The Names of God: Elohim, the Mighty One

There are so many names for God in the Bible. Among them are Yahweh (יהוה), Adonai, Elohim, and more. But His names aren’t just there so we know what to call Him. In Hebrew culture, names meant a lot more than that. They told of personality traits or even of of the purpose of someone’s life.

This is the same with God. It’s through His many names that we can discover His characteristics and get to know who He really is! Some of His names were ways He named Himself while others were given to Him by His people. Like many things we learn from the Bible , we learn many of God’s attributes through His interactions with the people in the Bible and the names they gave Him.

This article will cover the name Elohim and those related. If you’re interested in even more names of God, here are other articles in this series you may enjoy.

The Names of God: Revealing God’s Personality Traits

The Names of God: יהוה, the God of Israel

The Names of God: Adonai, Our Lord and Master

Find the free printable PDF Names of God Chart here!

If you’re new to the Hebrew language, it may be helpful to start with my posts on the Hebrew Alphabet and the Hebrew Vowels.

Elohim אֱלֹהִים

Plural for Eloah (אֱלֹוהַ ) and from the word El (אֵל), this is the first name of God given in the Bible in Genesis 1:1, just before God created the universe. This name implies God’s mighty nature. Elah (אֱלָהּ), a name meaning “awesome One” is an Aramaic word found many places throughout the Old Testament, Daniel 2:18 for example.

Like יהוה, Elohim is often attached to other words to expose additional aspects of God’s character. In English translations of the Bible, Elohim is translated as “God”. It doesn’t just refer to our God but also to angels and to gods in general, although it’s not capitalized in this case to indicate that. For example, it’s the word used in Exodus 20, verse 3, in the command “You shall have no other gods before Me”.

As I said above, Elohim is a plural form. But why is the plural form used when referring to God? Well, the Bible doesn’t directly explain it but we do have a few clues. First, it’s not uncommon in Hebrew for something we think of as singular to be found in the plural form. Some examples are “water”, which is mayim (מַיִם) and “face”, which is panim (פָּנִים). Some say Elohim in the plural form refers to the Trinity and others say that it’s a form of royal “we”, or an “honorific plural” used by or in reference to those of great importance and power.

Elohai, meaning “my God”, can be found where Ruth stays with Naomi in Ruth 1:16, when she says “Your people shall be my people and your God, my God”. It’s used in many places throughout the Old Testament and was used by Jesus when he quoted David (Ps. 22:1) before his death on the cross by saying “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”. Just as Elohai changes Elohim to make it “my God”, Eloheinu is “our God”.

El Shaddai אֵל שַׁדַּי

God gave this name to Himself in Genesis 17:1 when establishing His covenant with Abram. El Shaddai means “all sufficient God”. The word Shaddai is also used by itself in Numbers 24:4, commonly translated as “Almighty”.

El Echad אֵל אֶֽחָד

Echad means “one” in Hebrew so this name means “one God” as in Malachi 2:10. It also points us of The Shema, Deuteronomy 6:4 “our God is one”!

El Hanneman אֵל   הַֽנֶּאֱמָן

Also in Deuteronomy, this name means “the faithful God” and is used in chapter 7, verse 9 in a warning to the Hebrew people no two turn from their faithful God.

El Tzaddik אֵל צַדִּיק

God gives Himself this name through the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 45:21. It means “righteous God”.

El Elyon אֵל עֶלְיֹון

Meaning “most high God”, El Elyon is what King David called God in Psalm 9 when thanking Him for His perfect justice. Elyon can also be found alone, as in Numbers 24:16 as Baalam praises God in prophecy when Balak has tried to convince him to curse Israel.

El Elim אֵל אֵלִים

This name is used in Daniel 11:36. It shows that, while others may have many gods, ours is the one that’s above them all!

El De’ot אֵל דֵּעֹות

Hannah gives God this name, meaning “God of knowledge” in a prayer of thanksgiving for her much-awaited son, Samuel (1 Sam. 2:3). The fear (reverence) of God is described as the beginning of knowledge in Proverbs 1:7, so we can know that He’s the source of all the knowledge we need!

