Origin
72 Names of God in Exodus 14:19–21
Exodus 14:19–21 is the textual base of the 72 Names tradition. Later Jewish commentators describe arranging the three 72-letter verses forward, reverse, forward and reading them in vertical groups of three.
Textual base
Which verses are used?
The derivation uses Exodus 14:19, 14:20 and 14:21. In the Masoretic Hebrew text, each verse contains 72 letters when counted without spaces and vocalization marks.
The verses describe the movement of the divine messenger and cloud, the separation between the camps, and Moses extending his hand over the sea.
Why is the middle verse reversed?
The later derivation arranges verse 19 forward, verse 20 in reverse order and verse 21 forward. Corresponding letters are then read vertically to create the 72 three-letter units.
How does the first triplet appear?
Taking the first letter from verse 19, the corresponding letter from the reversed verse 20, and the first corresponding letter from verse 21 produces the first triplet, והו. Rashi explicitly gives this example.
Who documents this method?
Rashi on Sukkah 45a describes 72 names embedded in the three adjacent verses and gives the first and 37th examples. Rabbeinu Bahya on Exodus 14:21 gives a fuller description of the 72 letters in each verse and the forward/reverse/forward arrangement.
Does Exodus itself call them the 72 Names of God?
No. The biblical text contains the verses, not a ready-made chart labeled “72 Names of God.” Calling the derived triplets a 72-part divine Name belongs to later interpretive tradition.
Quick answers
Direct answers.
Why are there exactly 72 triplets?
Because the traditional derivation works from three verses that are each counted as 72 Hebrew letters, yielding 72 vertical three-letter columns.
Is the forward/reverse/forward method modern?
No. It is documented in medieval Jewish commentary, including Rashi and Rabbeinu Bahya.
Does this produce 72 letters total?
It produces 72 triplets, which contain 216 letter positions in total. Older sources may also speak of a “72-letter Name,” so terminology needs context.
Where can I see the resulting sequence?
See the Complete 72 Names List.
Sources used on this page
Trace the claim.
- Exodus 14:19–21 — Sefaria / JPS ↗
Biblical source text for the three verses used in the later 72-triplet derivation.
- Rashi on Sukkah 45a:2 ↗
Medieval commentary explicitly describing 72 names embedded in the three 72-letter verses and the first/reversed-middle/last extraction pattern.
- Rabbeinu Bahya on Exodus 14:21 ↗
Medieval commentary stating that the three verses contain 72 letters each and explaining the forward/reverse/forward arrangement into three-letter units.