# What Are the Attributes of God?

> Every King James verse that says what God is, grouped by attribute: love, light, spirit, holy, righteous, just, merciful, gracious, good, faithful, true, eternal, unchanging, almighty, all-knowing, everywhere present, wise, sovereign, one, and the I AM.

- Canonical: https://apologetics.wiki/god/attributes-of-god
- Religions: none
- Denominations: none
- Beliefs: God
- Tags: god, attributes, scripture
- Updated: 2026-10-13
- Author: [Paul Ambrose](https://apologetics.wiki/author/hi-its-paul) ([GitHub](https://github.com/hi-its-paul))


import RefTable from '../../components/RefTable.astro';
import HebrewWord from '../../components/HebrewWord.astro';
import GreekCardScript from '../../components/GreekCardScript.astro';
import GreekShare from '../../components/GreekShare.astro';
import { ATTRIBUTE_CATEGORIES, GOD_OF_TITLES, attributeGroups } from '../../data/god/attributes';
import { distinctCount } from '../../lib/god-references';

export const group = (id) => attributeGroups().find((item) => item.id === id);
export const title = (id) => GOD_OF_TITLES.find((item) => item.id === id);
export const total = distinctCount([...attributeGroups(), ...GOD_OF_TITLES]);

<GreekCardScript />
<GreekShare file="src/content/articles/attributes-of-god.mdx" />

The attributes of God are what the Bible says God is: [1 John 4:8](/bible/1-john/4/8) says God is love, [1 John 1:5](/bible/1-john/1/5) says God is light, [John 4:24](/bible/john/4/24) says God is a Spirit, and [Exodus 34:6](/bible/exodus/34/6) has the LORD proclaim himself merciful, gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth. This page lists every King James verse that uses those words of God, grouped by attribute, {total} verses in all.

## Key Points

- [1 John 4:8](/bible/1-john/4/8) and [1 John 4:16](/bible/1-john/4/16) are the two verses that say “God is love.” [1 John 1:5](/bible/1-john/1/5) says “God is light.” [John 4:24](/bible/john/4/24) says “God is a Spirit.” [Hebrews 12:29](/bible/hebrews/12/29) says “our God is a consuming fire.”
- [Exodus 34:6–7](/bible/exodus/34) is the name the LORD proclaims to Moses: merciful, gracious, longsuffering, abundant in goodness and truth. Numbers, Nehemiah, the Psalms, Joel, and Jonah repeat it.
- [Isaiah 6:3](/bible/isaiah/6/3) and [Revelation 4:8](/bible/revelation/4/8) are the seraphim and the living creatures crying “Holy, holy, holy.”
- [Malachi 3:6](/bible/malachi/3/6) says “I am the LORD, I change not,” and [James 1:17](/bible/james/1/17) says the Father of lights has “no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”
- [Exodus 3:14](/bible/exodus/3/14) is “I AM THAT I AM.” In [John 8:58](/bible/john/8/58) Jesus says, “Before Abraham was, I am.”
- The grouping follows the entry “God” in Torrey’s New Topical Textbook. [(1)](#ref-1) Each table is generated from this site’s King James text, so every row links to its verse page.

## How This List Was Built

Each attribute is a set of exact King James phrases, such as “God is love,” “merciful and gracious,” “his mercy endureth for ever,” or “the Holy One of Israel.” The build searches the site’s King James Version for every verse with one of those phrases, adds the verses Torrey’s New Topical Textbook lists under the same heading, [(1)](#ref-1) and removes a verse only when the phrase is about someone other than God, such as Elijah being “very jealous for the LORD.” A verse can sit under more than one attribute. [Exodus 34:6](/bible/exodus/34/6) is in four tables.

The words are the King James words, so the Hebrew behind them varies. “Merciful” and “mercy” in these verses are usually <HebrewWord strong="H2617" gloss="kindness, mercy" /> or <HebrewWord strong="H7349" gloss="compassionate" />, and “Almighty” in the Old Testament is <HebrewWord strong="H7706" gloss="the Almighty" />. The names behind “God,” “LORD,” and “Lord” are on [The Names of God in Hebrew](/god/names-of-god).

