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EL SHADDAI

(Heb. ʾēl šadday)

A name of God (Exod. 6:3). It was this name by which the patriarchs and matriarchs of Israel knew God (e.g., Gen. 17:1; 28:3; 35:11), in contrast to the name shared with Moses, Yahweh (Exod. 6:3). Over time, El Shaddai became identified with Yahweh.

The exact origin, history, and etymology of the name are highly debated. Traditionally, it has been connected to Heb. šāḏaḏ, “deal mightily with,” but the verb actually has the connotation “deal violently.” Other scholars associate it with Assyr. šadu, “mountain” or “high,” thus rendering the Hebrew as “High God” or “God of the Mountains.” The usual English translation, “Almighty,” derives from the rendering of the Hebrew in the LXX and Vulg., which was a free translation of what was by then an obscure term.

Bibliography. W. F. Albright, “The Names Shaddai and Abram,” JBL 54 (1935): 173-204; D. Baile, “The God with Breasts: El Shaddai in the Bible,” HR 21 (1982): 240-56.

Lisa W. Davison






Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)

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