Word Study:Elohim

There are many names for God in the Bible, but there is a interesting nuance regarding the translation of the word “elohim.” The Bible dictionary reference is shown below:

“ELOHIM (אֱלֹהִים, elohim). A masculine plural form of El (אֵל, el). Lexically, this word has several meanings; in Scripture, it typically means “God” or “gods” and also refers to Yahweh (יהוה, yhwh), the God of Israel” 1.

Example Passages:

In Genesis 1, the Hebrew authors identify the creator of the world as “elohim”, which is a reference to Yahweh. In other places in Scripture “elohim” is used differently.

Other places in Scripture use elohim to refer to foreign gods. For example, in Exodus, elohim refers to the gods of Egypt at least twice (Exod 12:12; 18:11)

Examining 1 Samuel 28, “elohim” is translated as a spiritual being (instead of referring to Yahweh) describing the apparition of Nathan the prophet.

Another occurs in Psalm 82 translated in the English Standard Version as “gods.”

References

1: Bratka, B. D. (2016). Elohim. In J. D. Barry, D. Bomar, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, D. Mangum, C. Sinclair Wolcott, … W. Widder (Eds.), The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.