אֵל רֳאִי
El Roi / El Roi
“God Who Sees”
El Roi (אֵל רֳאִי, El Roi) is a Hebrew name meaning “god who sees,” pronounced “el ro-EE.” From Hebrew אֵל (El, 'God') + רֳאִי (roi, 'seeing/one who sees me'). Roi derives from the root ר-א-ה (ra'ah, 'to see'). Hagar coined this name after her encounter with God in the desert (Genesis 16:13).
| Hebrew | אֵל רֳאִי |
|---|---|
| Transliteration | El Roi |
| English Name | El Roi |
| Meaning | God Who Sees |
| Pronunciation | el ro-EE |
| Gender | Unisex |
| Category | Names of God |
| Variants | El-Roi, El Ro'i, The God Who Sees Me |
| Key Scripture | Genesis 16:13 |
El Roi is the most personal name of God in the entire Bible — and it was given to Him not by a patriarch, priest, or prophet, but by Hagar, an Egyptian slave woman fleeing abuse. Pregnant, alone, and abandoned in the desert, Hagar encountered God at a spring of water, and He saw her — truly saw her — when no one else would. Her response was to name Him: 'You are El Roi — the God who sees me' (Genesis 16:13). She is the only person in all of Scripture who gave God a name. The outcast, the foreigner, the slave woman became the first theologian to articulate this radical truth: God sees the invisible, values the discarded, and meets the abandoned in their wilderness.
Key Scripture: Genesis 16:13
“She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: 'You are the God who sees me,' for she said, 'I have now seen the One who sees me.'”
What Does El Roi Mean in Hebrew?
Composed of אֵל (El, 'God') + רֳאִי (roi, from the root ר-א-ה meaning 'to see'). The form roi can mean 'my seeing' (i.e., 'the One I see') or 'the One who sees me.' Hagar's full statement was: 'You are the God who sees me... I have now seen the One who sees me.' The mutual seeing — God sees Hagar, Hagar sees God — is the profound intimacy this name captures.
El Roi in the Bible
El Roi appears only in Genesis 16:13, but its theological impact is enormous. It establishes that God sees and cares for the marginalized, the outcast, and the vulnerable. Hagar was a foreign slave woman with no social standing, yet God personally appeared to her — making her the first person in Genesis to receive a theophany (divine appearance) outside Abraham's family.
Cultural Context & Modern Usage
El Roi has become a touchstone name in conversations about God's care for the marginalized. That an Egyptian slave woman — not a patriarch — was the one to give God this intimate name has profound implications for how Scripture views the overlooked and invisible members of society. Hagar's story is shared by all three Abrahamic faiths.
El Roi is not used as a personal name but has become increasingly prominent in Christian worship and devotional literature, especially in contexts emphasizing God's care for the marginalized, the suffering, and the overlooked. It resonates powerfully in social justice and pastoral care settings.
Frequently Asked Questions About El Roi
What does El Roi mean in Hebrew?
El Roi (אֵל רֳאִי, El Roi) means “God Who Sees” in Hebrew. From Hebrew אֵל (El, 'God') + רֳאִי (roi, 'seeing/one who sees me'). Roi derives from the root ר-א-ה (ra'ah, 'to see'). Hagar coined this name after her encounter with God in the desert (Genesis 16:13).
How do you pronounce El Roi in Hebrew?
The Hebrew pronunciation of El Roi is “el ro-EE.” The name is written אֵל רֳאִי in Hebrew script.
What does El Roi mean in Hebrew?
El Roi (אֵל רֳאִי) means 'God Who Sees' or 'God Who Sees Me' in Hebrew. It combines 'El' (God) with 'roi' (from the root ra'ah, 'to see'). It was named by Hagar, the Egyptian slave woman who encountered God in the desert after fleeing abuse. It is the most personal and intimate name of God in Scripture.
Who gave God the name El Roi?
Hagar, an Egyptian slave woman and Sarah's servant, is the only person in the Bible who gave God a name. After being mistreated by Sarah and fleeing into the desert while pregnant with Ishmael, Hagar encountered God at a spring. He promised to multiply her descendants, and she responded: 'You are the God who sees me' — El Roi (Genesis 16:13).
Why is El Roi important for understanding God?
El Roi reveals that God sees and values those whom society overlooks. That this name came from an enslaved, foreign, pregnant woman fleeing abuse — not from a priest or king — demonstrates that God's seeing extends to the most vulnerable and marginalized. The name establishes a foundational biblical principle: no one is invisible to God.
Sources & Further Study
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