The Son and the Spirit share these attributes. Torrey lists Jesus as eternal, omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient, and unchangeable, and the Holy Spirit as eternal, omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent. That evidence is [What Is the Deity of Christ?](/christianity/deity-of-christ), [The Names and Titles of Jesus](/god/names-and-titles-of-jesus), and [Is the Holy Spirit God?](/christianity/is-the-holy-spirit-god).

## What God Is

The sentences that say what God is: spirit, light, love, and a consuming fire.

### God Is Spirit

The verses that say God is spirit.

<RefTable group={group('spirit')} caption="God Is Spirit" />

### God Is Light

God called light, the Father of lights, and the light God dwells in.

<RefTable group={group('light')} caption="God Is Light" />

### God Is Love

God is love, the God of love, and the verses that say God loves.

<RefTable group={group('love')} caption="God Is Love" />

### God Is a Consuming Fire

A consuming fire and a devouring fire.

<RefTable group={group('consuming-fire')} caption="God Is a Consuming Fire" />

## Holy, Righteous, and Just

God’s holiness, righteousness, and justice, and his jealousy for his own name and people.

### God Is Holy

Holy, holy, holy; the Holy One; the Holy One of Israel; and “I am holy.”

<RefTable group={group('holy')} caption="God Is Holy" />

### God Is Righteous

The LORD is righteous; righteous art thou; the LORD our righteousness.

<RefTable group={group('righteous')} caption="God Is Righteous" />

### God Is Just

A just God, the Judge of all the earth, and his just and true ways.

<RefTable group={group('just')} caption="God Is Just" />

### God Is Jealous

A jealous God, whose name is Jealous, jealous for Zion and for his land.

<RefTable group={group('jealous')} caption="God Is Jealous" />

## Merciful, Gracious, and Good

The name proclaimed in Exodus 34:6 and the verses that repeat it: merciful, gracious, longsuffering, good, faithful, and true.

### God Is Merciful

Merciful and gracious, his mercy endureth for ever, rich and plenteous in mercy.

<RefTable group={group('merciful')} caption="God Is Merciful" />

### God Is Gracious

Gracious and full of compassion, and the God of all grace.

<RefTable group={group('gracious')} caption="God Is Gracious" />

### God Is Patient and Longsuffering

Longsuffering, slow to anger, forbearance, and the God of patience.

<RefTable group={group('longsuffering')} caption="God Is Patient and Longsuffering" />

### God Is Good

The LORD is good, none good but one, and the goodness of God.

<RefTable group={group('good')} caption="God Is Good" />

### God Is Faithful

The faithful God, great is thy faithfulness, and faithful is he that calleth.

<RefTable group={group('faithful')} caption="God Is Faithful" />

### God Is True

The true God, the only true God, the God of truth, and God that cannot lie.

<RefTable group={group('true')} caption="God Is True" />

## Eternal, Unchanging, Almighty, and Wise

What God is in himself: without beginning or end, unchanging, almighty, all-knowing, everywhere present, wise, and sovereign.

### God Is Eternal

The eternal and everlasting God, from everlasting to everlasting, the Ancient of days.

<RefTable group={group('eternal')} caption="God Is Eternal" />

### God Is Unchanging

I change not, no variableness, thou art the same, and the immutability of his counsel.

<RefTable group={group('unchanging')} caption="God Is Unchanging" />

### God Is Almighty

Every KJV use of Almighty and omnipotent, and the verses that nothing is too hard for God.

<RefTable group={group('almighty')} caption="God Is Almighty" />

### God Knows All Things

He knoweth all things, his understanding is infinite, and he knows the heart.

<RefTable group={group('omniscient')} caption="God Knows All Things" />

### God Is Everywhere

Heaven cannot contain him, he fills heaven and earth, and there is nowhere to flee from his presence.

<RefTable group={group('omnipresent')} caption="God Is Everywhere" />

### God Is Wise

The only wise God, the depth of the wisdom of God, and the creation made in wisdom.

<RefTable group={group('wise')} caption="God Is Wise" />

### God Is Sovereign

The most High ruleth, the LORD reigneth, and he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.

