Theophory is the practice of embedding the name of a god or adeity in, usually, a proper name.[ note 1] Hebrew theophory occurs in theBible , particularly in theOld Testament (Hebrew Bible ). The most prominent theophory involves names referring to:
El , a word meaningmight ,power and (a)god in general, and hence inJudaism ,God and among theCanaanites the name of the god who was the father ofBaal .Yah/Jah , a shortened form ofYahweh/Jahweh , the pronunciation of theTetragrammaton YHWH (יהוה).Levantine deities (especially the storm god,Hadad ) by theepithet baal lord . In later times, as the conflict betweenYahwism and the more popular pagan practices became increasingly intense, these names were censored andbaal was replaced withbosheth , meaning "shame".
Abdiel –Servant of God Abiel –God my Father Abimael –A Father sent from God Adbeel –Disciplined of God [ 1] Adiel –Witness of God Adriel –Flock of God Ammiel –People of God Ariel , Auriel –Lion of God Azael –Whom God Strengthens Azazel –God Strengthens orArrogant to God Azrael –Help of God Barachel –Blessed of God Bethel –House of God Betzalel –Shadow/Path of God Daniel –Judged by God orJudgement of God Elead –God Forever Eliana –My God Answers Elijah –My God is Jah Elisha –Salvation of God Elishama –My God Hears Elishua –God is my salvation Eliezer –My God Helps Elimelech –My God is King Elizabeth –My God is Oath Elkanah –God has Possessed , orGod has Created Emmanuel –God is with us Ezekiel –God will Strengthen Gabriel –Man of God ,God has shown Himself Mighty ,Hero of God orStrong one of God Gamaliel –Reward of God Hanniel –Glory of God Immanuel –God with us Ishmael –Heard by God ,Named by God , orGod Hearkens Israel, Yisrael –Struggles with God orPrince of God Jekuthiel –God will support Jerahmeel –God's exaltation Jezreel –God will sow Joel –Jah is GodLemuel –Dedicated to God Mahalalel –The blessed God ,The shining light of God , orThe glory of God Michael –Who is like God? a questionMishael –Who is what God is? a questionNathanael ,Nathaniel –Given by God orGod has Given or "Gift of God"Nemuel –Day of God Nuriel –Fire of God orLight of God Othniel –Hour of God Peniel ,Penuel , Phanuel –Face of God Raphael –God is Healing orHealing one of God Reuel –Friend of God Samuel –Name/Heard of God Shealtiel –I asked God [for this child] Uriel –Sun of God ,Light of God orFire of God Uzziel –Power from God Incorrect El theophory [ edit ] The nameAbel Hebrew :הֶבֶל romanized : Hébel Abel can be translated as "breath", "temporary" or "meaninglessness" and is the word translated as "vanity" inEcclesiastes 1:2 in the King James Version. The nameJael /YaelHebrew :יָעֵל romanized : Yāʿēl /ˈ dʒ eɪ əl /ˈ j eɪ əl ayin rather than thealeph of El. The nameEli Hebrew :עֵלִי Modern :ʿElī Tiberian :ʿĒlī ayin rather thanaleph . The nameRachel Hebrew :רָחֵל romanized : Rāḥēl lit. ' ewe ' ) also appears to refer to El in English, but containschet . The following is an alphabetical list of names referring to Yah/Jah (יה) and their meanings in Hebrew:
Abiah –Yahweh is my father Abijah –Yahweh is my father (2 Chron. 13:3)Adaiah –ornament of Yahweh Adonijah –my lord is Yahweh Ahaziah –vision of Yahweh Ahiah –brother of Yahweh Ahijah –brother of Yahweh Amariah –Yahweh says ;integrity of Yahweh Amaziah –strength of Yahweh Ananiah –Protected by Yah Athaliah –Yahweh is exalted Azariah –Yahweh has helped Bathiah –Daughter of Yah Bealiah –Yahweh is Lord [ 2] Dodavah(u) –Beloved of Yahweh Elijah –My God is Yah Hananiah –Yahweh is gracious Gedaliah –Yahweh is great Hezekiah –Yahweh has strengthened Hodaviah /Hodiah –Give thanks to Yahweh ,The splendour of Yahweh Isaiah –Salvation of Yahweh