Knowing God Through His Names, Part 1

Learn the names of God in the Old Testament and see how each one reveals His power, character, and relationship with His people.

One of my favorite things to study about God is His names. God reveals His character and who He is through His names, making them very important. In ancient times, a person’s name was closely tied to their character. Even today, names carry meaning and create mental images about who we are. When God reveals Himself by a name, we learn something very special about Him. Today, let’s look at a few of the names of God.

IT’S ABOUT GLORY

It’s also important to notice how and why God reveals His character through a name. His names show us how He works and moves. Studying them helps us know Him better.

What I find so interesting is that God gave Himself specific names. He wants us to know Him and what He can do. Since we were created to glorify God, we must know who He is!

The word glory—“doxa” in Greek—means to give a correct estimation or to ascribe proper worth. It’s the idea of being able to measure someone’s true value and then speak rightly about it. That is what we were made to do.

But how can we glorify God—how can we explain His greatness, His majesty, His worth? We can never fully measure Him, but we can know Him through His names.

Below are some of the names of God in the Old Testament, what they mean, and where you can find them in Scripture. If you’ve never studied His names, I encourage you to do so. You will know Him more intimately and glorify Him more fully.

THE NAMES OF GOD AND THEIR MEANING

ELOHIM (el-o-heem’) — God, Creator, Judge
Elohim is the first name of God to appear in the Bible. The root “el” means strong or mighty. In ancient times, people believed in many gods, but the strength of one god over another proved who was supreme. Elohim shows us the God who is stronger than all others.

The “im” ending expresses plurality, pointing to the Trinity: one God in three persons. Elohim appears over 2,000 times in the Bible, beginning in Genesis 1:1. God reveals Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the one true God. All other so-called gods are nothing but idols.

He is the Creator of everything, seen and unseen, and the only just Judge. He alone was present in the beginning, and He alone is righteous to judge.

EL ELYON (el el-yone’) — The Most High God
“El” means God, and “Elyon” means most high. Together, El Elyon reveals God as supreme ruler over all. He is sovereign and in control of everything in heaven and on earth.

When life feels chaotic, we can call on El Elyon. The God who loves you and gave His Son for you is in control. El Elyon appears 28 times in the Bible, first in Genesis 14:18.

EL ROI (el roy’) — The God Who Sees
El Roi reminds us that nothing escapes God’s watchful eye. He sees every injustice done to us, every wrong we commit, and every act done in His name.

All sin must be judged. Either at the Great White Throne of Judgment or on the cross of Calvary. And just as God sees sin, He also sees every act done for His glory.

EL SHADDAI (el shad-di’) — The Almighty God, The All-Sufficient One
El Shaddai appears seven times in the Old Testament. “El” means God, and “Shaddai” refers to sufficiency, like the way a mother’s milk nourishes her child.

This picture reminds us that God gives His children everything they need to live and thrive. He sustains life, and nothing is too complicated for Him. God is self-sufficient, and we are entirely dependent on Him. The first mention is in Genesis 17:1.

ADONAI (ad-on-i’) — The Lord, Master
Adonai is translated “my lords,” implying both plurality and authority. This name acknowledges the Trinity and is parallel to Yahweh, God’s covenant name for Israel.

When we call God “Lord,” we acknowledge Him as Master, Owner, and Creator. He is Lord, and we are His. Adonai was often used by Jews in place of Yahweh or Jehovah because those names were considered too sacred to speak.

Lord appears 434 times in the Old Testament.

YAHWEH (YHWH) — The Self-Existent One, Covenant-Keeping God
Yahweh was first revealed in Genesis 2, but explained in Exodus 3 when God spoke to Moses from the burning bush:

“I AM WHO I AM… say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you.” (Exodus 3:14)

Yahweh shows God as self-existent and faithful to keep His covenant promises (a binding contract that, if broken, ended in the death of the covenant breakers). Yahweh is actually spelled YHWH—no vowels. The world comes from the Hebrew letters Yud, Hay, Va, and Hay. The true pronunciation of YHWH is lost, and we really don’t know the correct way to say it. Some say Yahweh, and some say Jehovah.

The word Yahweh reminds all of us that God alone exists by the will and power of no one else and that what He says He will do, He will do. 

The Jews considered the name too sacred to pronounce, often substituting Adonai instead. Yahweh appears 6,519 times in the Old Testament—the most-used name of God.

JEHOVAH JIREH (yeh-ho-vah’ ji-reh’) — The Lord Will Provide
Jehovah Jireh is first seen in Genesis 22, when Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son, Isaac. At the last moment, God provided a ram as the substitute.

This name reveals God as the One who provides. Not only daily needs, but the ultimate provision of His Son, Jesus, as the sacrifice for our sins. He is the only source of forgiveness and eternal life.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)

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To know and glorify God, we need to know His names and how He reveals them in His Word. Learn them. Call on Him by them. How wonderful it is to think that Elohim, the Almighty God, wants us to have an intimate relationship with Him!

Next week, I’ll share more names of God from the Old Testament.

Happy Sunday, friends…