Consequently, many English versions render ’elōhîm as “angels” (KJV, NIV) or “heavenly beings” (NET, ESV). In Psalm 8:6 (= English 8:5) it might refer to angelic beings. ![]() Standard English versions are largely divided in such verses between rendering ’elōhîm as “God” (RSV, NASB, ESV) or as “judges” (KJV, NIV, NKJV, NET). Sometimes ’elōhîm is used of God’s representatives, such as judges who represent God (Exod. However, this word is not always used in this way. When used of the true God, Elohim is a general and common term for deity. This indicates one divine being-something akin to the plural of majesty or royal “we” (Latin: pluralis maiestatis). (A software search I did in BibleWorks software yielded 2602 uses in 2248 verses, 219 of which are in the Book of Genesis.) ’elōhîm is plural in form, but in Genesis 1 and elsewhere when it is used of the true God, Elohim is the subject of singular verbs. The term ’elōhîm appears more than 2500 times in the Old Testament. (Below I will use Elohim when specifically referring to the true God and ’elōhîm when speaking more generally or when the word is used in other senses.) ![]() (In Hebrew it looks like אֱלֹהִים in formal transliteration it looks like ’elōhîm). ![]() This noun is always rendered “God” in standard English translations. Today we’ll look at the third word in the Hebrew text of the Bible, Elohim (pronounced like ӗh-low-heem´). In the previous two posts we looked at the first two words of Genesis 1:1, “In-the-beginning” (berē’šît: בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית) and “he-created” (bārā’: בָּרָא).
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