Names of God in the Bible: Meanings and References

The names of God in scripture share one feature that is easy to miss: almost none of them are defined first and used afterwards. Someone names God after something happens. The situation comes first, the name second.

Elohim

Among the first words of the Bible: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). The most general term, weighted towards power and creation.

YHWH

The name God gives when introducing himself from the burning bush (Exodus 3:14): "I AM THAT I AM." This is a personal name, not a title — Jewish readers say "Adonai" (Lord) in its place out of reverence, which is why most English Bibles print it as LORD in small capitals.

And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM.Exodus 3:14 (KJV)

El Shaddai — God Almighty

The name used when God speaks to a ninety-nine-year-old Abram who still has no son (Genesis 17:1). The timing is the point: it arrives when human possibility has run out.

Three compound names

Jehovah-Jireh ("the LORD will provide") — what Abraham called the mountain after the ram appeared (Gen 22:14).
Jehovah-Nissi ("the LORD my banner") — after Amalek was defeated (Ex 17:15).
Jehovah-Shalom ("the LORD is peace") — after Gideon, certain that seeing God meant death, was told "Peace be unto thee" (Judg 6:24).

All three are named afterwards. People go through it first and then know what to call him.

Jehovah-Rapha and Jehovah-Rohi

Jehovah-Rapha ("the LORD that healeth thee") comes after the bitter water is made sweet (Ex 15:26). Jehovah-Rohi ("the LORD is my shepherd") opens Psalm 23 — David reached for his own trade.

Why this matters

If the names are recognised in situations, then knowing the names of God is not memorising a table; it is walking through the situations. Abraham did not learn the phrase "Jehovah-Jireh" before he climbed the mountain.

Use the search in the BiblePro app to open each of these verses and read what surrounds it — the names are short, and what gives them weight is the story on either side. And do look for a local church to read alongside others.