The Meaning of El Shaddai: What It Is and How To Use It

Do you know the definition of el shaddai? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the word el shaddai, including its definition, etymology, usage, example sentences, and more!

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What does the word el shaddai mean?

According to Bible Study Tools, the term el shaddai means God Almighty. Shaddai means mighty, and el means God. One suggested origin of this is “the overpowered,” which means that God will overpower all opposition and do what he purposes to do. Some also interpret the word shaddai to mean sufficient, referring to God as the all-sufficient one. Either interpretation means that God almighty is enough, is power and provision, and is sufficient to meet any need. One other possible meaning comes from a derivation of a root word, the Akkadian word shaddu, meaning mountain, which would mean el shaddai means “God of the Mountain.” This could be a reference to Mount Sinai, when God met Moses and he received the Ten commandments, or his presence on the same mountain reminding the Israelites of His power, leading them from Egypt. 

When focusing on the word shaddai as meaning almighty, this refers to the fact that God is the Creator, the maker of all things, including humans. This is referenced in John 1:3. It also means that he is the builder of all things, such as Hebrews 3:4. Almighty also references the fact that God is eternal and the everlasting King of heaven. The term el shaddai is found throughout the Old Testament as the name of God in Genesis 17:1 when Abraham/Abram spoke with God, and also in Genesis 28:3 and 35:11 when God spoke with Jacob, in Exodus, and more. This Hebrew word and name El Shaddai is also the name by which God was known to Abraham, Isaac, Isaiah the shepherd, Joseph, Ruth, Joel and Jacob in many a verse in scripture about mercy, Israel, and more. Biblical translations can be confusing, but they can also help us better understand the occurrence of language used in the Bible and the covenant that God makes with different people throughout the Bible. This can help us gain blessings of heaven and blessings of the deep. This word also has associations with fertility, shelter, nourishment, the Land of Canaan, the womb, descendants, and more.

There are many different languages that also contain words that mean el shaddai. You might notice that a lot of these words look and sound similar to one another. This is probably because they share a common language or origin or root. Often, cognates – which are words that look, sound, and mean something similar across languages – are formed when two words share a common ancestor such as Latin or Greek. This list of translations for the word el shaddai is provided by Word Sense.

  •  Greek: Θεός‎ (masc.)
  •  Dutch: god‎, God‎ (masc.)
  •  German: Gott‎ (masc.)
  •  Luo: Nyasaye‎
  •  Old Prussian: Dēiws‎ (masc.), dēiws‎ (masc.)
  •  Finnish: jumala‎, Jumala‎
  •  Czech: bůh‎ (masc.)
  •  Turkish: Allah‎, Tanrı‎
  •  Swahili: Jalali‎
  •  Middle Persian: yẕdt’‎ (yazd)
  •  Armenian: աստված‎
  •  Urdu: خدا‎ (khudā)
  •  Polish: Bóg‎ (masc.)
  •  Asturian: Dios‎ (masc.)
  •  Russian: бог‎
  •  Catalan: Déu‎ (masc.)
  •  Scottish Gaelic: Dia‎ (masc.)
  •  Danish: Gud‎
  •  French: Dieu‎ (masc.)
  •  Portuguese: Deus‎ (masc.)
  •  Swedish: Gud‎ (masc.)
  •  Kikuyu: Ngai‎
  •  Lithuanian: Dievas‎ (masc.)
  •  Romanian: Dumnezeu‎ (masc.), dumnezeu‎ (masc.)
  •  Tagalog: Diyos‎
  •  Macedonian: бог‎ (masc.)
  •  Luhya: Were‎
  •  Syriac: ܐܠܗܐ‎
  •  Esperanto: Dio‎
  •  Bulgarian: Бог‎ (masc.)
  •  Serbo-Croatian: božanstvo‎ (neut.)
  •  Hebrew: אלהא‎
  •  Lao: ພະເຈົ້າ‎
  •  Mandarin: 天神‎ (tiānshén)
  •  Hindi: भगवान‎ (bhagavān), परमेश्वर‎ (parameshwar), परमात्मा‎ (paramātmā)
  •  Italian: Dio‎ (masc.)
  •  Georgian: ღმერთი‎
  •  Chickasaw: Chihoowa‎

What are synonyms and antonyms of the word el shaddai?

