LORD of Hosts

Occurrences in Scripture

"LORD of hosts" is a divine title used hundreds of times in the Old Testament. It does not appear in the Pentateuch; it first occurs in 1 Samuel and is especially frequent in the prophetic books.

• 1 Samuel 1:3, 11: Elkanah worships the LORD of hosts at Shiloh, and Hannah makes a vow in prayer, calling out, "O LORD of hosts."
• 1 Samuel 4:4: The text refers to "the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims" (see Ark of the Covenant).
• 1 Samuel 17:45: David tells Goliath that he comes "in the name of the LORD of hosts."
• Psalms: Psalm 24:10 calls the LORD of hosts "the King of glory," and Psalm 46:7, 11 confesses, "The LORD of hosts is with us."
• Isaiah 6:3: The seraphim cry, "Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts."
• Postexilic prophets: In Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, the formula "saith the LORD of hosts" recurs throughout. Zechariah 4:6 is one example.

Terminology and Background

The Korean term man-gun (萬軍, "ten thousand armies") renders the Hebrew tseba'ot, the plural of tsaba, meaning "army" or "host." In the Old Testament the word refers to three groups:

• The armies of Israel: Exodus 12:41 calls the people who came out of Egypt "all the hosts of the LORD."
• The angels of heaven: Psalm 103:21 and 148:2 are examples.
• The sun, moon, and stars: Deuteronomy 4:19 refers to "the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven."

Scholars disagree about which of the three the title primarily denotes. Because the title first appears in connection with the sanctuary at Shiloh and the Ark of the Covenant, some hold that it arose from Israel's confession of God as present with its armies. This view, however, is not settled.

Continuity into the New Testament

The Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament, sometimes transliterates the title as Sabaoth and sometimes renders it interpretively as Pantokratōr ("Almighty"). In the New Testament, "the Lord of Sabaoth" appears in Romans 9:29 (quoting Isaiah 1:9) and James 5:4. Revelation 4:8, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty," recalls Isaiah 6:3. John 12:41 connects the glory Isaiah saw with the glory of Jesus.

Interpretation and Points of Discussion

• The threefold "holy" of Isaiah 6:3: Since the patristic era, a tradition has read this as an allusion to the Trinity. Other scholars regard it as a Hebrew idiom that conveys emphasis through repetition.
• Christological reading: On the basis of John 12:41, some interpreters link the LORD of hosts whom Isaiah saw with the glory of the Son.
• A common elaboration: The title is sometimes expanded into a picture of "spiritual warfare," in which the angelic hosts battle evil spirits. In the biblical text, however, "hosts" refers broadly to Israel's armies and even to the heavenly bodies, and the title centers on the sovereignty of God, who rules the whole world and is present with His people.

Translation and Use in the Korean Church

The New Korean Revised Version renders the title "만군의 여호와" (LORD of hosts), the Revised New Korean Standard Version "만군의 주" (Lord of hosts), and the Korean Common Translation "만군의 야훼" (Yahweh of hosts). In Korean church preaching, the title is frequently cited in connection with Psalm 46, Zechariah 4:6, the story of David and Goliath, and Malachi 3:10, which deals with the tithe. The broader context is treated in the article Names of God.