Elohim
The name "Elohim" means "strength" or "power". It is often used in the context of creation. It is one of the most common names for God in the OT. It is also used to refer to other gods, kings and other powerful beings.What is unusual about "Elohim" is that, grammatically speaking, it is a plural but when the OT uses it in relationship with God, it appears with verbs that denote a singular subject.
So, for example, in Genesis 1:1 we read: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
"Created" is the Hebrew verb "bara" which is in a third person singular.
So we have "In the beginning Elohim(plural) (he - singular)created..."
There are many, many instances like this and, in the context of the Old Testament, it may have been a way of saying that, among all the other gods that people believed in, Israel's God was unique.
There is an interesting occurrence later in Genesis one where we read: "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness...'" Here it is clear in the English and in the Hebrew that the verbs are also plural. And we can't argue that God is conversing with the angels, because then we as human beings would be created in the image of God and angels.
So we may be dealing with the earliest inkling or indication that God is a community (which we call a Trinity - three beings in perfect harmonious community, so close that they are one - a being in which perfect love exists.)
It's interesting that the Shema, the faith declaration of the Israelites, proclaimed:
"Hear O Israel, the LORD (Yahweh) your God (Elohim), the LORD (Yahweh) is One (Echad)."
The word Echad not only means "one" it also means "only one".
So: ""Hear O Israel, the LORD your God, the LORD is the Only One."
Let's sum up:
Elohim denotes strength and power.
The Hebrews saw their God ("Yahweh") as the "God amongst the gods" (Plural Elohim with singular verbs).
There are occasional hints that there was an understanding that God was a community.
With our New Testament eyes, we see an early awareness of the Trinity.
Who is our God?
He is strong and powerful, He is the Only One among all the wannabees and He is a perfect community of Love and we are created in His image and He wants to be in a covenant and communal relationship with us!
And maybe we read this into our text below:
"I will be all the Gods to them..." or "and I will be all the God they need..." or "I will be the only God they need..."
| And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be Elohim to you and your descendants after you. Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their Elohim." (Genesis17:7-8) |
