Two words commonly used for God in the Bible are ‘el’ (Hebrew) and ‘theos’ (Greek). In their simplest usage, these two words refer to a divine being or god. Neither is exclusive to the Bible. The word ‘el’ is found in various other Semitic languages—such as Canaanite and Ugaritic.
New Testament writers typically used the word theos for the name of God. Old Testament writers often distinguished the God they worshiped from other gods by adding a descriptor. Thus we find terms like:
• El Shaddai, meaning ‘God Almighty’: ‘When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, ‘I am God Almighty.’
• El Elyon, meaning ‘the Most High God’: ‘Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High.’
• El Roi, meaning ‘the God Who Sees’: ‘Hagar gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me.’
• El Yisrael, meaning ‘the God of Israel’: ‘Now Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the prophet, a descendant of Iddo, prophesied; ‘in the name of the God of Israel.’
Old Testament authors also used the word ‘elohim’, which is simply the plural form of the word ‘el’. Taken literally, it can be translated ‘gods.’ From time to time it is used that way in the Bible, such as in the famous commandment given to Moses by God: ‘You shall have no other gods (Elohim) before me.’
But more often than not, the Israelites referred to the one, true God as ‘elohim’, as in Deuteronomy 6:4. In this case, ‘elohim’ refers to the divine being who is grand and majestic, ‘the sovereign creator of the whole universe.’
The personal name of God is expressed in the phrase translated as ‘I am who I am’ and this could also mean, ‘I cause to be because I cause to be.’ And, when used as a title, the English words ‘I am’ are one word in Hebrew: Yahweh. The vowels were not included in ancient Hebrew at that time;. They feared saying his name because God was held in such reverence. They wrote the name of God as the word ‘YHWH.’ This name for God ‘YHWH’ became so sacred to Israelites that they ceased saying it out loud to ensure they did not use it in a profane way in breach of the 3rd Commandment. As a result, the Hebrew words ‘hashem’ meaning ‘the name’ or ‘adonai’ meaning ‘lord’ were substituted in public reading and speech.
Although ‘YHWH’ was the personal name of God for the Hebrew people it was very seldom used. The revelation of a personal name indicates a God who wants a personal relationship with His people, but sadly the Hebrew people were reluctant to call God by that name. The nearness of God is called the ‘Immanence’ of God, God dwelling with His people. The majestic nature of God is expressed in His ‘Transcendence,’ indicating He is far above and over all things. The Hebrews became more distant from the immanence of ‘God with us’ revelation of God, and more familiar with the transcendence, the ‘distance’ of God. God reaches out to the people of Israel at the coming of Jesus by announcing that His name will be ‘Immanuel’ (Matthew 1:23), meaning ‘God with us’; this is the immanence of God to close the distance that had arisen between God and His people. Jesus called God ‘pater’, meaning ‘Father.’ Jesus taught His followers to pray to God by addressing Him as ‘our Father in heaven.’ This must have seemed terribly irreverent to the people of Jesus’ day, but all the same a wonderful revelation of a God who wanted to be so near to His people that He could be called ‘Father.’ In Jesus’ most famous statement about God in John 14 verse 6, Jesus states: ‘I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through Me.’ Jesus declares Himself to be the One who can introduce any repentant sinner to a personal relationship with God the Father. Jesus is the advocate to introduce the unworthy to the Supreme Just Judge of all mankind. The same God who created the heavens and the earth, who saved the nation of Israel, who is ‘Most High’ among all other objects of worship, is also a personal, caring Father to all who trust Him.
