There are many different names for God but they all essentially circle back to the main idea that God is our Lord and Savior. He is the almighty, and He is all-powerful. Understanding the many names of God can not only help us recognize God’s role in our lives, but it can also help us relate to people across different cultures.
If you are unaware that God has different names, this article may spark your interest. We will cover the many names of God to help you better understand what they mean, why people use them, and what significance the names might have in your own life.
What Is the Most Powerful Name of God?
Yahweh is the original name of God based on the Old Testament. It’s a word that a lot of people struggle to pronounce and even more struggle to understand what it really means. It’s a combination of the words “Adonai” and “Ha-Shem which mean Lord and The Name in Hebrew.
The main thought today is that the word Yahweh means “He is.” At one unknown point in time, the Jews stopped using the word to describe God because they felt it was too holy to utter. They worried they were not pure enough to utter His name so they preferred to not say it at all.
You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
– Exodus 20:7
There is some theological significance to this word as well. The name Yahweh is a testament to the promises God made to us. It conveys the fact that God is, was, and forever will be. That He is here to save, redeem, and bless us in every way possible.
It is also a reminder that God has an active presence in our lives, not just through our attendance at church and whatever else we do to glorify Him. Rather He has a continual presence in our spirit.
What Is God’s Real Name?
It is believed Yahweh is the real name of God based on the Hebrew Bible. There have been many interpretations and translations of the Bible written over the years, which has since removed many of the instances of Yahweh. Despite this, it is still agreed by most theologians that Yahweh is God’s true name.
One literal translation of Yahweh is “He Who Makes That Which Has Been Made” or “He Brings Into Existence Whatever Exists.” This can be directly linked to instances of “I am” mentioned in the Hebrew Bible and other versions of the Bible as well.
God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I am has sent me to you.’”
– Exodus 3:14
Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am he.
– Isaiah 41:4
Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.”
– Isaiah 44:6
As you can see, there are cases where God refers to himself as “I am” and He continues to say “I am” all throughout the scriptures.
For this reason, it’s easy to understand why Yahweh is held to be the real name of Christ by many scholars and believers.
What Are the 7 Redemptive Names of God?
Here are the seven redemptive names of God and the scriptures that verify them as true.
Jehovah – Rapha: The Lord Our Healer
He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.”
– Exodus 15:26
Why should you be beaten anymore? Why do you persist in rebellion? Your whole head is injured, your whole heart afflicted. From the sole of your foot to the top of your head, there is no soundness – only wounds and welts and open sores, not cleansed or bandaged or soothed with olive oil.
– Isaiah 1:5-6
These verses explain how God is our healer. He is the one who heals all wounds, cures all diseases, and lifts spirits. For that reason He is called Jehovah Rapha which means the Lord our Healer.
Jehovah – Nissi: The Lord Our Banner
The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.”
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.” Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner.
– Exodus 17:8, 14-15
May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests.
– Psalm 20:5
These verses tell us that the Lord is our “banner.” Banner is another word for refuge. There are many times throughout scripture and in our own lives when it is clear that God is a refuge for those who seek Him.
It’s important we realize we shouldn’t only seek out the Lord when we have no other option; we should seek Him first, always. He is our true refuge.
Jehovah – Shammah: The Lord Who Is Present
“The distance all around will be 18,000 cubits. And the name of the city from that time on will be: the Lord is there.”
– Ezekiel 48:35
The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.”
– Exodus 33:14-15
The two verses outlined above are quite powerful in that they tell us God will always be with us. God is always present in our lives even when we think He is not.
In the book of Matthew Jesus is given the name Immanuel, which means “God with us.” This name, along with Jehovah Shamma, is a reminder that we are never truly alone. We should have confidence in knowing that God is with us always so there is little that can get in the way of what we want to do and accomplish in our lives.
Jehovah – Tsidkenu: The Lord Our Righteousness
“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch,
a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior.”
– Jeremiah 23:5-6
For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; the upright will see his face.
– Psalm 11:7
Our God is a righteous God and He stands by what He says. As the first verses above say, the day will come when the Lord comes back to Earth to return us all to His kingdom. He will not fret over the ones who did not follow down the path of light. He will not concern Himself with those who shunned Him. While our God is forgiving, He is also righteous.
Jehovah – Shalom: The Lord Our Peace
So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it The Lord Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
– Judges 6:24
Because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.
– Luke 1:78-79
While our Lord is righteous, He is also the Lord of peace. God has mercy on us each and every day. Every time we make a mistake, do something against Him, and sin, He forgives us as long as we ask for it.
