The Hebrew word Elohim has been the subject of much discussion and debate among Bible scholars. At its most basic level, Elohim is one of the names of God used in the Old Testament. But there is more nuance and depth to this word that is worth exploring.
In the Old Testament, the word Elohim is used over 2,500 times to refer to the God of Israel. The root meaning of the word is “strength” or “power.” So right away we understand Elohim to refer to a powerful, mighty God.
Elohim is plural in form but can be used with both singular and plural verbs and modifiers. This has led to debate over whether Elohim implies God is plural in some way or whether this is just a plural of majesty or excellence. There are good arguments on both sides of this issue. For our purposes, it is enough to say that Elohim allows for both the unity and diversity within the nature of God.
One key aspect of Elohim is that it conveys God’s role as Creator. For example, Genesis 1:1 states, “In the beginning, Elohim created the heavens and the earth.” Elohim as Creator is seen throughout the Old Testament (Isaiah 45:18; Jeremiah 32:17). The plural form may hint at the collaborative effort of Father, Son, and Spirit in the work of creation.
Elohim also emphasizes the power and sovereignty of God over all things. Deuteronomy 4:35 declares, “To you it was shown, that you might know that the LORD is Elohim; there is no other besides him.” As Elohim, God rules and reigns supreme. There are none like Him in power and authority (Psalm 86:8).
At times, Elohim seems to refer to the Supreme Being without specific reference to the God of Israel. The first verse of Psalm 19 is one example, where the heavens declare the glory of Elohim. Here the emphasis is on God as the Almighty Creator of the universe.
Elohim occurs frequently in the psalms, where the writers extol the greatness of God. For example, “Elohim sits enthroned forever” (Psalm 55:19) and “For who is Elohim, but the LORD?” (Psalm 18:31). The psalmists routinely praise the majesty and supremacy of Elohim.
Elohim is paired with other names of God in the Old Testament. The compound name YHWH Elohim occurs over 150 times and reveals deeper aspects of God’s nature and relationship with His people. YHWH highlights God’s personal and relational qualities, while Elohim speaks to His sovereign power. Together, these two names provide a more comprehensive understanding of who God is.
In Exodus 3:14, God reveals His proper name to Moses as YHWH (often translated LORD or Yahweh). He indicates that His name reflects His eternal, self-existent nature by saying, “I AM WHO I AM.” While YHWH is the distinct covenant name of the God of Israel, Elohim speaks of Him as the supreme God over all.
The plural form Elohim almost certainly contributed to early Hebrew beliefs in multiple gods and goddesses. As the Old Testament revelation unfolds, it becomes clear that there is only one true God (Deuteronomy 4:35, 39). However, the use of the plural Elohim leaves open the possibility of diversity within the unity of God. This mystery was revealed more fully through later revelation about the Trinity.
In summary, the Hebrew name Elohim conveys the supreme power and sovereignty of God as the mighty Creator and Ruler of the universe. While able to denote the God of Israel specifically, it also makes room for some ambiguity or openness about God that was clarified over time in Old Testament history. The plurality of the word also hints at the triune nature of God only fully unveiled through divine revelation and Christ’s coming.
Elohim is used for various spiritual beings
While Elohim commonly refers to the one true God in the Old Testament, the word is also used at times to refer to other supernatural spirits or beings.
In a few instances, Elohim can refer to the gods of other nations. This occurs especially in contexts where God is asserting His incomparable nature over the false gods. Deuteronomy 10:17 states, “For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God.” Here God is claiming supremacy over all other perceived gods of the nations. Similarly, YHWH is called “God of gods” in Joshua 22:22.
Likewise, Psalm 86:8 declares, “There is none like you among the gods, O LORD.” The psalmist elevates YHWH far above any so-called gods that are worshipped by other nations. The flexible nature of Elohim allows it to be used in contexts where YHWH is contrasted with the false gods of the nations.
More frequently, Elohim can refer to angelic beings or spirit beings in general. Psalm 8:5, speaking of humankind, says, “Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.” The term “heavenly beings” here is literally “Elohim.” This likely indicates angels or spiritual powers.
Psalm 97:7 also declares, “All worshipers of images are put to shame, who make their boast in worthless idols; worship him, all you gods!” The word translated “gods” is Elohim. Again, this likely refers to angels or spiritual beings that are called to worship the one true God.
The flexibility of Elohim to denote the “gods” of other nations or angelic beings emphasizes God’s supremacy over all other spiritual powers. None can compare to the majesty and greatness of the one who created and rules over all.
Elohim refers to human leaders or judges
In a specialized set of cases, the term Elohim can refer to human beings who serve as leaders or judges within the community. In these instances, Elohim highlights their authority to represent God and act on His behalf.
