MANNAFEST

Names of God

God reveals himself by name. Each name given in a specific historical moment, in response to a specific situation. Fourteen names along a revelation timeline — from Elohim at creation to YHWH-Shammah at the restored city — closing with Jesus' "I AM."

I AM THAT I AM.

Fourteen names, in the order revealed

  1. Gen 1:1
    אֱלֹהִים
    Elohim

    Plural-of-majesty Creator name.

  2. Gen 14:18
    אֵל עֶלְיוֹן
    El Elyon

    God Most High — Melchizedek's priestly name.

  3. Gen 15:2
    אֲדֹנָי
    Adonai

    My Lord / Master. Reverent address.

  4. Gen 17:1
    אֵל שַׁדַּי
    El Shaddai

    God Almighty — Abrahamic covenant renewal.

  5. Gen 21:33
    אֵל עוֹלָם
    El Olam

    The Everlasting God.

  6. Gen 22:14
    יְהוָה יִרְאֶה
    YHWH-Jireh

    The LORD will provide — Moriah, after the ram.

  7. Ex 3:14–15
    יְהוָה
    YHWH

    I AM THAT I AM — the covenant name.

  8. Ex 15:26
    יְהוָה רֹפְאֶךָ
    YHWH-Rapha

    The LORD that heals thee — Marah.

  9. Ex 17:15
    יְהוָה נִסִּי
    YHWH-Nissi

    The LORD my banner — Rephidim.

  10. Jdg 6:24
    יְהוָה שָׁלוֹם
    YHWH-Shalom

    The LORD is peace — Gideon at Ophrah.

  11. 1 Sam 1:3
    יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת
    YHWH-Sabaoth

    The LORD of hosts.

  12. Ps 23:1
    יְהוָה רֹעִי
    YHWH-Ro'i

    The LORD is my shepherd.

  13. Jer 23:6
    יְהוָה צִדְקֵנוּ
    YHWH-Tsidkenu

    The LORD our righteousness — the Branch.

  14. Ezek 48:35
    יְהוָה שָׁמָּה
    YHWH-Shammah

    The LORD is there — the restored city.

NT Capstone
Jesus — ἐγώ εἰμι

John 6:35 · 8:12 · 10:11 · 11:25 · 14:6 · 15:1 · 18:5–8. The man who said egō eimi was the one who said ehyeh asher ehyeh at the bush. See the Jesus Titles cluster for full treatment →

Framework

The Tetragrammaton (YHWH) as covenant name

Ex 3:13–15 — Moses asks the name; God answers ehyeh asher ehyeh ("I AM THAT I AM") and names himself YHWH. Ex 6:2–3 — "I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty (El Shaddai), but by my name YHWH was I not known to them." The Tetragrammaton is the name around which the compound names cluster — every YHWH-compound (Jireh, Rapha, Nissi, Shalom, Ro'i, Tsidkenu, Shammah) is "YHWH + attribute." The compounds are contextual revelations of the covenant name under specific circumstances. Pronunciation: the Masoretic Hebrew preserves consonants only; Jewish tradition substitutes Adonai at reading; the reconstructed "Yahweh" is scholarly inference, not textual certainty.

Compound YHWH names as contextual revelations

Each compound reveals God in the situation where the name is given. YHWH-Jireh (Gen 22:14, Moriah after the ram) — "the LORD will provide." YHWH-Rapha (Ex 15:26, Marah after the bitter waters) — "the LORD that healeth thee." YHWH-Nissi (Ex 17:15, Rephidim after Amalek) — "the LORD my banner." YHWH-Shalom (Jdg 6:24, Ophrah) — "the LORD is peace." YHWH-Ro'i (Ps 23:1, David's confession) — "the LORD is my shepherd." YHWH-Tsidkenu (Jer 23:6, the Branch from David) — "the LORD our righteousness." YHWH-Shammah (Ezek 48:35, the restored city) — "the LORD is there."

