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What is God’s Name?

13 May 2020 Hits:2281

What’s in a name? Quite a bit. A person’s name reflects their character, whether they have a good reputation or not. It’s also the main way we connect and communicate. To truly engage with others and build relationships, we need to know their names. Remembering people’s names has always been one of my lifelong goals and is one way I show I care and value others.

I am who I am

When Moses stood at the burning bush, one of the first things he wanted to know was God’s name. “Moses said to God, ‘Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” 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'” (Exodus 3:13-14).

What kind of name is “I am who I am”? What if I introduced myself like that to you? You might think my driveway doesn’t go all the way to the road. God then told Moses that this was a new name. God “appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty [El Shaddai], but by my name the Lord [Yahweh], I did not make myself fully known to them.”

In other words, God was communicating to Moses in a completely new way compared to how He had spoken for the past 500 years since He first introduced Himself to Abram. El-Shaddai (Lit. God of the breast) is a feminine name that signifies provision. El-Shaddai represents both the past and the present.

YHWH

In contrast, Yahweh is a prophetic name that reveals what God will be in the future. This was incredible news for people in slavery. What do you need if you’re a slave? God says, I am He who will be your deliverer.

“I am who I am” is made up of four Hebrew consonants—in English, it’s YHWH—and is called the Tetragrammaton. YHWH is an unpronounceable name. In fact, a Jewish mate of mine won’t write the name “God.” He always types G-D as a sign of respect. In Biblical Hebrew, vowels are rarely written. We English speakers don’t have such a rule and often insert two vowels into YHWH to get Yahweh.

Yahweh was then Latinised in the 13th century when Christian scholars took the consonants of “Yahweh” and pronounced it with the vowels of “Adonai.” This resulted in the sound “Yahuwah” (Latin “Jehovah”). The first recorded use of this spelling was made by a Spanish Dominican monk, Raymundus Martini, in 1270.

God’s Names

After leading the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, God gradually revealed himself to people based on their needs. Throughout the rest of the Tanakh (the Christian Old Testament), we find seven names of Yahweh (I AM) – what God will be for his people.

Yahweh-Rapha (Ex. 15:22-26) = I AM the One who will heal you.

Yahweh-Nissi (knee-see; Ex. 17:15) = I AM the One who will give you victory.

Yahweh-M’kaddesh (Lev. 20:1-8) = I AM the One who will sanctify you.

Yahweh-shalom (Judges 6:24) = I AM the One who will give peace.

Yahweh-rohi (Psalm 23:1) = I AM the One who will be your shepherd.

Yahweh-tsidkenu (Jer. 33:16) = I AM the One who will be your righteousness.

Yahweh-Shamma (Ezekiel 48:35) = I AM the One who will be there for you.

These names are among God’s twenty-four revealed names in scripture.

Jesus’ Names

Jesus is Emmanuel—God with us—and so we would expect to find all of God’s twenty-four names revealed in Him. For example, Jesus’ miracles of provision, such as turning water into wine and feeding the 5000 men, plus women and children, demonstrate that Jesus is El-Shaddai.

It’s the same with Yahweh. In fact, in the New Testament, we discover seven “I AM’s” of Jesus corresponding to the seven “I AM’s” of God mentioned above.

Jesus said:

I AM the bread of life (John 6:35)

I AM the light of the world (John 8:12)

I AM the door for the sheep (John 10:7)

I AM the good shepherd (John 10:11)

I AM the resurrection and the life (John 11:25)

I AM the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6)

I AM the true vine (John 15:1)

In the New Testament, JESUS reveals a new name for God as the ultimate revelation of who God is to us (John 17:6). This new name is “Father.”

Revealed Throughout Scripture

And so, God was the provider (El Shaddai) to Abraham, the deliverer (Yahweh) to Moses and the people of Israel, but Father to those who follow Jesus the Saviour. This new name was revealed by Jesus to his followers in the Sermon on the Mount, a summary of Jesus’ main teachings. Jesus taught his followers to pray, “Our Father in heaven.” In other words, we share the same relationship with God that Jesus has. Let that incredible thought settle into your mind and spirit.

In this way, we observe an incredible progressive revelation of God to humanity. The way people perceived and experienced God thousands of years ago is very different from how we view and encounter God today. God is no longer the one who comes down to rescue his people (Ex. 3:8). God now dwells within us—closer than the air we breathe.

God no longer solely identifies as El Shaddai or Yahweh. Instead, God is our Father, and we can communicate with Him because we know His name. Like any caring Father, He will guide, protect, and provide us with everything we need.

 

(Updated: 25/02/2026)

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