Philosophers like Plato and Aristotle tell us about their ideas of what God is. God’s Prophets tell us about what God wants us to become.

Allah’s 99 names describe the many personality aspects of the One God; and Torah’s 70 aspects describe the varied ongoing relationships between the One God and the varied multitude of religious believers.

Without Prophets there are no Divine revelations; and without Divine revelations there are no Prophets.

One of the Biblical names or terms for God is “יהוה צבאות” – “Adonai Tzevaot,” often translated as “The LORD of Hosts (armies: see 1 Samuel 17:45).” This phrase is never used in the Torah, but it is used about 250 times in the Prophets and Writings; and would be better translated as the “Fearless or Brave One.”

The very first time that the name “יהוה צבאות” – “Adonai Tzevaot” is used in the Bible is in the first chapter of the Book of Prophet Samuel when Hannah makes a vow to God promising the LORD that if He gives her a son, she would give her son to the LORD all the days of his life.

Childless Hannah suffered for years in her position of societal shame. Hannah believed in God but surely must have wondered where was God in the midst of her years of loneliness and embarrassment.

When Hannah prayed this prayer, the first words out of her mouth were “יהוה צבאות” – Adonai Tzevaot O brave and fearless One (be my partner); “if You will indeed look on the affliction (childlessness) of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head.” (1 Samuel 1:9-1 We all face various battles in life, whether against a real enemy or an impossible situation.

We can call upon Adonai Tzevaot to help us in the midst of our personal battles. We need to be unashamed in our faith, as Hannah was in her prayer and subsequent conversation with the high priest Eli (1 Samuel 1:12-18). We need to focus on the positive things in our lives. As Rabbi Barukh of Mezbizh said: “What a good and bright world this is if we do not lose our hearts, but what a dark world it is, if we do!”

In the days of Abraham, the religions of Europe, the Near East and India had hundreds of different gods, with hundreds of names for their different gods, but for those religions that trace their prophets back to Prophet Abraham, and his two sons Ishmael and Isaac, the many names of God simply describe different appellations, aspects and attributes of the one God's multifaceted personality.

As Ibn Al-Qayyim writes: The attribute of generosity is an attribute of God who gives and does not take, feeds and is not fed. The most beloved creatures to Allah are those who take on his characteristics. Indeed, Allah is noble and loves nobility from his servants, he is knowledgeable and loves the scholars, he is powerful and loves courage, and he is beautiful and loves beauty. (al-Wābil al-Ṣayyib 1/34)

But humans only know the One God’s attributes though God’s monotheistic revelations; and there are many ways of understanding each one of God’s monotheistic revelations. And this is how God wants it to be.

As the Qur’an states: “For every one of you did We appoint a law and a way. If Allah had pleased He would have made you one people, but (He didn’t) that He might test you in what He gave you. Therefore compete with one another to hasten to (do) virtuous deeds; for all return to Allah, so He will let you know that in which you differed.” (5:48)

“Had your Lord willed, all the people on earth would have believed. So can you [Prophet Muhammad] compel people to believe? (10:99) And “If your Lord had pleased, He would have made all people a single community, but they continue to have their differences. (11:118–19)

I also agree with the Qur’anic religious principle of pluralism: lana dinuna walaka dinuka, (in Hebrew lanu dinu valakha dinkha) for us is our religion and for you is your religion (Qur’an 109:6)

I am a Reform Rabbi who has studied the Hebrew Bible in its original Hebrew language for sixty five years. I have always found that the advice that Prophet Muhammad gave his adherents in the following hadîth narrated by Abu Huraira, to be the best guide to understanding all of God's monotheistic Sacred Scriptures:

“The people of the Book used to read the Torah in Hebrew and then explain it in Arabic to the Muslims. Allah's Apostle said (to the Muslims). "Do not believe the people of the Book, nor disbelieve them, but say, 'We believe in Allah, and whatever is revealed to us, and whatever is revealed to you.' " (Bukhari book 92 #460 and book 93 #632)

“So remember Me; I will remember you. Be thankful to Me, and never ungrateful.” (Quran 1:6) And Psalm 145:18 “The Lord is near to all who call Him, to all who call Him with sincerity.”