For example, in Exodus 21:6 a slave who chooses to remain with his master rather than go free is brought “before Elohim.” This refers to judges who would oversee such matters in Israel. Bound to perpetual service, the slave would have an awl driven through his ear “before Elohim” (Deuteronomy 15:17).
Likewise, Exodus 22:8-9 outlines a procedure for dealing with property disputes between two people. If the matter could not be decided clearly, it was to be brought “before Elohim” – meaning the town judges who acted as God’s agents. A similar process is described in Deuteronomy 19:17.
This specialized use of Elohim communicates that these judges or leaders acted on God’s authority. They functioned in the community as representatives of the divine. Hebrews 5:1 compares the Old Testament high priests to those who present offerings “before Elohim.” They were mediators between God and Israel.
Even the king of Israel, who was the supreme human authority under God, was described as “sitting on the throne of the LORD” (1 Chronicles 29:23). The human authorities in Israel were to be pictures of the reign and rule of YHWH Himself. Thus, at times even they could be referred to as “Elohim” – God’s representatives.
Of course, this did not make these leaders equal with the one true God. Their authority was delegated, not absolute. But it does reveal how Elohim could at times apply to powerful human figures who governed God’s people. They were His vessels, His agents, within the community. The flexible use of Elohim allows for this important function.
Elohim has a distinct singular form, Eloah
While Elohim is consistently plural in form, there is a corresponding singular form, Eloah, that is used infrequently in the Old Testament. The choice between the singular and plural forms is significant and highlights key attributes about God.
The singular Eloah is used around 70 times in the Old Testament, mostly in more poetic passages. For example, in Psalm 18:31, the psalmist declares, “For who is Eloah but YHWH? And who is a rock except our God?” The parallel structure here contrasts Eloah and YHWH as synonyms.
Deuteronomy 32:15 illustrates the specific use of Eloah in parallel with El, another generic word for God:
“But Jeshurun grew fat, and kicked; you grew fat, stout, and sleek; then he forsook Eloah who made him and scoffed at the Rock of his salvation.”
This passage also contrasts Eloah with a different Hebrew name for God, El. The singular Eloah emphasizes that God alone is the Creator and Source of provision for Israel, while the plural Elohim would focus instead on His supremacy and greatness.
Some scholars argue that Eloah refers to God’s wisdom, while Elohim refers to His power. While this distinction cannot be pressed too far, it does convey the specialized usage of these two forms of the same root word. The singular highlights God’s personal nature and individual characteristics, while the plural focuses on the fullness of His divine glory and majesty.
The singular Eloah is mostly limited to poetic and literary contexts. The plural Elohim is far more common and used across all types of passages. Elohim predominates because it captures more fully the multifaceted nature and attributes of God. Even so, the form Eloah shows that singular terminology was indeed available to describe God’s uniqueness. The choice of Elohim across the Old Testament was intentional.
A good case study for the distinction between Eloah and Elohim is found in Job. Job uses Eloah over 40 times while also using Elohim frequently. In Job’s lament, he is appealing to God in His personal capacity and in distress cries out to Eloah. Yet the response from God in Chapters 38-42 emphasizes His sovereign power and wisdom, using the plural Elohim. This highlights the contextual difference between the two forms.
While both terms are valid names for the one true God in the Old Testament, the divine preference was for the plural Elohim. The singular usage of Eloah appears primarily in individual laments and poetry. Yet the consistent use of the plural Elohim affirms God’s fullness and diversity within unity.
Elohim allows God to reveal Himself progressively
The use of the plural Elohim for the God of Israel in the Old Testament provides room for the progressive revelation of God’s nature. As the Scriptures unfold, the complexities within the unity of God emerge.
Deuteronomy 6:4 declares, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.” This affirms that there is only one true God. Yet hints of God’s plurality exist within the very names used for God, like Elohim. Such hints pave the way for the full revelation of the Trinity in the New Testament.
In the Old Testament, Elohim provided some clues to the existence of the Trinity. The Spirit of God is active at creation (Genesis 1:2). The divine Son is addressed in the Psalms as Lord (Psalm 110:1). The Angel of the Lord speaks with authority as God Himself (Exodus 3:2-6). And yet consistently across the Old Testament, the clear declaration is that God is One.
Passages like Isaiah 48:16 depict the Son and Spirit alongside YHWH without compromising monotheism: “Draw near to me, hear this: from the beginning I have not spoken in secret, from the time it came to be I have been there. And now the Lord God has sent me, and his Spirit.”
The Hebrew understanding of plural majesty could help explain Elohim, but does not account for these multiples references to Father, Son, and Spirit. Elohim provided space for the progressive revelation of the Trinity to unfold.
