El and Eloah: The Mighty God Deserves Our Praise

When the psalmist declares, "Thou art my God," he employs two distinct Hebrew names, each laden with theological weight. The first, El (אל), designates Elohim as the Mighty One—the Supreme Power who sustains all creation. This is not a distant, abstract deity, but the Almighty One whose strength is actively deployed on behalf of His people.

The second form, Eloah (אלוה), represents a varied expression carrying substantially the same meaning, yet it carries a more intimate resonance. When the psalmist moves from intellectual recognition to personal declaration—"Thou art MY God"—he clasps this Mighty One to his heart. The variation in language prevents monotony while amplifying the truth: this Almighty Being is his own.

Therefore, the psalmist's response is inevitable and unbounded: "I will praise thee." Not merely acknowledging Elohim's existence, but lifting Him high in glory and honour. The verb extol conveys an elevation, a lifting-up that matches the exaltation due to One who is simultaneously the Mighty One of creation and the tender Shepherd of individual souls.

This double naming reveals the fullness of worship: we praise not an impersonal force, but the personal Almighty. We exalt not a distant sovereign, but our own God who claims us as His own.