Names of God: The Lord of Hosts

David uses the term Yahweh Tzevaot which means “the God of the armies of Israel”.

In Hebew Tzevaot, Tsebaoth or Sabaoth refers to the armies or armed hosts of the Isrealites in Exodus and of Isaiah and he prophets.

He was the Lord of the Israelite Army

The King James Version usually translated this into the “Lord of Hosts” or “Lord God of Hosts”.

The term is also used to denote God as the leader of the heavenly hosts.

A search for the term “Lord of Hosts” reveals 273 instances in which the Lrd God is reerred to in this manner.  Each reference to the Lord using “the Lord of Hosts” appears in the Old Testament.

And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts in Shiloh.    1 Samuel 1:3

And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.   1 Samuel 1:11

Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.   1 Samuel 15:2

The Lord has his own heavenly army

And David went on, and grew great, and the Lord God of hosts was with him.  2 Samuel 5:10

And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the Lord of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims.   2 Samuel 6:2

And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts.  2 Samuel 6:18

And Elijah said, As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely shew myself unto him to day.   1 Kings 18:15

And Elisha said, As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee.   2 Kings 3:14

So David waxed greater and greater: for the Lord of hosts was with him.  1 Chronicles 11:9

The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.   Psalm 46:7

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