4/28/2021 Elohim - Ancient Spooks

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🏷 Bible name · Genesis · divine name · hidden ruler · pun · name — by Gerry ·
Aug 2020 · 966 words

The main Biblical name of God, Elohim, written ‫ אלהים‬ˀlhym

Elohim is actually a plural, which also means “the rulers”. Singular
forms like El or Allah can likewise mean “mighty one” or “ruler”.

Contents

1 Semitic El & Elohim for “gods” & “rulers”

2 Elohim as “rulers”
3 Elohim as “judges”
4 El & Elim as “rulers”

Semitic El & Elohim for “gods” & “rulers”

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The Semitic term ‫ אל‬ˀl El, plural ‫ אלהים‬ˀlhym Elohim, means “god” &
“gods”, but also “lord” & “lords”. It is used for both gods & human
lords. Equating gods & aristocrats was not uncommon in ancient pre-
classical times: The Egyptian term Netjer was also used for both gods &
high-level aristocrats.

Hebrew ˀl = God, god, ruler; ˀlhym = God, gods, rulers

‫ אל‬ˀl el : God, god, gods, mighty, Mighty One, power, strong;

applied to men of might and rank — Old Hebrew (Strong)

‫ אלהים‬ˀlhym : God, god, gods; divine being; great, judges,

mighty, rulers; Plural of ’elowahh; 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 — Old Hebrew (Strong)

‫ אלוהים‬ˀlwhym : the Almighty God of Israel; rulers, judges;

divine ones; angels; gods, deities — Hebrew (Wikt)

‫ אול‬ˀwl ul : mighty, strength; leading man, noble

— Old Hebrew (Strong)

Elohim as “rulers”
Elohim doesn’t merely mean “ruler”, but even “rulers”, in plural. This
worked well in the old languages where rulers were gods anyway, but
produced headaches for translators of later versions.

There’s one particularly odd sentence in Psalms 82:1:

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The actual meaning is: God stands among the mighty, and judges
among the mighty.
In Hebrew this reads: Elohim stands among the El, and judges
among the Elohim. (The ancient spooks probably had some fun
here.)
KJV translates: God stands among the mighty, and judges among
the gods. (Doesn’t fit too well with a monotheist paradigm.)
NASB then translates: God stands among himself, and judges
among the rulers.
But either way, they have given a fine example that this strange
word for “God” is actually a plural, meaning “gods” & “rulers”.

Just a few verses later in Psalms 82:6, even NASB translates as “gods”,
yet gods who will “die like men”. So they’re beings with self-
proclaimed god-like power, who’ll still die like men. I think we know
that sort.

A Psalm of Asaph. God standeth in the congregation of

the mighty; he judgeth among the gods.

KJV Psalms 82:1

A Psalm of Asaph. God takes His stand in His own

congregation; He judges in the midst of the rulers.

NASB Psalms 82:1

mzmwr lˀsp ˀlhym nṣb bˁdt ˀl bqrb ˀlhym yšpṭ

‫מזמור לאסף אלהים נצב בעדת אל בקרב אלהים ישפט‬

TNK Psalms 82:1

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I said, You are gods, And all of you are sons of the Most
High.

NASB Psalms 82:6

I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the
most High.

KJV Psalms 82:6

ˀny ˀmrty ˀlhym ˀtm wbny ˁlywn klkm

‫אני אמרתי אלהים אתם ובני עליון כלכם‬

TNK Psalms 82:6

Elohim as “judges”
There’s also a range of verses in Exodus 21, where translators couldn’t
decide whether Elohim means “God” or “the rulers”. Here, KJV
translated Elohim as “the judges”, NASB & ESV translate as “God”.
Obviously, Elohim can mean both.

If the verses are encoded spook law, the original text was probably
written ambiguous on purpose.

then his master shall bring him to God, then he shall bring
him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall
pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him
permanently.

NASB Exodus 21:6

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Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall
also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his
master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall
serve him for ever.

TNK Exodus 21:6

whgyšw ˀdnyw ˀl hˀlhym whgyšw ˀl hdlt ˀw ˀl hmzwzh

wrṣˁ ˀdnyw ˀt ˀznw bmrṣˁ wˁbdw lˁlm

‫והגישו אדניו אל האלהים והגישו אל הדלת או אל המזוזה ורצע אדניו‬

‫את אזנו במרצע ועבדו לעלם‬

TNK Exodus 21:6

If the thief is not found, the owner of the house shall come
near to God to show whether or not he has put his hand to
his neighbor’s property.

ESV Exodus 22:8

If the thief is not caught, then the owner of the house shall
appear before the judges, to determine whether he laid his
hands on his neighbor’s property.

NASB Exodus 22:8

If the thief be not found, then the master of the house shall
be brought unto the judges, to see whether he have put his
hand unto his neighbour’s goods.

KJV Exodus 22:8

ˀm lˀ ymṣˀ hgnb wnqrb bˁl hbyt ˀl hˀlhym ˀm lˀ šlḥ ydw

bmlˀkt rˁhw
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‫אם לא ימצא הגנב ונקרב בעל הבית אל האלהים אם לא שלח ידו‬

‫במלאכת רעהו‬

TNK Exodus 22:8

El & Elim as “rulers”

There are several Bible verses where human rulers are called El or Elim,
which are variants of the same word root. For example, Nebuchadnezzar
is called an El in Ezekiel 31:11, here written ‫ איל‬ˀyl.

I have therefore delivered him into the hand of the mighty

one of the heathen; he shall surely deal with him: I have
driven him out for his wickedness.

wˀtnhw byd ˀyl gwym ˁšw yˁšh lw kršˁw gršthw

‫ואתנהו ביד איל גוים עשו יעשה לו כרשעו גרשתהו‬

Ezekiel 31:11

Job 41:25 calls rulers Elim, which seems to be a “simple” form of

Elohim.

When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid: by

reason of breakings they purify themselves.

mštw ygwrw ˀlym mšbrym ytḥṭˀw

‫משתו יגורו אלים משברים יתחטאו‬

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Job 41:25

In the parallelism in Exodus 15:15, Edom’s rulers are called Alpha,

Moab’s rulers are called Eli.

Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men

of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the
inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away.

ˀz nbhlw ˀlwpy ˀdwm ˀyly mwˀb yˀḥzmw rˁd nmgw kl yšby

knˁn

‫אז נבהלו אלופי אדום אילי מואב יאחזמו רעד נמגו כל ישבי כנען‬

Exodus 15:15

🏷 Bible name · Genesis · divine name · hidden ruler · pun · name

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