**Elohim**- Plural form of God. * Might be a way of speaking about Sovereign Kingship. * Might be a first look at the Trinity --- # God (Elohim) > [!summary] In one sentence _Elohim_ is the most common Hebrew word for God in the Old Testament. It's plural in form but singular in meaning when it refers to the God of Israel, and it presents Him as the all-powerful Creator who stands above every other spiritual being. --- # The Word Itself | | | | --- | --- | | **Hebrew** | אֱלֹהִים | | **Pronounced** | *eh-lo-HEEM* | | **Basic meaning** | God, gods, divine being(s) | | **Occurrences** | About 2,600 times in the Old Testament | | **First appearance** | Genesis 1:1: "In the beginning, **God** created the heavens and the earth" | | **Greek equivalent** | *Theos* (used in the Septuagint and New Testament) | The ending _-im_ makes the word plural in form, much like "cherubim" and "seraphim." Yet when the Old Testament uses _Elohim_ for the God of Israel, it almost always pairs it with **singular** verbs and adjectives. In Genesis 1:1, the verb "created" (_bara_) is singular. The grammar itself says: one God. --- ## Why Is It Plural? Scholars have offered several explanations, and they aren't mutually exclusive. ### 1. A plural of majesty or fullness Hebrew sometimes uses the plural to express greatness, fullness, or intensity rather than number. _Elohim_ would then mean something like "God in all His fullness" or "the supreme God." Hebrew does something similar with the word for "master" (_adonim_), which can be plural in form when it refers to one person. ### 2. A hint of the Trinity Many Christians, going back to the early church, have seen the plural form as leaving room for the fuller revelation of one God in three persons. This is strengthened by passages where God speaks of Himself in the plural: - "Let **us** make man in **our** image" (Genesis 1:26) - "The man has become like one of **us**" (Genesis 3:22) - "Come, let **us** go down" (Genesis 11:7) - "Who will go for **us**?" (Isaiah 6:8) > [!note] A careful conclusion The plural form of _Elohim_ doesn't prove the Trinity by itself. But it fits perfectly with what the New Testament later reveals clearly: one God who exists eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14). ### 3. The heavenly council Some scholars understand the "us" passages as God speaking to the angels or heavenly beings around His throne (1 Kings 22:19-22; Job 1:6). In this view, the plural _Elohim_ and the plural "us" are separate questions. --- ## Elohim Can Mean More Than God Here's something many readers don't realize: _Elohim_ isn't only used for the one true God. It's a word for spiritual beings in general, beings who belong to the unseen realm. |Use|Example| |---|---| |**The one true God**|Genesis 1:1; Deuteronomy 6:4| |**False gods of the nations**|"You shall have no other **gods** (_elohim_) before me" (Exodus 20:3)| |**Angels or heavenly beings**|"God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the **gods** he holds judgment" (Psalm 82:1, ESV)| |**The spirit of a dead person**|The medium of Endor sees Samuel's spirit as "a **god** (_elohim_) coming up out of the earth" (1 Samuel 28:13)| Context always tells us which meaning is intended. This helps explain why the Bible can say the LORD is greater than all other _elohim_: - "Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods?" (Exodus 15:11, ESV) - "For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods" (Psalm 95:3, ESV) - "There is none like you among the gods, O Lord" (Psalm 86:8, ESV) These passages don't mean other gods are equal to Him. The LORD is uniquely the Creator, while every other spiritual being is created (Nehemiah 9:6; Colossians 1:16). He is not just the greatest _elohim_. He is in a category all His own. --- ## Elohim and the Other Names of God |Name|Hebrew|Meaning|Emphasis|Example| |---|---|---|---|---| |**Elohim**|אֱלֹהִים|God|Power, majesty, Creator of all|Genesis 1:1| |**YHWH** (LORD)|יְהוָה|"I AM," the personal name of God|Covenant relationship with His people|Exodus 3:14-15| |**YHWH Elohim** (LORD God)|יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים|The LORD God|The Creator who is also personally present|Genesis 2:4| |**El**|אֵל|God, the Mighty One|Strength|Genesis 14:18| |**Eloah**|אֱלוֹהַּ|God (singular form)|Used especially in Job|Job 3:4| _El_ also combines with other words to describe God's character: - **El Shaddai,** God Almighty (Genesis 17:1) - **El Elyon,** God Most High (Genesis 14:18-22) - **El Olam,** the Everlasting God (Genesis 21:33) - **El Roi,** the God who sees me (Genesis 16:13) - **Immanuel,** God with us (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23) ### Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 Genesis 1 uses **Elohim** throughout. It presents the God of all creation, speaking the universe into being. Genesis 2 shifts to **YHWH Elohim**, "the LORD God," as He forms the man with His own hands and breathes life into him. The same God is in view in both chapters. The names highlight different sides of who He is: transcendent Creator and personal, covenant-making God. --- ## Elohim in the New Testament - **Jesus' cry from the cross:** "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" ("My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?") quotes Psalm 22:1. _Eli_ means "my God," from _El_ (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34). - **Jesus is called God.** John says, "the Word was God" (John 1:1), and Thomas confesses, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28, ESV). - **Hebrews applies an Elohim passage to Jesus.** Psalm 45:6 says, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever." Hebrews 1:8 says the Father speaks those words **to the Son**. - **Jesus quotes Psalm 82.** In John 10:34-36, He cites "I said, you are gods" to answer those accusing Him of blasphemy. --- ## Why It Matters - **God is the Creator of everything.** The first words of the Bible introduce Him as _Elohim_, the One who made all things (Genesis 1:1). - **God is one.** "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one" (Deuteronomy 6:4, ESV). The plural form never undermines this. - **God is above every power.** No spiritual being, ancient or modern, rivals Him (Colossians 2:15). - **God has revealed Himself fully in Jesus.** The God introduced as _Elohim_ in Genesis 1 is the God who came to us in Christ (John 1:1-3, 14; Hebrews 1:1-3). --- ## Other Views - **Plural of majesty only.** Many scholars, both Jewish and Christian, see the plural purely as a grammatical expression of greatness and don't connect it to the Trinity. - **Source theories.** Some critical scholars have argued that Genesis uses _Elohim_ and _YHWH_ because it combines different source documents. Conservative scholars respond that the names are chosen deliberately to highlight different aspects of God's character, as in Genesis 1 and 2. - **The divine council view.** Scholars like Michael Heiser emphasize that _Elohim_ describes the whole category of spiritual beings, and that the Bible presents the LORD as unique among them. This view helps explain passages like Psalm 82 and Deuteronomy 32:8-9. ## For Further Study - Genesis 1:1, 26-27; 2:4; 17:1 - Exodus 3:14-15; 15:11 - Deuteronomy 6:4; 32:8-9 - Psalm 45:6-7; 82; 95:3 - John 1:1-3; 10:34-36; 20:28 - Hebrews 1:8 - Michael Heiser, _The Unseen Realm_