Hebrew Names of God
In ancient Hebrew society, names held deep significance, often reflecting a person's character, destiny, or divine purpose. Similarly, the Hebrew names of God found throughout the Bible offer insights into His nature, character, and relationship with humanity. The Hebrew Bible presents a variety of names or words used to address God, such as Yahweh, "I am," Elohim, Eloha, El, Adon, and Yah. In this study will examine all these names as well as name combinations found in the Old Testament, which convey various aspects of God's character.
Elohim, Ehieh or Yahweh?
Then Moses asked God (אֱלהִים-Elohim), “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is His name?’ What should I tell them?” God (אֱלהִים-Elohim) said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM (אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה-Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh) This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM (אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה-Ehyeh) has sent me to you.’ ”God also told Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD (יְהוָֹה-Yahweh), the God (אֱלהִים-Elohim) of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.
Let’s untangle this.
אֱלהִים
Elohim
In Genesis the first word used to address God is “אֱלהִים“ “Elohim” which means divine or superhuman beings, godlike ones or divine representatives, it is not specific to the Creator. “Elohim” comes from singular "אֱלוֹהַּ" “Eloha”, which in turn comes from the base root ”אֵל” “El”. “Elohim” is used 2598 times throughout the Old Testament.
In the beginning God (אֱלהִים-Elohim) created the heavens and the earth.
“Elohim” is a plural noun yet in the creation account the verbs used together with it are singular.
But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children; I do not want to go free,’ then his master is to bring him before the judges (אֱלהִים-Elohim). And he shall take him to the door or doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he shall serve his master for life.
In this passage the "judges" are God’s representatives carrying out His will.
In the psalm below you can see examples of “Elohim” used for both God and His representatives, Israel.
1 God (אֱלהִים-Elohim) presides in the divine (אֵל-El) assembly; He renders judgment among the gods (אֱלהִים-Elohim): 2 “How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah 3 Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; uphold the rights of the afflicted and oppressed. 4 Rescue the weak and needy; save them from the hand of the wicked. 5 They do not know or understand; they wander in the darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. 6 I have said, ‘You are gods (אֱלהִים-Elohim); you are all sons of the Most High.’ 7 But like mortals you will die, and like rulers you will fall.” 8 Arise, O God (אֱלהִים-Elohim), judge the earth, for all the nations are Your inheritance.
The word “Elohim” is also used for false gods.
And on that day I will surely hide My face because of all the evil they have done by turning to other gods (אֱלהִים-Elohim).
אֱלוֹהַּ
Eloha
Eloha or Eloah is a singular version of Elohim, meaning "Deity", just like Elohim, Eloha is not exclusive to the Creator and can address false gods as well. It is a relatively rare word in the Bible and is only used 60 times.
The first time we see Eloha is in Deuteronomy 32, in the song of Moses, in this passage it addresses the God of Israel.
15 But Jeshurun (Israel) grew fat and kicked—becoming fat, bloated, and gorged. He abandoned the God (אֱלוֹהַּ-Eloha) who made him and scorned the Rock of his salvation. 16 They provoked His jealousy with foreign gods (literally "foreign ones"); they enraged Him with abominations. 17 They sacrificed to demons, not to God (אֱלוֹהַּ-Eloha), to gods (אֱלהִים-Elohim) they had not known, to newly arrived gods (literally "the new ones"), which your fathers did not fear.
In Daniel 11 the same word is used for false gods.
37 He will show no regard for the gods (אֱלהִים-Elohim) of his fathers, nor for the one desired by women, nor for any other god (אֱלוֹהַּ-Eloha), because he will magnify himself above them all. 38 And in their place, he will honor a god (אֱלוֹהַּ-Eloha) of fortresses—a god (אֱלוֹהַּ-Eloha) his fathers did not know—with gold, silver, precious stones, and riches.
אֵל
El
The word “אֵל” “El” is the most basic root word used for God, it can be found in many other semitic languages with some variations, it is translated as God, godly, great, idol, mighty one, power and strong, it occurs 248 times in the Bible.
The first time it appears in the text is in Genesis 14 when we meet Melchizedek:
Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine—since he was priest of God (אֵל-El) Most High.
