# What Does El Shaddai Mean?

> El Shaddai is God Almighty, the name God gives Abram in Genesis 17:1. Every King James verse with Shaddai, its Hebrew, its Strong’s number, and where the New Testament uses Almighty.

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


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import GreekCardScript from '../../components/GreekCardScript.astro';
import GreekShare from '../../components/GreekShare.astro';
import { nameStrongs } from '../../data/god/names';

<GreekCardScript />
<GreekShare file="src/content/articles/el-shaddai.mdx" hebrew={nameStrongs(['el-shaddai'])} />

El Shaddai (Hebrew אֵל שַׁדַּי) means God Almighty. It is the name God gives himself when he appears to Abram in [Genesis 17:1](/bible/genesis/17/1): “I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.” [Exodus 6:3](/bible/exodus/6/3) says God appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob “by the name of God Almighty.” Shaddai alone, “the Almighty,” is most frequent in Job.

## Key Points

- El is Strong’s H410, God or mighty one. Shaddai is Strong’s H7706, which Strong’s defines as “the Almighty.” [(1)](#ref-1)
- The full name El Shaddai is in [Genesis 17:1](/bible/genesis/17/1), [Genesis 28:3](/bible/genesis/28/3), [Genesis 35:11](/bible/genesis/35/11), and [Exodus 6:3](/bible/exodus/6/3).
- Naomi uses Shaddai in [Ruth 1:20](/bible/ruth/1/20): “the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.”
- In the New Testament “the Almighty” translates the Greek pantokratōr, as in [Revelation 1:8](/bible/revelation/1/8) and [2 Corinthians 6:18](/bible/2-corinthians/6/18).
- The table below is every verse the site’s Hebrew text tags with H7706.

## El Shaddai in the Hebrew Bible

<NameSection id="el-shaddai" />

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Where Does El Shaddai First Appear?

[Genesis 17:1](/bible/genesis/17/1), when God makes the covenant of circumcision with Abram and changes his name to Abraham.

### Is Almighty Used of Jesus?

[Revelation 1:8](/bible/revelation/1/8) gives the title to the one who is “Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending.” Who is speaking there is discussed in [Who Is the Alpha and Omega?](/jehovahs-witnesses/who-is-the-alpha-and-omega)

## Keep Reading

- [The Names of God in Hebrew](/god/names-of-god)
- [What Are the Attributes of God?](/god/attributes-of-god)
- [What Does El Elyon Mean?](/god/el-elyon)

## Passages Quoted on This Page

### Genesis 17:1

King James Version.

> 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.

### Exodus 6:3

King James Version.

> 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.

### Genesis 28:3

King James Version.

> And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people;

### Genesis 35:11

King James Version.

> And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;

### Ruth 1:20

King James Version.

> And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.

### Revelation 1:8

King James Version.

> I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

### 2 Corinthians 6:18

King James Version.

> And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

### Job 5:17

King James Version.

> Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:

## 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. [James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary](https://archive.org/details/exhaustiveconcor1890stro) (1890. Public domain. The Strong’s numbers and definitions on this site’s Hebrew word pages.)
2. [Book of Genesis, 17:1; 28:3; 35:11](https://apologetics.wiki/bible/genesis/17/1). King James Version
3. [Book of Exodus, 6:3](https://apologetics.wiki/bible/exodus/6/3). King James Version
4. [Book of Job, 5:17](https://apologetics.wiki/bible/job/5/17). King James Version
5. [Book of Revelation, 1:8](https://apologetics.wiki/bible/revelation/1/8). King James Version

## See Also
- [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.
- [The Names of God in Hebrew](https://apologetics.wiki/god/names-of-god) — Elohim, El, Eloah, El Shaddai, El Elyon, El Olam, El Roi, Adonai, YHWH, Yah, the LORD of hosts, and the Jehovah compound names, with the Hebrew, Strong’s numbers, meanings, first occurrences, and King James verses.
- [What Does Adonai Mean?](https://apologetics.wiki/god/adonai) — Adonai is the Hebrew title Lord, used of God alone. Every King James verse with Adonai, how Lord GOD is printed, and why Psalm 110:1 has a different word.
- [What Does El Elyon Mean?](https://apologetics.wiki/god/el-elyon) — El Elyon is God Most High, first in Genesis 14:18 where Melchizedek is priest of the most high God. Every King James verse that calls God the most High, with the Hebrew and Strong’s numbers.
- [What Does Elohim Mean?](https://apologetics.wiki/god/elohim) — Elohim is the ordinary Hebrew word for God, first in Genesis 1:1. It is plural in form, takes a singular verb for the God of Israel, and also means false gods, angels, or judges.

## 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).