El Haggadol אֱלֹהֵי הָאֱלֹהִים

When addressing the Hebrew people, Moses gives God this name, meaning “the great God” (Deut. 10:17).

El HaKevod אֵל הַכָּבֹוד

“The God of glory” is what this name means. It’s found in Psalm 29, verse 3, where David beautifully describes our awesome God, as he does so ofter throughout the Psalms.

El HaKadosh אֵל   הַקָּדֹושׁ

In a description of God’s justice, this name, meaning “the holy God” is given in Isaiah 5:16. There is no one holier than God, making His the only perfect and right judgement.

El HaShamayim אֵל הַשָּׁמָיִם

Meaning “the God of the heavens”, this comes from Psalm 136 (verse 26), a Psalm of praise and thankfulness to God for His goodness and blessings to Israel.

El Olam אֵל עֹולָם

This names means “everlasting God” and can be found in Genesis 21:33, just after Abraham makes a covenant with Abimelech. Our God is everlasting! He has no beginning and no end! Isn’t that amazing?

El Roi אֵל רֳאִי

In Genesis 16:13, Hagar gave God this name when she found out she was pregnant with Ishmael. It means God who sees”. Because of her life circumstances, it didn’t seem like God saw her but He did, just like He sees all of us, even when we don’t feel like it!

El Yeshurun אֵל יְשֻׁרוּן

Yeshurun (also translated “Jeshurun”) means “Israel” or “righteous people” so this name means “God of Israel”.

El Yisrael אֵל יִשְׂרָאֵל

Just like El Yeshurun and from a Psalm of David (Psalm 68:36), this name means “God of Israel”.

El Channun אֵל חַנּוּן

Jonah gave this name to God in Jonah 4:2 in a complaint to Him. It means “gracious God”.

El Rachum אֵל רַחוּם

From a message to the Hebrew people from Moses, this name means “God of compassion” and is found in Deuteronomy 4:31.

El Yashuati אֵל יְשׁוּעָתִי

Related to the name of Yeshua (Jesus), this name means “God of my salvation” and is found in Isaiah 12:2. “God of our salvation” is El Yeshatenu (אֵל יְשׁוּעָתֵנוּ), from Psalm 68:19.

El Kanno אֵל קַנֹּוא

In Joshua 24:19, God’s described as “kana”, which can be translated as either “jealous” or “zealous”. This aspect of God’s character is better understood if we compare it to a marriage relationship. It’s similar to a man being jealous for his wife. He wants her to himself and doesn’t like to share. This is how God is with us. He wants to be our only God and doesn’t want to share!

El Hannorah אֵל הַנּוֹרָא

God is described in Nehemiah 9:32 as “the awesome God”. There’s no truer statement than that! He is indeed the most awesome there is!

El Chaiyai אֵל חַיָּי

This name, from Psalm 42:8, means “God of my life”. Is He the God of your life? If so, you know the peace that can bring! Closely related is Elohim Chai (אֱלֹהִים חַי), “living God”.

El Ghmulot אֵל גְּמֻלוֹת

In Jeremiah 51:56, Jeremiah refers to God using this name to warn that God will bring Babylon to justice for their treatment of His people. This name is translated as “the LORD is a God of recompense” or “the LORD is a God of retribution”.

Immanu El עִמָּנוּ אֵל

This is one we’re all familiar with. Commonly translated “Immanuel”, “God with us” in Isaiah 7:14 points forward to when Jesus came to earth and humans experienced God with them in the form of a man.

Elohim Emet אֱלֹהִים   אֱמֶת

While discussing idolatry, Jeremiah distinguishes our God as the “true God” with this name from Jeremiah 10:10. El Emet (אֵל אֱמֶת) has the same meaning and is found in Psalm 31:5.

Elohim Bashamayim אֱלֹהִים   בַּשָּׁמַיִם

“God in heaven” is the name given by Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20:6.

Elohim Chayim אֱלֹהִים חַיִּים

This name, meaning “living God” is similar to El Chaiyai and Elohim Chai above. Chai (חַי) in Hebrew means “life”.

Elah Shamayia אֱלָהּ שְׁמַיָּא

Similar to Elohim Bashamayim, from the book of Ezra (7:23), Elah Shamayia means “God of Heaven”.