As a list of 102 Names of God in the Bible, this list is not exhaustive but it is extensive as follows: • Advocate – 1 John 2:1
• Almighty – Revelation 1:8
• Alpha – Revelation 1:8
• Amen – Revelation 3:14
• Angel of the Lord – Genesis 16:7
• Anointed One – Psalm 2:2
• Apostle – Hebrews 3:1
• Author and Perfecter of our Faith – Hebrews 12:2
• Beginning – Revelation 21:6
• Bishop of Souls – 1 Peter 2:25
• Branch – Zechariah 3:8
• Bread of Life – John 6:35,48
• Bridegroom – Matthew 9:15
• Carpenter – Mark 6:3
• Chief Shepherd – 1 Peter 5:4
• The Christ – Matthew 1:16
• Comforter – Jeremiah 8:18
• Consolation of Israel – Luke 2:25
• Cornerstone – Ephesians 2:20
• Dayspring – Luke 1:78
• Day Star – 2 Peter 1:19
• Deliverer – Romans 11:26
• Desire of Nations – Haggai 2:7
• Emmanuel – Matthew 1:23
• End – Revelation 21:6
• Everlasting Father – Isaiah 9:6
• Faithful and True Witness – Revelation 3:14
• First Fruits – 1 Corinthians 15:23
• Foundation – Isaiah 28:16
• Fountain – Zechariah 13:1
• Friend of Sinners – Matthew 11:19
• Gate for the Sheep – John 10:7
• Gift of God – 2 Corinthians 9:15
• God – John 1:1
• Glory of God – Isaiah 60:1
• Good Shepherd – John 10:11
• Governor – Matthew 2:6
• Great Shepherd – Hebrews 13:20
• Guide – Psalm 48:14
• Head of the Church – Colossians 1:18
• High Priest – Hebrews 3:1
• Holy One of Israel – Isaiah 41:14
• Horn of Salvation – Luke 1:69
• I Am – Exodus 3:14
• Jehovah – Psalm 83:18
• Jesus – Matthew 1:21
• King of Israel – Matthew 27:42
• King of Kings – 1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 19:16
• Lamb of God – John 1:29
• Last Adam – 1 Corinthians 15:45
• Life – John 11:25
• Light of the World – John 8:12; John 9:5
• Lion of the Tribe of Judah – Revelation 5:5
• Lord of Lords – 1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 19:16
• Master – Matthew 23:8
• Mediator – 1 Timothy 2:5
• Messiah – John 1:41
• Mighty God – Isaiah 9:6
• Morning Star – Revelation 22:16
• Nazarene – Matthew 2:23
• Omega – Revelation 1:8
• Passover Lamb – 1 Corinthians 5:7
• Physician – Matthew 9:12
• Potentate – 1 Timothy 6:15
• Priest – Hebrews 4:15
• Prince of Peace – Isaiah 9:6
• Prophet – Acts 3:22
• Propitiation – I John 2:2
• Purifier – Malachi 3:3
• Rabbi – John 1:49
• Ransom – 1 Timothy 2:6
• Redeemer – Isaiah 41:14
• Refiner – Malachi 3:2
• Refuge – Isaiah 25:4
• Resurrection – John 11:25
• Righteousness – Jeremiah 23:6
• Rock – Deuteronomy 32:4
• Root of David – Revelation 22:16
• Rose of Sharon – Song of Solomon 2:1
• Ruler of God’s Creation – Revelation 3:14
• Sacrifice – Ephesians 5:2
• Saviour – 2 Samuel 22:47; Luke 1:47
• Second Adam – 1 Corinthians 15:47
• Seed of Abraham – Galatians 3:16
• Seed of David – 2 Timothy 2:8
• Seed of the Woman – Genesis 3:15
• Servant – Isaiah 42:1
• Shepherd – 1 Peter 2:25
• Shiloh – Genesis 49:10
• Son of David – Matthew 15:22
• Son of God – Luke 1:35
• Son of Man – Matthew 18:11
• Son of Mary – Mark 6:3
• Son of the Most High – Luke 1:32
• Stone – Isaiah 28:16
• Sun of Righteousness – Malachi 4:2
• Teacher – Matthew 26:18
• Truth – John 14:6
• Way – John 14:6
• Wonderful Counsellor – Isaiah 9:6
• Word – John 1:1
• Vine – John 15:1
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet of Islâm said: ‘There are ninety-nine names of Allâh; he who commits them to memory would get into Paradise. Verily, Allâh is Odd, and He is one and One is an odd number, and consequently Allâh loves odd numbers’.
