Jehovah Shaddai Meaning: God Almighty
Jehovah Shaddai means God Almighty — the name by which God revealed Himself to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and what it means for trust.
Jehovah Shaddai means “Jehovah, the Almighty” — the covenant name of God joined to the Hebrew word Shaddai, which the Bible’s older English translations render “the Almighty.” The two words sit together in a handful of Old Testament passages, most famously when God says to Abraham, “I am God Almighty; walk before Me and be blameless” (Genesis 17:1). Shaddai on its own appears about forty times in the Hebrew Scriptures, mostly in Job and in the patriarchal narratives, and it is almost always translated “Almighty.” The compound form tells you two things at once: who God is (Jehovah, the self-existent, covenant-keeping God) and what He is like in relation to His people (Shaddai, the One whose power is sufficient).
What does the word Shaddai actually mean?
The Hebrew word Shaddai is a title of power. Easton’s Bible Dictionary defines it simply as “the Omnipotent, the name of God in frequent use in the Hebrew Scriptures, generally translated ‘the Almighty.’” The Greek translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint, regularly renders it pantokrator, “all-ruling,” and the New Testament picks up that same word when it speaks of God as Almighty.
The older suggestion that Shaddai comes from a root meaning “to overpower” or “to pour out” is still repeated in some reference works; another line of scholarship connects it with an Akkadian word for “mountain,” giving the sense of God as the Rock or the One exalted above all. The honest answer is that the etymology is debated. What is not debated is the force of the title in context: Shaddai is the God whose strength is not limited by circumstances, fertility, famine, enemies or death.
That is why the name clusters around the patriarchs. Abraham is told to walk blamelessly before the Almighty. Jacob blesses Joseph with “blessings of the Almighty” (Genesis 49:25). When Jacob fears for his family, he prays to “God Almighty” (Genesis 43:14). The title answers a specific anxiety: can this God actually do what He has promised?
Where does the Bible first use the name Jehovah Shaddai?
The first clear pairing is Genesis 17:1, where God appears to Abram and says:
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before Me and be blameless.” — Genesis 17:1 (BSB)
Notice the setting. Abram is old, Sarai is past childbearing, and the promise of a son has waited decades. God does not offer Abram a new technique. He offers Abram a name: I am El Shaddai. The command that follows — walk before Me and be blameless — rests on the revelation that comes before it. Abram’s obedience is possible because God’s power is sufficient.
The name appears again in Genesis 35:11, when God renews the promise to Jacob: “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply.” And in Genesis 28:3, Isaac blesses Jacob with “God Almighty” who will bless him. In each case the title stands behind a promise that human strength cannot deliver.
Exodus 6:2-3 is the key passage for understanding how the name relates to Jehovah:
God also told Moses, “I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by My name the LORD I did not make Myself known to them.” — Exodus 6:2-3 (BSB)
This does not mean the patriarchs never heard the name Jehovah; Genesis itself uses it. It means the full covenant significance of the name — the God who redeems a people out of Egypt — was not yet revealed. Shaddai was the name for the age of promise; Jehovah is the name for the age of redemption. The same God stands behind both.
Is Jehovah Shaddai the same as El Shaddai and Elohim Shaddai?
Yes, in substance. El is the general Hebrew word for God; Elohim is its plural form, used with singular meaning when it refers to the one true God. So El Shaddai and Elohim Shaddai both mean “God Almighty.” When the divine name Jehovah (the Tetragrammaton, YHWH) is joined to Shaddai, the title becomes “Jehovah, the Almighty” — the covenant God described by His power.
The Hebrew text of Genesis 17:1 reads El Shaddai, not Jehovah Shaddai, because the narrative uses the general word for God there. The compound “Jehovah Shaddai” is a way of naming the same person with both of His revealed identities held together. Older English Bibles sometimes print the combination as “the LORD Almighty” or “the Lord God Almighty.” The King James Version keeps the name Jehovah in a small number of verses, and the American Standard Version uses “Jehovah” throughout the Old Testament. This site follows that older practice when quoting passages where the divine name appears.
What does the name teach about God’s power and His care?
Power by itself is frightening. Power joined to covenant love is comfort. That is the point of the compound.
Psalm 91:1 opens with a related title, where the Hebrew word behind “the Almighty” is Shaddai. The promise is not that trouble will never come, but that the Almighty is the place of refuge. Ruth, widowed and bitter, says, “the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me” (Ruth 1:20-21) — she uses the name honestly, from inside grief, and God does not rebuke her for it. Job uses it the same way: “The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD” (Job 1:21).
The name does not promise that the Almighty will give you everything you want. It promises that His strength is enough for what He has called you to bear. Paul learned that lesson when he was told, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). The God of Abraham is still the God whose power shows up where human resources run out.
How should this name shape the way you pray and trust?
First, pray to the God who has revealed Himself, not to an unnamed force. Jehovah Shaddai is a person who speaks, makes promises and keeps them.
Second, bring Him the situations that are beyond you. Abraham’s name was revealed at the point of human impossibility. If your circumstances have run past your strength, that is not a sign the name does not apply; it is the setting in which it was first spoken.
Third, let the name anchor obedience. God said “I am God Almighty” and then “walk before Me and be blameless.” Trust and obedience belong together. The command is not a burden laid on you to earn the promise; it is the shape of life lived in the presence of the One who can keep it.
Finally, read the name in its biblical context. Psalm 113 opens with the call, “Praise, O ye servants of Jehovah, Praise the name of Jehovah” (Psalm 113:1, ASV), and Psalm 117 ends, “the truth of Jehovah endureth for ever” (Psalm 117:2, ASV). The Almighty is not a distant power to be admired from far off. He is the God whose steadfast love is great toward His people, and He is worthy of praise.
If you want to go further, read Genesis 17 and Exodus 6 slowly, with prayer, and talk it over with a pastor or a mature believer in your local church. The names of God are given to be known, not merely defined.
Questions readers ask
What does Jehovah Shaddai mean in English?
It means “Jehovah, the Almighty” — the covenant name of God joined to the Hebrew title Shaddai, which is normally translated “Almighty.” The name presents God as both the self-existent, promise-keeping God and the One whose power is sufficient for His people.
Is El Shaddai the same as Jehovah Shaddai?
They refer to the same God. El Shaddai uses the general Hebrew word for God (El) with Shaddai, while Jehovah Shaddai uses the divine name YHWH with Shaddai. The first is the wording of Genesis 17:1; the second combines the two revealed names for the same person.
Where does the name God Almighty first appear in the Bible?
The first clear appearance is Genesis 17:1, where God says to Abram, “I am God Almighty; walk before Me and be blameless.” The title is then repeated to Isaac and Jacob in Genesis 28:3 and 35:11, and it recurs throughout Job and the Psalms.
Does the name Jehovah Shaddai promise that God will remove my problems?
No. The name reveals God’s sufficiency, not a guarantee of ease. Abraham received the name while still waiting for a son; Ruth and Job used the title in grief. The promise is that His strength is enough for what He calls you to bear, as 2 Corinthians 12:9 puts it.
Lexicon answers from the Bible and public-domain reference works. It is a study aid and is not affiliated with any organisation.