What does el shaddai mean

El and Shaddai thus form a compound name for God. The focus does not seem to be so much on power and might although that is implied but more on sovereignty and kingship. The use of the name El Shaddai is the name that is associated with the patriarchal period and seems to fade away after that.

The first occurrence of El Shaddai is in Gen. Of the many Hebrew names for God that have been transliterated into the English language and used in Christian worship, El Shaddai is certainly among the best known.

Scripture often borrows words from the Semitic language-speaking peoples of its day and invests them with brand-new, divinely-inspired meanings. Looking at a Hebrew term that is used in other contexts can give us important clues as to why certain words were borrowed from surrounding cultures and not others. There is some debate as to the reasoning behind the choice of El Shaddai.

Unlike paganism, however, Scripture never identifies God with His creation. God is powerful enough to part the Red Sea so they can be free, and sufficient to provide a way for them to escape bondage.

When asked how Jesus was going to feed the 5,, He was powerful enough to feed the whole crowd with 2 small fish and 5 barley loaves, and sufficient enough so everyone was filled.

God is all powerful, therefore He should be everything we need. God Almighty, El Shaddai, is enough. The blind beggar, Bartimaeus, realized this. In and of ourselves, we are not enough.

However, we have El Shaddai who is more than adequate. He has provided the way for all our inadequacy to be covered and forgiven through His Son, Jesus Christ. Now, we are under the New Covenant and our righteousness is actually the righteousness of Christ. It is His adequacy that covers our inadequacy. His robe of righteousness covering over the frailty of our sinfulness. He is powerful enough to save us and sustain us. God is El Shaddai who is the promise keeper.

He always keeps His Word and we can trust Him. This was what the writer of Hebrews we getting at in Hebrews 11 , when he recounts the story after story of those who dared to believe God and trusted Him to keep His promises. However, His very name speaks to the fact that He is Almighty and faithful to keep His promises. He is El Shaddai and you can trust Him to keep His promises to you.

God is El Shaddai who protects us. When Jacob sent his sons off to Egypt to find food and he prayed that El Shaddai would bless his sons and have mercy on them and protect them.