What does "El" Translate to?
What does Eloheim translate to?
Since El is the Singular "God" and Eloheim is the Plural... Does that mean there is more than one God? So when God said "Let US create man in OUR own image." he was actually communicating with other's who had the power to create beings?
Is this God being a little confused about the Trinitarian throey about God? or did the Translators screw up? what's the deal?
There's Many references to many gods in the bible... So what's the deal?
2006-09-14 00:06:31 · 7 answers · asked by jiggliemon 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
"El" means "god", or "a god" (referring to any divine entity, and even idols).
"Elohim" means "gods", literally, and this is the plural form of the word "eloha" (a very rare form), which is one of the names that were given to "the only god", the Hebrew's god.
You're question is very good, and this subject was quarreled and studied by many theologists and historians, actually.
There are several reasonable answers for that:
1) The bible was written and told by monotheist people (Hebrews), but they lived among a huge population of idolaters and pagan people, they were influenced by idolaters and pagan people (more than we'd like to admit) and drew lots of their traditions from their neighbors: idolaters and pagan people. From time to time along the bible we can find some of the influence that the ancient Hebrews got from their environment.
2) Like many other languages, the ancient Hebrew had a special pronoun for the elders and the respectfull ones ("plural of majesty"), and that pronoun was actually similar to the plural pronoun of the pronoun "they". God is the most respectful and important being by the bible and the belief itself, so it does make sense that he is refered as the plural form of the word.
3) There are several nouns in Hebrew that LOOK like they are in their plural form, but actually that is not the case (the word "be'alim"= owner, for example). Other plural-like nouns are denoting abstraction, or broad image and they don't have a singular form: "Chayim" (life), "Mayim" (water), "Shamayim" (sky), "Betulim" (virginity), "Nisuin"/ "Girushin" (marriage/ divorce) etc… "Elohim" might be one of them, as it is a great image of an unrealistic being, but "Elohim" is a bit different though, since it is used as a singular-third-person despite of its form more often than its plural-third-person form, probably because of the syntatic structure of the biblic Hebrew.
2006-09-14 05:38:55 · answer #1 · answered by yotg 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Eloheim can be translated as gods or as supreme God.
The word eloheim is applied to Jehovah, the human judges of Israel (Ps 82:6), false god / gods, and even Moses. (Ex 4:16, Ex 7:1)
When Jehovah said Let us create man in our image, he was talking to Jesus, this master worker (Prov. 8:30)
Jehovah isn't confused about a trinity, cause he doesn't teach it.
There are many reference books that show that Jesus and this disciples didn't teach the trinity.
The bible talks about the only true God Jehovah
The false gods,
and those called gods, Jesus, (John 1:1; 10:30-34; Ps 82:6, Ex 7:1)
In the context of the above scriptures god means divine, God like, from God, or a mighty person, not a person to be worshipped.
http://www.watchtower.org/bible/index.htm
2006-09-15 06:26:49 · answer #2 · answered by TeeM 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It denotes plurality in a singluar form (as shown by other words in the verse). It would be akin to be saying, "There is a bunch of grapes on my plate" (sure, there's about 20-30 grapes on the plate, but since they are yet on the vine, the bunch is considered singular).
Hence, we can safely assume that The Father was speaking to Jesus Christ, since all things were created by Him (Colossians 1:16-17).
2006-09-14 00:23:34 · answer #3 · answered by seraphim_pwns_u 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Actually, the ancient Hebrew plural is indeed used in the verse you quote. However, in ancient Hebrew, the plural form was also sometimes used to connote power/majesty. Taken as a portion of the whole of scripture, that is the obvious use of the plural form in the passage you quote. Hope that helps.
2006-09-14 00:14:18 · answer #4 · answered by KDdid 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. When God said "let us", it was Him and His Son Jesus Christ. They're not one being, but two separate beings. it's deep doctrine. If you wanna learn more, contact me. But we should worship only one God, our Father in Heaven in the name of Christ. no other Gods. He has revealed Himself only and we are His children.
2006-09-14 00:12:53 · answer #5 · answered by Sailormoon 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Are you a Bible scholar?
2006-09-14 00:10:09 · answer #6 · answered by Preacher 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
*shifty eyes* nobody knows
2006-09-14 00:09:14 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