ELOHIYM as SINGULAR - correcting the lie that elohiym is proof that God is a plurality
Shalom BPN, this was a response I wrote to someone on one of our Hebrew Israelite forums. Again, this is a response to a specific person so please do not take personal offense as if it was said in general to everyone. Here is an excerpt of what I was responding to and then you'll see my response after.
poster:
Shalom,Hear is the proof that the almighty is plural.The hebrew word al is the singular word for god and it was used 250 times in the tanach the hebrew word alaheym was used 2500 times in the tanach when refering to the almighty.If our ancestors believed in one god they would have only used al and they would have never used alaheym when refering to our gods, the gods of the hebrew israelites.Anyone who knows hebrew knows that when you add the suffix y&m or the hebrew letters yod & mem to the end of any hebrew word that makes it plural, more than one, which is the case with the word alaheym.Gen.
response:
Many people are getting caught up with this idea of plural gods because you don't know Hebrew. Yes, any word with an "eem" ending is plural. But because you don't understand the language beyond this point you get caught up into false assumptions.
The plural ending was sometimes used ON PURPOSE even though the noun it described was singular. Why? Because the plurality of the word was NOT describing quantity. The translators understood this even though it was against the theology of the trinity. That is why they translated it as "God" instead of "Gods". Please note that in English "God" must have an "s" ending in order to be plural. The reason elohiym is translated to "God" singular is because the translators knew it was SINGULAR. And I can prove this with what you think is your proof. I'm going to prove it with the Strong's, then the Scriptures. Afterward there should be no question in your mind that it depends on the context whether or not this word is singular or plural in terms of QUANTITY or whether the plurality describes its QUALITY.
Elohim
Definition:
1. (plural)
1. rulers, judges
2. divine ones
3. angels
4. gods
2. (plural intensive - singular meaning)
1. god, goddess
2. godlike one
3. works or special possessions of God
4. the (true) God
5. God
Look above. I got this by clicking on "God" in Exodus 20 in the Linked Word Project. This shows the definitions of elohim. Unlike most Hebrew words that I have seen this has two sets of definitions based on whether it is singular or plural. But you thought it was only plural. That's because Christian pastors basically lie and OMIT the FACT that there are cases where it isn't plural. Again, look above. In the plural definitions we see "4. gods" Here the English word "god" which requires an "s" ending to be plural (like most words in English) has been properly given one. This is under the plural form. Under the plural form you weren't even necessarily speaking of "gods". You could have been talking about angels or even mighty men. The concept of el expresses might or power.
Again, look above. The second set of definitions is called PLURAL INTENSIVE. Instead of describing quantity it is describing intensity or quality. This is a SINGULAR MEANING. I did not add the word singular to the above. Look it up in the Strong's if you doubt me. Now scan the definitions. Only a god or godlike one or something specifically related to G-d can be spoken of using elohiym in its plural intensive form. That means its treated differently when it is being used to describe "God". And this is why the last two definitions are "God" and "the (true) God". Does it say "the (true) Gods" under the plural form? NO. Only under the singular form do we find this concept. Now lets go to the scriptures.
Exodus 20
5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I YHWH thy ELOHIM(G-d) am a jealous EL(G-d), visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
ELOHIM can be singular but EL cannot be plural! Hear this! Understand. Here YHWH is proclaiming that he is our ELOHIM. He's not claiming to be "one of" our elohim. And he says "I YHWH" not "we YHWH". David also proclaims that there is only one whose name is YHWH.
Psalms 83:18 - That men may know that thou, whose name alone is YAHWEH, art the most high over all the earth.
Psalms 148:13 - Let them praise the name of YHWH: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.
"his name alone"
If you are confused about the definition of the English word "alone" I suggest you look it up. The truth is that Elohim, when it is used to describe the elohim of Yisra'el is singular. It is also singular when it was used to describe other singular pagan deities.
1 Kings 11:33 - Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the ELOHIM (goddess) of the Zidonians, Chemosh the (ELOHIM) god of the Moabites, and Milcom the (ELOHIM) god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father.
You have been lied to and led astray. Please understand that I say this not to rob you in anyway of whatever pride you have in knowing the bible, but if you are trying to use the word elohim as proof of plural gods then you need to either go back to the drawing board, huddle up with better trinitarians, or come to the side of truth and understand that YHWH is one. You can see from the above that I'm not making this up. I'm not lying to try to make you look bad. It is calling singular false gods the ELOHIM of different nations. Another word for elohim is a term that was previously used for G-d. This term fades away in the Scriptures because it was replaced by elohim because they have the same meaning. What is this term you ask? "EL SHADDAI"
Go to Exodus 6:3 in the Linked Word Project so you can see what I mean.
http://bible.worthwhile.com/bible.php?b=exod&c=6&v=3&d=...
What does it say for "God almighty" in Hebrew? Well "God" translates to EL. And "Almighty" translated to Shadday. Am I right or wrong? You can see that I'm right. El is SINGULAR. What is YAH saying to Moshe? He's telling Moshe that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all knew of him as EL (singular) shadday, "God Almighty". They didn't know him as no plural elohiym. Eloah, which has the same meaning as EL was simply pluralized to create the same EFFECT that the two words "EL SHADDAI" created. Instead of 2 words used together they now had 1 word having the same meaning to them.
Let's break this down further.
might is singular.
mighty is what? POSSESSING might.
almighty is what?
Think about it.
YHWH possesses a PLURALITY of might (ALL might). This is why eloah was pluralized into what is basically the same as ALMIGHTY or MIGHTIEST ONE. But we still translate it as "mighty". So even though it says elohim we still say MIGHTY ONE.