“El” is often used in a combination with other words as you can see in the samples below:
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אֵ֥ל עֶלְיֽוֹן “El Elion” God Most High ( Genesis 14:18 )
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אֵ֣ל רֳאִ֑י “El Raai” God who sees me ( Genesis 16:13 )
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אֵ֣ל שַׁדַּ֔י “El Shadai” God Almighty ( Genesis 17:1 )
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אֵ֥ל עוֹלָֽם “El Olam” Everlasting God ( Genesis 21:33 )
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אֵ֣ל קַנָּ֔א “El Kane” Jealous God ( Exodus 20:5 )
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אֵ֥ל רַח֖וּם וְחַנּ֑וּן “El Rahum VeHanun” God compassionate and gracious ( Exodus 34:6 )
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אֵ֕ל אֱלֹהֵ֥י הָרוּחֹ֖ת “El Elohei Ruhot” God of the spirits ( Numbers 16:22 )
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הָאֵל֙ הַֽנֶּאֱמָ֔ן “HaEl HaNeeman” Faithful God ( Deuteronomy 7:9 )
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אֵ֥ל גָּד֖וֹל וְנוֹרָֽא “El Gadol VeNora” Great and Awesome God ( Deuteronomy 7:21 )
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אֵ֤ל אֱמוּנָה֙ ”El Emuna” God of faithfulness ( Deuteronomy 32:4 )
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אֵ֥ל מְחֹלְלֶֽךָ ”El Meholelecha” God that formed you ( Deuteronomy 32:18 )
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אֵ֥ל חַ֖י ”El Hai” Living God ( Joshua 3:10 )
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אֵ֤ל דֵּעוֹת֙ ”El Deot” God of knowledge ( 1 Samuel 2:3 )
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הָאֵ֕ל הַנֹּתֵ֥ן נְקָמֹ֖ת “HaEl HaNoten Nekamot” God that avenges ( 2 Samuel 22:48 )
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אֵֽל הַכָּב֥וֹד ”El HaKavod” God of glory ( Psalm 29:3 )
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אֵ֣ל אֱמֶֽת “El Emet” God of truth ( Psalm 31:5 )
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אֵל֮ שִׂמְחַ֪ת גִּ֫ילִ֥י "El Simhati Gili” God my exceeding joy ( Psalm 43:4 )
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אֵ֤ל יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל "El Israel” God of Israel ( Psalm 68:35 )
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אֵ֣ל גִּבּ֔וֹר "El Gibor” Mighty God ( Isaiah 9:6 )
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אֵ֧ל יְשׁוּעָתִ֛י "El Yeshuati” God my salvation ( Isaiah 12:2 )
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אֵ֣ל אֵלִ֔ים "El Elim” God of Gods ( Daniel 11:36 )
אֲד֖וֹן
Adon
”אֲד֖וֹן” ”Adon” simply means “Lord”, most of the time it appears together with Yahweh as “אֲדֹנָי יְהוָ֥ה“ “Adonai Yahweh”, which means "My Lord Yahweh". “Adon” is not specific to God but is mostly used to address Him, it appears 448 times in the Bible.
But Abram replied, “O Lord (אֲדֹנָי-Adon) GOD (יְהוָ֥ה-Yahweh), what can You give me, since I remain childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”
Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord (אֲד֖וֹן-Aadon) of all the earth will go ahead of you into the Jordan.
יְהוָֹה
Yahweh
“יְהוָֹה” “Yahweh”, often pronounced as ”Jehovah” or "Yehovah" is the proper name of the God of Israel (Exodus 3:13-15). “Yahweh” comes from Hebrew root “להיות-lihiot“ “to be” and means the one who is, the absolute and unchangeable one, the existing one, the one bringing into being, giver of existence, creator. "Yahweh" is translated as GOD or LORD and appears 6220 times in the Bible. In Judaism “HaShem” (the Name) is used instead of “Yahweh”.
The first time we see “Yahweh” together with “Elohim” is in Genesis 2:4 and “Yahweh” on it’s own in Genesis 4:1.
“With the help of the LORD (יְהוָ֥ה-Yahweh) I have brought forth a man,” she said.
Below are “Yahweh” combinations:
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יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים “Yahweh Elohim” - The LORD God ( Genesis 2:4 )
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יְהוָ֥ה רֹפְאֶֽךָ “Yahweh Raphecha” - The LORD your Healer ( Exodus 15:26 )
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יְהוָ֥ה נִסִּֽי “Yahweh Nisi” - The LORD my Banner ( Exodus 17:15 )
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יְהוָ֥ה שָׁל֑וֹם “Yahweh Shalom” - The LORD of Peace ( Judges 6:24 )
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יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֔וֹת ”Yahweh Tsavaot” - The LORD of armies ( 1 Samuel 17:45 )
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יְהוָ֥ה רֹ֝עִ֗י “Yahweh Roi” - The LORD my Shepherd ( Psalms 23:1 )
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יְהוָ֥ה צִדְקֵֽנוּ “Yahweh Tsidkeinu” - The LORD our Righteousness ( Jeremiah 23:6 )
יָהּ
Yah
”יָהּ” ”Yah” is a short version of "יְהוָ֥ה" ”Yahweh” using the first and the last letters of the name, it is only used in a few books of the Bible and appears 48 times. The word Hallelujah is a combination of “הַֽלְלוּ” and “יָהּ“ and is a directive to praise Yah.
The LORD (יָהּ-Yah) is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation.
אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה
Ehyeh
God (אֱלהִים-Elohim) said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM (אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה). This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM (אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה-Ehyeh) has sent me to you.’ ”
This is the only place in the Old Testament where God calls himself “אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה” “Ehieh”, it is translated as “I Am”, literally it means “I will be”, “אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה“ “Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh“ means “I will be what I will be”. Just like “Yahweh” the root of “Ehyeh” is “to be”, and for God as being outside of time, present or future is the same, but for us “I will be” points to something in the future, something we will find in the New Testament.
“Truly, truly, I tell you,” Jesus declared, “before Abraham was, I am!”
As we conclude our exploration of the Hebrew names of God, let us carry with us a renewed appreciation for the richness and depth of God's identity. From "Elohim" to "Yahweh," each name offers a glimpse into the majesty, mercy, and mystery of our Creator.
May our study of these names inspire us to draw closer to God, to worship Him with reverence and awe, and to live in alignment with His will. May we continually seek to deepen our understanding of His character and to reflect His love and grace to the world around us.
Further reading: