SPECIAL TOPIC: SHADDAI

SPECIAL TOPIC: SHADDAI and EL SHADDAI

Shaddai
1. This is the non-Hebrew term/title, Shaddai (always PLURAL), not the common "El shaddai," which was the Patriarch's name for Deity, cf. Exod. 6:3). The word Shaddai (BDB 994, KB 1420) is an unknown root. Notice the possibilities.
  1. שׁדד, BDB 994 , KB 1418, a VERB that means “to deal violently with” or “despoil” (NOUN, “violence” or “havoc,” BDB 994)
  2. שׁד, BDB 993, KB 1417, an Assyrian or Akkadian word for a protecting spirit or a demon (cf. Deut. 32:17; Ps. 106:37)
  3. שׁד, BDB 994, KB 1416, a woman’s breast (cf. Job 24:9) or mother animal (i.e., goat in Exod. 3:8)
  4. שׁדה, BDB 994, KB 1420, a rare word, possibly “to pour out” (i.e., YHWH as rain giver, not Ba'al)
  5. שׁדי, BDB 994-5, KB 1420-1422, root meaning unknown; here are some guesses
    1. self-sufficient (rabbis)
    2. mighty (from #1 and/or Arabic root)
    3. rain giver (from #4)
    4. high god (Assyrian) or mountain god (Akkadian)
2. As is common in the ANE, the names and titles of one deity are often applied to another deity. The closest parallel language to biblical Hebrew is Canaannite (Ugaritic). In the poems to Ba'al, the male fertility god of the Canaannite pantheon, he is called both
  1. Elyon
  2. Shaddai
    SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, B.
3. The book of Job uses several names for Israel's Deity.
  1. Elohim ‒ only in Job 1-2 ( SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, C.)
  2. El ‒ many times, first in Job 5:8 ( SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, A.)
  3. Eloah ‒ many times, first in Job 3:4
  4. Shaddai ‒ 31 times, first in Job 5:17, but mostly in chapters 21-22; 27
    It is first used without "El" in Num. 24:4,16 and again in Ruth (cf. Ruth 1:20,21). It is found in the Psalms only twice without "El" (cf. Ps. 68:14; 91:1). It is found in the Prophets only in
    1. Isa. 13:6
    2. Ezek. 1:24
    3. Joel 1:15
    SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, A., C.
El Shaddai
The title "God Almighty" is literally El Shaddai. Rabbinical Midrash says that it means "self-sufficiency." The LXX and Vulgate follow this understadning by translating it "God (El) Almighty." Apparently this was the patriarchal name for God (cf. Exod. 6:3). It is used six times in Genesis and thirty-one times in Job (both in the historical settiing of the second millennium B.C.. Although the etymology of the trilateral Semitic root is uncertain, there are several theories about its origin
1. Albright asserted that it is from an Akkadian root that can mean "mountain" or "rock" (cf. Ps. 18:1,2). If the term implies "God of the mountain" as the true meaning, then it must reflect Canaanite mythology (cf. Isa. 14:13; Ezek. 28:2).
2. Babylonian religion (i.e., ziggurats being raised on human-built mountains, cf. Genesis 10) on which to worshp their gods.
3. Whatever the original intent, as early as Exodus 19-20 the focus will change to the God of Mt. Sinai (cf. Jdgs. 5:5).
For "El" see SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, A.
The Almighty (Shaddai, mostly a repeat of I.)
"Almighty" is the NOUN Shaddai (BDB 994, KB 1420). The meaning is uncertain. Here are some of the theories.
1. The ancient Hebrew versions and the rabbis usually translate it as "self-sufficient."
2. Some scholars (Albright) see it as coming from an Akkadian root meaning "mountains" (cf. Ps. 18:1-2). It may have Canaanite mythological associations (cf. Isaiah 14:13; Ezekiel 28:2) or Babylonian associations with the manmade mountains called Ziggurats (cf. Genesis 11).
3. It is possibly an Assyrian root (BDB 993, KB 1417) for "a protecting spirit" or "demon."
4. It is possible that it comes from the Hebrew root shdd (BDB 994, KB 1418), meaning "destroy," "ruin," or "despoil."
5. It is possible that it comes from the Hebrew root shd (BDB 994), meaning a woman’s breast (i.e., "God the nurturing One" or "God the Protector/Provider").
6. It is possibly a rare word (BDB 994, KB 1420) meaning "to pour out" (i.e., God as rain-giver).

All of this speculation shows that we simply do not know the etymology. In usage it is parallel to YHWH in Genesis through Exodus and the book of Job.

The early Patriarchs called Deity El Shaddai ("God Almighty, " cf. Gen. 17:1; 28:3; 35:11; 43:14; 48:3; Exod. 6:3).

In the book of Job the title, Shaddai (without El) is used in Job 5:17; 6:4,14; 8:3,5; 11:7; 13:3; 15:25; 21:15,20; 22:3,17,23,25,26; 23:16; 24:1; 27:2,11,13; 29:5; 31:2,35; 32:8; 33:4; 34:10,12; 35:13; 37:23. The historical setting for the book of Job is the Patriarchal Period (i.e., the second millennium B.C.).