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The Names of God
What’s in a name? When the Bible speaks of God, the name used holds more significance than you ever knew. For example, the very first reference to God in Genesis 1:1—the name Elohim—teaches and reveals the triune nature of God. We are commanded to honor the name of God, but to do that adequately, we must understand the inherit greatness of the names which God uses to refer to himself. Ken Hemphill takes the reader through an in-depth devotional study of the names of God, teaching the significance of each name and the keys it possesses to growing us in relationship with God. God’s names are not only our protection but also reveal the very nature of God himself. This is why we are to honor his name.
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 22, 2017
I took me a long time to read this book. That wasn't the author's fault but it probably contributed to my lower rating.
I'm giving it 3 1/2 stars, and I've rounded it done to 3 stars as I found it difficult to connect to the author. He makes some great points and there were some very encouraging passages. I liked that he went through the names of God sequentially as they were revealed in the Scriptures, although I'm not sure why he changed the order for Jehovah Rohi. I also appreciate how he tied the Old and New Testaments together and showed how Christ fulfilled God's revelation about himself on his names.
But I found his repetition of God's names and their meanings/implications in the final chapter tedious. I don't see the point of saying the same information twice. A quick summary and overall application would have made sense, but he went into an unexpected amount of repeated detail.
Overall this was a decent book, but there are many to choose from on this topic.
I'm giving it 3 1/2 stars, and I've rounded it done to 3 stars as I found it difficult to connect to the author. He makes some great points and there were some very encouraging passages. I liked that he went through the names of God sequentially as they were revealed in the Scriptures, although I'm not sure why he changed the order for Jehovah Rohi. I also appreciate how he tied the Old and New Testaments together and showed how Christ fulfilled God's revelation about himself on his names.
But I found his repetition of God's names and their meanings/implications in the final chapter tedious. I don't see the point of saying the same information twice. A quick summary and overall application would have made sense, but he went into an unexpected amount of repeated detail.
Overall this was a decent book, but there are many to choose from on this topic.
November 25, 2017
I’m currently delving into the names of God so I picked up this eBook by Ken Hemphill, The Names of God. I’ve never given any thorough study to the Hebrew names of God in the Old Testament so I thought this book would be a good place to start. I have to admit I had a difficult time concentrating and following this text. Some parts were academic and dry, listing the number of times each word appeared in the Bible. Other parts wandered away from the main points to tell stories or chase the author’s rabbits. For instance, in too many chapters, he gave the message of salvation, which is an honorable goal, but I seriously doubt a non-Christian would be reading a book on the Hebrew names of God. It was things like this that created unnecessary distractions from the main point of each chapter.
Still, the names of God are a worthy study so I’ll include a list of them here for your perusal:
Elohim: Powerful God
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:1
Adonai: Lord
But Abram replied, “O Sovereign Lord, what good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son? Since you’ve given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth.
Genesis 15:2
El Elyon: God Most High
Melchizedek blessed Abram with this blessing:
“Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.
And blessed be God Most High, who has defeated your enemies for you.”
Genesis 14:19-20
El Shaddai: Almighty God
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life.
Genesis 17:1
Yahweh: Israel’s Covenant God
God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you.”
Exodus 3:14
Jehovah Jireh: The Lord Provides
Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the Lord will provide”). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”
Genesis 22:14
Jehovah Rophe: The Lord Heals
He said, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you.”
Exodus 15:26
Jehovah Nissi: The Lord Is My Banner
Moses built an altar there and named it Yahweh-Nissi (which means “the Lord is my banner”). 16 He said, “They have raised their fist against the Lord’s throne, so now the Lord will be at war with Amalek generation after generation.”
Exodus 17:15-16
Jehovah Mekadesh: The Lord Who Sanctifies You
I myself will turn against them and cut them off from the community, because they have defiled my sanctuary and brought shame on my holy name by offering their children to Molech.
Leviticus 20:3
Jehovah Shalom: The Lord Is Peace
And Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and named it Yahweh-Shalom (which means “the Lord is peace”). The altar remains in Ophrah in the land of the clan of Abiezer to this day.
Judges 6:24
Jehovah Tsidkenu: The Lord Is Our Righteousness
And this will be his name: ‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness.’
In that day Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety.
Jeremiah 23:6
Jehovah Rohi: The Lord Is My Shepherd
The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.
Psalm 23:1
Jehovah Shammah: The Lord Is There
“The distance around the entire city will be 6 miles. And from that day the name of the city will be ‘The Lord Is There.’”
Ezekiel 48:35
Book Quotes
“Once we understand that we can do nothing in ourselves to accomplish God’s will, it will radically transform our prayer lives.”
“Abraham had to come to the end of his own strategies to provide an heir before he could receive God’s promised heir.”
“Shaddai may be derived from the Hebrew word shad, which can be translated as ‘breast.’ In this case, the term Shaddai could signify the one who nourishes or supplies. Thus when it is linked with El, it would mean, ‘the one mighty to nourish’ or ‘the one mighty to supply.’”
“Actually, in this passage in Judges, before Gideon doubts his own suitability to accomplish the deliverance of Israel, he appears to call into question the presence and power of the Lord. Gideon wants to know why Israel is experiencing so many disasters if God is on their side. His thinking is simple. If God is with them, the Midianites should not be pillaging their fields. The people of Israel should not be living like animals in caves. He is correct in thinking that it is incongruous for the people of God to be living in such defeat and abject poverty, but he is wrong to conclude that their situation points to the weakness of God.”
