Harold Kushner writing about Harold Schulweis' Predicate Theology
“Predicate theology” means that when we find statements about God that say, for example, “God is love, God is truth, God is the friend of the poor,” we are to concentrate on the predicate rather than on the subject. Those are not statements about God; they are statements about love, truth and befriending the poor, telling us that those are divine activities, moments in which God is present.…. They are not things that God does; they are things that we do, and when we do them, God is present in our lives.
|
El |
Strength, might, power |
|
El Hane’eman |
The Faithful God |
|
El Emet |
The God of Truth |
|
El Tzadik |
The righteous God |
|
El Shadai |
The All Sufficient God |
|
El Elyon |
The Most High/Supreme God |
|
Adon Olam |
Master of the World |
|
El Roi |
God who Sees me |
|
El Gibbor |
The Mighty God |
|
El De’ot |
The God of Knowledge |
|
El Hagadol |
The Great/Grand God |
|
El HaKavod |
The God of Glory |
|
El Hanun |
The Gracious God |
|
El Rahum |
The God of Compassion |
|
El Kanno |
The Jealous God |
|
Adonai |
My Master |
|
Oseh Shalom |
Maker of Peace |
|
Shekhinah |
Female Presence of God |
|
Avinu Malkeinu |
Our Father, Our King |
|
Ein Sof |
Endless, Infinite |
|
HaKadosh |
The Holy One |
|
Makom |
The Place |
|
Tzur Yisrael |
Rock of Israel |
|
Yotzehr Or |
Fashioner of Light |
|
Rafael |
Healer |
Names versus Epithets
There are many different names for God in the Hebrew Bible, or the Tanach. These include YHVH, Adonai, El, Elohim, El Shaddai. In addition, God is called by many epithets - YHVH Tzvaot (Lord of Hosts), Tzur (Rock), etc. The epithets reflect the different ways we relate to and think of God in different times and in different situations. The various names of God probably also reflect this, but historically also probably reflect an assimilation or adoption of various Canaanite and other cultic gods into the persona of the Israelite God.
God has a proper name. In the Hebrew scriptures that name is written as YHWH (yud, hey, vuv, hey) , since Hebrew script originally contained no vowels. God’s name was almost certainly pronounced in early times, but by the third century BCE the consonants were regarded as so sacred that they were never articulated. Instead, the convention was to read the letters as Adonai, which means “Lord.” Thus in English translations of the Hebrew text, YHWH is never written as a proper name, but as “the Lord.”
In the Torah, YHWH is used when discussing God's relation with human beings, and when emphasizing God's qualities of lovingkindness and mercy.
- The word "YHWH" is the third person singular imperfect of the verb "to be," meaning, literally, "God is."
- YHWH occurs 6,828 times in the Torah
First use of YHWH in the Torah:
(ד) אֵ֣לֶּה תוֹלְד֧וֹת הַשָּׁמַ֛יִם וְהָאָ֖רֶץ בְּהִבָּֽרְאָ֑ם בְּי֗וֹם עֲשׂ֛וֹת יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶ֥רֶץ וְשָׁמָֽיִם׃
(יג) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶל־הָֽאֱלֹהִ֗ים הִנֵּ֨ה אָנֹכִ֣י בָא֮ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וְאָמַרְתִּ֣י לָהֶ֔ם אֱלֹהֵ֥י אֲבוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם שְׁלָחַ֣נִי אֲלֵיכֶ֑ם וְאָֽמְרוּ־לִ֣י מַה־שְּׁמ֔וֹ מָ֥ה אֹמַ֖ר אֲלֵהֶֽם׃ (יד) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶֽהְיֶ֑ה וַיֹּ֗אמֶר כֹּ֤ה תֹאמַר֙ לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה שְׁלָחַ֥נִי אֲלֵיכֶֽם׃
(13) Moses said to God, “When I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is [God's] name?’ what shall I say to them?” (14) And God said to Moses, “Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh.” God continued, “Thus shall you say to the Israelites, ‘Ehyeh sent me to you.’”
Moses asks God what God's "name" is. Moses is not asking "what should I call you;" rather, he is asking "who are you; what are you like; what have you done." That is clear from God's response. God replies that God is eternal, that God is the God of our ancestors, that God has seen our affliction and will redeem us from bondage.
