Elohim | Hebrew God | Britannica

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External Websites

• The University of Chicago Press Journals - The Word Elohim in Genesis I (PDF)
• Brigham Young University - Religious Studies Center - Usage of the Title Elohim
• CORE - Ruach Elohim: The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament (PDF)

Elohim Hebrew god Ask Anything Homework Help Also known as: Eloah Written and fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Jan. 23, 2026 •History Britannica AI Ask Anything Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask Anything

Elohim, (Hebrew: God), the God of Israel in the Old Testament. A plural of majesty, the term Elohim—though sometimes used for other deities, such as the Moabite god Chemosh, the Sidonian goddess Astarte, and also for other majestic beings such as angels, kings, judges (the Old Testament shofeṭim), and the Messiah—is usually employed in the Old Testament for the one and only God of Israel, whose personal name was revealed to Moses as YHWH, or Yahweh (q.v.). When referring to Yahweh, elohim very often is accompanied by the article ha-, to mean, in combination, “the God,” and sometimes with a further identification Elohim ḥayyim, meaning “the living God.”

Singular: Eloah (Show more) On the Web: CORE - Ruach Elohim: The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament (PDF) (Jan. 23, 2026) (Show more) See all related content

Though Elohim is plural in form, it is understood in the singular sense. Thus, in Genesis the words, “In the beginning God (Elohim) created the heavens and the earth,” Elohim is monotheistic in connotation, though its grammatical structure seems polytheistic. The Israelites probably borrowed the Canaanite plural noun Elohim and made it singular in meaning in their cultic practices and theological reflections.