Elohim
The one who is great, mighty, and dreadful.Used over 2,700 times in the Bible — thirty-two times in Genesis 1 alone. Its plural form points to the Trinity, and it is the name by which covenants were instituted.
A Bible Study
The Names of God
“From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.” (Psalm 113:3)
Why Praise His Name?
A name designated character — it represented the kind of person someone was to be. The names of God therefore reveal something of His character. These are names He gave Himself, and so they show us what God chooses to reveal about Himself. To praise God properly, we should know Him intimately. Let us see the significance of His names.
The Names of God
El Shaddai
The one who is mighty to completely nourish, satisfy, and supply us.Used 48 times in the Old Testament. The nourishment pictured is like a mother feeding her child — more than meeting needs; it is bonding, loving, and cherishing. Used in Genesis 17:1 to initiate the covenant with Abraham.
Adonai
Lord — the one who reigns.Refers to His ownership of all that is, and to our calling to stewardship (Isaiah 6).
Jehovah
The eternally self-existent and self-sufficient One.Exodus 3:14 — used of God as He reveals Himself to man through covenant.
Jehovah-Jireh
The Lord provides.Genesis 22:14. “Provide” means “to see before” — He knows every need in advance.
Jehovah-Rophe
Healing is what I am.Exodus 15:26 — a name God gave Himself after the bitter waters of Marah.
Jehovah-Nissi
The Lord is my Banner.Exodus 17:15 — “The Standard” to which all men must gather and behind which all must march, as God gave Israel victory over the Amalekites while Moses prayed.
Jehovah-M’Kaddesh
The One who makes you holy.Leviticus 20:7 — this name follows the command to be holy, for we cannot be holy without Him making us so.
Jehovah-Shalom
The Lord is Peace.Judges 6:24 — Gideon’s confession when the Lord said, “Peace, do not be afraid.”
Jehovah-Rohi
The Lord is my Shepherd.Psalm 23:1 — He is the Good Shepherd who gives guidance, feeding, protection, and mercy.
Jehovah-Tsidkenu
The Lord our Righteousness.Jeremiah 23:5–6. God’s standard of righteousness is exact, and only one Person has ever lived up to it — Jesus.
Jehovah-Shammah
The Lord is There.Ezekiel 48:35 — the promise that God’s glory will return. Today He dwells in the hearts of His people (2 Corinthians 6:16).
Using His Names
- When you are about to give up — Jehovah-Jireh.
- When you are sick — Jehovah-Rophe.
- When the battle is fierce — Jehovah-Nissi.
- When you are disturbed — Jehovah-Shalom.
Jesus is all of these.
God’s character is revealed through His names. They reveal our need, the nature of our redemption, and what we can expect of life. Through them we come to know Him better — and to know the riches of being a Christian. Praising the names of God brings to light that particular characteristic of who He is.
Tip for study: beginning at Exodus 3:14, write the next reference in your margin, look it up, and write the following reference there — Genesis 22:14, Exodus 15:26, Exodus 17:15, Leviticus 20:7, and on — so you can trace the names of God through Scripture for yourself.