Elohim

Old Testament Terms and Cosmology

The Bible states that when God began to create the earth, the “sons of god” where already present. We find this in the book of Job.

“Where were you when I founded the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its size? Surely you know? Who stretched out the measuring line for it? Into what were its pedestals sunk, and who laid its cornerstone, while the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” Job 38:4-7 NABRE

These sons of God were not human. The word sons is a family term, and it points to a direct creation. God created an family of spiritual beings. God claims them as sons because He directly created them. God created them before he created the material/physical world. These spirit beings called the sons of God are intelligent. Their being is bright and their place is not on the physical earth, this is the connection to the metaphor of morning stars (Job 38:7). It is in these ways that they are also “of” “from” or “like” God in some way. While the language is metaphorical it is also more than that.

In this study we use the most often used word for God. It is the word Elohim. Here are the common Hebrew terms for God in the Bible.

• Elohim: (H430): used 2700 times

• El: used 238 times

• YHWH: (Yahweh): used 6400 times

• Eloah: used 57 times (true God, sometimes false god)

For this lesson we will study only the most used word for God, the word Elohim. This Hebrew word has both a plural and singular meaning, much like the word sheep can refer to a flock or to only one. The word’s plural or singular meaning is derived from the grammar of the sentence. However this word is not just used in application to the One we call the God of the Bible. It is also used to describe various categories of spirit beings. This is because this word elohim does not convey attributes, rather it refers to the realm in which these spiritual beings naturally dwell.

We understand the use of this word better when we observe all the different spirit beings it is applied to.

• The Hebrew word Elohim is used to refer to “The One True God” such as in Genesis 2:4-5; Deuteronomy 4:35.

• The word elohim is also used and applied to divine ones or holy ones in Psalm 82:17; 89:5-7.

• Often the word translated angel is H5467 mal’ak which is best understood as messenger and refers to the assignment. However the word elohim (H430) is also used of angels in Psalm 8:6. It is also likely that is pointing to angels being referred to as gods in Genesis 3:5; and Psalm 82:1,6,8.

• Elohim is used for The Angel of Yahweh in Genesis 35:7.

• Gods and goddesses of other nations are called elohim in Deuteronomy 4:28, 5:11, 7:18; Judges 11:24; 1 Kings 11:33.

• The word elohim is used to refer back to the Demons in Deuteronomy 32:17.

• The deceased is also called elohim in Samuel in 1 Samuel 28:13

Unfortunately, this is the word many Bible teachers have used to teach the Trinity. This is because many of us don’t read Hebrew and were unaware of its usage. It is also the most used word in our Bible outside the proper Name Yahweh which refers to the One True God. Therefore, it naturally bothers us when we see it used to refer to beings obviously not God. The main reason we should not use the word elohim for our understanding of the Trinity is because it has no attributes attached to it. It was used by Old Testament writers to point to the realm of spirit beings; creatures whose home or place of residence is not (or no longer) on earth. This is why the word elohim can be used to refer to different entities who do not possess the incommunicable attributes associated with God alone.

A Test For Monotheism

I encourage you to take the time to read the passages of scripture listed above, or do your own word study. Use an Interlinear Concordance and check the words in the original language. Now I have a couple of questions for you.

• Does your Bible use the word elohim to refer to any spiritual being that you would not worship as God?

• If you answer yes, can you still be a monotheist?

I believe the answer is still yes. To begin with, we are not speaking about faith and loyalty to every type of being the term elohim is used for. Biblical writers were not denying monotheism by using this term to describe other figures they believed to exist in the spiritual realm. Therefore, applying this term to a plurality of spiritual beings is not inconsistent with monotheism. The Biblical writers demonstrate that all elohim were not alike. The affirms the uniqueness of Yahweh alongside a plurality of elohim or spiritual beings which He created. The most famous Hebrew scripture declaring the uniqueness of Yahweh is called the Shema.

The Incomparable Elohim—YHWH

The Shema is a Jewish prayer that serves as a centerpiece of the morning and evening Jewish prayer services. It affirms that there is only one God.  The Shema is found in Deuteronomy 6: 4-5.

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD (Yahweh) our God (Elohim), is one LORD (Yahweh). You shall love the LORD (Yahweh) your God (Elohim) with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”

The Shema is not the only scripture that testifies to the uniqueness of the God of Israel. Here are a few that declare that there is no other besides him.

Deuteronomy 4:35 To you it was shown, that you might know that the LORD is God (Yahweh is Elohim); there is no other besides H905 him. The Jewish Orthodox  says: “HaShem is HaElohim”

Strong’s Interlinear concordance gives us this information: H905 alone, by itself, besides, a part, separation, being alone.

The Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon gives this information. Of the same power and nature that is separated from the root.

This means, when we read these “no other beside(s)” verses, it is declaring that there is no God equal in power; no God with the same nature or attributes which stands separate or apart from Himself—separated at the root, standing equal but apart.

Deuteronomy 32:39 “‘See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no God (Elohim) beside me…”

Deuteronomy 4:39 “Know therefore today, and lay it to your heart, that the LORD is God (Yahweh is Elohim / HaShem is HaElohim) in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other.”

The God of Israel is the incomparable YHWH. Yahweh is The Elohim, but no other elohim is Yahweh.

These Hebrew scriptures contend that no other gods compare to Yahweh. The Old Testament asserts the absolute and utterly incomparable uniqueness of Yahweh. No other gods can claim to be eternal-having no beginning or have His attributes.

Can we as Christians, truly be monotheist?

As a Christian, I believe and confess that Jesus Christ is God come in the flesh. Is there a conflict in saying you believe in The One God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and also calling Jesus God?

The first century Torah observant believers, were so committed to monotheism that they choose death rather than worship the Roman emperor or other gods. Such were those that followed Jesus. This raises a few questions.

• How could they embrace Jesus of Nazareth as God in the flesh and still be faithfully loyal to the God of Israel?

• Why was this not considered a violation of the Shema and a rejection of monotheism?

To help us answer these questions we will need to take a fresh look at very familiar Old Testament Scriptures. These Bible passages when examined, reveal there is an Elohim with Yahweh’s own essence and attributes. This Elohim is revealed as being One with Yahweh while still being distinct.

The Bible identifies this Yahweh of the Old Testament with Jesus in the New Testament. Jesus is God, but Jesus is not the Father. Jesus is LORD (Yahweh). Jesus is God (Elohim). The Apostle John says it this way,

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” John 1:1-2

The Triune God: The Theology of YAHWEH: God in Three Persons.  This is Part One of a series on the Old Testament roots of Trinitarian Theology or simply the Trinity.  We will begin this study by searching the scripture for how Yahweh made Himself known to the Patriarchs and Prophets. The focus will be on the text and will include Abraham, Samuel and Jeremiah and the word of the LORD (YHWH).

The Angel of the LORD (YHWH): This is Part Two of our study of God in Three Persons. In this study we will examine the text that tell us of Abraham’s spiritual journey. This includes a divine figure that is integral to the way an ancient Israelite would think about Yahweh. This study will include Isaac and Jacob.

The Word Made Flesh: This is Part Three of our study. We are still studying God as He has revealed Himself in the Scriptures. In this section we will be examining scripture that speak to three areas (1) how New Testament writers used Old Testament scriptures (2) the record of Jesus speaking of himself (3) the use of Old Testament Titles such as: The Son of Man; The Word; The Cloud Rider and The Son of David.