Elah Yerushalim אֱלָהּ יְרוּשְׁלֶֽם

God is referred to as the “God of Jerusalem” in Ezra 7:19 and as the “God of Israel” (אֱלָהּ יִשְׂרָאֵל) yet again in Ezra 5:1.

Eloah Selichot אֱלֹוהַּ סְלִיחֹות

I’m so thankful for this one! In Nehemiah 9:17, it says that our God is a “God of forgiveness”. We don’t deserve it but He’s patient with us and has given Jesus to us to redeem our sin which we can’t do for ourselves.

Elohei Tz’vaot אֱלֹהֵי צְבָאֹות

In 2 Samuel 5:10, this name, “God of hosts” is said to be the cause of David’s greatness.

Elohei Avraham, Yitzach, and Ya’akov אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם אֱלֹהֵי יִצְחָק וֵאלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב 

To distinguish from the many gods of the surrounding peoples, our God is the “God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob”. “God of Jacob” can also be found as Eloah Ya’akov (אֱלוֹהַּ יַעֲקֹב) in Psalm 114:7.

Elohei HaElohim אֱלֹהֵי הָאֱלֹהִים

In Deuteronomy 10:17, this is another name for “God of gods” like El Elim above. Another name with the same meaning, Elah Elahin (אֱלָהּ אֱלָהִין) can be found in Daniel 2:47.

Elohei MaUzzi אֵל מָעוּזִּי חָיִל

“God, a strong fortress” is what this name means, found in 2 Samuel 22:33. David gives Him this name in praise, attributing all his success to God. A similar name, El sal’i (אֵל סַלְעִי), meaning “God, my rock”, can be found in Psalm 42:9. The word for rock here can also mean a crag or a cliff.

Elohei Mikkarov אֱלֹהֵי מִקָּרֹב

“God who is near” is what God says about Himself in Jeremiah 23:23. What an amazing gift we have in that we’re able to have a God that wants to be close to us!

Elohei Marom אֱלֹהֵי מָרֹום

“God of heights” or “God on high” is how God’s described in Micah 6:6. While this may seem like the opposite of the previous name, “God who is near”, but since He’s God, He can be both near to us and a God whose exalted!

Elohei Tzur Yishi אֱלֹהֵי צוּר יִשְׁעִֽי

Similar to El Yashuati above, this name given by David means “God, the rock of my salvation” and is found in 2 Samuel 22:47.

Elohei Mishpat אֱלֹהֵי מִשְׁפָּט

In Isaiah 30:18, the people of Israel are given hope in that their God will bring justice to those who have treated them badly. This name means “God of justice”.

Elohei Kedem אֱלֹהֵי קֶדֶם

“Eternal God” is what this name means. It’s used in Deuteronomy 33:27, by Moses on his deathbed. Although he knows he can’t accompany the Hebrew people into the Promised Land, he does know the God that will go with them and that He is forever.

Elohei Tehellati אֱלֹהֵי תְהִלָּתִי

This should really be the name we all have for God. Elohai Tellhelati means “God of my praise”. Like no one else, God’s the only one deserving of all of our praise!

Elohei Avoteinu אֱלֹהֵי אֲבֹותֵינוּ

Meaning “God of our fathers”, this is yet another name given by David and it can be found in 1 Chronicles 12:17. Elah Ahavti (אֱלָהּ אֲבָהָתִי) is similar but means “God of my fathers” (Daniel 2:23).

Elohei Nachor אֱלֹהֵי נָחוֹר

Just as He’s the God of Abraham, God is also described as the God of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, in Genesis 31:53.

Elohei Haruchot Lakol Basar אֱלֹהֵי הָרוּחֹת לְכָל־בָּשָׂר 

Moses and Aaron describe God as the “God of the spirits of all flesh” in Numbers 16:22 and Moses says this again in chapter 27, verse 16. Our God is not only God over everything physical but also over the spiritual world! What an amazing God we have!

There are so many names of God related to El and Elohim! It’s impossible for us to get our mortal minds around all of who He is but the study of His names gives us a little glimpse of His character and He’s just awesome!