Yahweh Sabaoth [yah-way sah-bah-ohth]: “The Lord of hosts.” Lest we get confused right off the bat, host in this context does not mean one who receives or entertains people as in the case of a party host. Neither is it the host of a talk show nor the host of a parasite as we learned about in biology classes (I think there may be a connection between these last two, just kidding). Host is used biblically of a multitude of angels, men, heavenly bodies or even of all creation.
Let’s dig into this name a little deeper. See our article on Yahweh for details on the first part of the name, the personal name of God. As for the second part of the compound name, Sabaoth—Host—it is not a term we use today. Its basic meaning is a large group or army. The ESV translates it as “host(s)” 324 times out of 482 uses. Most of the time, there is a military context to the word, but not always, as in the first use of Sabaoth in Genesis 2:1, “all the host of them,” referring to every living thing God had created. In Exodus, it refers to the people of Israel as they are brought out of Egypt. They are called “the hosts of the LORD” and “my hosts.” In Deut 4:19, it is used of the large group of heavenly bodies that are seen in the night sky. In these passages, the phrase is “all the host of heaven.”
The second most common translation is “army(s)”. We see the military nature of the word in verses like Numbers 31:21, where it is translated army, therefore an alternate translation often used is “The Lord of Armies”. The ESV translates sabaoth 56 times as army. In a very interesting passage—Joshua 5:13-15—Joshua meets a “man” before the battle of Jericho. He calls himself “the commander of the army (sabaoth) of the LORD (Yahweh). Joshua falls on his face and worships Him. This seems to be a case of a theophany (a visible manifestation of God). Closely related to this is the use of “company” to translate sabaoth (39 times). Company is used in book of Numbers for the fighting men of each tribe as they camped in their groups. There are a plethora of other terms used to translate “sabaoth,” from battle (Num 31:27) and war (Jos 22:12) to commander (1 Ch 27:3) or troops (Job 10:17). The commonality between them is a military theme and a reference to a large group.
The phrase “LORD of hosts” appears 240 times in 230 verses of the OT. The phrase is used twice in the NT. Once in Romans 9:29, where Isaiah is quoted. The other is in James 5:4, where James speaks against the rich who oppress the poor. The cries of the poor reach “the ears of the Lord of hosts.”
The first use in the OT is found in 1 Samuel 1:3. This passage tells us of Samuel’s father going up annually to Shiloh to “worship and sacrifice to the LORD of hosts.” It is interesting that we are so far into the history of Israel before we see this name used, and then it is used quite often. In 1 Samuel 17:45, David follows the name with “the God of the armies of Israel.” The word used for “armies” in this phrase is not sabaoth but a word meaning an army lined up for battle.
In a Psalm that sings of the glory and majesty of God, we have, “Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory!” (Ps 24:10). He is praised for being with us, “The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” (Ps 46:11). Isaiah and Jeremiah both use this name quite often, as do other prophets. Isaiah specifically identifies the Lord of Hosts as our Redeemer. “Our Redeemer, the Lord of hosts is His name, the Holy One of Israel” (Isa 47:4; see also 44:6; 54:5). We therefore see a direct connection with Jesus Christ, who is our Redeemer. He is Yahweh Sabaoth, the Lord of Hosts!
There are many things we can learn from this name. The LORD is ready to defend us and defeat His enemies (Isa 1:24, 2:12, 5:16). Even the smallest of us are protected and cared for by Him, “Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.” (Ps 84:3). We are blessed due to our trust in Him, “O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!” (Ps 84:12). We should shout out in praise to Him with the seraphim: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” (Isa 6:3).
Clearly, the use of “host” is for our benefit. It is a picture of His strength. He is El Shaddai, the Almighty God! In one way, it is odd to me. The Almighty does not need a host. Yet for us, He shows Himself as the commander and Lord of an army. We understand that picture. Think back to what life would have been like in OT days. Kingdoms being overrun by other kingdoms. Knowing we have a God who has a vast and powerful army at His disposal gives us comfort when it is used to protect us and great fear should He come against us. It also says something that God, who needs no one to carry out His purposes, chooses to work through others.
He is Lord of the hosts of heaven and of the inhabitants of the earth, Jews and Gentiles, rich and poor, master and slave, women and men. The name is expressive of the majesty, power, and authority of God and shows that He is able to accomplish what He determines to do. As born-again children of God, we should not fear others but focus on Him (Isa 8:13). He is the source of counsel and wisdom (Isa 28:29). He is more than able to handle all that comes against Him and us. The last OT use of the name makes this clear: “And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the LORD of hosts.” (Mal 4:3).
The hardest part of this article was not writing about each reference to this name. They are all so rich and worthy of study. I would encourage you to do a search for “Lord of hosts” in your Bible software or online at sites like BibleGatway.com for yourself. Be sure to use the quotation marks to limit your search to this phrase. Read through all the amazing passages where God uses this name for Himself in His word. Reading these passages will have two effects on your life at the same time. Your spirit will be lifted up, while at the same time you will naturally be drawn to lift up the LORD of Hosts!
Until the next time we see you here at CultivatingFaith.org, God Bless! #CultivatingFaithOrg