HOSTS
HOSTS
God was, to the Israelites, the Lord of hosts. To them this signified a God of almighty power against whom no enemy could succeed. The armies of Israel were the armies of God, the hosts of Yahweh (1Sa 17:45; cf. Jos 5:14-15). Yet as Lord of hosts, God is more than just God of the armies of Israel. He is God of the countless multitudes of angelic beings who live in constant readiness to carry out his commands (1Ki 22:19; Psa 148:2; see ANGELS).
As a title indicating a God whose power is unlimited, Lord of hosts is a frequently used title of God in the Bible. It occurs almost three hundred times (e.g. Psa 24:10; Isa 1:24; Jer 2:19; Zec 1:17; Mal 1:6; Mal 1:14; Jam 5:4).