The Name of God: Elohim
Elohim is the Hebrew word for God that appears in the very first
sentence of the Bible. When we pray to Elohim, we remember that he is
the one who began it all, creating the heavens and the earth and
separating light from darkness, water from dry land, night from day.
This ancient name for God contains the idea of God's creative power as
well as his authority and sovereignty. Jesus used a form of the name in
his agonized prayer from the cross.
About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama
sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
Elohim (e-lo-HEEM) is the plural form of El or Eloah, one of the oldest
designations for divinity in the world. The Hebrews borrowed the term
El from the Canaanites. It can refer either to the true God or to pagan
gods. Though El is used more than 200 times in the Hebrew Bible, Elohim
is used more than 2,500 times. Its plural form is used not to indicate a
belief in many gods but to emphasize the majesty of the one true God.
He is the God of gods, the highest of all. Christians may recognize in
this plural form a hint of the Trinity—Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit. Elohim occurs thirty-two times in the first
chapter of Genesis. After that the name Yahweh appears as well and is
often paired with Elohim and, in the NIV, the two together are
translated "the LORD God."