The word 'Elohim' occurs about 2,600 times in the Old Testament and the majority of the time (2,400+) it is translated as ‘God’ – indeed, when 'God' is read it is usually a translation of this word.
Its first use occurs in Genesis 1:1, In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Here, as Strong says, it is a plural noun used with a singular verb and it is by far the most common way in which this word is used in the Old Testament. Such use is often cited in an attempt to support the doctrine of The Trinity. There is no justification for this but there is doctrinal import in this mixing of singular and plurals. It emphasises the supreme power and authority of the Creator: He gives the word (e.g. ‘Let there be light’), and His will is carried out – not by Him personally, but by those through whom He works. In Genesis 1 this is through the ministration of heavenly angels. In later times it can be through the ministry of men, hence its application to magistrates and judges. The same principle is used in the secular world by royalty, where the sovereign refers to him or herself as ‘We’.
In fact: it is written that the ruling powers of the nations are also ordained by God. Therefore, in that respect, as for human judges and magistrates, they qualify as 'Elohim' because they are working for God, albeit, with the possible exceptions of Nebuchadnezzar and Cyrus, they are ignorant of this fact. (See Dan. 4:32, 2 Ch. 36:23 and Rom. 13:1-2)
An example of its scriptural application to men is given by the Lord Jesus in His answer to the Jews who accused Him of making himself God (Jn. 10:33), Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?
(vs. 34-35) Jesus is quoting from Psa. 82:6 here, where it is written, ...Ye are Elohim
, whom Jesus defines as those unto whom the word of God came.
The final verse of the psalm reads, Arise, O God [Elohim], judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.
This clearly applies to the Lord Jesus himself (see Psa. 2), but not only to Him – it encompasses all those to be redeemed by Him, And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth
(Rev. 5:9-10).
The word is translated ‘angels’ only once in the Old Testament – in Psa. 8:5. This is quoted in
Heb. 2:7, where it is also translated ‘angels’. Here we are told that Christ was made a little lower than the angels (Elohim)
, which appears superficially to contradict His ... being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they
(Heb. 1:4). This latter, of course, pertains to His status now, in contradistinction to that during His ministry on earth before His resurrection to immortality as the first begotten of the dead
(Rev. 1:5).
[1]Definitions and usage from Strong’s concordance: H430 Hebrew: אלהים, transliterated: 'ĕlôhı̂ym, pronounced: el-o-heem'. Plural of H433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative: - angels, X exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), X (very) great, judges, X mighty. [X prefix denotes a rendering in the A.V. that results from an idiom peculiar to the Heb.]
©2020 Martin Allen Cragg