Strong’s Concordance #8034 (OT)
What is in a Name?
This Vertiwords page explores NAME in three related ways: first through the Old Testament, then the New Testament, and finally through a theological connection I observed in an illustrative biblical pattern. Together, these perspectives form a memorable biblical framework that highlights several men—and one woman—through whom God unfolds His redemptive plan throughout Scripture, while revealing His true character as a covenant-keeping God who offers eternal security to all who trust and call on Him.
His Name His Presence
First, in Strong’s Concordance, the Old Testament Hebrew word for “name” is shem. It appears frequently, but in a few places where “Name” is capitalized in many English translations, it is used almost as a reverent substitute for God Himself. In Hebrew thought, a name conveyed far more than personal identification; it represented one’s renown, honor, and enduring legacy. The capitalization is a translation choice rather than a feature of the original Hebrew, but it reflects an important biblical truth: God’s Name represents His very presence, character, authority, and reputation.
The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are protected.
Proverbs 18:10(CSB)
The Name of Confidence
God also acted “for His Name’s sake.” In other words, He acted to uphold His covenant faithfulness and to exalt His Name to its rightful conspicuous position of a type of memorial or monument — high above every competing source of confidence—inviting all who know Him to run to Him in faith.
When Scripture says, “Those who know Your name trust in You because You have not abandoned those who seek You” (Psalm 9:10), it is speaking of far more than simply speaking or repeating God’s name. In the Hebrew understanding of shem (“name”), to know God’s Name is to know His character, His faithfulness, His authority, and His covenant love. Like the strong tower described in Proverbs 18:10, knowing His Name is not merely a matter of familiarity with the word, but of a relationship with the God the Name reveals.
In that day you will say:
“Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;
make known among the nations what he has done,
and proclaim that his name is exalted.”
Isaiah 12:4(CSB)
I AM: From Moses to Messiah
The divine Name first revealed to Moses at the burning bush reaches its fullest expression in Jesus Christ. When God declared, “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14), He revealed His eternal, self-existent nature. Centuries later, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus stood before those who came to arrest Him and answered simply, “I AM” (egō eimi). At His words, the soldiers drew back and fell to the ground (John 18:6). The English word “He” is supplied by many translations for readability; in the Greek text, Jesus’ response is simply, “I AM.” These remarkable parallel invites readers to see that the God who revealed His Name to Moses is the same One now standing before them in the person of Jesus Christ — the Messiah.
“The Lord said to him (Moses): Take off the sandals from your feet, because the place where you are standing is holy ground. I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt; I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. And now, come, I will send you to Egypt.
Acts 7:33-34(CSB)
God’s Saving Works
Another parallel coupled that first proclamation of “I AM WHO I AM” came as God prepared to deliver His people from the chains of slavery in Egypt. The public declaration of “I AM” before the crucifixion came as Jesus willingly surrendered Himself to accomplish an even greater deliverance. The Exodus freed Israel from physical bondage under Pharaoh; the Cross frees all who believe from the spiritual bondage of sin and death. From Moses to the Messiah, the divine Name is consistently revealed in the context of God’s saving work, declaring that the One who says, “I AM,” is the God who delivers His people.
Strong’s Concordance #3686 (NT)
From Shem to Onoma
The New Testament writers used the Greek word onoma for “name.” Because they were deeply rooted in the Old Testament, they carried the richness of the Hebrew idea of shem into their use of this Greek word.
For example, Peter declares, “There is no other name under heaven…by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). He is not saying that the syllables of the name “Jesus” possess magical power. Rather, salvation is found in the Person, authority, and manifestation of Jesus Christ—the complete expression of God Himself.
The Old Testament word shem emphasizes God’s revealed character, covenant faithfulness, and reputation. The New Testament word onoma carries that same foundation forward but centers it in the Person and authority of Jesus Christ, who is the perfect representative of the Father. In other words, the Hebrew shem points to the God who reveals Himself, while the Greek onoma proclaims that God’s fullest self-revelation has come through Jesus, whose Name embodies His character, authority, and saving power.
- Shem asks, “Who is God?”
- Onoma answers, “God has made Himself known in Jesus Christ.”
