Biblical worshipers reverenced the name of the Lord, but the terminology they used varied depending on the worshipers' needs, preference, or customary usage within the community. Included here are some of the major names or titles applied to God the Father in worship.
God ('El)
'El was the original supreme god of the Semitic pantheon; the title is associated with the idea of strength or might. By the time the Israelite tribes settled in Canaan, the principal god was Ba'al ("husband" or "lord"), the divinity of popular worship, especially fertility rites. 'El had receded into the background, and his name had become a generic term for "god." Hence the name 'El could be applied to Yahweh, usually in combination with a qualifier. The following are the major compound names with 'El found in the Scripture.
Almighty God ('El shaddai)
Shaddai is sometimes used alone. It comes from a Hebrew word meaning "mountain" and carries the meaning of "mountain God," as well as the sense of strength and majesty. The thought, though not the name, is suggested in Psalm 121:1. As a title for God, 'El shaddai is largely associated with the patriarchal period; it is used often in the book of Job, which is set in that period, and it is as 'El shaddai that God changes the names of both Abram (Gen. 17:5) and Jacob (Gen. 35:10–12), in reaffirming his promise of land and descendants.
God Most High ('El 'elyon)
The root is probably 'alah which means "to go up." The name seems to have been associated with Salem (Gen. 14:18–20), a pre-Israelite designation for Jerusalem, where the Israelite sanctuary would eventually be located, and quite possibly came into use in Israel through Jebusites who converted to the worship of Yahweh. In the Psalms, the name is usually associated with Zion, either as 'El 'elyon or simply 'Elyon (Pss. 46:4, 50:14; 91:1; 92:1).
Mighty God ('El gibbor)
The term gibbor, which describes a military man or warrior (1 Chron. 27:6), is frequently applied to God (Isa. 9:6; 10:21; Hab. 1:12). Psalm 24:8 celebrates "The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle."
Eternal God ('El 'olam)
In Beersheba, Abraham called on the name of Yahweh, the everlasting or "Eternal God" (Gen. 21:33). The word 'olam refers to continuous existence or long duration, both past and future. Eternity is ascribed to God as the sustainer of the creation, and more significantly, as the guarantor of the stability and enduring quality of the covenant with his people; the expression "everlasting covenant" occurs a number of times in Scripture (b'rit 'olam, Gen. 9:16; Isa. 61:8; Jer. 50:5; Ezek. 37:26; Ps. 105:10; diath'k' ai?niou, Heb. 13:20). The "Song of Moses" (Deut. 32:40) presents a picture of the Lord taking a covenant oath, lifting his hand and swearing, "as I live forever [l'olam]." The phrase "eternal God" occurs also in Isaiah 40:28, using another Hebrew word for God ('Elohei 'olam).
The Living God ('El ai, Theos zontos)
The expression "living God" describes Yahweh as a God of energy, vitality, and wrath. The name is associated with the ark (Josh. 3:10) and, in the longer form 'Elohim 'ayyim, with the armies of Israel (1 Sam. 17:26, 36). The psalmists cry out for the presence of the living God in the sanctuary ('El 'ai, Pss. 42:2; 84:2). Moses refers to the living God speaking from the midst of the fire in the Sinai covenant, and Jeremiah speaks of the wrath of Yahweh, "the living God, the eternal King" (Jer. 10:10). These expressions (both 'Elohim 'ayyim) form the background for the warning of the author of Hebrews, "It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Theos zontos, Heb. 10:31; cf. Rev. 7:2). Peter confessed Jesus as the Christ, "Son of the living God" (Matt. 16:16). Perhaps in allusion to the presence of the living God with the hosts of Israel, the New Testament church is called "the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth" (1 Tim. 3:15) and "Mount Zion … the city of the living God" (Heb. 12:22).
The Mighty One, God Yahweh ('El 'Elohim Yahveh)
This expression occurs in Psalm 50:1; similar expressions are "great and mighty God" ('El haggadol haggibbor, Jer. 32:18) and "the God great and mighty and awesome" (Ha'El haggadol haggibbor v'hannora', Deut. 10:17; Neh. 9:32). These phrases are examples of the tendency of Semitic worshipers to pile up expressions in an attempt to convey the overpowering majesty of the Lord. The word awesome in Hebrew is nora', literally, "to be feared." It communicates the worshiper's response of trembling or awe in the presence of the might and mystery of the Holy One; it is derived from the root y-r-', the base for Hebrew words having to do with reverence and respect for God. Hebrew has no word for religion but conveys the idea through expressions such as "the fear of Yahweh" (Prov. 1:7; 9:10).
