‘The Names of God Bible’ by Ann Spangler, General Editor – Book Review

Anyone who knows me or has followed my blog for any length of time knows that I love different version of the Bibles. When I learn of new ones, I run toward them! The latest one on my list is ‘The Name of God Bible,’ with God as the author and Ann Spangler as the General Editor. The Names of God Bible is in God’s Word Translation.

Here is the synopsis of this Bible:

One of the best ways to get to know God on a deeper level is to know his names and titles as revealed in Scripture. Now the bestselling author of Praying the Names of God and Praying the Names of Jesus uncovers the richness of God’s character and love found in his names right within the Bible text.

The Names of God Bible restores more than 10,000 occurrences of specific names of God –like Yahweh, El Shadday, El Elyon, and Adonay – to help readers connect with the Hebrew roots of their Christian faith and experience a deeper understanding of God’s character. Perfect for personal study, prayer, and reflection, The Names of God Bible includes these specific features:

·         More than 10,000 names and titles of God restored to their Hebrew equivalent and printed in brown ink to stand out within the biblical text

·         Names of God reading paths lead readers to the next reference of the name so they can pray and study the names of God throughout Scripture

·         Calling God by Name sidebars shed light on the relationship between biblical people and the specific names they call God

·         Name pages feature

-      background information associated with the most important names and titles of God

-      key Scripture passages in which the name is revealed

-      devotional readings for each of the featured names

-      specific Bible promises connected to each of the featured names

Here is the biography of the general editor:

Ann Spangler is an award-winning writer whose fascination with the Bible has resulted in books that have opened the Bible to a wide range of readers. She is the author or coauthor of several bestselling books, including Praying the Names of Jesus, Women of the Bible, and Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus. Together, her books have sold 3 million copies. She has held senior positions at two Christian publishing houses and lives with her two daughters in Michigan.

Here is Ann explaining this Bible:

As would be expected, this Bible includes an alphabetical list of names and titles of God. Surprisingly, this list is more than a full page! I was unfamiliar with many of them, including Holy One of Israel (Qedosh Yisrael), Jealous God (El Kanna), and the Lord’s Spirit (Ruach Yahweh).

The Publisher’s Note explains what most modern translation do with the names and titles of God:

While most modern translations obscure the names and titles of God by replacing them with just a few terms like “God,” “Lord,” or “LORD,” this Bible reintroduces the transliteration of ancient words to help readers understand the rich distinctions made in the original Hebrew and Aramaic. The translation into which these transliterated names and titles of God have been inserted is God’s Word Translation, which has itself been translated by biblical scholars to reach a twenty-first century reading audience by accurately rendering the text in clear, everyday language.

I like to review Bibles by focusing on some of my favorite verses. The ones I will focus on today are Genesis 1:1-3 and Philippians 4:6-7. As you can imagine, the very first book of the Bible is full of the names and titles of the Creator:

        In the beginning, Elohim created heaven and earth.

The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep water. The Rauch Elohim was hovering over the water.

Then Elohim said, “Let there be light!” So there was light. Elohim saw the light was good. So Elohim made the horizon and separated the light from the darkness. Elohim named the light day, and the darkness he named night. There was evening, then morning –the first day. (Genesis 1:1-3)

Here is Philippians 4:6-7:

Never worry about anything. But in every situation let God know what you need in prayers and requests while giving thanks. Then God’s peace, which goes beyond anything we can imagine, will guard your thoughts and emotions through Christ Yeshua.

It is interesting to see how often God’s different names are referenced in His Book. My eyes were definitely opened to His many attributes! I think this would make for a terrific Bible for anyone who wants to know God in a deeper way.

You can order this book here.

This book was published by Revell Publishers and provided by them for review purposes.