Names of God in the Old Testament

Two (and a half) Names for God

The ancient Hebrew of the Old Testament had a variety of different names for God.  There were two basic names used, followed by a number of variants on those two names. 

One of the two basic names was El, a generic name for "god".  The syllable "el" shows up in lots of places, such at Beth-el, where Abraham met God (see Genesis 13: 3-4) and Jacob first met God on a stairway leading up to Heaven (see Genesis 28: 12-19.)  That word probably morphed into the arabic word, Allah, a generic -- not specifically Muslim! -- word for God.  In the Old Testament, El is occasionally used for some other god, other than the God of the Jews.

The other name for God was a three syllable word with four consonants that, in English, are written YHWH.  This is the name God gives Moses in Exodus 3: 14. In biblical Hebrew, we do not have vowels written down and so it is not clear how that name was pronounced.  This word is generally translated "I am" or "I will be what I will be".

The Hebrew word Adonai, means "master" or "lord".  It might be used of a servant to his master; it was not a word for God but could be used in addressing God, since He, of course, should be one's master.  For example in Genesis 15: 2, Abraham address God as "sovereign Lord" (NIV translation); this is "adonai YHWH" in the original Hebrew.

Out of respect for the name of God (and concerned about obedience to the Third Commandment), Jewish rabbis did not pronounce YHWH out loud but instead replaced it by Adonai.  In later Hebrew texts, where vowels were inserted, the vowels of Adonai replaced any vowels for YHWH and so, we have in English, versions of YaHoWaH, such as Jehovah in the King James Bible.

A nice explanation of this transition is given in the Bible Project video on YHWH.

More Names of God

In Hebrew one could take a name for God and add various adjectives.  Eloah mean Strong God; Elohim mean God, Might Creator, a plural (?) of Eloah.  El-Shaddai is God Almighty.

Some descriptions of these names appears here at the GotQuestions website. Here, copied from that site, are more names:

• YAHWEH-JIREH [yah-way-ji-reh]: "The Lord Will Provide" (Genesis 22:14) 
• YAHWEH-RAPHA [yah-way-raw-faw]: "The Lord Who Heals" (Exodus 15:26) 
• YAHWEH-NISSI [yah-way-nee-see]: "The Lord Our Banner" (Exodus 17:15) 
• YAHWEH-M'KADDESH [yah-way-meh-kad-esh]: "The Lord Who Sanctifies, Makes Holy" (Lev. 20:8; Ezek. 37:28) 
• YAHWEH-SHALOM [yah-way-shah-lohm]: "The Lord Our Peace" (Judges 6:24) 
• YAHWEH-ELOHIM [yah-way-el-oh-him]: "LORD God" (Genesis 2:4; Psalm 59:5) 
• YAHWEH-TSIDKENU [yah-way-tzid-kay-noo]: "The Lord Our Righteousness” (Jeremiah 33:16) 
• YAHWEH-ROHI [yah-way-roh-hee]: "The Lord Our Shepherd" (Psalm 23:1) 
• YAHWEH-SHAMMAH [yah-way-sham-mahw]: "The Lord Is There” (Ezekiel 48:35) 
• YAHWEH-SABAOTH [yah-way-sah-bah-ohth]: "The Lord of Hosts" (Isaiah 1:24; Psalm 46:7) 
• EL ELYON [el-el-yohn]: “Most High" (Deuteronomy 26:19)
• EL ROI [el-roh-ee]: "God of Seeing" (Genesis 16:13) 
• EL-OLAM [el-oh-lahm]: "Everlasting God" (Psalm 90:1-3) 
• EL-GIBHOR [el-ghee-bohr]: “Mighty God” (Isaiah 9:6) 

The BibleProject has a blog post on this topic and (of course) a video.

That they may know me...

These names do not, of course, include other places where YHWH is simply described in some way.  Throughout the Old Testament YHWH challenges the Israelites to know Him. (See Isaiah 43: 10.) In the New Testament there are similar challenges to know Messiah Yeshua.  The apostle Paul declares his goal to know Jesus/Yeshua in Philippians 3: 8-10.

Years ago, I had a poster on a wall (either in my office or my home) that had the names of Jesus using various Bible passages.  It is now old and tattered, but the goal is clear....