There are numerous different words that someone can use in place of the word el shaddai. These are called synonyms, which are words and phrases that have the same meaning as another word or phrase. Synonyms are useful to know if you are trying not to repeat yourself, or if you are working on growing your vocabulary. This list of synonyms for the word el shaddai is provided by Power Thesaurus

  •  theology
  •  tutelary
  •  jeez
  •  king of kings
  •  sacred cow
  •  demigoddess
  •  prime mover
  •  luz
  •  redeemer
  •  demigod
  •  daemon
  •  big chief
  •  yhwh
  •  soul
  •  father
  •  godhood
  •  power
  •  big man upstairs
  •  lord god almighty
  •  shadad
  •  protected interest
  •  all knowing
  •  our lord
  •  allah
  •  messiah
  •  sheesh
  •  maker of the world
  •  god most high
  •  adonai
  •  spirit
  •  worship
  •  idol
  •  holy spirit
  •  most high
  •  godship
  •  immortal being
  •  all powerful
  •  icon
  •  divineness
  •  big daddy
  •  jesus
  •  jesus christ
  •  master of the universe
  •  graven image
  •  alpha and omega
  •  object of worship
  •  goddess
  •  architect
  •  creator of the world
  •  demiurge
  •  supreme being
  •  godhead
  •  dearest father
  •  golden calf
  •  dear lord
  •  totem
  •  hero
  •  jehovah
  •  avatar
  •  gods
  •  king
  •  almighty
  •  terrestrial globe
  •  guardian spirit
  •  everlasting
  •  yahweh
  •  false god
  •  infinite spirit
  •  christ
  •  almighty lord
  •  divinify
  •  elohim
  •  celestial being
  •  saintly
  •  world spirit
  •  immortal
  •  baal
  •  deity
  •  pagan symbol
  •  genius
  •  numen
  •  lord
  •  providence
  •  author
  •  divinity
  •  holiness
  •  universal life force
  •  creator of heaven and earth
  •  supernatural being
  •  all-father
  •  celestial
  •  geez
  •  almighty father
  •  maker
  •  sensitive issue
  •  jah
  •  creator
  •  eternal
  •  dear god in heaven
  •  christian god
  •  master
  •  diety
  •  godliness
  •  divine being

There are also many different words that mean the opposite of the word el shaddai. These opposite words are called antonyms, and are also useful to know if you are trying to expand your vocabulary or knowledge of the English language. This list of antonyms for the word el shaddai is also provided by  Power Thesaurus

  •  daemon
  •  clootie
  •  ghoul
  •  evil spirit
  •  arch-enemy
  •  creature
  •  beggar
  •  fiend
  •  asmodeus
  •  beast
  •  fella
  •  satan
  •  hell-raiser
  •  chap
  •  shaitan
  •  dude
  •  fellow
  •  malignant spirit
  •  bunny
  •  lucifer
  •  incubus
  •  gal
  •  devil
  •  customer
  •  individual
  •  prince of darkness
  •  bod
  •  archenemy
  •  mephistopheles
  •  evil one
  •  demon
  •  father of lies
  •  being
  •  cacodaemon
  •  evil figure
  •  antichrist
  •  hombre
  •  body
  •  bloke
  •  geezer
  •  gent
  •  critter
  •  angel of darkness
  •  beelzebub
  •  archfiend
  •  human being
  •  cookie
  •  character
  •  figure
  •  guy

Overall, the word el shaddai means God Almighty, This is a biblical Hebrew term.

Sources:

  1. God synonyms – 523 Words and Phrases for God | Power Thesaurus
  2. God antonyms – 397 Opposites of God | Power Thesaurus 
  3. God: meaning, origin, translation | Word Sense 
  4. What is the Meaning of “El Shaddai” from the Bible? | Bible Study Tools