One of the oldest divine names in Scripture, used especially in patriarchal narratives and Job. The exact etymology is debated (possibly 'mountain' or 'breast/nourisher'), but its meaning is clear: overwhelming power and all-sufficiency.
God reveals himself to Abraham as El Shaddai (God Almighty, Gen 17:1) before revealing the name YHWH to Moses (Exod 6:3). Job's speeches use Shaddai 31 times — more than any other book.
The shift from Shaddai to YHWH (Exod 6:3) marks a deepening of divine self-revelation. Patriarchs knew God as the Mighty One; Israel would know him as the covenant-keeping, personally present LORD.