Deity ('Elohim)
Far more common than 'El, as applied to Yahweh, is the term 'Elohim, the plural of 'Eloah, "god." The singular form is not found in the Hebrew Scriptures. In the New Testament, Theos translates both 'El and 'Elohim as a general term for God; usually it is preceded by the definite article, literally "the God."
God
'Elohim is the common Hebrew title for any divinity; since, for Israel, Yahweh is the only relevant divinity, he is called 'Elohim by his people, frequently with no qualifiers. In Scripture, the word 'Elohim can refer to pagan gods (Josh. 24:2; Ps. 96:4–5), to angelic beings (Ps. 8:5), or even to prominent or powerful people such as judges or princes (Ps. 82:6). As applied to Yahveh, the plural 'Elohim always takes a singular verb or modifier. Use of the plural conveys the idea of importance or majesty, a common practice in Semitic languages. It does not have implications for the doctrine of the Trinity, as is sometimes suggested. In a group of the Psalms found in Books II and III, 'Elohim appears to have been substituted by scribes for an original Yahveh; scholars occasionally refer to this part of the Psalms as the "Elohistic Psalter."
God of Jacob ('Elohei Ya'qov); God of Israel ('Elohei Yisra'el)
Since Jacob and Israel are the same, these titles are equivalent. (Examples of the first are Isa. 2:3; Pss. 46:7; 81:1, 4; the second, which is more common, occurs in Exod. 24:10; Josh. 22:24; Isa. 45:3; Ruth 2:12; 1 Chron. 4:10; Theos Isra'l, Matt. 15:31). Yahweh is the God who belongs specifically to Jacob, or Israel, by virtue of the covenant established at Mount Sinai. In pagan thought, gods ruled specific localities; thus Israel, when in Egypt, could have been expected to transfer its allegiance from the God who had met Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in Canaan, to the gods of Goshen, where they were residing. At Sinai, however, they entered into covenant with one particular God whose name was Yahweh, in this case using the Hebrew construct form 'Elohei or "God of" Jacob.
Lord ('Adon); My Lordship ('Adonai)
'Adonai is the plural form with the pronominal suffix. These are covenant titles for Yahweh; the plural form denotes majesty or increased status. Under ancient treaty structure the great king who entered into covenant with a lesser monarch was known as the "lord," while his vassal was the "servant." Because Israel, unlike the pagan nations around it, had entered into covenant with its God, they knew Yahweh as "the Lord" and regarded themselves as his servants (2 Chron. 6:22–23).
Jewish worshipers used 'adon and ''donai as substitutes for the divine name Yahveh. The Hebrew alphabet does not have vowels, but in the early Christian centuries Jewish scholars known as Masoretes devised a system of vocalization, or "points," to show the vowel pronunciations in the biblical text. Devout Jews considered the name Yahveh too sacred to be pronounced, so when reading the Scriptures in worship they substituted the word Lord. In the text, scribes inserted the vowel points for 'Adonai into the name Yahveh (written YHWH) as a reminder to the reader to use 'Adonai instead. Translators of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries did not understand this practice and sometimes combined the vowel sounds for 'Adonai with the consonants for Yahveh, creating the name "Jehovah," which was unknown in ancient times. English versions usually substitute the term the Lord where the name Yahveh occurs in the Hebrew, often using capital letters to indicate the substitution (the Lord).
Yahweh (the Lord)
Yahveh (usually Yahweh in English texts) is the personal or covenant name of God. By this name the Lord introduced himself to Moses at the burning bush (Exod. 3:13–15). The biblical text relates it to the Hebrew verb "to be," and translates it "I am." Taken literally, the Lord's statement to Moses was, 'ehyeh ''sher 'ehyeh, or "I will be who I will be." The name Yahveh seems to express his dynamic character, as the God who is revealed through events in history. He identifies himself in terms of the patriarchs who worshiped him, "the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob" (Exod. 3:15). Although the narrative suggests that Yahweh was unknown to Israel at the time he first appeared to Moses, the name was not a new one; the Bible relates that people began to call on the name of Yahweh in the time of Enosh, a grandson of Adam (Gen. 4:26). The original form of the name may have been Yah, which appears by itself several times in the Old Testament (Ps. 68:4) and as the ending of the exclamation Hallelujah! (praise Yah!). Another form may have been Yahu, as in the Hebrew forms of many names such as Isaiah (Y'sha'yahu, "salvation of Yahu"), Jeremiah, Adonijah, Hilkiah, Hezekiah, Benaiah, and so on.
