What is the meaning of the word Elohim?

Answer

Elohim is a Hebrew term that signifies “God” or “god.” It is one of the most frequent names for God in the Old Testament, appearing in the very first verse: “In the beginning [Elohim] created the heavens and the earth” «In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. », (Genesis 1:1). The term Elohim is found over 2,500 times in the Tanakh.

The fundamental significance of the term Elohim is one of strength or power of effect. Elohim is the infinite, all-powerful God who demonstrates through His actions that He is the creator, sustainer, and supreme judge of the world. “Bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure—you, the righteous [Elohim] who probes minds and hearts” «Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: For the righteous God Trieth the hearts and reins. », (Psalm 7:9).

At times, Elohim is abbreviated to El and incorporated into longer names. For instance, El Shaddai means “God Almighty” «But his bow abode in strength, And the arms of his hands were made strong By the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (From thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:) », (Genesis 49:24); El Elyon means “God Most High” «and to make thee high above all nations which he hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honour; and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the LORD thy God, as he hath spoken.», (Deuteronomy 26:19); and El Roi means “God Who Sees” «And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?

», (Genesis 16:13). Personal names of people can include the name of God: Daniel (“El Is My Judge”), Nathanael (“Gift of El”), Samuel (“Heard by El”), Elijah (“El Is Yahweh”), and Ariel (“Lioness of El”) are examples. Place names, too, can contain the shortened form of Elohim: Bethel (“House of El”), Jezreel (“El Will Sow”), and, of course, Israel (“Prince of El”) are examples.

When Jesus cried out from the cross, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” «And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? », (Mark 15:34), He addressed the Father with a form of Elohim, Eloi. Mark translates Jesus’ statement for us: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Making Bible translation more complex is the fact that Elohim has other usages in the Old Testament besides referring to the One True God. In some contexts, elohim refers to human rulers or judges see Psalm 82:6 and John 10:34—the idea is that such people are to act as God’s representatives on earth, exercising authority wisely and ensuring justice. The warning of Psalm 82 is that the human elohim must answer to the Supreme Elohim someday. Elsewhere, elohim is used to refer to false gods e.g., Deuteronomy 4:28. “They have forsaken me and worshiped Ashtoreth the [elohe] of the Sidonians, Chemosh the [elohe] of the Moabites, and Molek the [elohe] of the Ammonites” «because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father. », (1

Kings 11:33). Note that “elohe” is a form of “elohim” used with qualifying words or phrases and translated as “god of.”

Interestingly, the word Elohim is grammatically plural rather than singular (the -im suffix in Hebrew indicates the plural form). The singular form of Elohim is probably Eloah. What are we to make of the plural? Does the plural form of Elohim imply polytheism? No, the Torah makes it clear that God is one “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:”, (Deuteronomy 6:4). Polytheism is expressly forbidden in the Old Testament.

What about Trinitarianism? Does the fact that Elohim is plural suggest the triune nature of God? It is best to understand the word construction as a plural of majesty; that is, writing “Elohim” is a stylistic way of emphasizing greatness, power, and prestige. With that said, and in light of the overall teaching of the Bible, the plural form of Elohim certainly allows for the further revelation of God’s triune nature; the Old Testament hints at the Trinity to prepare people for the Messiah, who would be much more than a human prophet. When Jesus appeared, He more fully revealed mysteries hinted at in the Old Testament. At Jesus’ baptism, we see all three Persons of Elohim present: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:16-17).

Our God is great and mighty. His power is on display every day and night in the universe He has made. “Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you” “Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:”, (Jeremiah 32:17). This great power that no one can restrain is a characteristic of God.Basic to His name Elohim.