Expert: Mel and Guyna Horne - 2/28/2008

Question
Hello you guys!
Can you list all the names of God in both new /old testaments, then list hebrew/tradional way of spelling and meaning. Please list scriptures where they can be found.

Answer
Hi Catonya,

   We could do all you requested but there are already many such lists available on various web sites.  The number of "names" and the length of the lists depends upon ones definition of "name" and whether one includes titles, appellations or attributes as "names".  By definition these all overlap.
   Queen is a title, Elizabeth is a name, and "first" is an appellation.  We can use all three, Queen Elizabeth the First, or any combination. We can also refer to her as a "woman", which is an attribute.
   So, some feel that "Eternal" is an appellation, "Father" is a title, and that God and Christ each have only "one true name."  Then the arguments begin over exactly what that "one" name is.
   Many hold the opinion that the Hebrew letters "yhvh" represents the name or "a name" of God.  Note that in the original Hebrew, there were no capital letters.  [There was also no punctuation, no division into verses, no verse numbers, no chapters or chapters numbers, and no titles on the books.]
   Many feel that this word, yhvh (also written as yhwh) should be spelled in English as Yahveh or Yahweh.  Many sacred names groups use this in the name of their group or denomination.

   There is a "sacred name" movement, which amounts to a few thousand people as of several years ago, who insist that salvation is dependent upon one using the "one" correct name for God and for Christ, and that failure or refusal to use that "one" name will prevent one from obtaining salvation.  There are also some who prefer to use a Hebrew name but don't feel that it is a salvation issue.
  We spent more than a year researching this "doctrine", the movement and the various groups who teach it.  We found over 100 variations in the "one" name for God and approx. 100 variations for the "one" name of Christ.
Beyond the differences in the "one" name, there are also the differences in the pronunciation and spelling of that "one" name.
  In the oldest Hebrew manuscripts for the books called the Old Testament, there were no vowels.   "Vowel points" were added between the 7th and 11th cent. AD, [by the Jewish Masoretic scholars] to indicate how the Jewish scholars of that time thought the words should be pronounced.  This is over 2,000 years after Moses wrote the first five books, and over 1,000 years after the last OT prophets wrote the last books of the OT.
Ancient Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew and Modern Hebrew are not all alike just as Old English, King James English, and Modern English are not alike.
  A series of articles on our web site discuss the Biblical names of God and Christ, the sacred names doctrine and aspects of languages, language history, the history of writing, languages of prominent persons in the Bible and much more.  These articles are found at
> http://www.geocities.com/changes1611/name2.html

Jewish web sites seem to indicate that there are 72 names for God, but Orthodox Jews refuse to say or to write any form of "yhvh", replacing it verbally or in text with "ha shem" which means "the name".  They feel that God's name is too holy to be vocalized or written by man.

 Muslim web sites seem to indicate that there are 99 names for the God of Abraham.

 All words and terms that refer to or describe God and Christ should have meaning for us, and not just "one" word.  Christ's example for us was to call him "Father", including in the example prayer "Our Father who are in heaven .. ."

 We would suggest that you start with the Bible, and as you read, list every name, or also every title, appellation, or attribute that has meaning for  you personally.
  Strong's Concordance will give you the Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek word.
  The site
http://www.blueletterbible.org/
  may be faster if you have a fast connect speed.  Strongs is also online at that site and is directly linked to every scripture.

 If you are in a hurry for a list, try Google with "names of God and Christ".   But beware, there are some who are trying to promote a false doctrine of salvation by "a secret word", rather than Christ's gospel of salvation by faith and a reward according to good works.

 We do have a list similar to what you requested, at
http://www.geocities.com/changes1611/name34.html
but it does not include all the titles and attributes. It would be a good starting place for your own list.

 We hope that this helps.  If you have other questions about this or about specific names, feel free to ask.  Our articles at the web site discuss how important God's names are and also how one can commit idolatry by worshiping "a name" or "a word" rather than the divine being who is named or described.
 Sincerely,
 Mel and Guyna