<RefTable group={group('sovereign')} caption="God Is Sovereign" />

## One God, and None Like Him

The confession that the LORD is one and that there is no God beside him, with the verses that ask who is like him.

### God Is One and There Is None Like Him

The LORD our God is one LORD, there is none else, and who is like unto thee.

<RefTable group={group('one')} caption="God Is One and There Is None Like Him" />

## The I AM

The name God gives at the bush, the “I am he” of Isaiah, and the same words on the lips of Jesus. The full set of sayings is on The I AM Statements of Jesus.

### I AM

I AM THAT I AM, every “I am he” spoken by God in Isaiah and Deuteronomy, and Jesus’ “I am” and “I am he” in John and Mark.

<RefTable group={group('i-am')} caption="I AM" />

## The God of Peace, Comfort, and Hope

The New Testament letters name God by what he gives: peace, comfort, hope, and grace. The Old Testament names him by his covenant people and by his rule. Each table is every King James verse with the phrase.

### The God of Peace

<RefTable group={title('god-of-peace')} caption="The God of Peace" />

### The God of All Comfort

<RefTable group={title('god-of-all-comfort')} caption="The God of All Comfort" />

### The God of Hope

<RefTable group={title('god-of-hope')} caption="The God of Hope" />

### The God of All Grace

<RefTable group={title('god-of-all-grace')} caption="The God of All Grace" />

### The God of Glory

<RefTable group={title('god-of-glory')} caption="The God of Glory" />

### The God of Truth

<RefTable group={title('god-of-truth')} caption="The God of Truth" />

### God of Gods and Lord of Lords

<RefTable group={title('god-of-gods')} caption="God of Gods and Lord of Lords" />

### The God of Heaven

<RefTable group={title('god-of-heaven')} caption="The God of Heaven" />

### The God of Salvation

<RefTable group={title('god-of-salvation')} caption="The God of Salvation" />

### The God of All Flesh

<RefTable group={title('god-of-all-flesh')} caption="The God of All Flesh" />

### The God of Knowledge, Judgment, and Recompences

<RefTable group={title('god-of-knowledge')} caption="The God of Knowledge, Judgment, and Recompences" />

### The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

<RefTable group={title('god-of-abraham')} caption="The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" />

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Where Does the Bible Say God Is Love?

[1 John 4:8](/bible/1-john/4/8) and [1 John 4:16](/bible/1-john/4/16). No other King James verse uses the sentence “God is love.” [2 Corinthians 13:11](/bible/2-corinthians/13/11) calls him “the God of love and peace.”

### What Are God’s Incommunicable Attributes?

Theologians use that phrase for what God is and no creature shares: eternal, unchanging, almighty, all-knowing, and everywhere present. The communicable attributes are the ones a person can reflect in part, such as love, mercy, holiness, and faithfulness. The Bible does not use either term. The verses for each are in the tables above.

### Is the Holy Spirit Called God in These Verses?

[2 Corinthians 3:17](/bible/2-corinthians/3/17) says “the Lord is that Spirit.” [Acts 5:3–4](/bible/acts/5) says lying to the Holy Ghost is lying to God. The titles and attributes of the Spirit are on [The Names and Titles of the Holy Spirit](/god/names-and-titles-of-the-holy-spirit).

### Why Does Jealous Appear Next to Love?

[Exodus 34:14](/bible/exodus/34/14) says the LORD’s name is Jealous, in a commandment against worshipping another god. The jealousy in these verses is God’s claim on the worship of his own people. [Ezekiel 16](/bible/ezekiel/16) and [Hosea 2](/bible/hosea/2) set that claim in the picture of a marriage.

## Keep Reading

- [The Names of God in Hebrew](/god/names-of-god)
- [The Names and Titles of Jesus](/god/names-and-titles-of-jesus)
- [The I AM Statements of Jesus](/god/i-am-statements-of-jesus)
- [The Names and Titles of the Holy Spirit](/god/names-and-titles-of-the-holy-spirit)
- [The Trinity](/christianity/the-trinity)

## Passages Quoted on This Page

### 1 John 4:8

King James Version.

