Eloah; Elohim

As the above are the singular and plural forms of the same word, it will be well to consider them together. The latter is the most commonly used term of all in relation to God, except His name Yahweh, occurring in all over 2,700 times. Eloah is used only in the instances cited at the end of this section. It will be noticed that with two exceptions these are all in the poetic portions of the Scriptures.

Eloah and Elohim are derived from El; and, therefore, signify mighty one and mighty ones respectively. The fact of this derivation is in accord with the actual relationship which the Elohim bear to El; they are possessed of a strength which is derived, not inherent. An important point in relation to the word Elohim is the fact that, although the word is plural, it is almost invariably used with a singular verb. Trinitarians have used this fact in support of their theory that the Godhead is made up of three persons, constituting a trinity of Gods ; trinity in unity as they call it, although apart from the theory it would be difficult to suggest why the use of the plural noun should involve three any more than three hundred, or three million. The truth is that the fact furnishes no support for the doctrine of the Trinity. The true explanation will be seen by noting the use of the word in a large number of passages, some of which will be particularly referred to.

The translation of the two words into English is as under:

• Eloah - always God, or god (see list at end of section).

• Elohim - God, god, gods, goddess, angels, exceeding, godly, great, judges, mighty.

Some of these usages call for comment, but it is desirable that we should first get an appreciation of the meaning and application of the name in regard to God.

It has been pointed out that the Elohim derive their strength from El. It might be said that He is in them, and that consequently their action’s are really His. Jesus once said, ” I can of mine own self do nothing ” ; all the Elohim may say the same. They are strong, glorious and immortal, but their strength, glory and immortality are derived from the El who created them and who works through them. He is the strength of these mighty ones, the First, the underived and Infinite One, who is from everlasting.

Among the translations given above is the word angels. This rendering is only found in Psa. viii. 5 : “Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels (Elohim), and has crowned him with glory and honour.” The Revised Version renders this ” but little lower than God,” with a marginal reading ” or the angels ; Heb. Elohim.” In this case we have the advantage of an inspired quotation and comment in the New Testament. In an argument designed to establish the superiority of Jesus above the angels (Heb. i. and ii.) we read, “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower than, the angels ; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands... But now we see not yet all things put under him, but we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honour ” (chap. ii. 6-9). Thus, although there is only one instance in the Old Testament of Elohim being translated angels, there is no room to question the accuracy of the rendering. Moreover, this application of the word is strongly confirmed by other New Testament references to angels.

In another passage in the Epistle to the Hebrews there is a quotation from the Psalms in which this fact is apparent. In the Hebrews it is given as, “Let all the angels of God worship Him” (chap. i. 6). Looking back to the Old Testament this is found to be, ” Worship Him all ye gods ” (Elohim) (Psa. xcvii. 7). Again, when God commissioned Moses from the burning bush we read, “And when the Lord saw that He turned aside to see, God (Elohim) called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said... I am the God (Elohim) of thy father, the God (Elohim) of Abraham, the God (Elohim) of Isaac, and the God (Elohim) of Jacob. And Moses hid his face ; for he was afraid to look upon Elohim.” Referring to this incident, Stephen said : “And when forty years were expired there appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush” (Acts vii. 30). “This Moses whom they refused... did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush ” (verse 35). There can.be no question as to the conclusion to be drawn from the comparison of these passages. It was an angel who appeared to Moses, and it was this angel who spoke of himself as the Elohim of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Another illustration of the same kind may be mentioned. When Israel reached Sinai the law was given to them. The record of the event states, “And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God (Elohim) answered him by a voice ” (Exod. xix. 19)... “And God (Elohim) spake all these words” (chap. xx. 1). Turning again to Stephen’s defence, we find him saying, “This is he that was in the ecclesia in the wilderness, with the angel which spake to him in the Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, who received the lively oracles to give unto us ” (Acts vii. 38). He also refers to Israel receiving the law by the disposition of angels (Acts vii. 53), and Paul says it was “ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator ” (Gal. iii. 19); and again, “If the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward, how shall we escape? ” (Heb. ii. 2).

It is therefore a fully justifiable conclusion that the angels are Elohim. They are beings through whom El works. They “excel in strength,” they are His hosts, “ministers of His that do His pleasure” (Psa. ciii. 20, 21). The strength in which they excel is His. They are thereby so en rapport with Him that they may be identified with Him, a vast plurality, moved by one great power, the Infinite, the First - El.

