Concept
Theology Properalso Divine names · Titles of GodThe Names of God
God reveals himself by naming himself: each name a disclosure, not a label, and each one attached to a story.
#names#hebrew
- 6passages
- 29original words
- 3approved connections
- 165cross-references
The words behind it
Hebrew and Greek standing in the 6 passages listed below, not a lexicon of "the names of god" itself. The number on each word is how often it occurs in those passages; the connecting words the languages use everywhere are set aside so the words that carry meaning can be seen.
The passages
Every passage this site attaches to the concept, in canon order. Each row says where it came from.
Old Testament5
- Genesis 1:1listed key text
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.(opening verse of the passage)
Commentary on Genesis 1:12 voices
Chapter 1, Verse 1. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Many people believe, as it is also written in the Altercation of Jason and Papiscus, and Tertullian in his book against Praxeas argues: and also Hilary in the exposition of a certain Psalm affirms, that it is found in Hebrew: 'In the son, God created the heavens and the earth', which is false, as the truth of the matter itself proves. For even the Seventy Interpreters, and Symmachus, and Theodotion translated it as 'In the beginning'. And it is written in Hebrew, Bresith (); which Aquila interprets, in the chapter: and not Baben (), which is called ((Al. interpreted)), in the son. Therefore, it can be understood more according to the meaning than according to the literal translation about Christ: who is approved both in the very beginning of Genesis, which is the head of all books, and also in the beginning of the Gospel of John, as the creator of heaven and earth. Hence, in the Psalms (Psalm 39:9), he says about himself: In the chapter ((Al. chapter)) of the book it is written about me, that is, in the beginning of Genesis. And in the Gospel: All things were made through him, and without him nothing was made (John 1:3). But it should also be known that among the Hebrews this book is called B'reishit: having the custom of giving names to their volumes from their beginnings.
Jerome· Hebrew Questions on Genesis, 420Patristic
God the Father through the Son created out of nothing everything that is not God.
John Piper· He Commanded and They Were Created (sermon), 1981
- Genesis 17:1listed key text
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty. Walk before Me and be blameless.(opening verse of the passage)
Commentary on Genesis 17:12 voices
BELOVED, all Scripture is the Word of God but some Scripture is expressly so. Much of its teaching comes through inspired men but some of it was spoken by God's own mouth, directly and without instrumentality. Such are the Words now before us which were of old spoken to Abram by the Almighty God. These sentences ought for this reason to be regarded with peculiar reverence and considered with double attention. The glow of Divinity is fresh upon the lines— bend, then, your souls to the understanding of them.
Charles Spurgeon· The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 1082: “The Life, Walk and Triumph of Faith” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition), 1872
I am the Almighty God--the name by which He made Himself known to the patriarchs (Ex 6:3), designed to convey the sense of "all-sufficient" (Ps 16:5, 6; 73:25). walk . . . and . . . perfect--upright, or sincere (Ps 51:6) in heart, speech, and behavior.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown· Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, 1871Reformed
- Genesis 22:14listed key text
And Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. So to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”(opening verse of the passage)
Commentary on Genesis 22:142 voices
I believe that the Truth of God contained in the expression, "Jehovah-jireh," was ruling Abraham's thoughts long before he uttered it and appointed it to be the memorial name of the place where the Lord had provided a substitute for Isaac. It was this thought, I think, which enabled him to act as promptly as he did under the trying circumstances. His reason whispered within him, "If you slay your son, how can God keep His promise to you that your seed shall be as many as the stars of Heaven?"
Charles Spurgeon· The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 1803: “Jehovah-Jireh” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition), 1884
Abraham lifted up his eyes . . . and behold . . . a ram, &c.--No method was more admirably calculated to give the patriarch a distinct idea of the purpose of grace than this scenic representation: and hence our Lord's allusion to it (Joh 8:56).
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown· Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, 1871Reformed
- Exodus 3:14listed key text
God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”(opening verse of the passage)
Commentary on Exodus 3:142 voices
Your I am only exists because of His I Am. And as you exist from Him, so it is only from Him that you can find the reason and purpose of your existence.
Jonathan Cahn· The Book of Mysteries (excerpted in Charisma Magazine), 2016
There is one nature of God and one only; and this, and this alone, truly is. For absolute being is derived from no other source but is all its own. All things besides, that is, all things created, although they appear to be, soon are not. For there was a time when they were not, and that which once was not may again cease to be. God alone who is eternal, that is to say, who has no beginning, really deserves to be called an essence. Therefore also he says of him, "I am has sent me."
Jerome· LETTER 15.4, 420Patristic
- Exodus 6:3listed key text
I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by My name the LORD I did not make Myself known to them.(opening verse of the passage)
Commentary on Exodus 6:32 voices
God Almighty--All enemies must fall, all difficulties must vanish before My omnipotent power, and the patriarchs had abundant proofs of this. but by my name, &c.--rather, interrogatively, by My name Jehovah was I not known to them? Am not I, the Almighty God, who pledged My honor for the fulfilment of the covenant, also the self-existent God who lives to accomplish it?
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown· Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, 1871Reformed
The patriarchs knew this name, but they did not know him in this matter by that which this name signifies. God would now be known by his name Jehovah, that is, 1. A God performing what he had promised, and so giving being to his promises.
John Wesley· Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament, 1765Evangelical
New Testament1
- John 8:58listed key text
“Truly, truly, I tell you,” Jesus declared, “before Abraham was born, I am!”(opening verse of the passage)
Commentary on John 8:582 voices
The one clause means, "Abraham was brought into being"; the other, "I exist." The statement therefore is not that Christ came into existence before Abraham did (as Arians affirm is the meaning), but that He never came into being at all, but existed before Abraham had a being; in other words, existed before creation, or eternally (as Joh 1:1).