(ב) וַיְדַבֵּר אֱלֹהִים אֶל מֹשֶׁה וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אֲנִי יְהוָה. (ג) וָאֵרָא אֶל אַבְרָהָם אֶל יִצְחָק וְאֶל יַעֲקֹב בְּאֵל שַׁדָּי וּשְׁמִי יְהוָה לֹא נוֹדַעְתִּי לָהֶם.
(2) And God spoke unto Moses, and said unto him: ‘I am Yahweh; (3) and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, as El Shaddai, but I did not make Myself known to them by the name Yahweh.
Why do you think God appears to different people using different names?
(א) מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד הָבוּ לַיהוָה בְּנֵי אֵלִים הָבוּ לַיהוָה כָּבוֹד וָעֹז. (ב) הָבוּ לַיהוָה כְּבוֹד שְׁמוֹ הִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לַיהוָה בְּהַדְרַת קֹדֶשׁ.
(1) A Psalm of David. Ascribe unto the Yahweh, O gods, Ascribe unto Yahweh glory and strength. (2) Ascribe unto Yahweh the glory due unto His name; Worship Yahweh in the beauty of holiness.
Where did the word Adonai come from?
In ancient times the term Adonai was not just used for God. It was a common mode of address to kings, slave‑masters, and even by wives to husbands. The “i” at the end signifies “my” and, in fact, Adonai is a plural form so it literally means “my lords.”
Why are many of God's names written in a plural form?
God is often described as Elohim, which simply means God. It is in fact, like Adonai, a plural form and is also, on occasions, used to refer to the pagan gods. When referring to the One Jewish God, the form Ha‑Elohim (the God) is often employed. Various conjectures have been made as to why a plural noun should be used to designate the unity of the One God. It has been suggested that it is a final remnant of archaic polytheistic beliefs, or even that it indicates the importance of the deity, as in the “royal we.” Most scholars, however, think that it was taken from the Canaanite language. The Canaanites were the indigenous people of the land of Israel and they seem frequently to have addressed their individual gods as “my gods.”
Why do many of God's names begin with the word El?
The Canaanite word for god was El.
Like the term Elohim, this title was taken over from the Canaanites who traditionally described El Elyon as the lord of all the gods. When the Jews took possession of the Promised Land, it was natural enough for them also to adopt this title for their One God.
El was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and also the chief god of the ancient Canaanites.
Exodus 6:3 explains that Yahweh was originally known to the Israelites as "El Shaddai" (God Almighty), and the Canaanite king Melchizedek shared a sacramental with Abraham in the name of El Elyon (Genesis 14:18).
Examples of the biblical use of El as the Israelite deity with some attribute or epithet are: El `Elyon ("Most High God"), El Shaddai ("God Almighty"), El `Olam ("Everlasting God"), El Hai ("Living God"), El Ro'i ("God of Seeing"), El Elohe Israel ("God, the God of Israel"), El Gibbor ("God of Strength"). The important ancient religious center of Bethel means "house (or place) of El."
In Canaanite texts, El is identified as the chief god, consort of Asherah, and the father of many other deities, including Baal. The name El appears in several northwest Semitic languages, such as Phoenician, Ugaritic, and Aramaic. In Akkadian, ilu is the ordinary word for god. It is also found in Old South Arabian and in Amharic/Ethiopian.
In Hebrew, it is often used as an element in proper names, such as Gabriel ("Strength of God"), Michael ("He Who is Like God"), Raphael ("God's medicine"), Daniel ("God is My Judge"), and Israel ("one who has struggled with God"), and many others.
This Name, El is used in scripture when emphasizing God's might, God's creative power, and God's attributes of justice and rulership. Variations on this name include El, Eloha, Elohai (my God) and Elohaynu (our God).
Elohim. According to Rashi this Name signifies lordship and greatness; according to the Rambam, judgment; according to the Ibn Ezra, kingship; according to the Seforno, eternality. It is in the plural, says the Seforno, to indicate that He is the ultimate eternal form from which all others derive. According to the Tur (Orach Chayim) and the Beis Yosef it signifies strength and domination. To the Ralbag it indicates that all things emanate from and are governed by Him. The Vilna Gaon agrees that it indicates governance, which is why it can be applied to lesser governing beings as well.