For more information you can wikipedia "elohim"
Shalom
poster:
Shalom,Hear is the proof that the almighty is plural.The hebrew word al is the singular word for god and it was used 250 times in the tanach the hebrew word alaheym was used 2500 times in the tanach when refering to the almighty.If our ancestors believed in one god they would have only used al and they would have never used alaheym when refering to our gods, the gods of the hebrew israelites.Anyone who knows hebrew knows that when you add the suffix y&m or the hebrew letters yod & mem to the end of any hebrew word that makes it plural, more than one, which is the case with the word alaheym.Gen.
response:
Many people are getting caught up with this idea of plural gods because you don't know Hebrew. Yes, any word with an "eem" ending is plural. But because you don't understand the language beyond this point you get caught up into false assumptions.
The plural ending was sometimes used ON PURPOSE even though the noun it described was singular. Why? Because the plurality of the word was NOT describing quantity. The translators understood this even though it was against the theology of the trinity. That is why they translated it as "God" instead of "Gods". Please note that in English "God" must have an "s" ending in order to be plural. The reason elohiym is translated to "God" singular is because the translators knew it was SINGULAR. And I can prove this with what you think is your proof. I'm going to prove it with the Strong's, then the Scriptures. Afterward there should be no question in your mind that it depends on the context whether or not this word is singular or plural in terms of QUANTITY or whether the plurality describes its QUALITY.
Elohim
Definition:
1. (plural)
1. rulers, judges
2. divine ones
3. angels
4. gods
2. (plural intensive - singular meaning)
1. god, goddess
2. godlike one
3. works or special possessions of God
4. the (true) God
5. God
Look above. I got this by clicking on "God" in Exodus 20 in the Linked Word Project. This shows the definitions of elohim. Unlike most Hebrew words that I have seen this has two sets of definitions based on whether it is singular or plural. But you thought it was only plural. That's because Christian pastors basically lie and OMIT the FACT that there are cases where it isn't plural. Again, look above. In the plural definitions we see "4. gods" Here the English word "god" which requires an "s" ending to be plural (like most words in English) has been properly given one. This is under the plural form. Under the plural form you weren't even necessarily speaking of "gods". You could have been talking about angels or even mighty men. The concept of el expresses might or power.
Again, look above. The second set of definitions is called PLURAL INTENSIVE. Instead of describing quantity it is describing intensity or quality. This is a SINGULAR MEANING. I did not add the word singular to the above. Look it up in the Strong's if you doubt me. Now scan the definitions. Only a god or godlike one or something specifically related to G-d can be spoken of using elohiym in its plural intensive form. That means its treated differently when it is being used to describe "God". And this is why the last two definitions are "God" and "the (true) God". Does it say "the (true) Gods" under the plural form? NO. Only under the singular form do we find this concept. Now lets go to the scriptures.
Exodus 20
5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I YHWH thy ELOHIM(G-d) am a jealous EL(G-d), visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
ELOHIM can be singular but EL cannot be plural! Hear this! Understand. Here YHWH is proclaiming that he is our ELOHIM. He's not claiming to be "one of" our elohim. And he says "I YHWH" not "we YHWH". David also proclaims that there is only one whose name is YHWH.
Psalms 83:18 - That men may know that thou, whose name alone is YAHWEH, art the most high over all the earth.
Psalms 148:13 - Let them praise the name of YHWH: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.
"his name alone"
If you are confused about the definition of the English word "alone" I suggest you look it up. The truth is that Elohim, when it is used to describe the elohim of Yisra'el is singular. It is also singular when it was used to describe other singular pagan deities.
1 Kings 11:33 - Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the ELOHIM (goddess) of the Zidonians, Chemosh the (ELOHIM) god of the Moabites, and Milcom the (ELOHIM) god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father.
You have been lied to and led astray. Please understand that I say this not to rob you in anyway of whatever pride you have in knowing the bible, but if you are trying to use the word elohim as proof of plural gods then you need to either go back to the drawing board, huddle up with better trinitarians, or come to the side of truth and understand that YHWH is one. You can see from the above that I'm not making this up. I'm not lying to try to make you look bad. It is calling singular false gods the ELOHIM of different nations. Another word for elohim is a term that was previously used for G-d. This term fades away in the Scriptures because it was replaced by elohim because they have the same meaning. What is this term you ask? "EL SHADDAI"
Go to Exodus 6:3 in the Linked Word Project so you can see what I mean.
http://bible.worthwhile.com/bible.php?b=exod&c=6&v=3&d=...
What does it say for "God almighty" in Hebrew? Well "God" translates to EL. And "Almighty" translated to Shadday. Am I right or wrong? You can see that I'm right. El is SINGULAR. What is YAH saying to Moshe? He's telling Moshe that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all knew of him as EL (singular) shadday, "God Almighty". They didn't know him as no plural elohiym. Eloah, which has the same meaning as EL was simply pluralized to create the same EFFECT that the two words "EL SHADDAI" created. Instead of 2 words used together they now had 1 word having the same meaning to them.
Let's break this down further.
might is singular.
mighty is what? POSSESSING might.
almighty is what?
Think about it.
YHWH possesses a PLURALITY of might (ALL might). This is why eloah was pluralized into what is basically the same as ALMIGHTY or MIGHTIEST ONE. But we still translate it as "mighty". So even though it says elohim we still say MIGHTY ONE.
For more information you can wikipedia "elohim"
Shalom
© 2024 Created by Raliegh Jones Jr..
Powered by