When Jesus arrived on the scene, He shook the Jewish religious leaders of His day by using the divine name, Ego Eimi, meaning “I AM”, in reference to Himself (John 8:58). He claimed unity with YHWH, validity as the promised Messiah, and full deity as the Son. The Son was the visible image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15).
Interestingly, while the New Testament uses “Father” over 100 times to refer to God, it never uses the term Elohim. The Holy Spirit is also referred to hundreds of times without using Elohim. Once God’s triune nature was revealed in Christ, the terms shifted to reflect this new understanding.
The emergence of God’s triune nature rhetorically transformed how God was discussed and described. The plurality within unity conveyed by Elohim was replaced with overt references to the distinct persons of the Trinity. Elohim had served its purpose within redemptive history.
So in summary, Elohim established an understanding of God that was monotheistic yet plural. This delicate balance created semantic range for the revelation that the one God is three distinct persons, unified in nature and purpose. The theological seeds contained within Elohim came to fruit in the New Testament.
Jesus as the Logos fulfills the idea behind Elohim
John 1 contains a profound description of Jesus as the Logos or Word that directly relates back to the Old Testament concept of Elohim. Just as Elohim conveys multiplicity within God, Jesus as the embodiment of that Word fully reveals God’s nature.
John 1:1 declares, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” This Word (Logos in Greek) was none other than Jesus. The Word was distinguishable from “God” (the Father) and yet fully divine in Himself. This reflects the hint of plurality within God captured partially by Elohim.
Verse 14 continues, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.” The Word that was God took on flesh in the person of Christ. The invisible Elohim became visible in Jesus. The unknowable God was now able to be known through the incarnation.
The term Logos spoke deeply to Greek readers and had rich philosophical background. It conveyed the idea of an ordering principle, a unifying force, and divine reason. This term elegantly captured the unity, diversity, and creative power bound up in Elohim, the God of the Old Testament.
Jesus as the Logos provided fuller revelation of the Word that was hinted at in the name Elohim. God’s Word was incarnated in Christ. God’s reason and wisdom took on human form to teach and relate to us directly. The multiplicity within God could now be seen, heard, and touched (1 John 1:1).
The Logos concept tied heavily to Old Testament wisdom literature that personified wisdom as an agent of creation (Proverbs 8). Many scholars argue that the attributes of personified wisdom are fulfilled in Christ as the Logos. Just as wisdom proceeded from God, so Christ the Logos is “begotten” from the Father yet fully divine.
Quite arguably, no New Testament term more elegantly encompasses the richer aspects of Elohim than Logos. While the Old Testament name for God conveyed plurality, order, reason, and power, Christ embodies these attributes as the divine-human Savior. He is the Word made flesh. The Logos incarnate provides the ultimate framework for understanding Elohim.
Of course, Christ reveals God to us in so many ways that surpass Elohim. As the divine Son, the image of God, the Messiah, the Lord, and Savior, Jesus fulfills the partial revelation of God’s nature in Elohim. That name served an important function but required the incarnation to fully reveal God’s trinitarian essence and redeeming love.
Elohim paved the way for God’s self-revelation in Christ
In conclusion, the Hebrew name Elohim served an invaluable purpose in Old Testament theology. The consistent yet nuanced usage of this plural noun for the one God of Israel provided theological space for the full revelation of God’s triune nature. Elohim established a delicate balance between God’s unity and diversity.
The plurality of Elohim finds its resolution in the incarnation of Jesus. Christ revealed the interpersonal nature of the Trinity. Father, Son, and Spirit each play unique yet unified roles in creation, revelation, redemption, and restoration. Elohim provided the semantic range to begin capturing this mystery.
While Elohim has overlaps with other ancient Near Eastern deities, the Old Testament firmly establishes the supremacy of YHWH Elohim above all contenders. God’s self-revelation in the Scriptures corrects any erroneous human notions of the divine. Through Elohim, we discover the God of revelation, not human invention.
By pairing the use of the personal covenant name YHWH with the majestic Elohim, the Old Testament conveys the grandeur and intimacy of God’s character. God is to be both feared and loved, worshipped yet trusted like a faithful husband. Elohim alone has the power of divinity, while YHWH cares for His people.
For Christians reading the Old Testament, Elohim represents the incarnate Christ more than any other Hebrew term. Jesus embodies the Word, wisdom, image, and fullness of God. He is the ultimate Elohim who makes God known, explaining the Father to humanity (John 1:18).
So in summary, Elohim provides a bridge between Old Testament monotheism and the New Testament revelation of the Trinity. The seeds contained in this intriguing Hebrew term come to fruition in the person of Jesus Christ, the God-man. As the Logos made flesh, Jesus fulfills the promise and purpose of Elohim.
