100 Attributes of God: The Complete List of Who He Is

Ask ten believers to describe God and most will reach for the same three or four words. Loving. Good. Powerful.

Every one of them is true, and every one of them is far smaller than the God who fills heaven and earth. When your view of God shrinks, your fears can grow, your worship cools, and your prayers get thin.

The cure is not a better mood. The cure is a bigger, clearer sight of who God actually is. That is what the attributes of God give us. What follows is a list of one hundred of them, each with its plain meaning and a verse from the King James Bible, grouped so you can find your way and pointed always to Christ, in whom every one of them is seen.

What Is an Attribute of God?

An attribute of God is something true about His nature. It describes who He is in Himself, not just a job He does or a mood He is in.

When we say God is holy, we are not saying He acts holy on His better days. We are saying holiness is part of what makes God, God. His attributes are permanent, and they never contradict each other.

We know these things only because God has shown them to us. No one climbed up into heaven and figured God out. He revealed Himself, in His works, in His Word, and finally in His Son. That is why every attribute below rests on Scripture.

As Moses said, “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children” (Deuteronomy 29:29). We are handling what God chose to reveal.

The Difference Between God’s Names and His Attributes

The names of God and the attributes of God are closely tied, but they are not the same thing. An attribute describes a quality of God. A name often reveals that quality in action at a moment when His people needed it.

When Abraham found the ram caught in the thicket, he called the place Jehovah-Jireh, “The LORD will provide” (Genesis 22:14). Provider is the attribute.

Jehovah-Jireh is the name that puts a face on it. So the names of God are windows into His attributes. Learn the names and you will meet the character behind them.

How Many Attributes Does God Have?

Scripture never gives a number, and neither can we. God is one, whole, and undivided, never a being assembled out of separate parts. “The LORD our God is one LORD” (Deuteronomy 6:4).

His love is not a separate department from His justice, and His mercy is not stored in a different room than His holiness. Each attribute is a way of seeing the whole God from a different side.

So think of the hundred below not as a hundred pieces of God but as a hundred windows into the same infinite God. Every attribute is all of who He is, seen from where you happen to be standing.

Look through omnipotence and you see the whole God as strong. Look through mercy and you see that same whole God as tender. You will never run out of windows, because you are looking at someone without limit.

Read also: The Big God Can Be Belittled

Communicable and Incommunicable Attributes of God

Teachers have long sorted God’s attributes into two simple groups, and the distinction helps. Some attributes belong to God alone and cannot be shared with anyone.

He is self-existent, eternal, all-powerful, and everywhere at once. No creature will ever be any of those things. These are called His incommunicable attributes, the ones He does not hand out.

Other attributes He does share, in measure, with people made in His image. He is loving, merciful, kind, faithful, and truthful, and He calls us to be the same. These are His communicable attributes, the ones we are invited to reflect.

The difference is always one of degree that never closes. God is love itself; we love a little, and only because He loved us first (1 John 4:19).

Keep that in mind as you read. Some of these attributes you can only worship. Others you can worship and then go and imitate.

Read also: Have You Met My God

The 100 Attributes of God

Here is the list. Each attribute has a short meaning and a verse from the King James Bible so you can see it for yourself. Take your time with it. This is a portrait to gaze at, not a list to rush through.

Who God Is in Himself

1. Self-Existent. God depends on nothing and no one for His being. He just is. “I AM THAT I AM” (Exodus 3:14).
2. Eternal. He had no beginning and will have no end. “Even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God” (Psalm 90:2).
3. Infinite. There is no limit to God in any direction. “His understanding is infinite” (Psalm 147:5).
4. Unchanging. His character and purposes never shift. “For I am the LORD, I change not” (Malachi 3:6).
5. Self-Sufficient. He needs nothing from His creatures. He gives to all “life, and breath, and all things” (Acts 17:25).
6. Omnipotent. All power belongs to Him and nothing is too hard for Him. “I am the Almighty God” (Genesis 17:1).
7. Omniscient. He knows all things fully and at once. God “knoweth all things” (1 John 3:20).
8. Omnipresent. He is fully present everywhere. “Whither shall I go from thy spirit?” (Psalm 139:7).
9. Sovereign. He rules over everything without exception. “His kingdom ruleth over all” (Psalm 103:19).
10. Transcendent. He is high above His creation, beyond our full grasp. “So are my ways higher than your ways” (Isaiah 55:9).
11. Ever-Near. Though high above, He is not far off. He is “not far from every one of us” (Acts 17:27).
12. Incomprehensible. We can truly know Him, yet never exhaust Him. “There is no searching of his understanding” (Isaiah 40:28).
13. Invisible. No eye has seen God in His fullness. He is “the King eternal, immortal, invisible” (1 Timothy 1:17).
14. Spirit. God is not made of matter and is not bound by a body. “God is a Spirit” (John 4:24).
15. One. There is one God, not many. “The LORD our God is one LORD” (Deuteronomy 6:4).
16. Immortal. He alone has life in Himself that cannot die. He “only hath immortality” (1 Timothy 6:16).
17. Perfect. There is no flaw or lack in Him. “Your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).
18. Incomparable. Nothing and no one can be measured against Him. “I am God, and there is none like me” (Isaiah 46:9).
19. Unsearchable. His ways run deeper than we can trace. “How unsearchable are his judgments” (Romans 11:33).
20. Most High. He is above all authority in heaven and earth. He is “the most high over all the earth” (Psalm 83:18).
21. The Living God. He is alive and active, unlike every dead idol. “He is the living God, and an everlasting king” (Jeremiah 10:10).
22. Majestic. He is grand beyond compare, worthy of awe. “How excellent is thy name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8:1).
23. Glorious. The weight of His splendour is unmatched. “Who is like thee, glorious in holiness” (Exodus 15:11).
24. Independent. He is served by no one as though He needed it. He is not “worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing” (Acts 17:25).

