God

What Is God’s Hebrew Name?

January 3, 2021
Illustration of the burning bush
Illustration of the burning bush

Unsure about whether the enslaved Israelites will follow him to rebel against Pharaoh and trust in the God of Israel, Moses asks God: ‘When they ask me what is Your name, what shall I tell them?’

Godā€™s answer is extremely cryptic: ā€œEhyeh Asher Ehyehā€ which means, ā€œI will be what I will be,ā€ implying that He is eternal and not really knowable except through His creations and deeds, as seen through His various names.

In fact, throughout the Hebrew Bible, God has numerous names. In the first verse of Genesis, God is referred to as Eloheem (אֱלֹה֓ים). Yet in Genesis 12:7, God introduces himself to Abraham as יְ-הוÖøה (we do not know how to pronounce this name, which is described as the ā€œIneffable Nameā€). And, just a bit later, in Genesis 17:1, God reintroduces Himself to Abraham as El Shadai (אֵ-ל שַׁדַּי). What do all of Godā€™s names in the Bible teach us about Him?

Godā€™s essence is eternal and unchanging. However, in order for man to gain a clearer understanding of his relationship to God, He changes His name.

The importance of names is established early on in the Bible. In Genesis, after God creates ā€œevery beast of the field, and every fowl of the airā€, the animals are brought to the first man, Adam, to be named. Adam calls each animal by its essence.

From here, we understand that, in Jewish thought, a Hebrew name is not an arbitrary designation but rather more of a definition. In fact, the Talmud states that, in todayā€™s world, the only prophecy left is when a parent names a child. Naming a child is considered one-sixtieth of prophecy and called Ruach HaKodesh (×Øוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ). Ruach HaKodesh comes to parents in the form of an angel who whispers into their ears what Hebrew name to give.

Therefore, our first Biblical introduction to God is as Eloheem (אֱלֹה֓ים). This is actually a plural word, yet we know that God is only one. Eloheem encompases the idea that God contains all powers and essences of the world, especially as The Creator, The Mightiest, The Ruler and The True Judge.

Godā€™s Ineffable Name (Yud-Hay-Vav-Hay) reflects that His existence is eternal. Contained in these four Hebrew letters is the idea of past (הÖøיÖøה- hah-ya), present (הֹוֶה- hoh-veh) and future (י֓הְיֶה- yih-hee-yeh). This name also is used when discussing Godā€™s relationship with man through His qualities of loving kindness and mercy.

El Shaddai usually translates as ā€œGod Almightyā€. ā€œDaiā€ in Hebrew means enough or sufficient. As Godā€™s strength is endlessly mighty, when creating the world, in essence, His creation would have gone on forever had He not said, ā€œDaiā€.

Shaddai is the name of God which is written on the outside of mezuzah scrolls placed on the doorposts of Jewish homes. The letters shin dalet yud (שדי) stand for the acronym, ā€œShomer Daltot Yisraelā€ which means, ā€œGuardian of the doors of Israelā€.

Learning Biblical Hebrew can transform the way one reads and understands the Bible,ā€ explains Rabbi Tuly Weisz, editor of The Israel Bible. ā€œHebrew is Godā€™s holy language. Shouldnā€™t we know the names of its creator?ā€

Readers of The Israel Bible will notice that Godā€™s name is often translated as ā€œHashem.ā€ Out of respect, Orthodox Jews generally refer to the Lord as Hashem, which literally means ā€˜the Name.ā€™ Referring to God as Hashem reminds us that we feel close to Him but also recognize our distance at the same time. To stress this moniker, The Israel Bible transliterates both the Tetragrammaton and the name Elohim as Hashem.

ā€œAlthough all Bible study is a blessing, the importance of studying it in Hebrew cannot be stressed enough,ā€ Weisz explained. ā€œThe sacred Hebrew language contains many levels of understanding which gets lost in translation, and especially when we understand the meaning of Godā€™s name, our appreciation of Him is so much deeper.ā€

Rabbi Tuly Weisz

Rabbi Tuly Weisz is the founder of Israel365 and the editor of ā€œThe Israel Bible,ā€ the first Bible dedicated to highlighting the relationship between the Land and the People of Israel. Rabbi Tuly is a columnist for Israel365news, the Jerusalem Post, Fox News and Newsmax who writes passionately about Israel, the Bible and Jewish-Christian relations. In addition to his writings, Rabbi Tuly has appeared alongside Alan Dershowitz on ILTV, on CBNā€™s ā€œ700 Clubā€, Daystar, Israel National News, TBN and numerous other television appearances. Rabbi Weisz attended Yeshiva University (BA), Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (Rabbinic Ordination) and the Benjamin Cardozo School of Law (JD) and served as the Rabbi of the Beth Jacob Congregation in Columbus, Ohio before making Aliyah to Israel. Rabbi Tuly lives with his wife and is blessed with 6 children and lives in Ramat Beit Shemesh, Israel.

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