Word study · Hebrew
Shaddai
Almighty
Say it: shad-DIE (approximate)
שַׁדַּי
What it means
An old name for God, often in the form El Shaddai, "God Almighty." It's especially common in the stories of Israel's ancestors and in Job. Naomi uses it as she says God has dealt bitterly with her.
Open question Debated
Where the name comes from is debated. Suggestions include a word for "mountain," a word for "breast" (God as provider), and a verb meaning "to overpower."
Range of meaning
- A divine nameUsed as a name or title for God, not a common noun.
- God's powerTraditionally understood as stressing that God is mighty.
In Ruth
- Chapter 1
The name Naomi uses as she says God dealt bitterly with her (1:20-21).
Every verse (2)
Verses where H7706 is tagged in the Hebrew text: STEPBible Data (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. About our sources