In hadith, Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj Nishapuri, Sahih Muslim, (6475) it refers to the 99 names of God/ Allâh, (In Arabic: أسماء الله الحسنى ʾasmāʾ Allâh al-ḥusnâ are the names by which Muslims regard Allâh.) These names are listed in Arabic in the note to Hadith (6475), note number 2912. They are also referred to in the Qur’an and Sunnah. The names of God actually exceed a total of 99 in the Qur’an and Sunnah. According to a hadith narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, some of the names of God have also been hidden from mankind. It is safe to conclude then, that there are more than 99 names of Allâh, some revealed and some hidden. The person who memorises the 99 names of God is assured entry into paradise. This is a great incentive to learn them and to recite them.
- Allâh (The Name of Allâh). Allâh is Allâh’s name only. Nothing else can share it.
- Ar-Rahmaan (The Compassionate). He is the one who wills mercy and good for all creation at all times. He pours upon all creation infinite bounties.
- Ar-Raheem (The Most Merciful). He is the source of infinite mercy and beneficence, who rewards with eternal gifts the one who uses His bounties for the good.
- Al-Malik (The Sovereign). He is the owner and rule of the entire universe, visible and invisible, and of all creation, from before the beginning and after the end.
- Al-Qudus (The Most Holy). He is the most pure one, devoid of all blemish, shortcoming, weakness, heedlessness and error.
- As-Salaam (The Bestower of Peace). He is the one who saves the believing servants from all dangers, bringing them peace, blessings and security of paradise.
- Al-Mu’min (The Granter of Security). He is the illuminator of the light of faith in hearts. He is the comforter, the protector of the ones who take refuge in Him.
- Al-Muhaymin (The Protector). He is the protector and the guardian. He is the one who sees to the growth of His creation, leading them where they are destined
- Al-’Azeez (The Mighty). He is the victorious one whom no force can overwhelm. There is no strength in this universe that can stand before His will.
- Al-Jabbaar (The Compeller). He is the repairer of the broken, the completer of the lacking, the one who can enforce His will without any opposition.
- Al-Mutakabbir (The Majestic). He is the greatest, who shows His greatness in everything, on all occasions.
- Al-Khaaliq (The Creator). He is the one who creates from nothing, creating at the same time the states, conditions and sustenance of all that He has created. He establishes how, when and where creation will take place.
- Al-Baari’ (The Maker). He is the one who orders His creation with perfect harmony – not only each thing within itself, but everything in accordance with everything else.
- Al-Musawwir (The Fashioner of Forms). He is the one who, without using any model, 115 116 shapes everything in the most perfect manner.
- Al-Ghaffaar (The Forgiver). He is the one who accepts repentance and forgives.
- Al-Qahhaar (The Subduer). He is the ever- dominating one, who has surrounded all His creation from without and within with His irresistible power.
- Al-Wahhaab (The Bestower). He is the donor of all, without limits, without asking any benefits or return, giving everything to everyone, everywhere, always.
- Ar-Razzaaq (The Provider). He is the sustainer. Sustenance, both spiritual and physical, is needed to maintain the creation
- Al-Fattaah (The Opener). He is the opener and the solver, the easer of all that is locked, tied and hardened.
- Al-’Aleem (The All-Knowing). He is the one who knows all. He knows what has happened, what is happening and what will happen from the beginning to the end.
- Al-Qaabidh (The Withholder). He is the one who constricts. All existence is in His power. The life on this planet is a test for us, but He does not test His servants above their ability.
- Al-Baasit (The Expander). He is the one who releases abundance, joy, relief and ease after difficulties.
- Al-Khaafidh (The Abaser). He is the one who raises His creatures to honour and fame and who can cast them down to be the lowest of the low.
- Ar-Raafi’ (The Exalter). He is the one who raises His creatures to honour and fame and who can cast them down to be the lowest of the low.
- Al-Mu’iz (The Bestower of Honour). He is the one who honours and the one humiliates.