The Lord has created a direct path to heaven and we should have a deep feeling of inner peace as a result. Because of the mercy of God, we have the privilege of following the path of peace.
Jehovah – Jireh: The Lord our Provider
Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.
When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied.
“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”
Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram[a] caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”
– Genesis 22:8-14
The story of God testing Abraham’s faith is one we should all take note of. Abraham was going to sacrifice his only son but he knew that God would provide a means for him to postpone the offering.
Right when he needed it most, God spoke to Abraham and told him he didn’t have to kill his only son. Then, God provided Abraham with a ram that he could sacrifice instead.
Our God is a provider; the ultimate provider. Whatever it is we need, we will receive if we but ask. How many times have you spent hours and even days worrying about something instead of handing it over to God?
In the midst of struggles, it’s easy to forget God is our ultimate provider. And though He may not always feel near, He is well aware of what we need and when we need it. He simply wants us to lean on him and communicate our needs to strengthen our relationship with Him.
Jehovah – Ra’ah: The Lord Our Shepherd
Then he blessed Joseph and said,
May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day.
– Genesis 48:15
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
– Psalm 23:1
Describing the Lord as a shepherd is something we do all the time but do we really understand the analogy? Think about what a shepherd does. A shepherd leads a flock of sheep and as the sheep wander off, the shepherd leads them back to the flock so they can remain safe as they continue toward a destination.
We are often like sheep, wandering off the path God has set for us. We often put ourselves at risk by distancing ourselves from God. Though we all have a tendency to wander off the beaten path and try to do things our own way, the Lord is always there to get us back on the right path. We always want to follow our lustful eyes and greedy hands towards the things of this world but God is there to guide and protect us.
Sheep are also totally dependent on the shepherd. Even if they don’t need him at this exact point in time, at some point they will need the shepherd to intervene because they cannot live without him.
We are the same if you think about it. We may not actively think we need God right now, but we all need God, all the time. Without God we are nothing and we have nothing. We are totally reliant on the Lord as our savior to provide us with everlasting life.
How Do You Pray God’s Name?
In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness.
– Psalm 31:1
There are a million different ways to pray God’s name and you don’t have to follow any specific script. You’re open and free to pray however you like but here are some examples that might give you inspiration.
Prayer: Lord, thank you so much for the many blessings you’ve bestowed upon me today. I thank you because you are gracious and generous. I know you love me very much. I simply ask that you continue to bless me with these wonderful gifts and continue to display your true self to me.
In fact, Lord I ask that you show more of yourself in my life. I am grateful and forever thankful for the relationship I have with you and I know you are the reason for everything on this Earth. No matter what happens Lord, I run to you first because you will shelter me during the storm.
Prayer: I run to you Yahweh not because I need anything but because I want to thank you for the many blessings of my life. My family, my marriage, my home, my finances, everything in my life is taken care of because of my relationship with you.
I know that even if I have to face a storm, I will be able to overcome it because I have you. Lord, you are my savior and the reason for everything I do. I pray you help me rely on you more to guide my decisions and help me stay on the path of grace each and every day.
What Is the Ineffable Name of God?
If we refer to scripture, the ineffable name of God is YHVH because they didn’t have vowels in Hebrew during biblical times. This is the word that we believe to be Yahweh or Yahveh. There are many different interpretations of the word and in some cases biblical scholars don’t believe this is the name of God.
Some believe that the ineffable name of God is HVHY which translates into shem meforash or “explicit name.”
If you’re about to search through your Bible for this name, you’ll have a hard time finding any mention of the word because it only appeared in ancient versions of the text. The phrase has sparked many different opinions to this day and many people question including this name in the more commonly held list of names.
Who is El Shaddai?
El Shaddai is one of the most popular Hebrew names for God. It translates to “God Almighty” and appears many times throughout the Bible.
Some believe that the phrase means “the overpowered” or “the power” which emphasizes the fact that God rules over all.
Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power, your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy.
– Exodus 15:6
The book of Job is where you’ll find this name the most. It makes sense because God gave Job a very clear display of just how powerful He is in Job chapters 38 to 42.
Then Job answered the Lord and said: Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth. I have spoken once, and I will not answer; twice, but I will proceed no further.
– Job 40:3-5
Job spends a lot of time in his book questioning the power of God and almost taunting Him to do something. He is silenced quickly when the Lord answers.
Conclusion
It is clear that God has many names but one thing remains true. No matter what we choose to call Him, He is the Lord and Savior above all else.
Though it can be confusing to learn that God has more than one name it’s important that we never confuse the many names of God with false idols and prophets. There is only one true God and His many names act as an important reminder of His attributes, all of which describe the Lord our God as we know Him.