> He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

### 1 John 1:5

King James Version.

> This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

### John 4:24

King James Version.

> God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

### Exodus 34:6

King James Version.

> And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,

### 1 John 4:16

King James Version.

> And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

### Hebrews 12:29

King James Version.

> For our God is a consuming fire.

### Exodus 34:6–7

King James Version.

> [34:6] And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, [34:7] Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

### Isaiah 6:3

King James Version.

> And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

### Revelation 4:8

King James Version.

> And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, LORD God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

### Malachi 3:6

King James Version.

> For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

### James 1:17

King James Version.

> Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

### Exodus 3:14

King James Version.

> And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

### John 8:58

King James Version.

> Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

### 2 Corinthians 13:11

King James Version.

> Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

### 2 Corinthians 3:17

King James Version.

> Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

### Acts 5:3–4

King James Version.

> [5:3] But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? [5:4] Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.

### Exodus 34:14

King James Version.

> For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:

## Sources
Numbered to match the HTML References list. Item 1 is `#ref-1` under `#references`. Scripture links to the King James Version on this site.

1. [R. A. Torrey, Torrey’s New Topical Textbook, “God”](https://www.ccel.org/ccel/torrey/ttt.html?term=God) (Public domain. The entry lists God as a spirit, light, love, invisible, eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, immutable, only wise, holy, just, true, righteous, good, gracious, faithful, merciful, long-suffering, jealous, and a consuming fire, with verses under each.)
2. [James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary; Greek Dictionary](https://archive.org/details/exhaustiveconcor1890stro) (1890. Public domain. The Strong’s numbers on this site’s word pages.)
3. [First Letter of John, 4:8; 4:16; 1:5](https://apologetics.wiki/bible/1-john/4/8). King James Version
4. [Gospel of John, 4:24; 8:58](https://apologetics.wiki/bible/john/4/24). King James Version
5. [Book of Exodus, 34:6–7; 3:14](https://apologetics.wiki/bible/exodus/34). King James Version
6. [Letter to the Hebrews, 12:29](https://apologetics.wiki/bible/hebrews/12/29). King James Version
7. [Book of Isaiah, 6:3; 44:6](https://apologetics.wiki/bible/isaiah/6/3). King James Version
8. [Book of Malachi, 3:6](https://apologetics.wiki/bible/malachi/3/6). King James Version

## See Also
- [Cherubim and Seraphim](https://apologetics.wiki/god/cherubim-and-seraphim) — The cherubim of Ezekiel 1 and 10, the seraphim of Isaiah 6, and the four beasts around the throne in Revelation 4, in the King James Version, with what each passage says they look like and do.
- [What Does God Look Like?](https://apologetics.wiki/god/what-does-god-look-like) — Every Bible description of God’s appearance: the throne visions of Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and Revelation, the glorified Christ, the Transfiguration, the Angel of the LORD, and the verses that say no man has seen God, in the King James Version.
- [Is God Real?](https://apologetics.wiki/god/does-god-exist) — Is God real? Christians say yes. The question does God exist is the same question: contingency, moral life, and a world fit for life, with the strongest atheist replies.
- [The I AM Statements of Jesus](https://apologetics.wiki/god/i-am-statements-of-jesus) — The seven “I am” sayings in John, from the bread of life to the true vine, and the sayings where Jesus says “I am” with no predicate, set beside “I AM THAT I AM” and “I am he” in the Old Testament, with the Greek and every King James verse.
- [The Jehovah Compound Names](https://apologetics.wiki/god/jehovah-compound-names) — Jehovah-jireh, Jehovah-nissi, Jehovah-shalom, Jehovah-tsidkenu, Jehovah-shammah, and the other names that join the divine name to a word, with the Hebrew, Strong’s numbers, and every King James verse.

## External Links
- [Francis Brown, S. R. Driver, and Charles A. Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament](https://archive.org/details/hebrewenglishlex00browuoft) — The standard public-domain Hebrew lexicon (1906), for the Hebrew words behind these verses.
- [Orville J. Nave, Nave’s Topical Bible](https://ccel.org/ccel/nave/bible) — A second public-domain topical index of the King James Version.