The main Hebrew names of God are Elohim (God), El Elyon (God Most High), El Roi (the God who sees), El Shaddai (God Almighty), El Olam (the everlasting God), YHWH (the LORD, God's own name), Jah, Adonai (Lord) and YHWH Sabaoth (the LORD of hosts). God told Moses, "this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations" (Exodus 3:15).
In the Bible a name is more than a label: it tells you who someone is. So when God reveals Himself to Abraham, Hagar, Moses, Gideon or David, He often does it with a new name, and each name answers a real need in the story. Readers look up the Hebrew names of God for a Bible study or women's ministry series, to pray through them one at a time, to understand why the King James Bible prints LORD in capitals, or simply because a song or sermon used a name like El Shaddai or Jehovah-jireh. This reference page walks through twelve King James verses where the names appear, what each name means, and how the names fit together. If you would like the names on paper, our free names of God printable has a chart, cards and a 14-day prayer guide. For Jehovah-jireh, see God providing; for who God is, see God.
The El names: God Most High, the God who sees, God Almighty
1. Genesis 14:19
"And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:"
El Elyon, God Most High. Melchizedek, the priest of the most high God (Genesis 14:18), blesses Abram after a battle and calls God possessor of heaven and earth. Abram answers by refusing to keep any of the king of Sodom's goods, because the Most High already owns everything. El is the short, ancient word for God; Elyon means highest. The name says no power, king or crisis sits above Him.
2. Genesis 16:13
"And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?"
El Roi, the God who sees me. Hagar, an Egyptian slave woman, has run into the desert, pregnant and mistreated. The angel of the LORD finds her by a spring, and she gives God a name: Thou God seest me. She is often described as the only person in the Bible to name God. It is one of the most loved names of God, because it was spoken by someone the world overlooked. The well was later called Beer-lahai-roi, the well of the Living One who sees me.
3. Genesis 35:11
"And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;"
El Shaddai, God Almighty. The name first appears when God tells Abram, "I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect" (Genesis 17:1). Here He repeats it to Jacob at Bethel, with the same promise of children and nations. The exact root of Shaddai is debated (some connect it to mountains, some to sufficiency), but in Genesis it comes when God promises what only He can do, often to people who are old, barren or afraid.
4. Genesis 21:33
"And Abraham planted a grove in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God."
El Olam, the everlasting God. Abraham has just made a treaty about a well at Beer-sheba, and he plants a tamarisk tree, a slow-growing tree that would outlive him. Then he worships the everlasting God. Olam means a span of time beyond what we can see, forward and backward. It is a good name to pray when you are making long-term decisions or planting things you may not live to see grow.
YHWH: God's own name, the LORD
5. Exodus 3:15
"And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations."
YHWH, the LORD. At the burning bush God has just told Moses, "I AM THAT I AM" (Exodus 3:14). Now He gives His personal name, written in Hebrew with four letters, YHWH, which is related to the Hebrew verb to be. It appears around 6,800 times in the Old Testament, far more than any other name. Notice that God ties it to real people, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob: the God who is, is also the God who keeps His promises to families.
6. Exodus 6:3
"And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them."
The patriarchs knew God as El Shaddai and used the name YHWH, but they had not yet seen what it meant in action. Now, as God is about to bring Israel out of Egypt, He shows Himself as the LORD who keeps covenant and rescues. This is one of the few verses where the King James Bible writes the name as JEHOVAH instead of translating it LORD. The others are Psalm 83:18, Isaiah 12:2 and Isaiah 26:4, plus place names like Jehovah-jireh.
7. Psalms 83:18
"That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth."
Asaph prays against nations plotting to wipe Israel off the map, and he asks that through their defeat people would learn the true God's name. In the KJV, LORD in capital letters stands for YHWH (in a few verses, its short form Jah), while Lord in ordinary letters usually stands for Adonai. When you see LORD on the page, read it as God's personal name. Many Jewish readers do not say the name aloud and say Adonai or HaShem (the Name) instead.
8. Psalms 68:4
"Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name Jah, and rejoice before him."
Jah. This is a short, poetic form of YHWH, used here and in many psalms. The KJV prints it as Jah only in this verse, but it hides in a word you already know: hallelujah means praise Jah, usually translated Praise ye the LORD in the KJV. Every time a congregation sings hallelujah, it is calling on God by name. It also appears at the end of names like Elijah, which means my God is Jah.
Adonai, the LORD of hosts and the LORD who sanctifies
9. Genesis 15:2
"And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?"
Adonai, Lord and Master. This is the first time in the Bible that someone addresses God as Adonai, and Abram does it in a moment of honest disappointment: he is still childless. The KJV prints Lord GOD here because the Hebrew says Adonai YHWH, and the translators used GOD in capitals to avoid writing LORD twice. Adonai is the name of a servant to his master. You can call Him Master and still bring Him your hardest questions.