Islam is the youngest of the Abrahamic religions and Judaism is the oldest. There are 70 different Jewish names for God in general; and fifteen specific names of God are found in the Hebrew Bible. These are the meanings of each of the fifteen Biblical names.

'Ĕlōhı̄m - is one of the most frequently used names in the Bible is אלהים , 'Ĕlōhı̄m is a pre-Abraham genetic Semite name translated as “God".

Ĕlōah - The singular form of Elohim used poetically to address God chiefly in the Book of Job. The Aramaic form of it , 'ĕlāh , is often used in Ezra and Daniel.

'Ēl - The most common word for Deity in the group of Semitic languages found throughout the Hebrew Bible but more frequently in Job and Psalms than in all the other books. It is often combined with nouns or adjectives to express the Divine name with reference to particular attributes or phases of God’s being, as 'Ēl ‛Elyōn , 'Ēl - Rō'ı̄ , etc.

Ādhōn , 'Ǎdhōnāy - It is translated, “the Lord” or "my Lord" ( Judges 6:15; Judges 13:8; Psalms 2:4; 16:2 ; Isaiah 7:7 ). It is sometimes combined with Yahweh (Genesis 15:8; Isaiah 7:7 , etc.) and with 'Ĕlōhı̄m (Psalms 86:12 ).Yahweh - The name was first made known at the burning bush of Moses (Exodus 3:13-16; 6:2-8). It means, “I WILL BE WHATEVER I WANT TO BE/BECOME” i.e. I am a Dynamic God of potentials. It is the name most distinctive of God as the God of Israel (יהוה , a combination of the four letters (YHWH) with the vowels of 'Ǎdhōnāy , transliterated as Yehōwāh but read aloud by Jews as 'ădhōnāy). “

Shadday - This name occurs sometimes in the compound 'ēl shadday, sometimes alone. El Shaddy means “A Sufficient God”.

Tsūr (Rock) - The word צוּר , "Rock," is used as a title of God. It appears 5 times in the "Song" of Moses (Deuteronomy 32:4 ,15 , 18, 30, 31) and it is found also in the Psalms, Isaiah and poetical passages of other books of the Bible.

Kādhōsh - A title that means "holy" and it is found often in Isaiah and Psalms, and occasionally in the other prophets. It appears usually in the phrase ḳedhōsh yisrā'ēl , “The Holy One of Israel." (Isaiah 40:25; 43:3; 48:17)

'Ēl -'Ĕlōhē -Israel - ”The name 'Ēl can be combined with a number of descriptive adjectives to represent God’s various attributes; and these by usage have become names or titles of God.”

El-‛Elyōn - The name literally means "Highest” or "Exalted One" (Deuteronomy 32:8; Psalms 18:13) It is also applied in combination with other names of God, most often with El (Genesis 14:18; Psalms 78:35) and with Elohim Psalms 78:56).

Gibbōr - This title denotes “Mighty Warrior” (Psalms 24:8; 45:3). It can stand alone or may be combined with El (Isaiah 9:6; Jeremiah 32:18).

Ēl - Rō'ı̄ - This name occurs only in Genesis 16:13. It means “The God that sees me.” This name will become more popular in the future because it relates to future Jewish-Muslim amity.

Tsaddiḳ - God is titled "Righteous" or "the Righteous One." It is used of God's faithfulness to His covenant-promise with the Jewish People. (Isaiah 41:10; 42:6; cf. Hosea 2:19); it appears alone (Psalms 34:17), with El (Deuteronomy 32:4 ), with Elohim (Ezra 9:15; Psalms 7:9; 116:5), but most often with Yahweh (Psalms 129:4 , etc.)

Kannā - A title that expresses "righteous zeal,"(cf. Isaiah 9:7 , "the zeal of the LORD," ; also Zechariah 1:14; 8:2).

Yahweh Tseva'oth - The word Tseva'oth or Sabaoth means “multitudes" (Isaiah 1:9; Psalms 46:7, 11. A word used of heavenly objects and earthly forces (Genesis 2:1 ); of the army of Israel (2 Samuel 8:16); of Heavenly beings (Psalms 103:21; 148:2; Daniel 4:35).

The title, “the Lord of multitudes/Hosts,” signifies that God is the composer/director of all agencies, activities and free will creatures. The coach of all teams.