There is so much in a name—it becomes a part of your identity, and to those who know you your name paints an instant mental picture of who you are. In Biblical times, names were chosen as descriptions of an individual or predictors of their future lives. You could learn a lot about a person just from hearing his or her name.
God is called by many names in the Bible—always clearly describing the One True God, but each name embracing a different aspect of His character. Just reading through the names of God and reflecting on what they say about who He is can give you a beautiful picture of our Creator. Here are some of the names of God found throughout the Bible, in order of how many times they are used:
Yahweh, Jehovah (or YHWH): Used 6,519 times in the Bible
Meaning “Lord and Master,” Yahweh is the proper name for God. The name of God is so holy, the Jews began to stop saying it altogether for fear of taking His name in vain. Yahweh is often abbreviated by the tetragrammaton YHWH—there is much debate about how this name was pronounced, it could also be read as “Jehovah.”
In the Bible, where the original Yahweh, YHWH or Jehovah was written, it’s typically translated in the English Bible as LORD in all capital letters.
Elohim: Used 2,599 times in the Bible
This is the name for God that appears first in the Bible, and its meaning sets God high above all others. It also has a plural connotation, which alludes to God’s triune nature:
“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” ~Genesis 1:26 (KJV)
El Olam: Used 439 times in the Bible
The “El” you see in this name (and many others) is likely a shortening of the name Elohim, and Olam means “everlasting” or eternal. El Olam means everlasting God, and this name reminds us that God exists above and beyond all time. He is eternal, unending—He has always been God, and He always will be God.
Adonai: Used 434 times in the Bible
Meaning lord, master or owner, Adonai is translated as “Lord” (not all-caps) in the Bible. This name for God demonstrates that He is in control of everything, that He is over all and deserves all honor.
Jehovah Sabaoth: Used 285 times in the Bible
Combining the proper name of God (Jehovah, Yahweh) and Sabaoth (going to battle, war), this name for God means Lord of Hosts, Lord of Armies. This name describes the fact that God is in control of a huge army of heavenly hosts, an angel army that cannot be defeated. God is ready to go to war against His enemies, and ready to defend His children at all times. He is powerful, mighty, and in possession of limitless resources.
El Elyon: Used 52 times in the Bible
Translated as “Most High God,” this name again combines El with another descriptive word—Elyon, which means Most High.
El Elyon is a name that reminds us that God is above all, He is set on high and His power and majesty transcend all things.
El Shaddai: Used 48 times in the Bible
This name for God has several meanings. The first speaks of God as a provider, caring for and protecting His people. God is a loving, nurturing Father who cares deeply for His children and provides abundantly for those who love Him.
The second meaning of El Shaddai describes the overpowering might of the Lord. He is able to do all things, and nothing can stand up to His perfect will.
El Shaddai is often translated as “Lord God Almighty” in the Bible.
El Qanna: Used 6 times in the Bible
The meaning of this name is “Jealous God.” While we think of jealousy as a bad thing, the jealousy of God is an entirely different animal. God loves us so passionately, He desires our love in return. He cannot tolerate our worship of idols, or our tendency to forget about Him and chase after other things. In addition, God guards us with jealousy—He won’t stand for others leading His children astray and will fight to keep us close.
El Roi: Used once in the Bible
Hagar (Sarah’s handmaid) gave this name to God when she fled into the desert. The Lord did not leave Hagar alone there, and she called Him The God Who Sees Me—“El Roi.”
This name has significance because Hagar is the only person in the Bible to have given God a name. When we feel abandoned, lost, unseen and uncared for, it’s a comforting reminder that our God is El Roi—He sees us! He cares for us. None of our suffering goes unnoticed, we are never alone and we are not abandoned because the God Who Sees Us is always near.
There are many other names of God in the Bible—Jehovah Jireh (The Lord Provides), Jehovah Rapha (The Lord Who Heals You), Jehovah Raah (The Lord is My Shepherd), and more. Take a moment to look up the other names of God and spend some time thinking about what they say about the nature of our strong, loving, protective Father. Knowing the names of God gives you a new way to call out to Him in prayer and worship!