Genesis Part 002
Understanding the meaning behind the Hebrew word for God, “Elohim” is crucial for our foundational understanding of the Bible and God’s plan for us!
“God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).
“God” is the Hebrew word “Elohim.” This is an important word! It’s the plural form of “El or Eloahh.” By itself it means Gods/gods. This is the family name for God, which is incredibly meaningful when we consider the implications.
The UCG Bible Commentary brings out something else that we should understand. The Bible Commentary has been created to provide trusted insight into the biblical text. Commentary on all of the books of the OT are available at ucg.org/learn. The text for today’s Know Your Sword is derived from the commentary on Genesis.
In the opening sentence of the Bible, we are introduced to the Creator, who in English is called God. In the Hebrew, the word translated “God” here is Elohim. Understanding this Hebrew word is vital to understanding the purpose of God and your destiny.
Elohim is used to indicate both the true God and the false gods of human invention. However, when used to indicate the true God the word Elohim, plural in form, is often (but not always) paired with a singular verb, seemingly contrary to the rules of grammar. For example, in English we would say, “They run,” which would correctly follow the grammatical rule that the plural they be paired with the plural run. But we would never say, “He run,” for the rules of English grammar require that the singular pronoun "he" be paired with the singular verb runs. In just the same way we would expect the plural noun "Elohim" to be paired with a plural verb. But that is not always the case when referring to the true God. In Genesis 1:1 we read, “In the beginning God created . . .” While the word for God is Elohim, a plural noun, the word for “created,” "bara," is singular in form. Why?
We must remember that Elohim is often used as a name—viewed best as a family name. Another good illustration can be found in the national name, United States. In American English, this is a singular noun. Though plural in form, you would pair it with the singular verb “is.” For instance, the United States is involved in the conflict—rather than the United States are involved in the conflict. Of course, the question might be asked, why is this name plural in form? The answer is that it does represent a true plurality—as multiple states make up the country. Just the same, why is the name Elohim, though often singular in usage, plural in form? The reason is that it too represents a true plurality—more than one Being making up the God family.
But why, if Elohim is plural in form, do we refer to it in English by the singular form “God?” The answer is that in most cases the inspired Greek of the New Testament translates the word as "Theos," the singular form of the noun meaning God. And there definitely is a singular element to the God family. For the true God is a plurality in complete agreement and oneness of mind! Odd as it may sound, the Bible reveals that God is a family of Spirit Beings. Yet Jesus Christ Himself emphasized this truth when He continually spoke of the Father—a separate divine Being—and Himself as the Son of God. This divine family of God always acts, thinks and speaks in complete unity. And perhaps that is what the Greek "Theos" emphasizes. But that "Elohim" does in fact denote a plurality of divine Beings is proven quite clearly elsewhere in Scripture, including two other verses in Genesis.
Genesis 1:26 reads,
“Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness . . .”
The Hebrew is very clear, and the translation using “Us” and “Our” is precisely correct. God, Elohim, is a plurality! But some will point to Genesis 1:27 and note that it reads, “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them”—using this to argue that God was only a single individual Being. The simple scriptural explanation is that when it came to doing the creating, only one God Being acted—the One who became Christ (Ephesians 3:9). He created man in His own image as Genesis 1:27 states. But since the One who became Christ is the very image of the Father, the statement of verse 26 is entirely correct. There is no contradiction between verses 26 and 27.
But the clincher is Genesis 3:22—
“Then the Lord God said, ‘Behold, the man has become like one of Us . . .'”
There can be absolutely no confusing of the matter here. The phrase “one of Us” can only mean that God is a plurality of Beings. While there is one God, that God is a spirit family of divine Beings, but a family without quarrel or schism, always acting in complete unison and harmony. (For a more complete explanation of this divine spirit family, request or download your free copy of our study aid Who Is God?)
Tomorrow we will dive deeper into Genesis 1.
UYA Team | uya@ucg.org
United Young Adults (UYA) primarily serves the 18–32-year age group for the United Church of God. There are three main areas of contribution to the lives of the young adults: Promoting Spiritual Growth, Developing Meaningful Relationships and Making the Most of Your Talents. The Know Your Sword series is a daily expository message introducing God’s Word from a trusted perspective.
Please see the UCG Bible commentary for more information on Genesis 1:1-2:4.
