# What Does Elohim Mean?
> Elohim is the ordinary Hebrew word for God, first in Genesis 1:1. It is plural in form, takes a singular verb for the God of Israel, and also means false gods, angels, or judges.
- Canonical: https://apologetics.wiki/god/elohim
- Religions: none
- Denominations: none
- Beliefs: God
- Tags: god, names, hebrew
- Updated: 2026-10-13
- Author: [Paul Ambrose](https://apologetics.wiki/author/hi-its-paul) ([GitHub](https://github.com/hi-its-paul))
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Elohim (Hebrew אֱלֹהִים, Strong’s H430) is the ordinary Hebrew word for God. It is the word in [Genesis 1:1](/bible/genesis/1/1), “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” The form is plural, but when it means the God of Israel it takes a singular verb, and the King James Version translates it “God.” When it means the gods of the nations it is translated “gods.”
## Key Points
- Elohim is Strong’s H430, from Eloah (H433), the singular. [(1)](#ref-1)
- In [Genesis 1:1](/bible/genesis/1/1) “God created” is a plural noun with a singular verb.
- [Genesis 1:26](/bible/genesis/1/26) has God say, “Let us make man in our image.”
- The same word means other gods in [Exodus 20:3](/bible/exodus/20/3), “Thou shalt have no other gods before me,” and judges or rulers in [Psalm 82:1](/bible/psalms/82/1) and [Psalm 82:6](/bible/psalms/82/6).
- [Psalm 45:6](/bible/psalms/45/6), “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever,” is quoted of the Son in [Hebrews 1:8](/bible/hebrews/1/8).
- Elohim is joined to the divine name as “the LORD God,” first in [Genesis 2:4](/bible/genesis/2/4).
## Elohim in the Hebrew Bible
The verse count is too long to print here. Every verse is on the [Elohim word page](/bible/hebrew/elohim-h430).
## Eloah, the Singular
## Plural Form, One God
The plural form does not make Israel’s God more than one God. [Deuteronomy 6:4](/bible/deuteronomy/6/4) says, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD,” and “our God” there is Elohim. Christians have read the plural form and the “us” of [Genesis 1:26](/bible/genesis/1/26) alongside the Trinity; that teaching is set out in [What Is the Trinity?](/christianity/the-trinity).
## Frequently Asked Questions
### Is Elohim Plural?
The form is plural. When it means the God of Israel it takes singular verbs and adjectives, as in [Genesis 1:1](/bible/genesis/1/1).
### Does Elohim Ever Mean Something Other Than God?
Yes. It means the gods of the nations in [Exodus 20:3](/bible/exodus/20/3), and it is used of judges in [Psalm 82:6](/bible/psalms/82/6), which Jesus quotes in [John 10:34](/bible/john/10/34).
## Keep Reading
- [The Names of God in Hebrew](/god/names-of-god)
- [What Is the Tetragrammaton?](/god/what-is-the-tetragrammaton)
- [What Are the Attributes of God?](/god/attributes-of-god)
## Passages Quoted on This Page
### Genesis 1:26
King James Version.
> And God 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.
### Exodus 20:3
King James Version.
> Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
### Psalms 82:1
King James Version.
> God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods.
### Psalms 82:6
King James Version.
> I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.
### Psalms 45:6
King James Version.
> Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.
### Hebrews 1:8
King James Version.
> But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
### Genesis 2:4
King James Version.
> These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,
### Deuteronomy 6:4
King James Version.
> Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
### John 10:34
King James Version.
> Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
## Sources
Numbered to match the HTML References list. Item 1 is `#ref-1` under `#references`. Scripture links to the King James Version on this site.
1. [James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary](https://archive.org/details/exhaustiveconcor1890stro) (1890. Public domain. The Strong’s numbers and definitions on this site’s Hebrew word pages.)
2. [Book of Genesis, 1:1; 1:26](https://apologetics.wiki/bible/genesis/1/1). King James Version
3. [Book of Psalms, 45:6; 82:1](https://apologetics.wiki/bible/psalms/45/6). King James Version
4. [Letter to the Hebrews, 1:8](https://apologetics.wiki/bible/hebrews/1/8). King James Version
## See Also
- [The Jehovah Compound Names](https://apologetics.wiki/god/jehovah-compound-names) — Jehovah-jireh, Jehovah-nissi, Jehovah-shalom, Jehovah-tsidkenu, Jehovah-shammah, and the other names that join the divine name to a word, with the Hebrew, Strong’s numbers, and every King James verse.
- [The Names of God in Hebrew](https://apologetics.wiki/god/names-of-god) — Elohim, El, Eloah, El Shaddai, El Elyon, El Olam, El Roi, Adonai, YHWH, Yah, the LORD of hosts, and the Jehovah compound names, with the Hebrew, Strong’s numbers, meanings, first occurrences, and King James verses.
- [What Does Adonai Mean?](https://apologetics.wiki/god/adonai) — Adonai is the Hebrew title Lord, used of God alone. Every King James verse with Adonai, how Lord GOD is printed, and why Psalm 110:1 has a different word.
- [What Does El Elyon Mean?](https://apologetics.wiki/god/el-elyon) — El Elyon is God Most High, first in Genesis 14:18 where Melchizedek is priest of the most high God. Every King James verse that calls God the most High, with the Hebrew and Strong’s numbers.
- [What Does El Shaddai Mean?](https://apologetics.wiki/god/el-shaddai) — El Shaddai is God Almighty, the name God gives Abram in Genesis 17:1. Every King James verse with Shaddai, its Hebrew, its Strong’s number, and where the New Testament uses Almighty.
## External Links
- [Francis Brown, S. R. Driver, and Charles A. Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament](https://archive.org/details/hebrewenglishlex00browuoft) — The standard public-domain Hebrew lexicon (1906).