El Shaddai

The holy name Shaddai (שדי) on a mezuzah.

El Shaddai (Hebrew: אֵל שַׁדַּי) is one of the names of God in the Bible. According to Exodus 6:3, it is the name by which Abraham, Isaac and Jacob knew God. It is conventionally translated into English as God Almighty.

Quotes

Hebrew Bible

Genesis

• וַיְהִ֣י אַבְרָ֔ם בֶּן־תִּשְׁעִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וְתֵ֣שַׁע שָׁנִ֑ים וַיֵּרָ֨א יְהֹוָ֜ה אֶל־אַבְרָ֗ם וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ אֲנִי־–אֵ֣ל שַׁדַּ֔י הִתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ לְפָנַ֖י וֶהְיֵ֥ה תָמִֽים׃ וְאֶתְּנָ֥ה בְרִיתִ֖י בֵּינִ֣י וּבֵינֶ֑ךָ וְאַרְבֶּ֥ה אוֹתְךָ֖ בִּמְאֹ֥ד מְאֹֽד׃
  • Genesis 17:1–2 (MT)
  • Translations:
    • When Abram was ninety-nine years old, יהוה appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am El Shaddai. Walk in My ways and be blameless. I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will make you exceedingly numerous."
      • JPS translation
    • And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.
      • KJV translation
    • When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers."
      • NIV translation

Exodus

The letter ש (shin) on a mezuzah, standing for Shaddai (שדי).

• וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלָ֖יו אֲנִ֥י יְהֹוָֽה׃ וָאֵרָ֗א אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֛ם אֶל־יִצְחָ֥ק וְאֶֽל־יַעֲקֹ֖ב בְּאֵ֣ל שַׁדָּ֑י וּשְׁמִ֣י יְהֹוָ֔ה לֹ֥א נוֹדַ֖עְתִּי לָהֶֽם׃
  • Exodus 6:2–3 (MT)
  • Translations:
    • God spoke to Moses and said to him, "I am יהוה. I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as El Shaddai, but I did not make Myself known to them by My name יהוה."
      • JPS translation
    • And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the Lord: And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
      • KJV translation
    • God also said to 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 fully known to them."
      • NIV translation

Book of Job

• הִנֵּ֤ה אַשְׁרֵ֣י אֱ֭נוֹשׁ יוֹכִחֶ֣נּוּ אֱל֑וֹהַּ וּמוּסַ֥ר שַׁ֝דַּ֗י אַל־תִּמְאָֽס׃
  • Job 5:17 (MT)
  • Translations:
    • See how happy is the man whom God reproves; Do not reject the discipline of the Almighty.
      • JPS translation
    • Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty.
      • KJV translation
    • Blessed is the one whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.
      • NIV translation

• שַׁדַּ֣י לֹא־מְ֭צָאנֻהוּ שַׂגִּיא־כֹ֑חַ וּמִשְׁפָּ֥ט וְרֹב־צְ֝דָקָ֗ה לֹ֣א יְעַנֶּֽה׃
  • Job 37:23 (MT)
  • Translations:
    • Shaddai—we cannot attain to Him;
      He is great in power and justice
      And abundant in righteousness; He does not torment.
      • JPS translation
    • Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict.
      • KJV translation
    • The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power;
        in his justice and great righteousness, he does not oppress.
      • NIV translation
    • The Almighty—we cannot find him;
        he is great in power and justice,
        and abundant righteousness he will not violate.
      • NRSVUE translation

Quotes about El Shaddai

• It is a common custom to write [God's name,] Shaddai, on the outside of a mezuzah opposite the empty space left between the two passages. There is no difficulty in this, since [the addition is made] outside.

  Those, however, who write the names of angels, other sacred names, verses, or forms, on the inside [of a mezuzah] are among those who do not have a portion in the world to come. Not only do these fools nullify the mitzvah, but furthermore, they make from a great mitzvah [which reflects] the unity of the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, the love of Him, and the service of Him, a talisman for their own benefit. They, in their foolish conception, think that this will help them regarding the vanities of the world.

  • Maimonides: Mishneh Torah, Sefer Ahavah, "Tefillin, Mezuzah and the Torah Scroll" 5:4

• It is highly likely that Abraham's God was El, the High God of Canaan. The deity introduces himself to Abraham as El Shaddai (El of the Mountain), which was one of El's traditional titles. Elsewhere he is called El Elyon (The Most High God) or El of Bethel. The name of the Canaanite High God is preserved in such Hebrew names as Isra-El or Ishma-El. They experienced him in ways that would not have been unfamiliar to the pagans of the Middle East. We shall see that centuries later Israelites found the mana or "holiness" of Yahweh a terrifying experience. On Mount Sinai, for example, he would appear to Moses in the midst of an awe-inspiring volcanic eruption, and the Israelites had to keep their distance. In comparison, Abraham's god El is a very mild deity. He appears to Abraham as a friend and sometimes even assumes human form. This type of divine apparition, known as an epiphany, was quite common in the pagan world of antiquity.
  • Karen Armstrong: A History of God, pp. 14–15

See also

• El
• El Elyon
• Elohim
• Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh
• Names of God
• Tetragrammaton