10. Psalms 8:1
"O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens."
David opens and closes this psalm with the same line (Psalm 8:1 and 8:9). In Hebrew it reads YHWH Adonenu: the covenant name and our Lord side by side. It is the name of a God who is both personal and sovereign, close enough to care about people and great enough to set His glory above the heavens. The psalm goes on to marvel that the Maker of the moon and stars is mindful of human beings.
11. 1 Samuel 17:45
"Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied."
YHWH Sabaoth, the LORD of hosts. Hosts means armies: the angelic armies of heaven, and the stars, and Israel's own ranks. The title first appears in 1 Samuel 1:3, when Hannah's family goes up to worship, and it is used more than 200 times in the Old Testament, especially in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi. David meets a giant with a sling and this name. It is the name to remember when you feel outnumbered.
12. Exodus 31:13
"Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you."
Jehovah-mekoddishkem, the LORD who sanctifies you. God tells Moses that the weekly sabbath is a sign: Israel does not make itself holy, the LORD does. The same phrase returns in Leviticus 20:8. Holiness in the Bible starts with belonging. God sets His people apart for Himself first, and then teaches them to live like it. For the sabbath itself, see the sabbath.
A short prayer
LORD, You are El Elyon, higher than every power I fear, and El Roi, the God who sees me when no one else does. You are El Shaddai, enough when I am not, and El Olam, the same yesterday, today and for ever. Thank You for telling us Your name and keeping every promise behind it. Teach me to call on You by name, to trust You as my Master and to rest in You as the LORD who makes me holy. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Go deeper: a SOAP study prompt
Pick one verse above and write: - Scripture: copy the verse by hand. - Observation: what does it say? Who is speaking, to whom? - Application: what does it mean for you today? - Prayer: turn it into a two-line prayer.
New to this method? See our Bible study guide or pick a Bible reading plan.
Print the free Names of God chart, cards and 14-day prayer guide · Pray through one name a day in the 30-Day Prayer Journal · Memorize the name verses with Scripture Memory Cards
Frequently asked questions
What are the Hebrew names of God and their meanings?
The most common are Elohim (God, the Creator, Genesis 1:1), El Elyon (God Most High), El Roi (the God who sees), El Shaddai (God Almighty), El Olam (the everlasting God), YHWH (the LORD, God's personal name), Jah (a short form of YHWH), Adonai (Lord, Master) and YHWH Sabaoth (the LORD of hosts). Then there are the compound Jehovah names: Jehovah-jireh, the LORD will provide (Genesis 22:14); Jehovah-rapha, "the LORD that healeth thee" (Exodus 15:26); Jehovah-nissi, the LORD my banner (Exodus 17:15); Jehovah-shalom, the LORD is peace (Judges 6:24); Jehovah-rohi, "The LORD is my shepherd" (Psalm 23:1); Jehovah-tsidkenu, "THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS" (Jeremiah 23:6); and Jehovah-shammah, "The LORD is there" (Ezekiel 48:35).
Is it Yahweh or Jehovah?
Both are attempts to say the four Hebrew letters YHWH. Ancient Hebrew was written without vowels, and out of reverence Jewish readers stopped pronouncing the name, saying Adonai instead. Later scribes wrote the vowels of Adonai under YHWH as a reminder, and English readers who combined the two produced Jehovah. Most scholars think the original sounded closer to Yahweh. The King James Bible usually translates the name as LORD in capitals and writes JEHOVAH in a few verses.
What is the difference between LORD, Lord and GOD in the KJV?
LORD in capitals stands for YHWH, God's personal name. Lord in ordinary letters usually translates Adonai (master) or, in the New Testament, the Greek kyrios. GOD in capitals appears where the Hebrew has Adonai YHWH together, so the KJV prints Lord GOD (Genesis 15:2) rather than Lord LORD. God in ordinary letters usually translates Elohim or El.
How can I use the names of God in prayer?
Pick one name a day, read the verse where it first appears, and pray from it. With El Roi you might say, You see me today; with Jehovah-jireh, You know what I need; with YHWH Sabaoth, You are bigger than what I am facing. Proverbs says "The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe" (Proverbs 18:10). Our free names of God printable includes a 14-day guide that does exactly this, one name at a time.
Names and meanings follow common evangelical reference works; scholars differ on a few roots (for example Shaddai) and on how YHWH was first pronounced. Jewish readers often avoid saying or writing the divine name in full, and we have tried to write about it with respect.
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
Related: Free names of God printable · God · God providing (Jehovah Jireh) · Jesus is God · The glory of God · Faithfulness of God · Worship · Righteousness
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