Isshiah –Yahweh exists Jeconiah –Yahweh has firmly established Jedaiah –Yah knows Jedidiah –Beloved of Yah Jehiah –Yahweh lives Jehoiachin –Yahweh is firmly established Jehoiada –Yahweh knows Jehoshaphat –Yahweh is judge Jehosheba –Yahweh is my oath Jehozadak –Righteous is Yahweh Jekamiah –Yahweh raises Jeremiah –Yah exalts Jeshaiah –Salvation of Yahweh Joab –Yahweh is father Jochebed –Yahweh is glory Joel –Yahweh is El/God John –Yahweh is gracious Jonathan –gift of Yahweh Joshua –Yahweh saves/is (my) Saviour/Salvation orYahweh is lordly (Niqqud dependent)Josiah –supported of Yahweh Malchijah –Yahweh is king Micaiah –Who is like Yahweh Matityahu –Gift from Yah Neariah –Servant of Yahweh Nedabiah –Yahweh impels Nehemiah –Yah comforts Nethaniah –gift of Yahweh Obadiah –Yahweh's servant orworshiper Pedaiah –Redemption of Yahweh Pelatiah –Yah has delivered Pelaiah –Yah has distinguished Pelaliah –Yah has judged Pekahiah –Yah has observed Reaiah –Yahweh has seen Rephaiah –Yah has healed Seraiah –Servant/prince of Yahweh Shecaniah –One intimate with Yahweh Shephatiah –Judged of Yahweh Toviah –Good of Yahweh orYahweh is Good Uriah –My light is Yahweh Uzziah –Yahweh is my strength Zebadiah ,Zabdi –Gift of Yahweh Zedekiah –justice of orrighteous is Yahweh Zephaniah –Yahweh hides orprotects Zechariah –Yahweh remembers Ba'al is a generic term meaningmaster ; it can also be translated "Lord ". In the Bible, it is frequently a reference toHadad , although it is sometimes used to refer to other specific deities, includingYahweh , and on other occasions is used to refer to an arbitrarylord of this area .
The following is an alphabetical list of names referringBa'al , and their meanings in Hebrew:
Baalah Baalath Baalath-Beer Baal-berith Baale Baal-gad Gad , or lord ofGad , or lord of fortune/felicityBaal-hamon Baal-hanan Baal-hermon Baali Baalim Baalis Baal-meon Baal-Peor Baal-perazim Baal-shalisha Baal-tamar Baal-zebub Ba'al-zebul - lord of princes)Baal-zephon Jerub-baal Eth-baal In later biblical and Jewish writing, some of the theophories in Ba'al werebowdlerised , withba'al replaced bybosheth ((the) shameful (thing) ):
Ish-bosheth , fromIshba'al ,man of ba'al .Jerubbeshet, fromJerubbaal "Ba'al contends" Mephibosheth , from Mephibaal "from the mouth of Ba'al"The following is an alphabetical list of names referring toShaddai and their meanings in Hebrew:
Zurishaddai –Shaddai is my rock Yam is the Canaanite god of the Sea.
Abijam – My father is Yam (1 Kgs. 14:31)Zedek (or Sydyk or Sedek) was the name of a Phoenician deity worshiped in Canaan. In Hebrew, "tzedek" (from the root tz-d-k) means "righteous", but Tzedek as a proper noun is the name of the planet Jupiter.
The following is an alphabetical list of names referring Zedek, and their meanings in Hebrew:
Melchi-zedek Adoni-zedek Apart from oblique references toHadad by means of the wordba'al , some theophory references him directly:
Hadadezer Hadad is my help Ben-hadad Son of Hadad Nabu , theBabylonian god of wisdom, is featured in several names within the Bible:
Nebosarsekim Nabu, protect the prince Nebuchadrezzar Nabu, preserve the heir , mocked asNebuchadnezzer Nabu, preserve the donkey Nebuzaradan Nabu has given a seed Assur , or Ashur, was the national god of the Assyrian people:
Asenappar Assur is creator of an heir Esar-Haddon Assur has given me a brother Osnappar Assur is the creator of the heir Barkos Son ofQos Belshazzar Bel , protect the kingChedorlaomer Servant ofLagamar Sennacherib Sin has replaced brothersShalmaneser Shulmanu is the best^ From theGreek θεοφορία from θεοφόρος from Θεός "God" and φόρος "bearer" from φέρειν "to bear"; conferΦωσφόρος . 
