Bible - 27 Verses on Yahweh, Elohim(s) and The Gods

Ancient Israel was devoted to Monotheism, but was constantly challenged by Polytheistic Pagan ideas.

The Jewish Bible, or Old Testament was compiled from various historical tales depicting many Gods. Bible authors would use the term ELOHIM to refer to the God, YAHWEH (singular), and also to other Gods, deities and figures (plural).

The table below lists Bible verses which use ELOHIM (Gods, plural) or YAHWEH (God, singular).

Who is YAHWEH?

Yahweh the 'Divine Warrior' In the oldest biblical literature, Yahweh is a typical ancient Near Eastern 'Divine Warrior', who leads the heavenly army against Israel's enemies.

Yahweh was the national god of the Iron Age kingdoms of Israel (Samaria) and Judah. His exact origins are disputed, but are thought to date to the Iron Age or Late Bronze Age.

Yahweh's name may have begun as an epithet of El, head of the Bronze Age Canaanite pantheon. The earliest mentions of Yahweh are in Egyptian texts that refer to a similar-sounding place name associated with the Shasu Nomads of the Southern Transjordan. Over time, Yahweh became the highest god, acquiring all the qualities previously held by other Gods and Goddesses. By the 6th century BC (Babylonian exile), the existence of 'lesser' Gods was denied, and Yahweh was proclaimed as the true, only God of the world.

W Yahweh

1. Yahweh is God

Hear, O Israel: The Lord [YAHWEH] our God [ELOHIM], the Lord is one.

DEUTERONOMY 6:4

And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars - all the heavenly array - do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the Lord [YAHWEH] your God [ELOHIM] has apportioned to all the nations under heaven

DEUTERONOMY 4:19

2. Abraham saw Yahweh

And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord [YAHWEH] appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty [SHADDAY] God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

GENESIS 17:1

3. Moses spoke to Yahweh

And the Lord [YAHWEH] spake unto Moses, saying ...

NUMBERS 15:37

4. Yahweh is Elohim

I am the Lord [YAHWEH] your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God [ELOHIM]: I am the Lord [YAHWEH] your God [ELOHIM]

NUMBERS 15:41

5. El is Elohim

And God [ELOHIM] said unto him [Moses], I am God [EL] Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;

GENESIS 35:11

6. Gods of Egypt are Elohim

For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods [ELOHIM] of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord [YAHWEH]

EXODUS 12:12

7. Angels are Elohim

And he built there an altar, and called the place Elbethel: because there God [ELOHIM] appeared unto him [JACOB], when he fled from the face of his brother

GENESIS 35:7

8. Ashtoreth, goddess of Zidonians is Elohim

Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess [ELOHIM] of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god [ELOHIM] of the Moabites, and Milcom the god [ELOHIM] of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father.

1KINGS 11:33

9. Chemosh, god of Moabites is Elohim

Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god [ELOHIM] giveth thee to possess? So whomsoever the Lord [YAHWEH] our God [ELOHIM] shall drive out from before us, them will we possess.

JUDGES 11:24

10. Milcom, god of Ammon is Elohim

1KINGS 11:33

11. Demons are Elohim

They sacrificed unto devils, not to God [ELOHIM]; to gods [ELOHIM] whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not

DEUTERONOMY 32:17

12. Satan is amongst the Elohim

Now there was a day when the sons of God [ELOHIM] came to present themselves before the Lord [YAHWEH], and Satan came also among them

JOB 1:6

Who is ELOHIM?

Elohim refers to Gods, or deities, and is one of the many names for God used in the Hebrew Bible. According to Biblical commentaries, the name Elohim can either be plural "Gods" or singular "God" depending on the grammar and context. The word Elohim occurs more than 2500 times in the Hebrew Bible, with meanings ranging from "gods" in a general sense, to specific gods.

W Elohim

13. Elohim is your God

And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring: That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God [ELOHIM]

DEUTERONOMY 15:39-40

14. Elohim is the Creator

In the beginning, God [ELOHIM] created the heaven and the earth

GENESIS 1:1

15. Man is created in image of Elohim

And the Gods [ELOHIM] said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth

GENESIS 1:26

16. Elohim walked the Earth

There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God [ELOHIM] came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

GENESIS 6:4

17. Elohim married Earthly women

That the sons of God [ELOHIM] saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

GENESIS 6:2

18. Elohim left the Earth

The king said to her, 'Do not be afraid. What do you see?' And the woman said to Saul, 'I saw gods [ELOHIM] coming out of the earth'

1 SAMUEL 28:13

19. Do not pray to 'false' Elohim

Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods [ELOHIM] and bow down to them

