Elohim is Plural?

Question

Elohim is plural? which language was that because we (muslims) also use similar name to this called "Allahoma" and we use it often when we talk to God and it means "i am seeking you Allah to" such as "Allahoma forgive our sins, Allahoma have mercy on us"

and the word "Abba" which many people think it means father. we actually have a similar word to it as well called "Rabba or Rabbah" and it's a different name of calling God which means "i am calling God who raise things". Rabbah could be the closest one to the meaning father but it dosen't really mean Daddy or father but it means the one who raise things till it grows up. the one who take care of you till you grow.

do you believe there are alot of errors in the translation of the Bible? especially from Aramiac to Greek and from Greek to many other languages.

Elohim is not plural! i know the language it's very similar. Elohim is like the adjective of Elohi. Elohi means my God, and Elohim is used when you calling this God "elohim forgive my sins and have mercy on me".

Answer 1

Elohim is plural, yes. In Hebrew, in the Old Testament, eloah (singular form) is used for God in Isaiah 44:8, Psalms 18:22 and more. But in Genesis, for one of many, elohim, the plural form of eloha, is used for God.

The Old Testament was written in Hebrew, so there is no translation error.

It's not surprising that some of the words you use are similar to Hebrew, but they're not Hebrew. Also, when reading ancient texts, you have to try to find out how the language was used at that time. We can all think of words we use every day that were never used that way even 20 years ago.


EDIT: Then you must know more than scholars who write dictionaries. This is pasted directly from an etymological dictionary. Note the use of "pl," which means plural.

"Elohim
a name of God in the Bible, 1605, from Heb., pl. (of majesty?) of Eloh "God."

Since you're bound to disagree, here's another dictionary:

"Hebrew 'ělōhîm, pl. of 'ělōah, god; see l in Semitic roots.]"

And a third:

"[Origin: < Heb ĕlōhīm, pl. of ĕlōah God] "

Answer 2

Elohim is a HEBREW name associated with Understanding is Elohim. This is a plural word, since Understanding implies a plurality of forces. Its Elohim that is used throughout the entire first chapter of Genesis in describing the act of creation. The 32 times that this name occurs correspond to the 32 paths of Wisdom.

Pick up a copy of Sefer Yetzirah "The Book of Creation".
This will explain everything you could ever want to know on all the questions you are asking.
Also pick up The Gnostic Bible, it sure will open your closed eyes and ears.

Answer 3

A) Arabic is NOT Hebrew. It merely stems from the same root language, now lost to history.

B) Elohim in Hebrew simply means God (plural). Early scholars took this as evidence for the Trinity even in Genesis. Probably not so, but it is sweet.

C) As for Abba, I've been to Egypt, Jordan, Israel and Iraq (well before the current nastiness) and I've heard that specific word spoken many times and always in one context. Spoken by children and unwed females, it is always the honorific specifically used for the male parent. The connotation is always one of affection as well as respect. The best English word, both denotatively and connotatively is "Daddy".

D) Stop thinking the word "error" in context with translations. The plain fact of the matter is that different cultures see things differently and their language reflects that difference. For instance, in Rome the pater was a rather distant male whose sayso over your life was absolute and frequently uncaring about the quality of your life. There is NO word in Latin therefore that adequately describes the relationship that Jesus tells us God wants with us. There is, for the same reason, no such word in Greek either. The early translators did the best they could with what they had. Inadequacy of language does not imply deliberate attempt to misinform.

Fortunately, today we DO have a word in English that perfectly captures both the denotative AND the connotative essence of the word "Abba". Daddy is what God wants to be. Daddy is the relationship He wants.
Daddy is not of necessity merely the sperm donor, which in God's case would be ludicrous. Daddy is a special relationship, founded on love, NOT biology, mutually satisfactory to all parties concerned and primarily based on the respect of each party for the other's feelings, needs, wishes, hopes and desires.

You hurt? Daddy fix, even if all he does is give you big hug. Somehow when you're a child, that hug heals something deep within.