It will be necessary later on to consider another application of Elohim in passages which relate to the future, and where the name is associated with the name Yahweh - Yahweh Elohim. The principle of interpretation will be the same, and it need not detain us further now.

The first use of the term Elohim in the Scriptures is in accord with what has been considered. “In the beginning Elohim created the heaven and the earth” (Gen. i. 1). Thirty times in this one chapter, or thirty-three times if we include verses 1 to 3 of the second chapter, are creation and various matters connected therewith attributed to God or Elohim; including, of course, the passage, “Let us make man in our image.” In the light of the foregoing there can be no difficulty in applying the term, nor in interpreting the plurality associated with the single verb. Elohim created the heavens, yet they (the heavens) declare the glory of El (Psa. xix. 1). The personalities concerned were the angels, the power was that of God. That men are in the image of the angels no one is likely to question, except it be for the current ideas of angels’ wings, a conception which is quite foreign to the Scriptures. No one would mistake a winged angel for a man. The popular conception arises out of references to symbolic creatures, the cherubim and seraphim, which are supposed to be angels, although there is no such association of ideas in the Bible.

The usage of the name Elohim is so constant and occurs in so many connections, that no special application is involved. It may be taken as the general term applied to express the mighty personalities through whom the Deity works, and it is found in every kind of reference to His works - in creation, in revelation, and in salvation. A careful study of the use of the term will be the best means of appreciating its place in the Scriptures.

It was suggested that it would be advantageous to note a few of the exceptional passages where Elohim occurs, and to that end the following instances may be considered.

1. Exceeding. The only occurrence is in Jonah iii. 3. “Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city.” The marginal rendering gives a truer representation, “a city great of God,” or “a city great unto God ” (R.V. margin). This appears to be a Hebraism to express extreme greatness, and extremes of other ideas also. It is carried into the Greek in the record of Stephen’s defence where he describes Moses as “exceeding” fair, or as the margin gives it, “fair to God.” The same principle will be seen in other cases.

2. Godly. “That he might seek a godly seed” (Mal. ii. 15). The marginal rendering is “a seed of God.” The context will indicate that the idea of the passage is the raising up of “faithful children,” Sons of God.

3. Great. “And Rachel said, with great wrestlings (margin, wrestlings of God) have I prevailed” (Gen. xxx. 8). “And the earth quaked, so that it was a very great trembling (margin, trembling of God, I Sam. xiv. 15). In each case the margin supplies the application of the reference to Elohim, on the lines indicated above under “exceeding,” although in the second case a further application may be, and probably is intended, that God (Elohim) was working for Israel, and the earthquake was a part of His work.

4. Judges. Two separate references of the kind are found in the Mosaic Law (Exod. xxi. 6, xxii. 8 and 9). In each case the R.V. substitutes “God ” for judges. Some have explained this as really applying to God, but there does not seem much support for this idea. In another verse in the latter chapter it is written, Thou shalt not revile the Gods (margin judges), nor curse the ruler of thy people ” (Exod. xxii. 28). The parallelism of this verse requires the alternative word “judge,” and indicates that in the other passages judges may be taken as the correct rendering of the word Elohim. Two reasons may be suggested to account for the usage of the term Elohim in relation to human judges, 1. The position of the judge, his supremacy as the one who could declare the law, and its bearings upon Israel. 2. The judges were the priests, who were God’s representatives amongst Israel; and who, therefore, were addressed as Elohim, being viewed as His ambassadors. “Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days” (Deut. xix. 17). See also I Sam. ii. 25.

5. Mighty. “Thou (Abraham) art a mighty prince among us.” Margin, “Heb., a prince of God” (Gen. xxiii 6). “Intreat the Lord that there be no more mighty thunderings ” (Exod. ix. 28). Again, the margin indicates the usage of the word, for we find substituted there “Heb., voices of God.”

These constitute all the renderings of Elohim other than those which are distinctly applicable to God or gods, according to the evident intention in the text, and are useful in indicating the primary meaning which is to be attached to the word. Taken in conjunction with what has been said before, they lead to a clear perception of the ideas which are inherent in the word Elohim, a fit name to define those through whom El works - El the strength or source of the power of the mighty ones.

The following is a list of the passages in which the term Eloah occurs. The plural term Elohim occurs so frequently that it is not practicable to give a list; whenever the word “God” is found in the Authorised Version, and it is not dealt with in one of the lists or sections hereof, it may be taken that the Hebrew is Elohim.

In addition to the foregoing, there are several instances where the corresponding Chaldee word Elah is used. They are noted below.

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