John captures this progression when Jesus says, “I have revealed your name to the people you gave me from the world. They were yours, you gave them to me, and they have kept your word” (John 17:6). Jesus was not teaching people a new pronunciation of God’s Name. He was revealing the Father’s nature, character, holiness, love, and purpose. In this way, Jesus became the fullest revelation of God’s shem through His own onoma.
Therefore, God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.
Philippians 2:9-10 (CSB)
His Covenant through the Names
This Vertiwords is not derived from a concordance definition but from the remarkable pattern of God’s covenant faithfulness. Through the lives of those He called by name, God progressively unfolded His plan of redemption, ultimately sending His Son to reconcile mankind to Himself and secure the promise of eternal life.
Through Noah, God preserved the human family from judgment and established the first explicitly stated covenant following the flood, promising never again to destroy the earth by water (Genesis 9:9-11).
God called Abram by name and entered into an everlasting covenant with him, promising descendants, a homeland, and the coming Seed through whom all nations would be blessed. In the Old Testament, a person’s name was far more than a label—it expressed who they were, their identity, and often their God-given calling. When God changed someone’s name, He frequently marked a new purpose or covenant role in their life. In Genesis 17:5, God declared, “Your name will no longer be Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you the father of many nations.” This covenant promise did not end with Abraham. God confirmed it to Isaac and then to Jacob, faithfully establishing His covenant through each generation, just as Psalm 105:8–10 declares: “He remembers His covenant forever… the covenant He made with Abraham, His oath to Isaac, and confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant.”
Through Moses, God established the covenant of the Law, revealing His holiness and His ways to Israel. The Law preserved God’s covenant people and pointed forward to the coming Redeemer. Within that covenant community, Mary found favor with God (Luke 1:30–33) and was chosen to bear the promised Messiah. Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law and ushered in the New Covenant through His death and resurrection, accomplishing the redemption to which the Law had always pointed.
Why, then, was the law given? It was added for the sake of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise was made would come. The law was put into effect through angels by means of a mediator. Now a mediator is not just for one person alone, but God is one. Is the law therefore contrary to God’s promises? Absolutely not! For if the law had been granted with the ability to give life, then righteousness would certainly be on the basis of the law.
Galatians 3:19-21(CSB)
The Expectation of Eternity
Now for the final letter E, although Scripture does not record covenant ceremonies with Enoch or Elijah, both men uniquely demonstrate God’s power over death. Enoch “walked with God” and was taken by Him (Genesis 5:22-23), and Elijah was carried into heaven in a whirlwind (2 Kings 2:1, 11). Together they foreshadow the believer’s future hope of being gathered up to Christ at His return — the End of a beginning of Eternity.
Taken together, N-A-M-E reflects more than a sequence of notable biblical figures. It illustrates God’s redemptive story—calling people by name, establishing covenant relationships, revealing His character, and ultimately fulfilling His promises through Jesus Christ. From Noah to Abraham, from Moses to the Messiah, and finally to the hope pictured in Enoch and Elijah, the biblical narrative reveals a God who knows His people by name and faithfully accomplishes His eternal purposes for all.
Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
John 1:12 (CSB)
The Eternal Entering
The biblical story of NAME or as I like to refer to as the ‘Name-Train’ does not end with this present life. Just as Enoch walked with God and was taken, and Elijah was carried into heaven, they foreshadow the glorious hope awaiting all who belong to Christ. Whether raised from the dead or caught up alive at His coming, believers will enter His eternal presence, where the Lord promises to give each one a new name known only to Him (Revelation 2:17) and to write upon them His own Name (Revelation 3:12). From the first covenant to the final promise, God has always known His people by name. One day, in His presence, He will complete that relationship by giving us a new name that reflects our eternal identity in Him.
“Search the Scriptures”
Take a few moments to explore how this word is used throughout cross referencing Scripture. Let these passages guide your own study and reflection.
N: Genesis 6:9-13, Genesis 8:15-19
A: Genesis 15:1-6, Genesis 17:15-19
M: Numbers 6:22-27, Acts 3:17-25, 4:10-11, 17-18, 30-31, Matthew 1:20-23, Acts 9:15
E: Luke 9:28-35, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
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