Some names for God in the Bible include Elohim, Adonai, El Shaddai, Yahweh and El Roi. Yahweh is considered to be the most proper name for God by Jews and Christians. It is translated into English as "LORD" in all capital letters. Several other names are attached to Yahweh throughout the Bible, such as Yaheweh-M'Kaddesh, which means "The Lord Who Sanctifies, Makes Holy."
Elohim appears at the beginning of the book of Genesis and is found in other places as well. It means "Creator, Mighty and Strong." The root of Elohim is "El," which is also used as a name for God. El typically means "power" or "might." This root is also found in the name El Shaddai, which means "God Almighty" or "The Mighty One of Jacob."
Adonai means "Lord" and is rendered in name-case throughout the English Bible. This name was used in place of Yahweh or YHWH, which was considered by the Jews to be too sacred to be spoken by sinners. Adonai is thus used mostly when God is dealing with the Gentiles rather than the Jews.
Yahweh can be rendered as YHWH or Jehovah and is considered the correct name for God. The name first appears when God speaks to Moses and says "I Am who I Am."
The name Yahweh is often translated to mean "I will be who I will be." This name, according to Christians, means that God's actions shouldn't be questioned. Christians also use the name El Shaddai, which means "God the all-sufficient one," to describe how God cares for his followers.
Allah is the name for God in the Muslim religion. Muslims believe that Allah is the creator of the earth, and the prophet Muhammad is the religion's last prophet sent by Allah to mankind. In Hinduism, there are many gods and goddesses, but one of the major gods is Brahman. Hindus believe that Brahman is the creator of the universe and all its content.
It is interesting to note that The Hebrew Bible alone contains more than two dozen names for God which many of us have heard before: YHWH (“Lord”), Elohim (“God”), Sabaoth (“armies”). One of the more obscure names for God used by Jews is Ha-Makom. This literally means “the place.” What does this signify? Is God a place? How did this rather ordinary word become one of God’s holiest names?
What can we learn from Jacob’s Dream?
One of the most famous stories in the Book of Genesis, is Jacob’s dream where angels ascend and descend a ladder to heaven. It begins with these words, “He came to a certain place and stopped there for the night, for the sun had set” (Gen. 28:11). In Hebrew, “place” is makom (מקום). Where is this place? It is strange that the Torah, which is usually full of geographical details, does not specify the location.
According to an ancient Jewish interpretation of this verse, the makom which Jacob encountered is not a physical location, but God’s presence itself. The rabbis of the Talmud famously explained, “God is the place of the world, and the world is not His place.” In other words, God cannot be limited to one individual spot. Rather, God transcends space, and he is accessible to all people in all places.
To this day, it is common to hear Jews refer to God as Ha-Makom (“the place”) in prayer. This name captures God’s eternal vastness, while emphasizing his intimate imminence.
As Christians, we like to keep it simple; praying to "God the Father." It just feels more comfortable that way.
Matter of fact, "God the Father" is a title given to God in various religions. In mainstream trinitarian Christianity, God the Father is regarded as the first person of the Trinity, followed by the second person, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and the third person, God the Holy Spirit. Since the second century, Christian creeds included affirmation of belief in "God the Father (Almighty)", primarily as his capacity as "Father and creator of the universe". However, in Christianity the concept of God as the father of Jesus Christ goes metaphysically further than the concept of God as the Creator and father of all people, as indicated in the Apostle's Creed where the expression of belief in the "Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth" is immediately, but separately followed by in "Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord", thus expressing both senses of fatherhood.
As I say, in much of modern Christianity, God is addressed as the Father, in part because of his active interest in human affairs, in the way that a father would take an interest in his children who are dependent on him and as a father, he will respond to humanity, his children, acting in their best interests.
In general, the title Father (capitalized) signifies God's role as the life-giver, the authority, and powerful protector, often viewed as immense, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent with infinite power and charity that goes beyond human understanding.
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