Alright folks, today I wanted to figure out all the names for God in the Bible and why there seem to be so many important ones. Started simple – I just grabbed my Bible, a notebook, and a big cup of coffee. Figured I’d flip through and jot down every different name I spotted for God.
First thing, right there in Genesis, “God” pops up constantly. Easy enough. But then I hit Genesis 2:4 and saw “LORD God” instead. Huh. Typed that down. Kept reading, and bam, more names started showing up. “God Almighty” in Genesis 17:1 – wrote that one too. Then came stuff like “The LORD will Provide” in Genesis 22. Felt kinda messy.
The Confusion Phase
Flipped to Exodus 3. Moses asks God’s name at the burning bush. God says “I AM WHO I AM.” Also says, “Tell them I AM has sent me.” Okay, that’s deep. Then He says “LORD” (like in all caps). Remembered seeing “LORD” lots in my Old Testament. Got confused. Why is it written differently? Grabbed another translation. Same thing – GOD in some places, LORD in others, specific names like “Jehovah Jireh.” Started feeling overwhelmed. How many are there? Why use different names?
Digging Deeper
Decided I needed more tools. Pulled out my Strong’s Concordance (dusty!). Looked up those names. Found something cool:
- Elohim – That’s the Hebrew word usually translated as “God” early in Genesis. Sounds powerful, like Creator God.
- Yahweh (or Jehovah) – This is the personal name. Found out that “LORD” (all caps) in English Bibles usually hides this Hebrew name, Yahweh. Mind kinda blown there.
- Adonai – Means “Lord” or “Master.” Used a lot by people talking to God.
And then I found all those compound names:
- El Elyon – God Most High
- El Shaddai – God Almighty
- Yahweh Rapha – The LORD Who Heals
Seriously, felt like opening a treasure chest of names!
The “Why So Many?” Lightbulb Moment
Started seeing the pattern. It wasn’t random. The different names tell us different things about God. It’s not just multiple names; it’s like revealing different sides of who God is through history.
- When they called Him El Shaddai (God Almighty), it was stressing His raw power, especially during the patriarchs and promises.
- His personal name, Yahweh, revealed His covenant relationship – the God who is there, personally involved with His people.
- Names like “The LORD is my Banner” or “The LORD is Peace” came from specific experiences – battles won, answers given. They were reminders of what He had done.
That solved it for me. So many names exist because God has so many aspects! Creator, Protector, Provider, Healer, Holy One, Present One… The names aren’t just labels; they’re revelations showing what God is really like.
Realized the translators do their best. “Yahweh” was considered so holy they often substituted “Lord” to avoid disrespect, hence the all-caps LORD in many Bibles to tip us off. Ended my note-taking surprised. What looked like chaos at first was actually this incredibly rich way of understanding God’s character bit by bit. Makes reading the Old Testament way more interesting now!
