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What is the meaning of Elohim?



      

Genesis 1:1

ESV - 1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Clarify Share Report Asked July 14 2021 Mini julieta raymundo Supporter

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Mini Shirley H Supporter Wife, mother, veteran in the spiritual war we all face!
Elohim (sometimes El or Elah) is the first of three primary names for Diety. It is a uni-plural noun formed from El, meaning strength or strong one. It is also from Alah, meaning to swear, to bind oneself to an oath, as in faithfulness. 

The uni-plurality implied is directly asserted in Genesis 1:26 (plurality). (Let us make a man.) In Genesis 1:27 it refers to unity, (so God/Elohim created man in the image of God) the same as in Genesis 3:22, (Behold, man is become as one of us).

Therefore, it is also reference to a trinity. The Holy Trinity is Elohim.

This word occurs in the Old Testament about 2500 times. The Lord Our God (Jehovah) has seven compound names. He is the self-existant One! 

He is the Everlasting God. Genesis 21:33.

July 14 2021 0 responses Vote Up Share Report


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My picture Jack Gutknecht Supporter ABC/DTS graduate, guitar music ministry Baptist church
Now that's an interesting question, Julieta!

In the Hebrew Bible, elohim (Hebrew: אֱלֹהִים‎ [(ʔ)eloˈ(h)im] is the entry from Wikipedia.

The noun Elohim is plural but it is always used with a singular verb when it speaks of the true God. This indicates a unity and diversity within the nature of God. This unity and diversity is revealed in Scripture as the doctrine of the Trinity. -- Don Stewart

At Dallas Theological Seminary in Dallas, Texas, where I studied for 4 years, we were taught from Genesis 1:26 that this is called the plural of majesty: 

See Wikipedia's entry here:

With singular verb
Elohim, when meaning the God of Israel, is mostly grammatically singular, and is commonly translated as "God", and capitalised. For example, in Genesis 1:26, it is written: "Then Elohim (translated as God) said (singular verb), 'Let us (plural) make (plural verb) man in our (plural) image, after our (plural) likeness'". Wilhelm Gesenius and other Hebrew grammarians traditionally described this as the pluralis excellentiae (plural of excellence), which is similar to the pluralis majestatis (plural of majesty, or "Royal we").[27][a] Gesenius comments that the singular Hebrew term Elohim is to be distinguished from elohim used to refer to plural gods.

July 16 2021 0 responses Vote Up Share Report


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