Genesis 17:1
And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
Hebrew word · Strong H7706
What does El Shaddai mean?
El Shaddai is one of the names of God in the Old Testament, translated “God Almighty”. It is the name by which God introduces himself to Abraham when he renews the promise of a son: “I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect” (Genesis 17:1).
שַׁדַּי
Shadday · transliteration · shad-dah'-ee · pronunciation
- In Strong’s lexicon
- the Almighty
- In the King James
- Almighty48
- Appears in
- 48 verses
The meaning of El Shaddai in the Bible
El is the Hebrew word for God (H410); Shaddai (H7706) appears in 48 verses, more than half of them in the book of Job. Its origin is debated: Strong's lexicon links it to a verb meaning “to be powerful, to devastate”; others relate it to the word for “mountain” or to “breast”, the picture of a God who sustains. The translation “Almighty”, inherited from the ancient Greek and Latin versions, is the one that stuck.
The name appears when God makes a promise that seems impossible — to Abraham at ninety-nine, to Jacob (Genesis 35:11) — and says that nothing is too hard for him. God himself tells Moses that this is how he made himself known to the patriarchs (Exodus 6:3). And Psalm 91 promises that whoever dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
Where El Shaddai appears
Exodus 6:3
And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
Psalms 91:1
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
Ruth 1:20
And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.
Frequently asked questions
- What does El Shaddai mean in English?
- “God Almighty”. El means God; Shaddai, traditionally translated Almighty, speaks of a God strong enough to keep what he promises.
- Where does El Shaddai appear in the Bible?
- First in Genesis 17:1, in the covenant with Abraham; also in Genesis 28:3, 35:11 and 48:3, in Exodus 6:3 and, above all, in the book of Job.
More Bible words
- Shalom
- Yahweh (YHWH)
- Hallelujah
- Selah
- Elohim
- Agape
- Adonai
- Hosanna
- Amen
- Abba
- Immanuel
- Tetelestai
- Kairos
- Maranatha
- Ebenezer
- Jehovah Jireh
- Jehovah Rapha
- El Roi
- Metanoia
- Jehovah Nissi
- Hesed
- Rhema
- Koinonia
- Logos
- Sheol
- Nephilim
- Number 7
- Number 3
- Number 12
- Number 40
- 666
- 444
- 333
- 222
- 111
- Iniquity
- Gentleness
- Longsuffering
- Grace
- Lasciviousness
- Concupiscence
- Strife
- Covetousness
- Reproach
- Redemption
- Godliness
- Burnt offering
- Sodomite
- Heretic
- Exhort
- Equity
- Would to God
- Stiff-necked