You lost? Daddy find, because a Daddy flatly refuses to abandon you.

You confused? Daddy explain, because a Daddy wants you to grow up to be the best you it's possible for you to be and to do that you gotta learn.

Something you love broken? Daddy repair, because your heart is HIS heart and if yours breaks, so does his.

Our Father is our Daddy and more approachable than you know. Jesus made that possible. That's what big brothers do, you know. They point and pave the way for their younger siblings. We're the younger siblings in a spiritual sense. You want what Jesus has with our Daddy, then accept His invitation, "Come. Follow Me."

Answer 4

It ALSO says in Gen. 1-26 "And then God said - Let US make man in OUR IMAGE. PLURAL !!! If HE (God) meant singular, he would have said ME and MY. No mistake. Plural. SO WHO IS US AND OUR before anything has been created? And read the Ancient Sumerian clay tablets and they say EXACTLY who this is. And 1,000 to 2,000 YEARS BEFORE ABRAHAM of the Old Testament. The Bible STARTS at ACT 3. They do not tell us about Who "ELOHIM" really is or where he came from. Doenst tell us EXACTLY HOW MAN WAS CREATED. Sorry but Mud and a Rib doesnt do it for me. But when u read the Sumerian writings, U will see EXACTLY what this means. DNA / Artificial Insemination. Enki is our Father and ANU is his Father. Who made them? No one knows that.

Answer 5

The word Elohim possesses a plural intensive syntax and is singular in meaning. This is self-evident from the fact that the verb "created" (bara) in Genesis 1:1 is in the singular. This linguistic pattern is well known and widely used throughout the Jewish scriptures. For example, I am certain that many of our website readers are familiar with the Hebrew word chayim, meaning "life." Notice that this word contains the identical plural suffix "im," as in Elohim, yet it repeatedly means "life", in the singular, throughout the Bible.

Answer 6

Not enough translation errors to make a big difference. God is plural - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Muhammad chose Allah the crescent moon god from 360 idols. Have you noticed the difference in the lives of Muhammad and Jesus Christ?

Answer 7

The bible refers to god in the masculine plural form as "Elohim" because God is a triune being. Three persons in one godhead. The singular form of the name of God is Eloah, or El. El refers to power or strength. Eloah refers to one being. The dual form of the name of God is Elohiam. This specifies two individuals. It is not used for less than two nor for three or more. It is limited to just two. The plural form of the name of God is Elohim. It specifies three or more individuals. Thus we can see a reference in the old testament for the triune nature of the God of the trinity. It is not true that this originally meant just the god of the canaanites.

Answer 8

In English, the letter "s" is typically added to a word to make it plural. In Hebrew, different suffixes are used depending upon the gender of the word. (And I'm transliterating here...) "im" is the plural suffix for male gender nouns.

For example, King is "melak". Kings is "melakim".

One of the names for God used the old Testament, "Elohim", actually means "gods" however it is used as a singular, not a plural. Some Christians, upon finding this out, scream "Trinity" but that's really grasping at straws.

The Bible is riddled with scribal errors. Even in the oldest Masoretic manuscripts, they don't agree 100%.

Answer 9

You cant play with Hebrew my friend. Elohim is Gods. the im ending makes it plural. But it is one GOd. I do belive that the


In Deuteronomy 6:4 we read, "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one LORD!" It is very interesting to read this verse in the Hebrew text because of the name "Elohim" it being a plural noun.

The literal translation would be, "The Lord our Gods, the Lord is one Lord."
"One" in this passage is the Hebrew word "echad." It has a very interesting meaning. The word, "echad," comes from the Hebrew root which means "to unify" or "to collect together", a "united one."

Answer 10

Plural it is. JJ Dewey has written several posts on this topic explaining it quite well. I've included a few links that you might enjoy reading.

"Some scholars have dissected the word 'Elohim' for God saying that part of the word represents male and the other part represents female, El and Heem. El means powerful, mighty or strong." --JJ Dewey