Elohim (אֱלֹהִים)

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” — Genesis 1:1

Elohim is the first name for God used in Scripture, appearing in the very first verse of the Bible. It is a plural noun used with singular verbs when referring to the true God — a grammatical feature that has fascinated theologians for centuries.

Meaning

The name conveys God’s:

• Power and majesty — He is the supreme deity, Creator of all things
• Sovereignty — He rules over all creation with absolute authority
• Plurality in unity — The plural form hints at the fullness within God’s being, understood by Christians as the Trinity

The Plural of Majesty

The plural form of Elohim has generated significant scholarly discussion. Three main interpretations have been proposed:

• Plural of majesty (pluralis majestatis) — The plural intensifies the noun, expressing God’s supreme greatness and fullness of power, much as a king might use “we” in royal decrees.
• Plural of deliberation — Passages like “Let us make man in our image” (Genesis 1:26; cf. Genesis 3:22; 11:7; Isaiah 6:8) suggest an intra-divine dialogue. The Church Fathers, including Basil of Caesarea (Hexaemeron IX.6), read this as an early intimation of the Trinity — not proof in isolation, but consistent with the full revelation of Father, Son, and Spirit.
• Abstract plural — Some grammarians argue it expresses the fullness of deity, the sum of all divine attributes concentrated in one being.

What is certain is that when Elohim refers to the God of Israel, Hebrew grammar insists on singular verbs and adjectives — bara Elohim, “God [He] created” — affirming the unity of God even as the plural form gestures toward something richer than bare singularity.

Root and Related Forms

Elohim is related to the common Semitic root El (אֵל), the most basic word for “God” or “mighty one,” which appears across ancient Near Eastern languages. The singular form Eloah (אֱלוֹהַּ) is relatively rare in Scripture, found mostly in poetic texts — especially the book of Job, where it appears over 40 times. The plural Elohim became the standard term, used over 2,500 times in the Old Testament.

Elohim as Creator

Genesis 1 reveals Elohim as the one who creates by the power of His word. “And God said… and it was so” — this tenfold pattern demonstrates that creation is the effortless overflow of divine speech (Psalm 33:6, 9; cf. Hebrews 11:3). The Hebrew verb bara (בָּרָא) — “to create, bring into being” — is used exclusively of God in the Old Testament; no human subject ever takes this verb. Creation is Elohim’s unique prerogative. John’s Gospel opens with a deliberate echo of Genesis 1:1: “In the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1) — identifying the Logos (λόγος) through whom all things were made (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16) as the same creative speech by which Elohim called the cosmos into existence.

Elohim as Judge

The name also carries the connotation of judge and ruler. As Elohim, God is the one who governs His creation with justice and righteousness (Psalm 82:1; cf. Psalm 50:6; 75:7). Psalm 82 depicts Elohim presiding over the adat-El (עֲדַת אֵל) — the “assembly of God” — pronouncing judgment on lesser elohim who have failed to execute justice. Whether these are angelic beings, human judges acting as God’s delegates, or both, the passage underscores that the supreme Elohim alone judges with perfect equity. Jesus Himself cited Psalm 82:6 in John 10:34–35 to argue from the lesser to the greater: if Scripture calls mere delegates elohim, how much more does the title belong to the one whom the Father “consecrated and sent into the world” (John 10:36).

Elohim for False Gods

Significantly, the word elohim is not used exclusively for the true God. It can refer to the gods of the nations (Exodus 12:12; Judges 11:24), demonstrating that the word itself denotes the category of deity. What distinguishes the God of Israel is not a unique vocabulary but a unique identity — “YHWH, He is Elohim” (1 Kings 18:39). The greatness of Israel’s faith is that among all who claim the title elohim, only one is the living God.

The Shema and Elohim

The foundational confession of Israel binds the names together:

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.” — Deuteronomy 6:4

In Hebrew: Shema Yisrael, YHWH Eloheinu, YHWH echad. The God who is Elohim — powerful, majestic, sovereign — is also YHWH — personal, covenantal, present. And this God is echad (אֶחָד) — “one.” The word echad denotes a unity that can be composite — the same term describes “one flesh” in marriage (Genesis 2:24) and the cluster of grapes the spies carried on “one” pole (Numbers 13:23). Christian theologians have noted this distinction from yachid (יָחִיד) — “only, solitary” — which is never used of God in the Shema. Israel’s God is not one deity among many, nor a bare monad; He is the sole Creator, Judge, and Redeemer of all the earth — a unity rich enough to contain the fullness later revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

“For even if there are so-called gods in heaven or on earth — as indeed there are many ‘gods’ and many ‘lords’ — yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.” — 1 Corinthians 8:5–6