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God, gods, divine beings
The most common Hebrew word for God in the Old Testament, occurring over 2,500 times. Morphologically plural (the -im ending), but when referring to the God of Israel it takes singular verbs and adjectives, demonstrating that it refers to one God despite its plural form. BDB organizes the meanings as: 1. Rulers, judges (as divine representatives) - Exodus 21:6, 22:8-9 2. Divine beings, angels - Psalm 8:5, 97:7 3. Gods (the gods of the nations) - Genesis 31:30, Exodus 12:12 4. God (the true God of Israel) - Genesis 1:1 and throughout The plural form is often explained as a "plural of majesty" or "intensive plural," indicating fullness of deity. Some scholars suggest it reflects an original polytheistic background later reinterpreted monotheistically. Orthodox Christian interpretation sees in the plural form a hint of the Trinity. When used of false gods, it takes plural verbs. When used of the true God, it consistently takes singular verbs, showing grammatical awareness of the One-ness of God despite the plural form.
rulers, judges (as divine representatives)
Used of human authorities acting in God's name
divine beings, angels
Heavenly beings in God's council
gods (false gods, idols)
The deities of other nations
God (the true God)
The God of Israel, the Creator, the covenant Lord
“In the beginning God created...”
“Then God said, "Let us make man in our image..."”
“You shall have no other gods before me”
“YHWH our God, YHWH is one”
“God stands in the divine assembly; among the gods he judges”
The use of plural Elohim with singular verbs when referring to the true God is one of the most distinctive features of biblical Hebrew. BDB notes this grammatical peculiarity without fully explaining it theologically. Key theological observations: 1. The plural form may suggest fullness, majesty, or the comprehensive nature of deity 2. The consistent singular agreement demonstrates monotheistic faith 3. Genesis 1:26 "Let us make man in our image" has been variously explained as divine council, plural of majesty, or trinitarian hint 4. The term encompasses the full range of divinity from false gods to the one true God
Elohim is central to several apologetic discussions: 1. **Trinitarian Implications**: The plural form with singular verbs is sometimes cited as Old Testament evidence for plurality within the Godhead, especially combined with Genesis 1:26 ("Let us make..."). Counter-arguments note that plural of majesty is common in ancient Near Eastern royal speech. 2. **Monotheism vs. Polytheism**: Jewish and Christian apologists emphasize that the consistent singular verbal agreement demonstrates monotheistic faith despite the plural morphology. 3. **Divine Council**: Passages like Psalm 82 and Genesis 1:26 inform discussions about the heavenly council, angels, and the uniqueness of YHWH among "the gods." 4. **Counter-Missionary Usage**: Some Jewish counter-missionaries argue that the plural form simply indicates majesty with no trinitarian implications. The apologetic response acknowledges this possibility while noting the broader biblical pattern of plurality within unity in the Godhead.
Modern lexicography (HALOT, DCH) provides extensive comparative Semitic data unavailable to BDB. The relationship between Hebrew Elohim and Canaanite El/Elohim is now better understood through Ugaritic texts discovered after BDB's publication. Some scholars see the plural as reflecting an earlier stage when the divine council was more prominent, later absorbed into strict monotheism. Others maintain the traditional view of intensive/majestic plural. The use in Psalm 82 ("God stands in the divine assembly; among the elohim he renders judgment") has generated extensive scholarly discussion about the nature of these "elohim" - are they demoted Canaanite gods, angels, or human judges?
| Language | Word | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aramaic | אֱלָהּ | ʾĕlāh | god |
| Arabic | إله | ʾilāh | god |
| Akkadian | ilu | ilu | god |
| Ugaritic | il | ʾil | god, El |
אלה
ʾlh
god, deity