In Christian worship, the name of the Lord is sometimes combined with other terms that qualify his relationship to the worshiper. In the Bible, however, many of these are not actually names of Yahweh. They are often names given to places where he manifests himself in a special way to his people. The following is a discussion of the best-known phrases that belong in this category. (Because of its importance, the expression "Lord of hosts" is treated separately.)
The Lord Our Provider (Yahveh yir'eh)
This expression, familiar in English as "Jehovah Jireh," literally means "Yahweh will see," in the sense of provide (just as we say, "I'll see to it"). Abraham gave this name to the place where the Lord provided a ram as the substitute for the sacrifice of Isaac (Gen. 22:14).
The Lord My Banner (Yahveh nissi)
The banner, nes, was actually a standard or ensign used to rally an army in battle. After Israel's victory over the Amalekites, Moses built an altar and gave it this name (Exod. 17:15).
The Lord Your Healer (Yahveh rof'ekha)
Following the Exodus from Egypt, the Israelites came to a place where the water was undrinkable. After providing sweet water for them, the Lord promised that if the people would obey him he would protect them from the diseases of Egypt as their healer (Exod. 15:26).
The Lord Our Righteousness (Yahveh tzidqenu)
The prophet Jeremiah used this as a title, not for Yahweh, but for the ideal Davidic king who is to reign with justice (Jer. 23:6). In the New Testament the word righteousness (dikaiosun') is applied to Jesus Christ, who fulfills this expectation (1 Cor. 1:30; cf. 2 Pet. 1:1; 1 John 2:1).
The Lord Is Peace (Yahveh shalom)
Gideon gave this name to an altar he built after the messenger of the Lord had appeared to him and called him to lead the Israelites against their Midianite oppressors. Because Gideon had seen a manifestation of God, he was afraid he would be struck dead (Judg. 6:11–24). But the messenger reassured him, saying, "Peace! Do not be afraid" (v. 23). From the context, it is obvious that the Lord's "peace" (shalom) is not the absence of war; Gideon was being summoned to begin a war. Rather, in the context of life under the condition of sin and conflict, "peace" in the Bible means wholeness, health, salvation, prosperity, blessing, success. The prophetic hope for the ultimate perfection of all things, however, envisions a peace that includes the cessation of war, conflict, and fear (Mic. 4:3; Isa. 2:4).
The Lord Is There (Yahveh shammah)
Ezekiel, prophesying during the exile in Babylon, specified this name for the city where the sanctuary was to be restored (Ezek. 48:35). It is a wordplay on the name of Jerusalem in Hebrew (Y'rushalayim). Strictly speaking, it is not a name for the Lord. However, Christians understand that the Lord God himself is the temple in the new Jerusalem, the worshiping church (Rev. 21:22), and in that sense it is a name for God.
Lord of Hosts.
We may derive the meanings of the names of God from the ways Israel used them in worship. Yahveh, as his covenant name, is associated with the ark of the covenant and often appears in combination with the term tz?va'ot, "armies," as in "Lord of hosts" (Yahveh tz?va'ot, 2 Sam. 7:26; Pss. 24:10; 84:1; Isa. 9:7), or "Lord of hosts" ('Adonai Yahveh tz?va'ot, Jer. 32:18 nasb). (Host is an old English word meaning "army.") These expressions are the battle names of the Lord; as Israel's covenant Lord or King, Yahweh, symbolized by the ark, which was his throne and the place of his presence, led the nation into war (1 Sam. 4:1–11). The cry preserved in Numbers 10:35–36 and Psalm 132:8, "Arise, O Lord, and come to your resting place, you and the ark of your might," expressed this idea. The concept appears also in Psalm 24:7–10 when the Lord enters the gates of the sanctuary, probably reflecting a procession led by the ark, and in Psalm 10:12, when the psalmist asks the Lord to avenge his people. The title "Lord of hosts" appears also in the New Testament, the Hebrew word for hosts being taken over in transliteration (Kurios sabaoth, Rom. 9:29; James 5:4).
