noun

Elohim

eh-loh-HEEM

Elohim (noun) means one of the principal Hebrew names for God in the Hebrew Bible, used of the God of Israel as creator and sovereign; it is grammatically a plural form but takes singular verbs when it refers to the one God. Example: “The opening line of Genesis says that in the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the earth.”

noun

One of the principal Hebrew names for God in the Hebrew Bible, used of the God of Israel as creator and sovereign; it is grammatically a plural form but takes singular verbs when it refers to the one God.

"The opening line of Genesis says that in the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the earth."

"Translators render Elohim as 'God' and the name YHWH as 'the LORD'."

In its literal plural sense, gods or divine beings, used in the Hebrew Bible of the gods of other nations and of members of the divine council.

"The commandment forbids having other elohim before the God of Israel."

How to Use Elohim

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA Hebrew name for God, used throughout the Old Testament.

When to use it

Capitalised when it names the God of Israel; lower-case 'elohim' when it means gods generally.

Easily confused with

Yahweh → YHWH Adonai → El Shaddai Allah →

Common pairings

Elohim created the name Elohim Yahweh Elohim bene elohim

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The opening line of Genesis says that in the beginning _____ created the heavens and the earth.

Etymology

Hebrew אֱלֹהִים, the plural of 'eloah', related to the older Semitic word 'el' meaning god or deity.

Origin: Hebrew

Synonyms

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God El Adonai gods deities divine beings

Related Words

god el gods Allah Satan Ellis Elliot divinity

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Elohim plural if it refers to one God?

Hebrew uses plural forms for more than counting; scholars generally read Elohim as a plural of majesty or intensity, expressing fullness of divinity rather than several gods. The decisive evidence is grammatical: when it means the God of Israel, the verbs and adjectives attached to it are singular.

What is the difference between Elohim and Yahweh?

Elohim is a general word for God or gods that can be used of any deity, while Yahweh, written YHWH, is the personal covenant name of the God of Israel. English Bibles usually translate Elohim as 'God' and YHWH as 'the LORD' in small capitals.

Is Elohim the same as Allah?

They are separate words from related Semitic roots, both meaning 'God', with Hebrew Elohim and Arabic Allah descending from the same underlying stem 'il' or 'el'. Jews, Christians and Muslims each use their own term for the one God of Abraham, so the words are cousins rather than translations of each other.

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