The Meaning of Elohim: What It Is and How To Use It

If you hear the word Elohim in a religious context, what does that mean? Keep reading to learn about the meaning of Elohim.

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Have you ever heard the word Elohim used in a religious context and wondered what it meant? You might have listened to this term in church or temple, in a religious studies class, or a conversation about religion. 

This article will cover the meaning of the word Elohim and where it comes from. It will also tell you other ways to say Elohim with lists of synonyms, antonyms, and translations.

What Does the Word Elohim Mean?

According to Britannica and Christianity, Elohim is the Hebrew word for God. Like many names for God, this word appears in scriptures like the Old Testament and Hebrew Bible in books including Genesis, Psalms, John, Matthew, Deuteronomy, Proverbs, and more.

The Hebrew word Elohim is in the first book and first verse of the Bible: “In the beginning God (Elohim) created the heavens and the Earth.” Elohim is the plural form of God, and Eloah is the singular form. However, the plural noun is understood as singular, implying that God is everywhere and everything. 

The term Elohim is used both for the God of Israel but also as a plural of majesty and in reference to other deities. For example, Elohim is used to reference the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, in the story of Adam and Eve, and more throughout Judaism and Christianity.

The related term El Elyon means “God Most High.” The pronunciation of Elohim is el-oh-im.

What Is the Origin of Elohim?

The word Elohim comes from the Hebrew language. The structure of the singular noun Eloah and plural noun Elohim follow the Hebrew grammatical structure. 

What Are Translations of Elohim?

Elohim is a Hebrew word for God. There are many ways that people can say the word God in other languages. If you are trying to communicate about religion or the subject of God with a person in another country or a person who does not speak English, you can use this list of translations of the word God from Nice Translator.  

Everyone has a different opinion of religion, and many different countries have their own religions and views on religion. Therefore, if you plan on discussing religion with someone from another country, make sure that you do so with respect. Learning how to say God in their native language is a great way to show that respect.

  • Bulgarian: Бог
  • Marathi: देव
  • Urdu: خدا
  • Finnish: Jumala
  • Vietnamese: Chúa Trời
  • Welsh: Dduw
  • Basque: Jainko
  • Portuguese (Brazil): Deus
  • Serbian: Бог
  • Japanese: 神様
  • Italian: Dio
  • Hindi: भगवान
  • Slovak: Boha
  • Swahili: Mungu
  • Polish: Bóg
  • Swedish: Gud
  • Hungarian: Isten
  • Czech: Bůh
  • Malay: Tuhan
  • Hebrew: אלוהים
  • Malayalam: ദൈവം
  • Turkish: Tanrı
  • Amharic: እግዚአብሄር
  • Korean: 하느님
  • Romanian: Dumnezeu
  • Kannada: ದೇವರು
  • Portuguese (Portugal): Deus
  • Indonesian: Tuhan
  • Arabic: الله
  • French: Dieu
  • Thai: พระเจ้า
  • Bengali: সৃষ্টিকর্তা
  • Spanish: Dios
  • Russian: Бог
  • Lithuanian: Dievui
  • Croatian: Bog
  • Slovenian: Bog
  • Danish: Gud
  • Norwegian: Gud
  • Filipino: Diyos
  • Catalan: Déu
  • Ukrainian: Бог
  • Icelandic: Guð
  • Telugu: దేవుడు
  • Dutch: God
  • German: Gott
  • Chinese (PRC): 上帝
  • Estonian: Jumal
  • Greek: Θεός
  • Latvian: Dievs
  • Chinese (Taiwan): 上帝
  • Tamil: இறைவன்
  • Gujarati: ભગવાન

What Are Synonyms of the Word Elohim?

Elohim is a specific word that is largely only used by people who speak Hebrew or are familiar with the Bible. If you are looking for another way to refer to God or a deity without this connotation, you can start by referencing this list of synonyms of God from Power Thesaurus. All of the below words refer to a God.

  • Adonai
  • All Knowing
  • All Powerful
  • Allah
  • Almighty
  • Architect
  • Author
  • Avatar
  • Baal
  • Celestial Being
  • Christ
  • Creator
  • Creator Of The World
  • Daemon
  • Deity
  • Demigod
  • Demigoddess
  • Demiurge
  • Divine Being
  • Divineness
  • Divinify
  • Divinity
  • El Shaddai
  • Everlasting
  • Father
  • Genius
  • God Most High
  • Goddess
  • Godhead
  • Godhood
  • Godliness
  • Godship
  • Golden Calf
  • Graven Image
  • Guardian Spirit
  • Hero
  • Holiness
  • Holy Spirit
  • Holy Trinity
  • Icon
  • Idol
  • Immortal
  • Immortal Being
  • Infinite Spirit
  • Jah
  • Jeez
  • Jehovah
  • Jesus
  • Jesus Christ
  • King
  • King of Kings
  • Lord
  • Maker
  • Maker of the World
  • Master
  • Messiah
  • Most High
  • Numen
  • Our Lord
  • Pagan Symbol
  • Power
  • Prime Mover
  • Protected Interest
  • Providence
  • Redeemer
  • Sacred Cow
  • Saintly
  • Sensitive Issue
  • Soul
  • Spirit
  • Supernatural Being
  • Supreme Being
  • Theology
  • Totem
  • Tutelary
  • Universal Life Force
  • World Spirit
  • Yahweh

What Are Antonyms of Elohim?

In order to refer to words that are the opposite of God, take a look at this list of antonyms of God from Power Thesaurus. Learning antonyms of God is a great way to grow your current vocabulary and easily learn new words. 

  • Archfiend
  • Barbarian
  • Beast
  • Beelzebub
  • Bother
  • Brute
  • Chafe
  • Creature
  • Daemon
  • Daimon
  • Demon
  • Deuce
  • Devil
  • Dickens
  • Evil
  • Evil One
  • Evil Spirit
  • Fiend
  • Genie
  • Ghoul
  • Gravel
  • Harass
  • Heck
  • Hellion
  • Horror
  • Hound
  • Imp
  • Incubus
  • Irritate
  • Knave
  • Lucifer
  • Mischief-Maker
  • Miscreant
  • Monkey
  • Monster
  • Nark
  • Nettle
  • Ogre
  • Old Nick
  • Person
  • Prince of Darkness
  • Rapscallion
  • Rascal
  • Rile
  • Rogue
  • Satan
  • Scalawag
  • Scamp
  • Scoundrel
  • Serpent
  • Soul
  • Terror
  • Villain
  • Wretch

Conclusion

The word Elohim is a Hebrew word for God. The word Elohim appears many times throughout the Bible and is the plural form of the word Eloah. However, Elohim is still understood as referencing a monotheistic God, not multiple gods.

The word Elohim can be used interchangeably with many other words for God. Elohim is a fairly rare word, so unless someone is very familiar with religion and religious texts, they may not know its meaning. If you plan to use Elohim, make sure that the person you are speaking to understands what you mean.

Sources:

  1. God synonyms – 528 Words and Phrases for God | Power Thesaurus 
  2. God antonyms – 423 Opposites of God | Power Thesaurus
  3. Elohim | Hebrew god | Britannica
  4. Elohim: Biblical Meaning of God’s Name | Christianity   
  5. God | Nice Translator