- Al-Muthil (The Humiliator). He is the one who honours and the one humiliates.
- As-Samee’ (The All-Hearing). He is the one who hears all – that which comes from the lips, passes through the minds, is felt by the hearts, the rustling of the leaves in the wind, the footsteps of ants and the atoms moving through the void.
- Al-Baseer (The All-Seeing). He is the one who sees all – that which has passed, all there is and all there will be until the end of time.
- Al-Hakam (The Judge). He is the one who orders. He is the bringer of justice and truth. He judges and executes His justice.
- Al-’Adl (The Just). He is the absolute justice. Justice secures peace, balance, order and harmony. He is the enemy of tyrants.
- Al-Lateef (The Most Affectionate, The Knower of Subtleties). He is the most delicate, fine, gentle and beautiful one. He is the one who knows the finest details of beauty.
- Al-Khabeer (The All-Aware). He is the one who is aware of the hidden inner things / events in everything. He is the one whose cognisance reaches the deepest, darkest, hidden corners of His kingdom, where neither human intelligence nor His angels can penetrate.
- Al-Haleem (The Forbearing). He is forbearing in the punishment of the guilty. He waits, giving time to the sinner to realise His guilt and ask forgiveness in order that He may forgive him rather than punish him.
- Al-’Atheem (The Magnificient). He is the greatest on the earth below and in the heavens above, in realms where our sight cannot reach and of which our minds cannot conceive. He is the absolute and perfect greatness.
- Al-Ghafoor (The Forgiving). He is the most forgiving one. He veils our faults from the eyes of other men, from the angels and relieves us from the suffering of continual remembrance of our faults.
- Ash-Shakoor (The Grateful). He is the one who repays a good deed with a much greater reward. Thankfulness is to return good with good.
- Al-’Aliyy (The Highest). He is the highest one. He is higher than the whole of the created universe. His nearness and distance and His being high cannot be measured by the limits of human intellect.
- Al-Kabeer (The Greatest). He is the greatest, whose greatness stretches from before the beginning until after the end. There is no difference for Him between the creation of an atom and the infinite-seeming universe. This is His grandeur as much as we can understand it. He is greater than that.
- Al-Hafeeth (The Preserver). He is the one who remembers all that was and all that is, keeping in His divine protection all that there will be.
- Al-Muqeet (The Sustainer). He is the nourisher of all creation. He creates the nourishment of each of His creature before He creates them. No one can take away the nourishment destined for each element of the creation.
- Al-Haseeb (The Reckoner). He is the one who takes account of all and everything that His creation does or is subjected to.
- Al-Jaleel (The Exalted). He is the lord of majesty and might. His might, greatness and eternity bear no resemblance to any energy, matter or time.
- Al-Kareem (The Generous). He is the generous one. His greatest generosity is His mercy, through which He forgives when He could punish.
- Ar-Raqeeb (The Watchful). He is the one who watches everything always. This scrutiny of every detail in the existence of all creation is in part protective.
- Al-Mujeeb (The Responsive). He is the one who responds to all the needs of His servants. He is closer to His creatures than they are to themselves. He is not any closer to a saint than He is to you or to a mustard seed.
- Al-Waasi’ (The All-Encompassing). He is the limitless vastness, whose knowledge, power, mercy, generosity and all other beautiful attributes are infinite.
- Al-Hakeem (The Wise). He is perfectly wise in His knowledge and His deeds. There is no doubt or uncertainty in His knowledge, nor does it have an end.
- Al-Wadood (The Most Loving). He is the one who loves His good servants. He is the only one who is worthy of love.
- Al-Majeed (The Most Glorious). He is glorious and majestic in the whole of His creation and beyond. No hand reaches Him, no power can touch Him, yet He is closer to His servants than their own souls. His state is pure perfection. His acts are pure wisdom.
- Al-Baa’ith (The Resurrector). He is the raiser from the dead. He will give life back to all creation on the day of judgement.