Read also: Why Do We Need the Holy Spirit

God’s Holy and Just Character

1. Holy. He is pure and set apart, wholly other than all He made. “Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts” (Isaiah 6:3).
2. Righteous. He always does what is right. “The LORD is righteous in all his ways” (Psalm 145:17).
3. Just. He treats every person with perfect fairness. “Just and right is he” (Deuteronomy 32:4).
4. Good. All that He is and does is good. “O taste and see that the LORD is good” (Psalm 34:8).
5. True. He is the real God and the source of all truth. “He is the true God, and an everlasting king” (Jeremiah 10:10).
6. Truthful. He cannot lie and never breaks His word. He is the “God, that cannot lie” (Titus 1:2).
7. Faithful. He keeps every promise He makes. “God is faithful, by whom ye were called” (1 Corinthians 1:9).
8. Pure. His eyes are too clean to make peace with evil. He is “of purer eyes than to behold evil” (Habakkuk 1:13).
9. Upright. There is no crookedness in Him at all. “He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him” (Psalm 92:15).
10. Perfect in His Ways. Everything He does is complete and right. “As for God, his way is perfect” (Psalm 18:30).
11. Jealous. He rightly guards the love that belongs to Him alone. “The LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God” (Exodus 34:14).
12. Righteously Angry at Sin. His holiness stands against evil. “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness” (Romans 1:18).
13. Impartial. He shows no favouritism. “God is no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34).
14. Judge of All. He will set every wrong right in the end. “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Genesis 18:25).
15. Trustworthy. His words and works can be leaned on fully. “All his commandments are sure” (Psalm 111:7).
16. A Consuming Fire. He is not to be trifled with; His holiness burns. “For our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29).
17. Light. In Him there is no shadow of evil at all. “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).
18. Wonderful. He is beyond the ordinary, a marvel in Himself. His name shall be called “Wonderful, Counsellor” (Isaiah 9:6).

Read also: What Does Grace Mean in the Bible

God’s Love and Mercy Toward Us

1. Love. Love is not just something God does; it is what He is. “God is love” (1 John 4:8).
2. Merciful. He does not give His people the punishment their sin deserves. “The LORD is merciful and gracious” (Psalm 103:8).
3. Gracious. He gives good we could never earn. He is “gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth” (Exodus 34:6).
4. Compassionate. He feels for the hurting and moves to help. “His tender mercies are over all his works” (Psalm 145:9).
5. Longsuffering. He bears with sinners patiently, holding back judgment. He is “longsuffering to us-ward” (2 Peter 3:9).
6. Kind. His disposition toward His people is warm and generous. Consider “the kindness and love of God our Saviour” (Titus 3:4).
7. Tender. His mercy is gentle, never harsh. It is “the tender mercy of our God” (Luke 1:78).
8. Forgiving. He is ready to pardon those who come to Him. “Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive” (Psalm 86:5).
9. Slow to Anger. He does not fly into a rage; He gives room to repent. “The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power” (Nahum 1:3).
10. Gentle. He leads His weak ones with care. “He shall gather the lambs with his arm… and shall gently lead” (Isaiah 40:11).
11. Approachable. He invites us to come near without fear. “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:16).
12. Near the Brokenhearted. He draws close to those who are crushed. “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart” (Psalm 34:18).
13. Everlasting in Mercy. His mercies never run dry. “His compassions fail not. They are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22-23).
14. Loyal. He keeps faith with His people across generations. He “keepeth covenant and mercy” (Deuteronomy 7:9).
15. Reconciling. He makes a way to bring enemies back to Himself. “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself” (2 Corinthians 5:19).
16. The God of All Comfort. He steadies His people in trouble. He is “the God of all comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3).
17. Our Peace. He gives a settled rest the world cannot give. Gideon “called it Jehovahshalom” (Judges 6:24).
18. The Giver of Joy. Gladness in Him is real strength. “The joy of the LORD is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).
19. The God of Hope. He fills His people with expectation that does not disappoint. “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace” (Romans 15:13).
20. Generous. He gives freely and without scolding. He “giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not” (James 1:5).
21. Delighting in Mercy. Mercy is not reluctant with Him; He loves to give it. “He delighteth in mercy” (Micah 7:18).
22. A Father to the Fatherless. He takes up the cause of the alone and the overlooked. He is “a father of the fatherless” (Psalm 68:5).