El-compounds as attribute names

Elohim (Gen 1:1) — plural-of-majesty Creator name; the first name of Scripture. El Shaddai (Gen 17:1) — "God Almighty," given to Abram at covenant-renewal. El Elyon (Gen 14:18–22) — "God Most High," Melchizedek's priestly name. El Olam (Gen 21:33) — "the Everlasting God," Abraham's planting at Beersheba.

YHWH Sabaoth and Adonai

YHWH Sabaoth / Tzeva'ot (1 Sam 1:3; pervasive in the prophets) — "the LORD of hosts," with military / angelic-host connotation; the name most frequent in Isaiah. Adonai (Gen 15:2) — "my Lord / Master," the vocalization Jewish reading practice substitutes for the Tetragrammaton; also used independently as a reverent address.

Translation history — Hebrew → Greek → Latin → English

Hebrew YHWH → Greek Kyrios (LXX, 3rd–2nd c. BC) → Latin Dominus (Vulgate, Jerome 4th c. AD) → English LORD (Tyndale → KJV 1611; small-caps convention preserves the YHWH reading). The translation chain flattens the Tetragrammaton into a title rather than a name. When a student reads "the LORD" in capitals, they are reading the Tetragrammaton. The NT's Kyrios Iēsous (Rom 10:9 — "Jesus is Lord") is no accident; it carries the Septuagintal weight.

Jesus' "I AM" as NT capstone

Seven predicated "I AM"s in John (6:35 bread; 8:12 light; 10:7/9 door; 10:11/14 good shepherd; 11:25 resurrection and life; 14:6 way, truth, life; 15:1/5 true vine). Absolute "I AM"s: 8:24, 8:28, 8:58, 13:19, 18:5–8 (the arresting party falls backward). The continuity of Hebrew ehyeh / Greek egō eimi is the linguistic bridge. Jesus' Jewish audience at John 8:58 picked up stones — they heard the claim. Full treatment lives at /title/i-am (Jesus Titles cluster, Batch 7-B).

Editor's note reserved — populated by Pastor Marc via the drawer.

Follow a thread

  1. Elohim — the plural-of-majesty CreatorGenesis 1:1

    Gen 1:1 — the first name of Scripture.

  2. YHWH — I AM THAT I AMExodus 3:14

    Ex 3:14–15 — the covenant name revealed at the burning bush.

  3. Adonai — my LordGenesis 15:2

    Gen 15:2 — Abraham's reverent address.

  4. El Shaddai — God AlmightyGenesis 17:1

    Gen 17:1 — covenant renewal with Abram.

  5. El Elyon — God Most HighGenesis 14:18

    Gen 14:18–22 — Melchizedek's priestly name.

  6. El Olam — the Everlasting GodGenesis 21:33

    Gen 21:33 — Abraham planting at Beersheba.

  7. YHWH-Jireh — the LORD will provideGenesis 22:14

    Gen 22:14 — Moriah, after the ram substitution.

  8. YHWH-Rapha — the LORD that healeth theeExodus 15:26

    Ex 15:26 — Marah, after the bitter waters were sweetened.

  9. YHWH-Nissi — the LORD my bannerExodus 17:15

    Ex 17:15 — Rephidim, after the Amalek battle.

  10. YHWH-Shalom — the LORD is peaceJudges 6:24

    Jdg 6:24 — Gideon at Ophrah.

  11. YHWH-Ro'i — the LORD is my shepherdPsalm 23:1

    Ps 23:1 — David's confessional name.

  12. YHWH-Tsidkenu — the LORD our righteousnessJeremiah 23:6

    Jer 23:6 — the Branch from David.

  13. YHWH-Shammah — the LORD is thereEzekiel 48:35

    Ezek 48:35 — the final name of the restored city.

  14. YHWH-Sabaoth — the LORD of hostsIsaiah 6:3

    1 Sam 1:3 — Hannah's prayer at Shiloh; pervasive in the prophets.