- Ash-Shaheed (The Witness). He is the one who witnesses all that happens everywhere at all times.
- Al-Haqq (The Truth). He is the truth, whose being is ever unchanged.
- Al-Wakeel (The Trustee). He is the ultimate and faithful trustee. Men think that they are able to do, but He is the one who does everything. He can replace everything in the universe, but nothing can replace Him nor can stand on its own without depending on Him.
- Al-Qawiyy (The Most Strong). He is the most strong one, the inexhaustible. He possesses all strength. He can create a billion universes with the same ease with which He creates a blade of grass.
- Al-Mateen (The Firm). He is perfect in His strength and in His firmness. None can be saved from this strength, no force can oppose it and nothing can weaken it.
- Al-Waliyy (The Patron). He is the protecting friend of His good servants. He eliminates their difficulties and gives them guidance, peace and success in their affairs in this world and in the hereafter.
- Al-Hameed (The Praiseworthy). He is the most praiseworthy. All that exists praise Him with their words, their actions or simply by their very existence. He is the only one who is worthy of devotion, respect, thankfulness and praise.
- Al-Muhsee (The Reckoner). He is the possessor of all quantitative knowledge. He sees and knows everything in its reality. He knows the number of all existence in the universe down to the number of breaths exhaled and inhaled by each of His creatures.
- Al-Mubdi’ (The Originator). He is the originator of all. He creates without model or material.
- Al-Mu’eed (The Restorer). He is the restorer of things He has created and destroyed. 117 118
- Al-Muhyee (The Giver of Life). He is the giver of life to things without life. He is the one who has created life and death. No one else can do that.
- Al-Mumeet (The Giver of Death). He is the creator of death. All who are alive will certainly die. Man is made of a combination of the flesh and the soul. The body is temporal, the soul is eternal.
- Al-Hayy (The Ever-Living). He is the perfectly alive and ever-living one. He is cognisant of all and all actions are His. All this known and will be known is within His knowledge. All existence is always comprehended in His action.
- Al-Qayyoom (The Self-Subsisting Sustainer of All). He is the ever self-existing one upon whom the existence of all depends. His existence depends on none other than Himself.
- Al-Waajid (The Finder). He finds and obtains whatever He wishes whenever He wishes. It is even superfluous to use the word ‘find’ because all is in His presence at all times.
- Al-Maajid (The Glorious). He is the most glorious, who shows infinite generosity and munificence to those close to Him.
- Al-Waahid/Al-Ahad (The One). He is one. He has no equal, none like Him, nor any partner in His essence, in His attributes, in His actions, in His orders, or in His beautiful names.
- As-Samad (The Eternally Besought). He is the satisfier of all needs and all is in need of Him. He is the sole recourse; the only place of support where one may go to rid oneself of all trouble and to receive all that one needs through the blessings of this name.
- Al-Qaadir (The Omnipotent). He is the all powerful who does what He wills the way He wills. He created the universe by Himself, from nothing, with neither material nor model. He said ‘BE’ and it became.
- Al-Muqtadir (The Powerful). He is the one who creates all power and has total control over all power. He bestows power upon things on earth and in heaven, and uses them in accordance with His all pervasive wisdom and will.
- Al-Muqaddim (The Expediter). He brings forward whomever He wills. He advances the chosen among His creation, bringing some above and ahead of others.
- Al-Mu’akhkhir (The Delayer). He leaves behind whomever He wills and delays advancement.
- Al-Awwal (The First). He is the first. There is none like Him. His first place means that there was none prior to Him. He is self- existent, all comes from Him and He is the cause of all that became.
- Al-Aakhir (The Last). He is the last. He has no beginning. He has no end. He is eternal. He is the last in the sense that the circle of existence begins and ends with Him.
- Ath-Thaahir (The Manifest). He is the manifest one. He is hidden from those who seek to see by means of their senses, but He is apparent to those who seek to know Him by the wisdom and reason that He has bestowed upon them.
- Al-Baatin (The Hidden). He is the hidden one. His existence is both manifest and hidden. To truly know the creator is not possible because the knowledge, the mind, the understanding of the created one are limited.
