16:13 – "She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: 'You are the God who sees me.'"

Significance: El Roi indicates that God sees and cares for His people, no matter their circumstances.

7. Jehovah Jireh (יְהוָה יִרְאֶה)

Meaning: The LORD Will Provide.

Scripture Reference: Genesis 22:14 – "So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide."

Significance: This name is revealed when God provided a ram as a substitute for Isaac, showing that God will always provide for our needs.

8. Jehovah Rapha (יְהוָה רָפָא)

Meaning: The LORD Who Heals.

Scripture Reference: Exodus 15:26 – "He said, 'If you listen carefully to the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you.'"

Significance: Jehovah Rapha reveals God as the healer of both physical and spiritual ailments.

9. Jehovah Nissi (יְהוָה נִסִּי)

Meaning: The LORD is My Banner.

Scripture Reference: Exodus 17:15 – "Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner."

Significance: This name was given after God gave victory to Israel over the Amalekites, symbolizing that God is our protector and our victory.

10. Jehovah Shalom (יְהוָה שָׁלוֹם)

Meaning: The LORD is Peace.

Scripture Reference: Judges 6:24 – "So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD is Peace."

Significance: God is the source of true peace, both in our hearts and in the world.

11. Jehovah Tsidkenu (יְהוָה צִדְקֵנוּ)

Meaning: The LORD Our Righteousness.

Scripture Reference: Jeremiah 23:6 – "This is the name by which he will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness."

Significance: This name emphasizes God’s provision of righteousness through Christ, who is our righteousness.

12. Jehovah Shammah (יְהוָה שָׁמָּה)

Meaning: The LORD is There.

Scripture Reference: Ezekiel 48:35 – "The distance around the entire city will be six miles. And the name of the city from that time on will be: THE LORD IS THERE."

Significance: Jehovah Shammah signifies God's presence with His people. He is always near, providing His presence and protection.

13. Abba (אבא)

Meaning: Father (a term of intimacy and relationship).

Scripture Reference: Romans 8:15 – "The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.'"

Significance: "Abba" is an Aramaic term meaning "father," but used in a deeply intimate, personal sense, highlighting our relationship with God as our loving, caring Father.

14. Theos (Θεός)

Meaning: God.

Scripture Reference: John 1:1 – "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

Significance: This is the most common Greek word for God in the New Testament. It emphasizes the divine essence and the supreme Creator of all.

15. El Olam (אֵל עוֹלָם)

Meaning: The Everlasting God.

Scripture Reference: Genesis 21:33 – "Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the LORD, the Eternal God."

Significance: El Olam refers to God’s eternal, unchanging nature. He is the God of all ages, beyond time and space.

16. The Alpha and the Omega (Ἀλφα καὶ Ὠμέγα)

Meaning: The Beginning and the End.

Scripture Reference: Revelation 22:13 – "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End."

Significance: These titles reflect the eternal nature of God, declaring that He is the beginning of all things and the one who will bring all things to completion.

17. Immanuel (עִמָּנוּאֵל)

Meaning: God With Us.

Scripture Reference: Matthew 1:23 – "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel (which means 'God with us')."

Significance: Immanuel points to the incarnation of Christ, revealing that God is with His people in a personal and intimate way.

These names of God offer a glimpse into the many facets of His nature: His sovereignty, His care, His power, His presence, and His love. Each name invites believers into a deeper understanding of who God is and how He relates to His people throughout history and in their lives today.