Read also: Does God Love Me Even Though I Keep Sinning

God as Our Helper and King

1. Creator. He made all things out of nothing by His word. “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).
2. Sustainer. He holds the universe together at this moment. He is “upholding all things by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:3).
3. Provider. He supplies what His people need. Abraham named the place “Jehovahjireh” (Genesis 22:14).
4. Protector. He watches over His own. “The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil” (Psalm 121:7).
5. Refuge. He is a safe place to run in trouble. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help” (Psalm 46:1).
6. Fortress. He is a stronghold no enemy can breach. “The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer” (Psalm 18:2).
7. Rock. He is steady ground when everything shakes. “He is the Rock, his work is perfect” (Deuteronomy 32:4).
8. Shield. He guards His people from harm. “I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward” (Genesis 15:1).
9. Deliverer. He rescues those who cannot rescue themselves. He is “my strength, in whom I will trust… my deliverer” (Psalm 18:2).
10. Redeemer. He buys His people back at a price. “I know that my redeemer liveth” (Job 19:25).
11. Saviour. He alone saves; there is no other. “Beside me there is no saviour” (Isaiah 43:11).
12. Healer. He restores body and soul according to His will. “I am the LORD that healeth thee” (Exodus 15:26).
13. Shepherd. He leads, feeds, and guards His flock. “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1).
14. King. He reigns over all with full authority. “God is the King of all the earth” (Psalm 47:7).
15. Lord. He is the rightful Master over all. “O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name” (Psalm 8:1).
16. Father. To His children He is a good and present Father. “Our Father which art in heaven” (Matthew 6:9).
17. Helper. He comes to the aid of the weak. “The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear” (Hebrews 13:6).
18. Guide. He directs the steps of those who trust Him. “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go” (Psalm 32:8).
19. Our Strength. He supplies power to the worn out. “He giveth power to the faint” (Isaiah 40:29).
20. Sanctifier. He is the one who makes His people holy. “I am the LORD which sanctify you” (Leviticus 20:8).
21. Our Banner. He is the standard His people rally to in the fight. Moses “called the name of it Jehovahnissi” (Exodus 17:15).
22. A Man of War. He fights for His people against evil. “The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name” (Exodus 15:3).
23. Avenger of His People. He, not we, repays every wrong. “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord” (Romans 12:19).
24. Rewarder. He does not forget those who seek Him. He is “a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).
25. Advocate. He pleads the believer’s case before the Father. “We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1).
26. Intercessor. He prays for His own even now. Christ “maketh intercession for us” (Romans 8:34).

Read also: Parable of the Good Shepherd Meaning

God’s Wisdom, Word, and Perfect Rule

1. All-Wise. His wisdom is complete and never fails. “To God only wise, be glory” (Romans 16:27).
2. Promise-Keeper. What He says, He does. “Hath he said, and shall he not do it?” (Numbers 23:19).
3. All-Sufficient. He has enough grace for every need. “God is able to make all grace abound toward you” (2 Corinthians 9:8).
4. The God of Order. He is not the source of chaos but of peace. “God is not the author of confusion, but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33).
5. Sovereign Over History. He raises up and takes down kingdoms as He wills. “He removeth kings, and setteth up kings” (Daniel 2:21).
6. Worthy of All Worship. He alone deserves our praise. “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory” (Revelation 4:11).
7. Blessed Forever. He is the source and fullness of all blessing. He is “over all, God blessed for ever” (Romans 9:5).
8. Preeminent. In all things He holds first place. “That in all things he might have the preeminence” (Colossians 1:18).
9. Unfailing. He never lets His people down. “He faileth not” (Zephaniah 3:5).
10. The Great I AM. He is the ever-present, ever-living God who was, and is, and is to come. Jesus said, “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58).

Every Attribute of God Is Seen in Jesus Christ

If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus. The Son “is the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15). He is “the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person” (Hebrews 1:3).

When Philip asked to see the Father, Jesus answered, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John 14:9).

Every attribute on the list above walks into human history in Christ. His power stilled storms.

His mercy touched lepers. His wisdom silenced His enemies. His holiness never once bent to sin.

The cross is where the attributes of God meet without any of them being softened. There, God’s righteous anger against sin fell in full, and His love for sinners was poured out in full, on the same hill, at the same hour. God set forth Christ “to declare his righteousness… that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Romans 3:26).

