“Elohim”

Our first encounter with the creator of the universe is in Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning God.”  The Hebrew name for God in this first verse of Scripture is Elohim.  A name that many believe reveals more about Himself that most might anticipate.  This name creates a debate among scholars.  A debate which could possibly result in evidence, or perhaps not, for the reality of the Trinity in the Old Testament.

Elohim is uniquely, according to lexicon known as Brown, Driver, Briggs (BDB) as a plural intensive word with a singular meaning.  I know on the surface it is “fancy preacher” talk but there is a lot of depth to this definition.  Elohim, the first name for God that we are privy to in Scripture, is technically a plural form of El but it is known to be a singular concept.  The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, while denying any Trinitarian implications and instead preferring to see the word as reflective of the plural majesty, does acknowledge that this word “functions as the subject of all divine activity revealed to man and as the object of all true reverence and fear….”

So what does all this mean to the average student of the Bible who is seeking to understand just a little bit more about the creator of the universe?

First, it teaches us to acknowledge that there is a power, a presence, a creator that is greater than His creation.  We as humans played no role in our existence and therefore we should worship Him who gave us life and breath and potential (see the Westminster Shorter Catechism).

Second, Genesis 1:1 and the use of Elohim reminds us that reverence and respect are two of the most important efforts that we as humans should strive to achieve.  Reverence should not be seen solely as fear; however, a healthy fear and realization that what God has created, He can also destroy should never stray too far from our minds.

Third, and most important to this website and one of the purposes of Tzedakah Ministries, the form of the noun is crucial as it ties into the rest of the creation narrative.  This singular meaning word has a layer of attributes and personalities.  The Triune God is not clearly defined in the passage but the allusions are present.  And sense the Trinitarian aspect of God is one of the great stumblingblocks for the Jewish people, we should follow God’s example and begin the discussion slowly.  For while there is a jump from Genesis 1:1 to John 1:1, “and the Word was God,” the leap is not as great as many people imagine.