Names of God in the Bible: Verses and Meaning

"...His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6b)

Names of God in the Bible

The Bible contains various names for God, each of which represents a unique way through which God reveals Himself to humanity. The most used names for God throughout Scripture are: Elohim, Adonai, El Roi, El Shaddai, Jehovah Jireh, Jehovah Rapha, Jehovah Shalom, Yahweh, YHWH, and LORD.

These names are not just mere titles or labels, but they are a reflection of God's character and nature. By studying the names of God in the Bible and their meanings, we gain insights into who God is and how He relates to us.

"Jehovah" Names of God

Many names of God include Jehovah, a Yahweh variant translated into English as LORD. These are:

Jehovah Jireh: The LORD our provider (Genesis 22:14)

"So Abraham called the name of that place, "The LORD will provide"; as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided."

Jehovah Rapha: The LORD our Healer (Exodus 15:26)

"Saying, "If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer."

Jehovah Nissi: The LORD our Banner (Exodus 17:15)

"And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The LORD Is My Banner,"

Jehovah Shalom: The LORD our Peace (Judges 6:24)

"Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD and called it, The LORD Is Peace. To this day it still stands at Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites."

Jehovah Raah: The LORD our Shepherd (Psalms 23:1)

"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want."

Jehovah Tsidkenu: The LORD our Righteousness (Jeremiah 23:6)

"In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: 'The LORD is our righteousness.'"

Jehovah Shammah: The LORD is Here (Ezekiel 48:35)

"The circumference of the city shall be 18,000 cubits. And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The LORD Is There."

YHWH LORD: the Personal Name of God

The "personal name of God", the Tetragrammaton (YHWH), unlike titles such as "God" is considered to be a distinct, personal name by which God revealed Himself to Moses and the earliest place in Scripture where God gives us his name is found in Exodus 3:13-15, in response to Moses asking who he should tell the Israelites who has sent him:

Moses said to God, “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?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God 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, the name you shall call me from generation to generation (Exodus 3:13-15).

In this passage, we see two names that God gives himself, emphasizing the second in a decree. In two more places, we find him declaring this same name of LORD.

And the LORD said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion (Exodus 33:19).

“I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols (Isaiah 42:8).

Other Names of God in Scripture:

Abba Father: For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:15).

Adonai: Adonai is a Hebrew word that translates as "Lord" of "Lord Master" from its derivation "sovereignty." In 1 Samuel 24:8, when David has the chance to take the life of the King of Israel, Saul, who is trying to kill him, and he chooses to spare Saul, he emerges from a cave he has been hiding and calls Saul, “My lord,” its root form in the Hebrew similar to Adonai.

Psalm 8:1 (ESV) – "O LORD (Yahweh), our Lord (Adonai), how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens."

Alpha and Omega: In the last book of the Bible, Jesus reveals himself as "the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." Present at the world's beginning, Jesus will also be present at its end, when he and his work are finally and fully revealed. "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." Revelation 22:13

Ancient of Days: God is referenced as the "Ancient of Days" three times in the book of Daniel, chapter 7. The venerable appearance of old age was uppermost in the writer's mind. "What Daniel sees is not the eternal God Himself, but an aged man, in whose dignified and impressive form God reveals Himself

El Roi: "The God who sees me" - used by Hagar in Genesis 16.

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Elohim: Elohim is the Hebrew word for God that appears in the very first sentence of the Bible. Genesis 1:1 says, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." It literally says, "In the beginning Elohim, Elohim created the heaven and the earth." The term "Elohim" means “supreme one” or “mighty one.”

El Elyon: El Elyon, God Might High, or sometimes LORD Most High is used through Scripture to refer to the LORD, Creator of heaven and earth. Psalm 57:2 says, “I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me.”

Jesus: On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived (Luke 2:21)

Friend of Sinners: The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds (Matthew 11:19).

Names of God in Prophecy

In the prophecies regarding Jesus, he’s given many names.

Wonderful Counselor. Mighty God. Everlasting Father. Prince of Peace: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6).

Ruler of Israel: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times” (Micah 5:2).

Immanuel: "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and she will call Him Immanuel "(Isaiah 7:14).

Branch: "Listen then, Joshua, you who are the High Priest; and listen, you fellow priests of his, you that are the sign of a good future: I will reveal my servant, who is called The Branch!" (Zechariah 3:8, GNT).

Lion of Judah: "Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals" (Revelation 5:5).

Names that God Called Himself

El-Shaddai, God Almighty: When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai —‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life (Genesis 17:1, NLT).

The Good Shepherd: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep (John 10:11).

Physician: But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” (Matthew 9:12, ESV).

Why are the Names of God Important?

If you don't know all the names of God, does that make you a bad Christian? Of course not. There are hundreds of names and titles for God scattered throughout Scripture. Even some of the most mature Christians in the faith may not know all of them.

But we should learn the names of God because they help us to know his character more. Let's say we are dealing with a health crisis. If we know that God is called the Great Physician, that can give us great comfort. We can take refuge in that name if we know him as the Healer. God's names not only give us comfort, but they also give us insight into the many facets of who he is.

Different names tell different stories. El Shaddai will tell us a different story than Elohim. Because we are finite beings, we have trouble grasping the magnitude of our God. But when we learn the different names of Jesus, we can better understand. The more we understand something or someone, the greater the relationship.

Are these all the names of God? No. There is no exhaustive list of names for God. God has many names.

Our God is everlasting; we give Him names to relate to and understand Him. For example, in my book Emerging With Wings, I call him The Pursuer. That name's purpose is to reveal the heart of God and how he doesn’t give up on us.

Jesus asked his disciples who people said he was. The answer was various names. He then responded, “But what about you?” He asked. “Who do you say I am?” (Matthew 16:15)

Danielle Bernock is an international, award-winning author, coach, and speaker who helps people embrace their value and heal their souls through the power of the love of God. She’s written Emerging With Wings, A Bird Named Payn, Love’s Manifesto, Because You Matter, and hosts the Victorious Souls Podcast. A long-time follower of Christ, Danielle lives with her husband in Michigan near her adult children and grandchildren. For more information or to connect with Danielle https://www.daniellebernock.com/

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The Names of God in the Bible: Verses and Meaning