The core translation of El Shaddai is
‘The All Sufficient One.’
The word ‘Shaddai’ is rooted in the Hebrew word ‘shadad’ which means emptied out. It is also connected to another word, ‘shad’, which means ‘breast’.
When we have come to the end of ourselves, El Shaddai is there and has all that we need. It was so with Job. (Job 22:17-18). Job himself recognised that Shaddai was the one who had blessed him with wealth, health, and children.
(Job 29:5)
Some would say that it means ‘Almighty God’ but the majority of scripture verses that speak of El Shaddai favour the sense of nurture and blessing rather than power. Having said that, of course YHVH is almighty and able to do anything at any time. In Hebrew, the word for ‘mighty’ is ‘gibor’ and YHVH is known as El Gibor (Mighty God’)
God first introduced Himself as El Shaddai to Abraham in Genesis 17:1.
When Abraham was 99 years old, God simply said to Abraham, “I am El Shaddai.”
“I will make you very fruitful”
El Shaddai denotes a sense of fruitfulness, nourishment and abundant provision for all our needs. El Shaddai encourages us to think of nurturing and suggests a parental concern for the provision of our needs.
In Genesis 43:14 Jacob said to his sons as they returned to Egypt, “May El Shaddai grant you compassion”…interestingly, the word we have translated ‘compassion’ is ‘rachamim’ in Hebrew. It derives from the root ‘rechem’ meaning ‘womb’! Certainly, still bringing the sense of nurture and nourishment.
In Psalm 103, YHVH is our healer, defender and crowns us with love and compassion (there we have that association with the nurturing womb again!) He is able to meet our every need no matter how it presents itself. He quite simply is more than enough!
There are many other places in the Bible where YHVH reveals Himself as El Shaddai, too many to mention here, but please find some references below:
9 times in the Pentateuch.
2 times in the book of Ruth: Ruth 1:20-21.
4 times in the prophets: Isaiah 13:6, Joel 1:15, Ezekiel 1:24, 10:5.
2 times in the book of Psalms: Psalms 68:14, 91:1.
31 times in the book of Job
Balaam’s blessing of Israel (Numbers 24:6,16).
May the blessings of El Shaddai be poured out upon you as you empty yourself before Him!