- Al-Waalee (The Governor). He is the sole manager and governor of the whole creation.
- Al-Muta’aalee (The Most Exalted). He is the supreme one. His greatness grows. As He gives from His inexhaustible treasures His riches increase. As the needs of His creation increase, His bounties increase.
- Al-Barr (The Source of All Goodness). He is the perfect doer of good. All goodness and bounty come from Him. He loves for His servants only good, comfort and ease.
- At-Tawwaab (The Acceptor of Repentance). He is one who constantly turns man to repentance.
- Al-Muntaqim (The Avenger). He is the great avenger. He punishes those who persist in revolting, raving in their unconsciousness and egotism, creating disharmony, tyrannising His servants and His creation.
- Al-’Afuww (The Pardoner). He is the forgiver, the eliminator of sins. He does not often punish the ones who deny, the ones who revolt. He accepts their recognition of their sins as repentance. He erases their sins.
- Ar-Ra’oof (The Most Kind). He is all clement. Despite His ability to see our sins, of His being just, of His being able to punish, the fact that He chooses to forgive proves His infinite mercy and clemency.
- Maalik-ul-Mulk (The Owner of Sovereignty). He is the eternal owner of His kingdom. He shares neither the ownership, nor the power, government or guardianship of the universe with anyone.
- Dhul-Jalaali Wal-Ikraam (Majestic and Benevolent). He is the lord of majesty and bounty. There is no perfection that does not belong to Him nor any blessing or honour that comes from other than Him.
- Al-Muqsit (The Just). He is the one who acts and distributes in justice and fairness. How harmonious and balanced is the creation: all the beauties in heaven and earth, mountains, seas, sunsets, flowers and also the eyes to see.
- Al-Jaami’ (The Gatherer). He is the gatherer of whatever He wishes, wherever He wishes. He has gathered together within this universe spaces, galaxies, stars, planets, seas, plants and animals, things whose nature, size, shape and colour are different.
- Al-Ghaniyy (The Self-Sufficient). He is the rich one who is self-sufficient. His essence and attributes have no relationship to anything else. His existence and perfection depend on no other and He does not need to earn His existence.
- Al-Mughnee (The Enricher). He is the enricher. He renders whomever He wishes rich and whomever He wishes poor.
- Al-Maani’ (The Preventer of Harm). He is the one who averts harm from His creation.
- Adh-Dhaar (The Distresser). He is the creator of the harmful and evil as He is the creator of the good and benificial. He has also taught us to opt for the good and avoid the evil. He has given us the power of discrimination and the will and freedom to choose.
- An-Naafi’ (The Propitious) He is the creator of good. He has created man as the best of His creation and He has bestowed upon him gifts which render him unique and superior to the rest of the creation.
- An-Noor (The Light). He is the light that is shed upon the whole creation, making it apparent. His light brought existence out of the darkness of non-existence.
- Al-Haadee (The Guide). He is the one who gives guidance, leading His servants to good, beneficence and the fulfilment of their needs.
- Al-Badee’ (The Originator). He is the originator of the creation, having created it without model or material. He does not need previous knowledge to think, to first investigate, to figure things out. Everything He creates is a wonder since He originated it from nothing. 9
- Al-Baaqee (The Everlasting). He is the everlasting one who existence in the future is forever. He has neither beginning nor end. The creation will end and time with it. But He will still exist.
- Al-Waarith (The Ultimate Inheritor). He is the ultimate inheritor, to whom everything is left after its temporal possessors are gone. It is He who exists after all existence disappears. It is He to whom all existence returns.
- Ar-Rasheed (The Guide to the Right Path). He is the righteous teacher who ordains righteousness for all creatures. In His wisdom He leads all matters to their finality in a perfect way and order.
- As-Saboor (The Patient One). He is the most patient one. In His creation as in His actions, in His dealings with His creation, nothing is either bigger or smaller, better or worse, earlier or later than it is determined for it to be.