El Shaddai
God is also known as El Shaddai. This Name is usually translated as "God Almighty," however, the derivation of the word "Shaddai" is not known. According to some views, it is derived from the root meaning "to heap benefits." According a Midrash, it means, "The One who said 'dai'" ("dai" meaning enough or sufficient) and comes from the fact that when God created the universe, it expanded until He said "DAI!" (perhaps the first recorded theory of an expanding universe?). The name Shaddai is the one written on the mezuzah scroll. Some note that Shaddai is an acronym of Shomer Daltot Yisrael, Guardian of the Doors of Israel.
YHVH Tzva'ot.
This Name is normally translated as "Lord of Hosts." The word "tzva'ot" means "hosts" in the sense of a military grouping or an organized array. The Name refers to God's leadership and sovereignty. Interestingly, this Name is rarely used in scripture.
(ג) יְהוָה אִישׁ מִלְחָמָה יְהוָה שְׁמוֹ. (ד) מַרְכְּבֹת פַּרְעֹה וְחֵילוֹ יָרָה בַיָּם וּמִבְחַר שָׁלִשָׁיו טֻבְּעוּ בְיַם סוּף. (ה) תְּהֹמֹת יְכַסְיֻמוּ יָרְדוּ בִמְצוֹלֹת כְּמוֹ אָבֶן. (ו) יְמִינְךָ יְהוָה נֶאְדָּרִי בַּכֹּחַ יְמִינְךָ יְהוָה תִּרְעַץ אוֹיֵב. (ז) וּבְרֹב גְּאוֹנְךָ תַּהֲרֹס קָמֶיךָ תְּשַׁלַּח חֲרֹנְךָ יֹאכְלֵמוֹ כַּקַּשׁ.
(3) Yahweh is a being of war, Yahweh is His name. (4) Pharaoh’s chariots and his host hath He cast into the sea, And his chosen captains are sunk in the Red Sea. (5) The deeps cover them— They went down into the depths like a stone. (6) Thy right hand, Yahweh, glorious in power, Thy right hand, Yahweh, dasheth in pieces the enemy. (7)
God of your fathers
אלו-הי אברהם, אלו-הי יצחק, ואלו-הי יעקב שלחני אליכם זה שמי לעולם וזה זכרי לדור דור, “the G’d of Avraham, the G’d of Yitzchak, and the G’d of Yaakov has sent me to you (with the message) ‘this is My Name forever and this is My remembrance from generation to generation.’” According to the plain meaning of the text G’d informed Moses that the name He mentioned now was the one He wanted to be known by amongst mankind, and this was the name by which He would be remembered throughout the generations. When Jews speak about G’d in their prayers they refer to Him as the G’d of Avraham, the G’d of Yitzchak, etc. The additional letter ו in front of the words ואלו-הי יעקב is something that is customary whenever you enumerate a list of names. We find other examples of this in the sequence of the gem stones in the breastplate of the High Priest, i.e. נופך, ספיר, ויהלום (Exodus 25,18). Another example of such a construction is found in Micah 6,4 ואשלח לפניך את משה, אהרון, ומרים. “I did send before you Moses, Aaron and Miriam.”
Why do you think God chose this name to be known by?
...This is the first time that the name, Elokim, is mentioned in God's speaking to Abraham. As we find that the name, Elokim, is attached to His creatures: "Elokei Avraham"; "Elokei Yitschak", Elokei Yisrael" - which is something that we do not find with the other names [of God]. As [this aspect of God] is diffused into the entire creation; such that from this angle, He is called Elokei HaOlam (the God of the world). And this is the name, Elokim, that is mentioned in the story of creation, in which he implanted the laws of nature... And there is [this aspect of God] that descends upon any man that is prepared for it, based on his preparation, like the forefathers... upon whom He had [this aspect] dwell upon in a different way that was elevated from [how this aspect] is found in nature...
The Shekhinah
Shekhinah (Hebrew: שכינה) is the presence or manifestation of God which has descended to "dwell" among humanity. The term never appears in the Hebrew Bible, but later rabbis used the word when speaking of God dwelling either in the Tabernacle or among the people of Israel. Of the principal names of God, it is the only one that is of the feminine gender in Hebrew grammar. Many hold that the Shekhinah refers to God's feminine aspect.