In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.[1]
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was fully God.
This is the first of God’s names that we will be Musing on in this new series. It is also, as you can see from the first passage above, the first name used for God in Scripture. And it is also the word used to name God most often, appearing more than 2500 times throughout the Old Testament; that number is even greater if you add the Greek equivalent, Theos[2], which is used throughout the New Testament.
What Does it Mean?
Often translated as simply “God,” or “The Lord,” the Name used in this verse from Genesis is Elohim. This is, interestingly enough, the plural form of the base word El, which was the general Hebrew word meaning either “a god,” in the sense of a false god, or “God,” when referring to the one true God of Israel.
So there is quite a bit of variety in the use of this word throughout Scripture. It was used to refer to the false gods of the people surrounding the Israelites throughout their history, such as the gods of the Egyptians or the gods of the Philistines that the people of Israel eventually began to worship, to their great sorrow. But more importantly, it was also used, often in combination with other names, to refer to the one True God, the God of Israel.
This is why so many Biblical names, such as Daniel and Ezekiel and Gabriel, and even Israel itself, contain the root word El. That el in the word connects these names to the name of God.
Even though the base word simply means god, in the most generic sense, still, the name Elohim carries specific ideas and implications. The primary implication is that of strength and power. Elohim is the God Who creates and sustains the universe through the power of His Word. He is the infinite, all powerful God who demonstrates both His might and His creativity in His work of creation[3].
The Implications of this Name
I want to make two observations about this name. First, the fact that it is often used in the plural is, I think, theologically significant. Some Biblical scholars have suggested this plural form is used as a kind of emphasis. God is so great, so mighty, so majestic that He must be referred to in the plural form, much in the same way that kings in the Middle Ages often referred to themselves using what is called the Royal “We.” Others see in this plural form one of the first references to, or acknowledgements of, the truth of the Trinity. God is a triune God, three Persons in one God. So, in the first verse of Scripture, He is referred to in the plural, so that His triune nature is immediately revealed.
I think either, or perhaps both, of these ideas are fairly likely to be true. However, the one thing that I think is most important to note here is that this is not, as some secular scholars have suggested, a reference to polytheism. Most cultures in the ancient world worshipped many gods, and they would have been referred to in the plural using a word like Elohim, meaning “the gods,” collectively. So some scholars have suggested that using the plural here, in Genesis 1:1 (as well as many other places throughout Scripture) implies that God is one of several or even many possible gods. But of course, the overall teachings of Scripture, as well as the specific uses of this word, are very clear. Though the world calls many unworthy things gods, there is only one true God, and His name is Elohim.
My second observation is a bit more speculative. When you recognize that El is the base form of the name Elohim, you start to notice an interesting linguistic phenomenon: God was everywhere in Hebrew culture. Think about how many of their names, both of people and places, incorporate that “name of God” El in them. I actually started to compile a list of representative examples, but it quickly got way too long, because the examples are literally everywhere, especially when you also consider the root ah, which comes from another of God’s names (one which I hope we will get to consider more thoroughly in a Musing sometime in the near future).
In any case, the point is this. The Jews, as a people, intentionally incorporated an element of God’s name into many of the names of people and places throughout their culture. In essence, they were surrounding themselves with reminders of God’s presence among them, reminders of God’s power in creation, reminders of God’s protection and work in preserving them, along with all of creation.
Practically everywhere they looked, the saw the name of God.
Final Thoughts
And that is the thought that I want to leave you with today. Elohim reveals to us God’s nature as a powerful creator and sufficient sustainer. By His Word, all that is or was or ever will be came into existence, and by His sustained Will, all of creation is maintained.
That is the God Who surrounds us every moment of our lives.
I think the ancient Hebrews got it right when they consciously surrounded themselves with the name of God. Of course, today we all know, and I suspect would be quick to acknowledge, that God is the great and powerful Creator of the universe. Of course, we understand that all of Creation, ourselves included, depend on His sustaining power simply to continue existing.
But in the midst of our busy lives, I think it is easy for us to loose sight of that important fact. We get distracted by the great works we are seeking to accomplish in our lives, some of them works in the service of the Kingdom of Heaven. We get discouraged by the difficulties and the trials we face in our personal lives. And we get overwhelmed when we consider, or are confronted by, the brokenness and despair that fill the world around us.
And we forget that we serve Elohim, the God by Whose power all that we do, and all that we are, is made possible. Elohim, the God Whose strength is sufficient to meet all of our needs.
As we end our Musings for today, I hope you will be encouraged by this reminder. Our God is the powerful Creator and sustainer of the Universe. Our God is Elohim.
[1] Scripture quoted by permission. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture verses are quoted from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.
[2] Unless otherwise noted, all definitions of Greek and Hebrew words taken from Strong’s Greek and Hebrew Dictionary (electronic copy included with The Power Bible CD software).
[3] “What is the meaning of the word Elohim?” Got Questions Ministries, 4 January, 2022. https://www.gotquestions.org/meaning-of-Elohim.html. Accessed 31 December, 2025.