DEUTERONOMY 11:16

Now let my lord [ADONAI] the king listen to his servant's words. If the Lord [YAHWEH] has incited you against me, then may he accept an offering. If, however, people have done it, may they be cursed before the Lord! [YAHWEH] They have driven me today from my share in the Lord's [YAHWEH] inheritance and have said, 'Go, serve other gods [ELOHIM]'

1SAMUEL 26:19

20. Gods in 'Divine Council' are Elohim

God [ELOHIM] has taken his place in the Divine Council; in the midst of the gods [ELOHIM] he holds judgement:

PSALM 82:1

ESV BIBLE

21. God (Elohim, singular) judge over Gods (Elohim, plural)

God [ELOHIM] has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods [ELOHIM] he holds judgement:

PSALM 82:1

ESV BIBLE

22. Gods (Elohim) sentenced to death by God (Elohim)

I have said, Ye are gods [ELOHIM]; and all of you are children of the most High [EL]. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.

PSALM 82:6-7

23. Gods (Elohim) to judge Earth, and inherit nations

Arise, O God [ELOHIM], judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations

PSALM 82:8

24. Sacrifice for Yahweh, not Elohim

He who sacrifices to any god [ELOHIM], other than to the Lord [YAHWEH] alone, shall be utterly destroyed

EXODUS 22:20

You must not worship the Lord [YAHWEH] your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods [ELOHIM], they do all kinds of detestable things the Lord [YAHWEH] hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods [ELOHIM]

DEUTERONOMY 12:31

25. Elohim has Sons

When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God [ELOHIM] shouted for joy?

JOB 38:7

YAHWEH is Elohim

Yahweh became the 'greatest' God over a period of time The overall pattern seems to be one of a gradual historical transition from Polytheism, to Monotheism. Initially, Yahweh was the national god of the Hebrews' then he became the dominant god; and later, the only God.

The Jewish and Christian Bible refer to multiple Gods and Goddesses. Today, a few Bible scholars have understood 'Elohim' Bible verse to refer to 'lesser gods'. These are ongoing debates and arguements. It is unclear how Yawheh places himself amongst other Elohim (Gods), later won over the other Gods to become the supreme God.

In the 1960s, a debate emerged over the interpretation of Psalm 82:1-8 summarized by Anthony Hanson. Hanson pointed to 4 different ways the "Ye are ELOHIM" was understood. It could mean ELOHIM were:

(a) Angels
(b) Melchizedek
(c) Judges
(d) Israel at Sinai

All four interpretations are supported in Jewish traditions and attested to in Midrashic literature. ₁

26. Yahweh is Elohim (God)

Then men shall say, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord [YAHWEH] God [ELOHIM] of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt

DEUTERONOMY 29:25

27. Yahweh is the greatest Elohim

A Psalm of David. Give unto the Lord [YAHWEH], O ye mighty, give unto the Lord [YAHWEH] glory and strength

PSALM 29:1

For who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord? [YAHWEH] who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord? [YAHWEH]

PSALM 89:6

For you, Lord [YAHWEH], are the Most High over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods [ELOHIM]

PSALM 97:9

And David said to all the congregation, Now bless the Lord [YAHWEH] your God [ELOHIM]. And all the congregation blessed the Lord [YAHWEH] God [ELOHIM] of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshipped the Lord [YAHWEH], and the king

1CHRONICLES 29:20

And he said, Lord [YAHWEH] God [ELOHIM] of Israel, there is no God [ELOHIM] like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart

1KINGS 8:23

So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today--to love the Lord [YAHWEH] your God [ELOHIM] and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul

DEUTERONOMY 11:13

I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God [EL] Almighty, but by my name the LORD [YAHWEH] I did not make myself fully known to them.

EXODUS 6:3

God In Islam

God in Islam In Islam, the concept of of God is simple. The Arabic language does not allow for ambiguity, plurality or gender issues on the word 'Allah'. Allah is One God (singular). He is nothing like His Creation, and there is nothing like Him.

Say: He is Allah, the One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him.

QURAN 112:1-4

NOTES
₁ https://www3.nd.edu/~jneyrey1/Gods.html

For verification on the Hebrew words, Elohim, Yahweh etc. go to biblehub.com and select the Interlinear Option
i.e. For GENESIS 1:1, view https://biblehub.com/interlinear/genesis/1-1.htm

CREDIT
https://blog.logos.com/2017/10/the-elohim-what-or-who-are-they/
https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/.premium.MAGAZINE-when-the-jews-believed-in-other-gods-1.6315810
https://www.blueletterbible.org/study/misc/name_god.cfm
https://emahiser.christogenea.org/yahweh-singular-elohim

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