9 Names of God in Christianity and Judaism

The most powerful Christian deity is divided into three primary forms: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. With so many forms, it's only natural that this Holy Trinity would bear so many namesakes.

Each of the many names of God holds special connections to stories in the Christian Bible that reflect his powerful role and diverse characteristics.

1. YHWH (Yahweh)

YHWH is technically the only proper name of God based on his conversation with Moses in the story of the burning bush. In this interaction from the Book of Exodus, Moses deduces the name of the Lord when the voice of God tells him, "I Am who I Am" and "The god of your fathers' has sent me to you."

The ancient Hebrew word for God has several variations, including Yahweh-Jireh, Yahweh-Nissi and Yahweh-Shalom.

• Yahweh-Jireh translates to "the Lord will provide."

• Yahweh-Nissi was used to describe "the Lord our banner" as a rallying cry of the Israelite victory over the Amalekites.

• Yahweh-Shalom was a name derived from Gideon's altar after the Angel of the Lord assured him he would be safe if he looked upon Him.

2. Jehovah (Lord)

Jehovah is a close synonym to Yahweh that acted as the stem for several other variations of the name of God.

Often, when using this name classification, he is the embodiment of mercy and guidance, as illustrated by the moniker Jehovah-Raah. He is the caretaker of all his followers when his name ends with the Hebrew word for shepherd.

3. Elohim (God)

The word Elohim, common in the Hebrew Bible, is a direct translation of God and godhood. However, when his name is used in this context, it often refers to his strength and the role he plays in the creation of all when he speaks the universe into existence.

It is the plural form of Eloah, referencing the multiplicity of the Holy Trinity.

4. Abba (Father)

Abba is a god who is always watchful and present, and it is one of the most common labels used by the messiah Jesus of Nazareth in the New Testament. Jesus Christ was simultaneously a manifestation of God and a child figure who acted as an example for all believers who were made by God in his image.

5. El Elyon (God, The Most High)

Anyone who called the name of the "most high" God was often desperate to be helped by all of his supernatural capacities. Jews and Christians believe that God is the Lord who will come to their aid when they are most in need, similar to bending a knee in an appeal to a medieval monarch for support.

6. Adonai (Lord/Master)

Similar to El Elyon, Adonai is derived from the Hebrew word for master. It is a common title for powerful men in the Bible, as these stories often revolve around battling kingdoms, but it is used over 400 times to refer to God in the Books of Isiah and Ezekial.

7. El Shaddai (Almighty God)

For many believers, the Lord is peace and prosperity, so he often bears this designation, which touches on his gentler, provider role.

Many scholars still debate whether the "Shaddai" label stems from the Hebrew word for "breast" (referencing nourishment) or the Akkadian word meaning "the mountain" (referencing strength and reliability).

8. Qanna (Jealous)

As the parable "God giveth and God taketh away" reflects, the Christian God is a being of contradiction that can be merciful, and he can be illl-mannered. The jealous "Qanna" moniker from the Old Testament often refers to God when he is angered by the Israelites' lack of devotion.

This relationship between deity and worshippers is interpreted as a marriage built on love and mutual trust. It's a two-way street, and the "Qanna" version of God will be the first party to voice grievances.

9. El Roi (The God Who Sees)

The woman Hagar ascribed God the name El Roi. Even in the Bible, seeing a supernatural deity was uncommon, so when God reveals himself to Hagar twice as the Angel of the Lord, she realized he was all-seeing and all-present in humans' lives on Earth.

A Brief Overview of the Christian God

Regardless of the many variations — Lord God, God Almighty, Eternal God, Mighty God, Everlasting God — the name "God" is used roughly 4,000 times in roughly 1,200 pages of text.

This god is omnipotent and omnipresent in every facet of governance over Heaven and Earth in the Christian tradition, but he goes about his business in conflicting ways, hence the diversity of the name.

According to the Old Testament, in the beginning, God oversees all the Earth and its earthly beings. However, to the Israelites, he could be a stern father figure with a vengeful streak — not just to the Israelites' enemies, but also to any Jewish followers who stepped out of line or strayed from his path and principles.

The Lord is there to answer prayers and teach tough lessons. He appears to several ancestors and members who played key roles in the history of Israel and the Jewish tribes, and his name specified in these stories denotes what form and function he plays in the narrative.

It is important to place these variations in the context of ancient times when names were also titles or honorifics that described someone's vocation and status. The name of God would then change depending on how he appeared to people who witnessed his supernatural force.

The Alpha and Omega, the "first and the last" being to witness the birth and destruction of the universe, has earned many monikers during his existence. Read on to learn more about the names of God in various iterations of the Bible and why each one holds significance to human history in the eyes of Jews and Christians.

Contextualizing Bible Stories

When reading the Bible, it's important to understand its purpose and context (and who wrote the Bible). Many of its stories challenge religious belief with their fantastical events and farfetched timelines.

That said, the Bible was written as an ethical guidebook for a society that persevered through centuries of brutal war, famine and countless natural disasters. It took 500 years to complete and was translated and re-interpreted hundreds of times across three languages and primary sources from the Jewish oral tradition.

Powerful rulers from three different continents established their own editions and versions to stamp their seal on a growing religion, and by the time you reach the Bible we know today, it had evolved through the many empires and cultures it passed through.

With this "game-of-telephone" publishing process in mind, Bible readers must interpret the book's messages as an attempt to explain the world and encourage followers to live a life of peace and compassion, as determined from specific points of view.

Original article: 9 Names of God in Christianity and Judaism

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