"The One God": "Ail-Elohim"
Summary
The Hebrew word for God most frequently translated “God” in the Old Testament is Elohim — a plural noun. What does this mean? This chapter examines the Hebrew names for God: Ail (strength, power), Eloah, and Elohim, drawing on Paul’s distinction between the “gods many and lords many” of the Gentile world and the one God and Father of whom everything exists. The conclusion: eternal life is at stake in our knowledge of God.
Jesus defined the highest goal of human existence: "And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." (John 17:3)[1] Knowledge of God is not peripheral — it is the substance of eternal life itself. The quality of our understanding of who God is shapes everything else in our relationship with him.
The Hebrew name most often rendered "God" in English is Elohim — a plural noun, occurring approximately 2,470 times in the Old Testament. The singular form, Eloah, occurs about 56 times, mainly in Job and the Psalms. The root is Ail, meaning strength or power — the One who exercises supreme power. (Genesis 17:1)[2]
The plural form Elohim describes, in various contexts, the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, angels, and even human judges appointed by God. This means Elohim is not an exclusive title restricted to one person but describes those who exercise divine authority and power. Paul recognised this: "Although there are many so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth (as there are gods many and lords many), yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things and we for him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we live." (1 Corinthians 8:5–6)[3]
The distinction is crucial: the Father is the ultimate source and supreme authority — "of whom are all things." The Son is the one through whom all things were created and through whom the Father is approached — "through whom we live." These are not competing claims but a carefully ordered relationship.
The Psalms celebrate the greatness of Israel's God above all others: "God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the holy ones, and to be held in reverence above all those around him." (Psalm 89:7)[4] And: "Holy and awesome is his name." (Psalm 111:9)[5] To know this God — Father of all, the ultimate Ail-Elohim — and to know his Son, whom he sent: this is eternal life.