“I find it exciting and challenging to think that God would use the same man who was questioning His provision and presence to be the deliverer through whom He would reveal His supernatural activity.”
“The fundamental idea behind the word shalom is wholeness in one’s relationship with God. Shalom defines a harmony of relationship based upon the completion of a transaction, the giving of satisfaction. . . . Shalom expresses the deepest need and desire of the human heart. In our experience, it means a sense of contentment, a freedom from guilt, and a satisfaction with life itself.”
The Names of God
Ken Hemphill
2001
224 pages
Still, the names of God are a worthy study so I’ll include a list of them here for your perusal:
Elohim: Powerful God
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:1
Adonai: Lord
But Abram replied, “O Sovereign Lord, what good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son? Since you’ve given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth.
Genesis 15:2
El Elyon: God Most High
Melchizedek blessed Abram with this blessing:
“Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.
And blessed be God Most High, who has defeated your enemies for you.”
Genesis 14:19-20
El Shaddai: Almighty God
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life.
Genesis 17:1
Yahweh: Israel’s Covenant God
God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you.”
Exodus 3:14
Jehovah Jireh: The Lord Provides
Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the Lord will provide”). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”
Genesis 22:14
Jehovah Rophe: The Lord Heals
He said, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you.”
Exodus 15:26
Jehovah Nissi: The Lord Is My Banner
Moses built an altar there and named it Yahweh-Nissi (which means “the Lord is my banner”). 16 He said, “They have raised their fist against the Lord’s throne, so now the Lord will be at war with Amalek generation after generation.”
Exodus 17:15-16
Jehovah Mekadesh: The Lord Who Sanctifies You
I myself will turn against them and cut them off from the community, because they have defiled my sanctuary and brought shame on my holy name by offering their children to Molech.
Leviticus 20:3
Jehovah Shalom: The Lord Is Peace
And Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and named it Yahweh-Shalom (which means “the Lord is peace”). The altar remains in Ophrah in the land of the clan of Abiezer to this day.
Judges 6:24
Jehovah Tsidkenu: The Lord Is Our Righteousness
And this will be his name: ‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness.’
In that day Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety.
Jeremiah 23:6
Jehovah Rohi: The Lord Is My Shepherd
The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.
Psalm 23:1
Jehovah Shammah: The Lord Is There
“The distance around the entire city will be 6 miles. And from that day the name of the city will be ‘The Lord Is There.’”
Ezekiel 48:35
Book Quotes
“Once we understand that we can do nothing in ourselves to accomplish God’s will, it will radically transform our prayer lives.”
“Abraham had to come to the end of his own strategies to provide an heir before he could receive God’s promised heir.”
“Shaddai may be derived from the Hebrew word shad, which can be translated as ‘breast.’ In this case, the term Shaddai could signify the one who nourishes or supplies. Thus when it is linked with El, it would mean, ‘the one mighty to nourish’ or ‘the one mighty to supply.’”
“Actually, in this passage in Judges, before Gideon doubts his own suitability to accomplish the deliverance of Israel, he appears to call into question the presence and power of the Lord. Gideon wants to know why Israel is experiencing so many disasters if God is on their side. His thinking is simple. If God is with them, the Midianites should not be pillaging their fields. The people of Israel should not be living like animals in caves. He is correct in thinking that it is incongruous for the people of God to be living in such defeat and abject poverty, but he is wrong to conclude that their situation points to the weakness of God.”
“I find it exciting and challenging to think that God would use the same man who was questioning His provision and presence to be the deliverer through whom He would reveal His supernatural activity.”
“The fundamental idea behind the word shalom is wholeness in one’s relationship with God. Shalom defines a harmony of relationship based upon the completion of a transaction, the giving of satisfaction. . . . Shalom expresses the deepest need and desire of the human heart. In our experience, it means a sense of contentment, a freedom from guilt, and a satisfaction with life itself.”
The Names of God
Ken Hemphill
2001
224 pages
December 7, 2023
This is a book I thought I would read and pass on but as I got deeper into it I decided to keep it and reread it regularly. The author explains each name of God, its first appearance in the Bible and its significance for believers.
July 15, 2019
This book is exceptional. I have learned so much about the names of God, His love for us, and His desire that we give our lives totally to Him and follow Him wherever He may lead.
February 21, 2021
Excellent, especially as a devotional for Lent.
February 20, 2015
Over the last 6 years or so, I've been impressed with the fact that so many urban Kenyan Christians seem to be very familiar with the names of God, a topic that I have never studied. This was my first foray into this and I did enjoy it. It doesn't rate "Outstanding", as in this really made a major impact on my thinking, but it's well worth reading.
December 28, 2013
I have spend several years researching this subject for my own book. Hemphill's work is among the better books. Although he is selective about the names that he writes on (there are about 500 in the Bible), he does help the reader to grow in relationship with God through this study.
May 13, 2011
Excellent book to discover who God is and how to pray to Him.
November 29, 2015
Love this one. This is one that I refer to often. A keeper.
December 17, 2016
Just a Closer Walk With Thee!
I know that I have become more intimate with God. I feel closer to Him. Thank God for
His many facets!
I know that I have become more intimate with God. I feel closer to Him. Thank God for
His many facets!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews