Elohim

Occurrences in Scripture

Elohim is the word translated "God" in Genesis 1:1: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." It occurs more than two thousand times in the Old Testament. Beginning in Genesis 2:4, it appears in combination with the proper name Yahweh as "Yahweh Elohim," which Korean Bibles render Yeohowa Hananim ("Jehovah God").

Elohim does not always refer to the God of Israel. Depending on the context, it is used in the following ways:

• Foreign gods: In Exodus 20:3, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me," the word "gods" is elohim.
• A single foreign deity: It can also refer to one deity, such as Chemosh, the god of Moab, in Judges 11:24, or Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Zidonians, in 1 Kings 11:33.
• Beings other than God: Some passages, such as Psalm 82:6, "Ye are gods," are understood to refer to judges or rulers, or to heavenly beings. Interpreters differ on which reading is correct.

Background of the Word

Elohim is a plural form related to the Semitic words El and Eloah, meaning "god." When it refers to the God of Israel, it is used with singular verbs, such as "created" in Genesis 1:1. For this reason, the plural form is often explained as a plural of majesty (an honorific plural) that expresses dignity and fullness rather than numerical plurality. Divine names formed with El, such as "El Elyon" (the most high God) in the account of Melchizedek, are distinct from Elohim.

Significance Across Scripture

The Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) usually rendered Elohim as theos ("God," "god"). The New Testament adopts this word to refer to God. In Psalm 8:5, elohim was rendered "angels" in the Septuagint, and Hebrews 2:7 quotes the verse according to that translation. Jesus quoted Psalm 82:6 in John 10:34–35. The cry from the cross, "Eloi, Eloi" (Mark 15:34), is Aramaic for "my God." It is etymologically related to Elohim but is not the same word.

Interpretations and Debates

• The plural form and the Trinity: Some Christian interpreters read the plural form of Elohim, together with the "us" of Genesis 1:26, as an intimation of the Trinity. Many scholars, however, hold that the grammatical phenomenon of the plural of majesty cannot by itself prove the Trinity. Judaism understands the plural form as a plural of majesty.
• The Documentary Hypothesis: Some modern biblical critics regard the passages of the Pentateuch that call God Elohim and those that call Him Yahweh as traces of different sources. Conservative evangelicals reject this hypothesis.
• The World Mission Society Church of God's interpretation: The World Mission Society Church of God argues on the basis of the plural form of Elohim that "God the Father and God the Mother" exist together. This group has been declared heretical by the general assemblies of several denominations. Its critics point out that Elohim is used with singular verbs and is also used for a single deity such as Chemosh.

In the Korean Church

The Protestant New Korean Revised Version renders Elohim as Hananim, while the Common Translation, produced jointly by Catholics and Protestants, renders it as Haneunim. In preaching, Elohim is often introduced in expositions of Genesis 1 as a term meaning "God the Creator." Because the World Mission Society Church of God uses this word as a key term in its doctrine, it is also frequently addressed in churches' anti-heresy education.