Translate Elohim: God, Gods and Context
To translate elohim, read its grammar and referent in the passage. It is a Hebrew form with a range that includes God and gods.
Last updated October 15, 2026
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To translate elohim, read its grammar and referent in the passage. It is a Hebrew form with a range that includes God and gods. Genesis 1:1 uses it for the creator; Exodus 7:1 and Psalm 82 show why one English replacement cannot be imposed on every occurrence.
The form alone does not decide how many beings a sentence means. The historical entry notes plural form and several uses. Genesis, Exodus and Psalm 82 put the word in different relations. Keep the sentence's verbs, speakers and contrasts visible before making a claim about the referent or later theology.
Translate Elohim: source entries
| Term | Entry ID | Historical entry wording | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| elohim / elohiym | 430 | […] plural of 433; 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; and sometimes as a superlative: […] | Strong original Hebrew |
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Genesis 1:1: identify the subject
The opening sentence names the creator of the heavens and earth. The selected editions print God. A statement about the word's form does not cancel the way the sentence uses it. The creation narrative gives the subject actions and a role.
Avoid treating a dictionary's possible glosses as if all must apply at once. An entry that includes gods, judges and God is recording a range across uses. It is not asking a reader to insert that whole list into Genesis 1:1.
Exodus 7:1: a role in a confrontation
God tells Moses that he has made him as God or a god to Pharaoh, with Aaron as his prophet. The comparison belongs to a particular commission. It does not simply identify Moses as the creator from Genesis. The recipient and stated role change the reading.
This is why the table keeps the passage beside the gloss. Without the recipient Pharaoh and the role assigned to Aaron, a short quotation can be used to make a much larger claim than the scene supports.
Psalm 82: a debated referent
Psalm 82 depicts a divine assembly and rebukes unjust judgment. Verse 6 uses gods language. Readers debate the identity of the addressed beings. The psalm's demand for justice and its statement about death remain part of the evidence.
This reference does not label one explanation the settled view of all scholars. The range and setting allow the question to be stated with care. A plural-form observation alone does not resolve the identity of every participant in the poem.
Wording and context in three editions
Genesis 1:1
King James Version (eng-kjv2006, standard 1769 text)
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
World English Bible Classic (eng-web, US spelling)
1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
American Standard Version (eng-asv)
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
After (WEB Classic): 2 The earth was formless and empty. Darkness was on the surface of the deep and God’s Spirit was hovering over the surface of the waters. 3 God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
Exodus 7:1
King James Version (eng-kjv2006, standard 1769 text)
1 And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.
World English Bible Classic (eng-web, US spelling)
1 Yahweh said to Moses, “Behold, I have made you as God to Pharaoh; and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet.
American Standard Version (eng-asv)
1 And Jehovah said unto Moses, See, I have made thee as God to Pharaoh; and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.
After (WEB Classic): 2 You shall speak all that I command you; and Aaron your brother shall speak to Pharaoh, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land. 3 I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.
Psalm 82:1,6
King James Version (eng-kjv2006, standard 1769 text)
1 God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods.
King James Version (eng-kjv2006, standard 1769 text)
6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.
World English Bible Classic (eng-web, US spelling)
1 God presides in the great assembly. He judges among the gods.
World English Bible Classic (eng-web, US spelling)
6 I said, “You are gods, all of you are sons of the Most High.
American Standard Version (eng-asv)
1 God standeth in the congregation of God; He judgeth among the gods.
American Standard Version (eng-asv)
6 I said, Ye are gods, And all of you sons of the Most High.
After (WEB Classic): 2 “How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked?” Selah. 3 “Defend the weak, the poor, and the fatherless. Maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.
FAQ
Does elohim by itself prove a later doctrine of the Trinity?
The word's form alone does not establish that doctrine. A theological argument would need more evidence. This page identifies the local subjects and preserves the different uses.
Related meanings
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Verdict: Translate Elohim
Translate elohim with the sentence's grammar and referent in view. A form and a gloss range cannot settle every occurrence. Preserve the distinctions among Genesis, Moses' commission and the debated assembly in Psalm 82.