Judaism
Judaism reveres God's personal four-letter name, YHWH, so deeply that it is never spoken; in its place Jews say Adonai in prayer and HaShem ("the Name") in daily speech. Scripture adds titles such as El Shaddai and El Elyon, and the rabbis added names like the Holy One, Blessed Be He, and the Shekhinah, God's indwelling Presence.
- YHWH (the Tetragrammaton)יהוה
The four-letter personal name of God, linked to the verb "to be": the One who is, was and will be.
Never pronounced aloud in Jewish practice; read as Adonai in prayer or HaShem otherwise. English Bibles render it "the LORD".
Exodus 3:15 ↗ - Adonaiאֲדֹנָי
"My Lord": the word spoken in prayer and Torah reading wherever YHWH is written.
Opens the Amidah prayer ("Adonai, open my lips").
Psalms 51:17 ↗ - HaShemהַשֵּׁם
"The Name": the everyday way of referring to God outside prayer, out of reverence.
In this verse "the Name" already stands for God's name; later usage made it a common title.
Leviticus 24:11 ↗ - Elohimאֱלֹהִים
God: the common Hebrew word for the Divine, plural in form but used of the one God.
Rabbinic tradition links it with God's justice.
Genesis 1:1 ↗ - Elאֵל
God, the Mighty One: the ancient root word for the Divine.
Numbers 23:19 ↗ - El Shaddaiאֵל שַׁדַּי
God Almighty, the All-Sufficient, who reveals Himself to Abraham.
Genesis 17:1 ↗ - El Elyonאֵל עֶלְיוֹן
God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth.
Genesis 14:18 ↗ - El Olamאֵל עוֹלָם
The Everlasting God, God of all ages.
Genesis 21:33 ↗ - Ehyeh Asher Ehyehאֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה
"I Am that I Am" or "I Will Be what I Will Be": the name given to Moses at the burning bush.
Exodus 3:14 ↗ - Yahיָהּ
A short, poetic form of the divine name, heard in "Hallelu-yah".
From the Song at the Sea.
Exodus 15:2 ↗ - YHWH Tzevaotיהוה צְבָאוֹת
The LORD of Hosts, sovereign over the armies of heaven and all creation.
From the angels' cry "Holy, holy, holy", recited in the Kedushah prayer.
Isaiah 6:3 ↗ - YHWH Yirehיהוה יִרְאֶה
The LORD Will Provide (or Will See): Abraham's name for the place where the ram was provided.
Strictly a place-name, remembered as a description of God.
Genesis 22:14 ↗ - YHWH Shalomיהוה שָׁלוֹם
The LORD Is Peace: the name Gideon gave his altar.
An altar-name, remembered as a description of God.
Judges 6:24 ↗ - YHWH Ropheיהוה רֹפְאֶךָ
The LORD Who Heals: "I am the LORD your healer."
Exodus 15:26 ↗ - YHWH Nissiיהוה נִסִּי
The LORD Is My Banner: the name Moses gave his altar after victory.
An altar-name, remembered as a description of God.
Exodus 17:15 ↗ - YHWH Ro'iיהוה רֹעִי
The LORD Is My Shepherd, who guides and cares for His people.
Psalms 23:1 ↗ - Kedosh Yisraelקְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל
The Holy One of Israel, a title used often by Isaiah.
Isaiah 1:4 ↗ - HaTzurהַצּוּר
The Rock: steadfast and dependable, whose work is perfect.
Deuteronomy 32:4 ↗ - Avinu Malkeinuאָבִינוּ מַלְכֵּנוּ
Our Father, Our King: God as both loving parent and sovereign.
Rabbi Akiva's prayer for rain; it grew into the litany recited on the High Holy Days.
Talmud, Taanit 25b ↗ - HaKadosh Barukh Huהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא
The Holy One, Blessed Be He: the most common rabbinic way of naming God.
Mishnah, Pirkei Avot 3:1 ↗ - Shekhinahשְׁכִינָה
The Divine Presence: God dwelling among people, especially where they gather to pray or study.
A rabbinic term; in Kabbalah the Shekhinah is also seen as the feminine aspect of the Divine.
Talmud, Berakhot 6a ↗ - Ribono shel Olamרִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם
Master of the World: an intimate form of address in personal prayer.
Used by Honi the Circle-Drawer when praying for rain.
Talmud, Taanit 23a ↗ - HaMakomהַמָּקוֹם
The Place, the Omnipresent: God is the place of the world, but the world is not His place.
A rabbinic name; still used in the traditional words of comfort to mourners.
Genesis Rabbah 68:9 ↗ - Melekh ha-Olamמֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם
King of the Universe: the title in every standard Jewish blessing ("Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the universe").
The Talmud rules that a blessing must mention God's kingship.
Talmud, Berakhot 40b ↗ - Ein Sofאֵין סוֹף
The Infinite, "without end": God as utterly beyond all limits and description.
A Kabbalistic (Jewish mystical) term, not biblical; developed in medieval Kabbalah and the Zohar.
Kabbalah (reference page) ↗