The Brown-Driver-Briggs
Hebrew Lexicon defines
elohim thus:
1) (Plural.)
1a) Rulers, judges.
1b) Divine ones.
1c) Angels.
1d) Gods.
2) (Plural intensive - singular meaning.)
2a) God, goddess.
2b) Godlike one.
2c) Works or special possessions of God.
2d) The (true) God.
2e) God.
Part of Speech: noun masculine plural.
A Related Word by BDB/Strongs Number: plural of H433.
Same Word by TWOT Number: 93c.
Elohim appears 2250 times in the Old Testament, is translated "God" when used in reference to the one true God, but also translated (a) "god" when used in reference to a false god or "gods" when referring to a multiplicity of false deities, (b) "god" or "gods" in reference to human beings, (c) "angels," (d) "judges", (e) "mighty," in reference to a human prince and thunder, and (f) "great", in reference to Rachel's competition with her sister.
Elohim is an extremely flexible word, and its application is tremendously diverse.
- In Genesis 31:30, 32; 35:2, 4 and many other places, it is used in relation to idols, which represented the false gods of other nations.
- In Psalm 8:5, elohim has been rendered "angels," and this translation is endorsed by Paul in Hebrews 2:7, who likewise renders it in this way. Thus, the statement, "God said: Let us make man in our image, after our likeness" (Genesis 1:26), refers to God speaking with His angels.
- In Exodus 21:6; 22:8,9,22,28, elohim has been rendered "judges." They "shall bring him unto the judges" (elohim.) They are so described because they judged on behalf of Yahweh and with His authority. Because they represented the authority of heaven, they were given the name elohim, and so the Revised Version has rendered most of these places as "God."
- For example, Genesis 3:5 (which, in the KJV is rendered "Ye shall be as gods,") appears in the Revised Version as "Ye shall be as God." The reference in Exodus quoted above appears as: "His master shall bring him unto God." In Exodus 7:1, the term is applied to Moses: "I have made thee a god to Pharaoh." He was elevated to this position in that he acted with Divine authority and power before the King of Egypt.
Elohim is not the only Hebrew noun that can be plural in form but singular in meaning. Such Hebrew noun forms are sometimes used for abstract nouns and as intensifiers. Gesenius'
Hebrew Grammar devotes several pages to this subject. The following list is not exhaustive, but it illustrates the point. (Bearing in mind that the masculine plural ending is
-im, while the feminine plural ending is
-oth):
- zequnim - old age (Genesis 21:2, 7; 37:3; 44:20.)
- ne`urim - youth. David was only a boy (na`ar), but Goliath "has been a fighting man from his youth [ne`urim]." (I Samuel 17:33.)
- chayyim - life. This is used in the song "To life, to life, lechayyim" in the movie Fiddler on the Roof.
- gebhuroth - strength. The singular form gebhurah is the usual word for strength, but the plural form is used in Job 41:12.
- tsedaqoth - righteousness. The singular form tsedaqah is the usual word, but tsedaqoth is used in Isaiah 33:15 - "he who walks righteously [or "in righteousness"]."
- chokmoth - wisdom. Chokmah is the usual form, but chokmoth is used in Proverbs 1:20.
- 'adonim - lord. 'Adon means "lord," and 'adonim normally means "lords," but Isaiah 19:4 says, "I will hand the Egyptians over to the power of a cruel master ['adonim]."
- behemoth. This word normally means "beasts", but in Job 40:15 it refers to one particular animal.
Whenever
elohim refers to the one true God,
it is always accompanied by singular verbs, although the word
elohim itself, is plural.
Whenever elohim refers to more than one false god, it is accompanied by plural verbs. This is significant. Grammatically,
elohim refers to the one true God only, although the word is plural. If the reason
elohim is used of the true God is to indicate He is more than one, plural verbs would have to be used.
For example, in the first verse of the Bible, the third person masculine singular verb "created: is used with
elohim. Since the verb is singular, it is required that He who did the creating is singular. In this case, the only option left to explain the plural form of
elohim is that
elohim refers to the fullness and intensity of the attributes of God.
In
Exodus 32:4, where
elohim is used of a plurality of false gods,
the verb "brought...up out: is third person common plural. The plural verb demands that
elohim be referring to more than one false god. Although in this case only one golden calf was made, it apparently represented to the Israelites the worship of cows, considered sacred by the Egyptians.
Thus the single calf was a representative of the Egyptian gods.
In Deuteronomy 4:28 a series of third person masculine plural verbs, "see," "hear," "eat," and "smell," are used to describe the inabilities of false gods (
elohim.) This demonstrates that if the intention of
elohim is to indicate more than one, plural verbs will be used.
If the intention of elohim is to indicate only one, singular verbs are used.
When the inspired Greek of the New Testament quotes from an Old Testament reference where
elohim is used of the one true God,
the Greek theos is singular. (As in
Psalm 45:6-7 & Hebrews 1:8-9.) When the New Testament quotes an Old Testament reference where
elohim refers to people or false gods,
the plural form of theos is used. (As in
Psalm 82:6 & John 10:34-35; Exodus 32:1 & Acts 7:40.)
The Greek languages does not use plurals in the same way as the Hebrew, that is, to indicate intensity, fullness, and plurality of attributes. Since both the Hebrew and the Greek are inspired,
if the point of elohim, when used of the true God, was to indicate God is more than one, the Greek would use the plural form of the noun. The fact that the Greek uses the singular
theos where the Hebrew scriptures use the plural
elohim of the true God settles any question as to the singularity of the true God.
In the example of
Psalm 45:6,
elohim is used of the Messiah alone. There is only one Messiah, but the plural noun is used to indicate his immeasurable majesty. (And of course, no Trinitarian would try to argue that the Messiah himself is more than one person!)