God did not set aside His justice to be loving, and He did not mute His love to be just. He satisfied both. His holiness demanded that sin be judged, and His love provided the One who would bear it.

That is why the attributes never war against each other in Him. At Calvary, mercy and truth met together; righteousness and peace kissed (Psalm 85:10).

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How These Attributes Meet You in Real Life

None of this is meant to stay on the page. The attributes of God are more than facts to file away; they are the very things a struggling heart needs to lay hold of. Whatever you are carrying today, one of God’s attributes speaks straight to it.

When fear grips you and the future looks dark, His sovereignty and His nearness answer it. Nothing reaching you has slipped past the God whose kingdom rules over all, and He is not far off while you tremble. When guilt sits heavy and you wonder if you have finally gone too far, His mercy and His readiness to forgive answer it.

He is good and ready to forgive all who come to Him through Christ. When grief empties you, He is near the brokenhearted and calls Himself the God of all comfort. When you feel unseen, overlooked by everyone, His eyes have not moved off you. He is the Father who sees, the Shepherd who counts His sheep.

When you are worn down to nothing, His strength meets your weakness. He gives power to the faint. When you face a decision too big for you, His wisdom is available for the asking, and He gives it without scolding you for needing it (James 1:5).

And when you wait, and wait, and the promise seems slow, His unchanging faithfulness holds the line. He cannot lie, and He does not fail. You do not have to work up these truths by force. You take the attribute that fits your need and bring it back to God in prayer, holding Him to who He has said He is.

Read also: Overestimating Satan and Underestimating God

How to Use This List of God’s Attributes

A list like this can change your walk with God if you do more than read it once. Here are four ways to put it to work.

• Pray them back to God. Take one attribute and turn it into worship and then into a request. “Father, You are my refuge. I am afraid today, so be my hiding place.” Praying God’s own character back to Him is some of the most confident praying there is.
• Meditate on one a day. Rather than skimming all hundred, sit with a single attribute each morning. Read its verse, think about what it means for the day in front of you, and carry it with you until evening.
• Let it lift your worship. When praise feels flat, the problem is often a small view of God. Read a section of this list out loud, without rushing. Worship grows as the sight of God grows.
• Teach them to those you love. Put these attributes into plain words for a child, a friend, or a new believer. Explaining who God is to someone else is one of the surest ways to know Him better yourself.

Read also: Walking With God: How to Walk With God

Frequently Asked Questions

How Many Attributes Does God Have?

Scripture never puts a number on it. God is one and undivided, so His attributes are not separate parts of Him but different ways of seeing the whole God. Lists like this one gather a hundred for study and worship, yet even a hundred cannot contain Him.

What Are the 3 Main Attributes of God?

The three most often named are His omnipotence (He is all-powerful), His omniscience (He knows all things), and His omnipresence (He is everywhere at once). These describe God’s limitless nature. Many teachers pair them with His holiness and His love, since those reveal His character and His heart.

What Is the Most Important Attribute of God?

Scripture does not rank them, so this is best held as a discussion rather than a settled verdict. Many point to holiness, the one attribute the Bible repeats three times over in Isaiah 6:3 and Revelation 4:8, and they argue it defines all the rest. Others point to love, since “God is love” (1 John 4:8). Both are right that God is fully holy and fully loving at once, and neither cancels the other.

What Is the Difference Between the Names of God and His Attributes?

An attribute is a quality of God’s nature, such as Provider or Healer. A name often reveals that quality in action, such as Jehovah-Jireh, “The LORD will provide.” The names of God are windows that show you His attributes at work.

What Are the Communicable and Incommunicable Attributes of God?

Incommunicable attributes belong to God alone and cannot be shared, such as being self-existent, eternal, and all-powerful. Communicable attributes are ones He shares in measure with people made in His image, such as love, mercy, kindness, and truthfulness. We reflect the second group; we can only worship the first.

Related Articles to Read Next

• Reflection on God’s Unconditional Love: sit with the love that runs beneath every other attribute on this list.
• How to Accept God’s Forgiveness and Forgive Yourself: take hold of the mercy and forgiveness you just read about.
• Why Was King David So Special to God: see what a life looks like when it is captured by the heart of God.

The attributes of God were never meant to end as a hundred lines on a page. They are a door, and the door opens onto God Himself. You will not master this list, and you were never meant to. You were meant to be mastered by the God it reveals, to see Him bigger than your fears, nearer than your loneliness, and steadier than anything that shakes in your life. So do not close this and move on unchanged. Take one attribute today, one that meets you where you actually are, and bring it to God in prayer. Then take another tomorrow. Behold Him long enough, and you will find your worship rising and your heart coming to rest in the hands of the God who is all of this, and more than you will ever finish discovering.