← H7705 H7707 →

שַׁדַּי

𐤔𐤃𐤉

Shaday

H7706 noun

SILEX Entry

Root שדד to devastate, to overpower, to act mightily

Definition

A divine epithet, usually rendered 'the Almighty,' designating a god who possesses overwhelming or all-sufficient power. It is used almost exclusively as a title for the deity of Israel, frequently in the phrase 'El Shadday' (God Shadday), but also occurs on its own in poetry and archaic contexts. The semantic range includes 'one of overwhelming power,' 'destroyer,' and 'mountain one,' reflecting both the deity's might and possible cosmic associations.

Semantic Range

the Almighty, powerful one, overwhelming one, destroyer, (possible: mountain deity), provider (doubtful); primarily a divine title applied to Israelite deity

Root / Etymology

The precise root is uncertain; traditionally linked to שָׁדַד (shadad, 'to devastate, destroy'), suggesting 'devastator' or 'overpowerer.' Alternative proposals connect it to שֵׁד ('breast'), deriving a sense of fertility or nurturance ('provider' or 'nourisher'), or to Akkadian 'shadu' (mountain), implying 'one of the mountain.' Its use as a divine title predates the Deuteronomistic and Prophetic literature, possibly reflecting pre-monarchic religious vocabulary. However, the etymology remains uncertain.

Historical & Contextual Notes

שַׁדַּי (Shadday) appears forty-eight times in the Hebrew Bible, primarily in poetic and archaic narrative contexts (notably the books of Genesis, Job, Ruth, and Numbers). Most often, it's used as part of the compound name אֵל שַׁדַּי ('El Shadday'), especially in patriarchal narratives, denoting the deity encountered by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In later periods and post-exilic contexts, usage recedes in favor of the Tetragrammaton (YHWH) and other titles. English translations commonly render Shadday as 'Almighty,' but this reflects later interpretive tradition; the title's exact nuance—whether destructive, protective, or cosmic—is debated. In Job, Shadday appears with greater frequency, suggesting an archaic, possibly southern or Edomite origin for the title within Israelite religious vocabulary. Later Jewish, Hellenistic, and Christian traditions are responsible for the association with the English 'Almighty,' which can obscure the complexity and possible origins of the term.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from שָׁדַד; the Almighty; Almighty.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

שדד (sh-d-d) — to devastate, to overpower, to act mightily

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H6701 צוּרִישַׁדַּי Overpowering One
H7699 שַׁד Overpowering One
H7703 שָׁדַד to ravagers
H7705 שִׁדָּה chest
H795 אַשְׁדּוֹד Ashdod

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7706-03 שַׁדַּ֔י shaday HNp the Almighty Overpowering One 37
H7706-04 וְ֝/שַׁדַּ֗י veshaday HC/Np and-the-Almighty and the Overpowerer 6
H7706-02 מִ/שַּׁדַּ֥י mishaday HR/Np from the Almighty from the Overpowerer 4
H7706-01 לְ֭/שַׁדַּי leshaday HR/Np to the Almighty to the Overpowering One 1

Occurrences in Scripture

48 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7706-03 Genesis 17:1 שַׁדַּ֔י shaday HNp Almighty Overpowering One
H7706-03 Genesis 28:3 שַׁדַּי֙ shaday HNp Almighty Overpowering One
H7706-03 Genesis 35:11 שַׁדַּי֙ shaday HNp Almighty Overpowering One
H7706-03 Genesis 43:14 שַׁדַּ֗י shaday HNp Almighty Overpowering One
H7706-03 Genesis 48:3 שַׁדַּ֛י shaday HNp Almighty Overpowering One
H7706-03 Genesis 49:25 שַׁדַּי֙ shaday HNp Shaddai Overpowering One
H7706-03 Exodus 6:3 שַׁדָּ֑י shaday HNp Almighty Overpowering One
H7706-03 Numbers 24:4 שַׁדַּי֙ shaday HNp the Almighty Overpowering One
H7706-03 Numbers 24:16 שַׁדַּי֙ shaday HNp of the Almighty Overpowering One
H7706-02 Isaiah 13:6 מִ/שַּׁדַּ֥י mishaday HR/Np from the Almighty from the Overpowerer
← H7705 Hebrew Lexicon H7707 →