What are the various names of God in the Bible?

The word “God” in Hebrew is represented by terms like “Elohim,” “El,” “Elyon,” “Shaddai,” and “YHWH,” and in Greek, it is “Theos.” Initially, all the names of God denoted His attributes, but the original meanings of many have been lost over time, necessitating the search for new meanings: 1. **General Names:** One of the oldest and most widespread names for God known to humanity is “El” along with its derivatives “Elim,” “Elohim,” and “Eloah.” This term is general, like “Theos” and “Deus” in Greek, and can refer to anyone occupying a divine position, or even to a figure of reverence and authority among people. For instance, Moses was referred to as a god (Elohim) to Pharaoh (Exodus 7:1) and to Aaron (Exodus 4:16). It is, therefore, a general term expressing greatness and authority. In later periods of monotheism, this general term became a proper name for the God of Israel, particularly when the ancient proper name “Yah” or “YHWH” was considered too sacred to be uttered. The original meaning and relationship between “El,” “Elohim,” and “Eloah” remain obscure. The most commonly used form in the Old Testament is the plural name “Elohim,” which is regularly used with singular verbs and adjectives to indicate a singular being. Several explanations have been offered for this plural usage, such as it representing the fullness and plurality of the divine nature, a majestic plural as used for royalty, or an early reference to the Trinity. However, these theories might be more sophisticated than the mindset of early Hebrew thought. Some believe it to be a linguistic remnant from an earlier stage of thought where polytheism was prevalent, but in the Old Testament, it only refers to the general concept of divinity. 2. **Descriptive Names:** To distinguish the “God of Israel” as supreme over all other so-called gods, descriptive titles were often added. “El Elyon” refers to the God of Israel as the Most High among gods (Genesis 14:18–20). Similarly, “Yah Elyon” (the Most High Lord, Psalms 7:17) and simply “Elyon” (the Most High) are frequently used in Psalms and Isaiah (14:14). “El Shaddai” is a term traditionally translated as “God Almighty,” but its etymology and meaning are not entirely clear. Another method to refer to God is by His relationship with His worshippers, such as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Genesis 24:12, Exodus 3:6), the God of Shem (Genesis 9:26), the God of the Hebrews (Exodus 3:18), and the God of Israel (Exodus 33:20). Some names express God’s power and greatness, such as “Rock” (Deuteronomy 32:18, Isaiah 30:29), “The Mighty One” (Genesis 49:24, Isaiah 1:24, Psalms 132:2), “King,” “Lord,” “Master” (Exodus 23:17, Isaiah 10:16, Genesis 18:27, Isaiah 6:1), and “Baal,” meaning “owner” or “master.” The term “Baal” appears in some Hebrew proper names, such as Jerubbaal and Ishbaal, but it fell out of use when it became necessary to distinguish the worship of God from the worship of neighboring deities. Another term with a somewhat unclear meaning is “YHWH Sabaoth” (Lord of Hosts) or “Elohim Sabaoth” (God of Hosts). In Hebrew, the word “hosts” can refer to His armies of men, stars, or angels—collectively referred to as the “host of heaven.” In early times, the “Lord of Hosts” meant “God of War,” who led the armies of Israel (1 Samuel 4:4, 2 Samuel 7:8). In 1 Samuel 17:45, this title is paired with “the God of the armies of Israel.” Thus, all Israel is referred to as the “hosts of the Lord” (Exodus 12:41). In the prophets, where “Lord of Hosts” is commonly used, it denotes all forms of God’s power and greatness, both natural and moral (as in Isaiah 2:12, 6:3, 5, 10:23, 33), appearing alongside the title “Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 5:16, 24). From this arose the belief that it refers to the hosts of heaven, but it was actually used as a proper name in the prophets, with its original meaning possibly forgotten or lost. Nonetheless, this does not imply that a special new meaning was associated with the word “hosts,” and the general meaning of the whole term is expressed in the Septuagint translation as “the Lord Almighty.” 3. **YHWH:** This is the personal name of the God of Israel, akin to Chemosh being the god of Moab and Dagon the god of the Philistines. The original meaning and derivation of the word remain unknown, and modern theories suggest various etymologies, but the Hebrews themselves linked the name to the verb “Hayah” (to be) or “Hawaw” (to exist or to be). In Exodus 3:14, the Lord declares “Ehyeh” (I AM), a form derived from “Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh” (I AM WHO I AM), which some translate as “I AM the Self-Existent One.” However, such a metaphysical concept might be too abstract for the era when the name first appeared and foreign to the Hebrew mindset. The precise translation of the imperfect verb “Ehyeh” is “I will be what I will be,” a common notion in the Old Testament (e.g., Psalms 23). This name has been in use since the early stages of history and continued after the Babylonian exile. It is found in the oldest texts, and according to Exodus 3:13 and especially Exodus 6:2–3, Moses was the first to mention it as a means of revealing a new aspect of God to the Israelites. However, in some parts of Genesis, it seems to have been in use much earlier. Theories suggesting its derivation from Egyptian or Assyrian sources, or its etymological connection to Zeus or others, are unsupported by any evidence.