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown· Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, 1871Reformed
Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old--"No inference can be drawn from this as to the age of our Lord at the time as man. Fifty years was with the Jews the completion of manhood" [ALFORD]. and hast thou seen Abraham?--He had said Abraham saw Him, as being his peculiar privilege.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown· Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, 1871Reformed
Approved connections
3 links an editor approved, each with the reason it was kept.
- theophoric familytheophoric yah
The line is dense with Yah/El theophorics (Hezekiah, Josiah, Jehoshaphat, Jotham, Abijah) - each a compact creed; floor-detectable browsable thread.
STEPBible TIPNR forms; biblicalhebrew.org
- theophoric familytheophoric el
El-name family (Nathanael, Daniel, Immanuel, Israel, Elijah, Ishmael): each embeds El ('God'). FLOOR-detectable spokes off the El card.
STEPBible TIPNR; biblicalhebrew.org
- theophoric familytheophoric yah
Yah-name family (Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hezekiah, Joshua/Jesus): each embeds a short form of YHWH - names as compact creeds. Spokes off the YHWH card.
STEPBible TIPNR; biblicalhebrew.org
See the same links as a table or a map ▾
Where this concept leads
3- theophoric yahOtherThe line is dense with Yah/El theophorics (Hezekiah, Josiah, Jehoshaphat, Jotham, Abijah) - each a compact creed; floor-detectable browsable thread.
- theophoric elOtherEl-name family (Nathanael, Daniel, Immanuel, Israel, Elijah, Ishmael): each embeds El ('God'). FLOOR-detectable spokes off the El card.
- theophoric yahOtherYah-name family (Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hezekiah, Joshua/Jesus): each embeds a short form of YHWH - names as compact creeds. Spokes off the YHWH card.
Voices on these passages
Commentary matched to the verses above, each named with its source: the full pool sits on each verse page.
Chapter 1, Verse 1. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Many people believe, as it is also written in the Altercation of Jason and Papiscus, and Tertullian in his book against Praxeas argues: and also Hilary in the exposition of a certain Psalm affirms, that it is found in Hebrew: 'In the son, God created the heavens and the earth', which is false, as the truth of the matter itself proves. For even the Seventy Interpreters, and Symmachus, and Theodotion translated it as 'In the beginning'. And it is written in Hebrew, Bresith (); which Aquila interprets, in the chapter: and not Baben (), which is called ((Al. interpreted)), in the son. Therefore, it can be understood more according to the meaning than according to the literal translation about Christ: who is approved both in the very beginning of Genesis, which is the head of all books, and also in the beginning of the Gospel of John, as the creator of heaven and earth. Hence, in the Psalms (Psalm 39:9), he says about himself: In the chapter ((Al. chapter)) of the book it is written about me, that is, in the beginning of Genesis. And in the Gospel: All things were made through him, and without him nothing was made (John 1:3). But it should also be known that among the Hebrews this book is called B'reishit: having the custom of giving names to their volumes from their beginnings.
Jerome· Hebrew Questions on GenesisPatristic
Genesis 1:1
BELOVED, all Scripture is the Word of God but some Scripture is expressly so. Much of its teaching comes through inspired men but some of it was spoken by God's own mouth, directly and without instrumentality. Such are the Words now before us which were of old spoken to Abram by the Almighty God. These sentences ought for this reason to be regarded with peculiar reverence and considered with double attention. The glow of Divinity is fresh upon the lines— bend, then, your souls to the understanding of them.
Charles Spurgeon· The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 1082: “The Life, Walk and Triumph of Faith” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition)
Genesis 17:1
I believe that the Truth of God contained in the expression, "Jehovah-jireh," was ruling Abraham's thoughts long before he uttered it and appointed it to be the memorial name of the place where the Lord had provided a substitute for Isaac. It was this thought, I think, which enabled him to act as promptly as he did under the trying circumstances. His reason whispered within him, "If you slay your son, how can God keep His promise to you that your seed shall be as many as the stars of Heaven?"
Charles Spurgeon· The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 1803: “Jehovah-Jireh” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition)
Genesis 22:14
Study it deeper
5 moves a student can make from here. Every one opens a tool on this site.
Trace one word to every place it stands
A word page lists every verse that word occurs in, with its definition and its range of meaning. Start with the roots that occur most under the passages above.
Walk out from the passages
The passages above carry 165 cross-references between them, links from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, the great 1830s reference work, together with the reader-voted index at OpenBible.info. The most-linked destinations:
Read it in both testaments
Set the earliest passage beside the New Testament one and ask what changed and what did not, the shape of the names of god before Christ and after him.
Read the whole chapter around it
A verse quoted alone can mean almost anything. Open Genesis 1 in the reader, where the Hebrew or Greek sits under every line.
See everywhere else it appears
The search page is a doorway: it returns verses, word studies, people, places and studies for one term at once.
Where this comes from
Elohim opens the Bible as Creator; El Shaddai answers Abraham's childlessness; YHWH is the covenant name spoken at the bush, "I AM THAT I AM." The compound names come out of events: Jehovah-jireh on Moriah, Jehovah-rapha at Marah, Jehovah-nissi after Amalek.
In Scripture a name carries character, so learning the names is learning the Person. The New Testament hands them to Jesus without apology: the I AM sayings of John are the bush speaking again.