Word Studies¶
H430 -- elohim (אֱלֹהִים)¶
Original: אֱלֹהִים Transliteration: elohiym Pronunciation: el-o-heem Part of Speech: masculine noun (n-m) Total Occurrences: 2,685
Definition: Plural of H433 (eloah); gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative: angels, exceeding, God (gods)(-dess, -ly), (very) great, judges, mighty.
Translation Distribution¶
| Translation | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| God | 734 | 27.3% |
| thy God | 323 | 12.0% |
| of God | 321 | 12.0% |
| your God | 159 | 5.9% |
| our God | 127 | 4.7% |
| the God | 119 | 4.4% |
| gods | 103 | 3.8% |
| O God | 90 | 3.4% |
| the judges | 4 | 0.1% |
| the goddess | 2 | 0.1% |
| than the angels | 1 | 0.0% |
Semantic Range¶
The word elohim is used in the KJV for: 1. The true God (vast majority -- ~2,500 occurrences) 2. False gods / idols (~103 occurrences as "gods") 3. Judges / magistrates (4 occurrences: Exo 21:6; 22:8) 4. Angels (1 occurrence: Psa 8:5, translated "than the angels") 5. The divine council or "gods" (Psa 82:1,6)
Key Verses¶
- Exo 20:3 -- "Thou shalt have no other gods [elohim] before me"
- Deu 4:35 -- "the LORD he [is] God [elohim]; there is none else beside him"
- Deu 6:4 -- "the LORD our God [elohim] is one LORD"
- Psa 82:1 -- "God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods [elohim]"
- Psa 82:6 -- "I have said, Ye are gods [elohim]"
- 1Ki 8:60 -- "the LORD [is] God [elohim], and there is none else"
H433 -- eloah (אֱלוֹהַּ)¶
Original: אֱלוֹהַּ Transliteration: eloahh Pronunciation: el-o-ah Part of Speech: masculine noun (n-m) Total Occurrences: 62
Definition: Probably prolonged (emphatic) from H410; a deity or the Deity: God, god.
Key Verses¶
- Deu 32:15 -- "he forsook God [eloah] which made him" (Israel abandoning God)
- Deu 32:17 -- "They sacrificed unto devils, not to God [eloah]" (sacrifices to demons)
- Isa 44:8 -- "Is there a God [eloah] beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any"
H410 -- el (אֵל)¶
Original: אֵל Transliteration: el Pronunciation: ale Part of Speech: masculine noun (n-m) Total Occurrences: 271
Definition: Shortened from H352; strength; as adjective, mighty; especially the Almighty (but used also of any deity): God (god), goodly, great, idol, might(-y one), power, strong.
Translation Distribution¶
| Translation | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| God | 130 | 48.0% |
| of God | 16 | 5.9% |
| a (various uses) | 12 | 4.4% |
| god | 7 | 2.6% |
| in the power | 3 | 1.1% |
Key Verses in the First Commandment Context¶
- Exo 20:5 -- "I the LORD thy God am a jealous God [el]"
- Exo 34:14 -- "the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God [el]"
- Deu 4:24 -- "the LORD thy God [elohim] is a consuming fire, even a jealous God [el]"
- Isa 43:10 -- "before me there was no God [el] formed"
- Isa 45:14 -- "Surely God [el] is in thee; and there is none else"
- Isa 45:21 -- "a just God [el] and a Saviour"
- Isa 45:22 -- "I am God [el], and there is none else"
- Isa 46:9 -- "I am God [el], and there is none else; I am God [elohim], and there is none like me"
H6440 -- panim/paniy (פָּנִים)¶
Original: פָּנִים Transliteration: paniym Pronunciation: paw-neem Part of Speech: masculine noun (plural) Total Occurrences: 2,141
Definition: Plural (but always as singular) from H6437; the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.): face, before, presence.
Translation Distribution (Top Entries)¶
| Translation | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| before | 683 | 31.9% |
| before thee | 99 | 4.6% |
| before him | 94 | 4.4% |
| the face | 77 | 3.6% |
| before me | 71 | 3.3% |
| before them | 63 | 2.9% |
| his face | 53 | 2.5% |
| my face | 50 | 2.3% |
| because | 48 | 2.2% |
| thy face | 47 | 2.2% |
| from the presence | 12 | 0.6% |
Usage in Exodus 20:3¶
The phrase is al-panay (עַל־פָּנָֽ֗יַ) -- literally "upon my face" or "before my face." - al (על) = preposition: upon, over, before, against - panay (פָּנָ֗יַ) = "my face" (panim + 1st person singular suffix)
The Hebrew parser output shows this phrase functions as an Adju (adjunct/adverbial modifier) in the clause structure of Exo 20:3.
The Phrase "al panay" in Context¶
The combination "al + panim" with a possessive suffix occurs frequently in the OT: - "before me" = in my presence, in my sight - The phrase implies spatial or relational proximity to God's face/presence
H259 -- echad (אֶחָד)¶
Original: אֶחָד Transliteration: echad Pronunciation: ekh-awd Part of Speech: adjective Total Occurrences: 973
Definition: A numeral from H258; properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) first: a, alike, alone, altogether, and, any(-thing), apiece, a certain, daily, each (one), eleven, every, few, first, highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together.
Translation Distribution¶
| Translation | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| one | 509 | 52.3% |
| a | 55 | 5.7% |
| One | 49 | 5.0% |
| the one | 29 | 3.0% |
| another | 27 | 2.8% |
| first | 14 | 1.4% |
| once | 12 | 1.2% |
| together | 5 | 0.5% |
| alone | 4 | 0.4% |
Key Verse¶
- Deu 6:4 -- "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God [is] one [echad] LORD"
- Zec 14:9 -- "the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one [echad] LORD, and his name one [echad]"
- Mal 2:10 -- "Have we not all one [echad] father? hath not one [echad] God created us?"
H7067 -- qanna (קַנָּא)¶
Original: קַנָּא Transliteration: qanna Pronunciation: kan-naw Part of Speech: adjective Total Occurrences: 6 (ALL applied exclusively to God)
Definition: From H7065; jealous: jealous.
Every Occurrence¶
| Reference | Text |
|---|---|
| Exo 20:5 | "I the LORD thy God am a jealous God" |
| Exo 34:14 | "the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God" (2x in verse) |
| Deu 4:24 | "the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God" |
| Deu 5:9 | "I the LORD thy God am a jealous God" |
| Deu 6:15 | "the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you" |
Significance¶
This word (qanna) appears ONLY 6 times in the entire OT, and it is used EXCLUSIVELY of God. No human is ever called qanna. It is a divine attribute specific to God's covenant relationship with His people.
H7072 -- qanno (קַנּוֹא)¶
Original: קַנּוֹא Transliteration: qanno Pronunciation: kan-no Part of Speech: adjective Total Occurrences: 2
Definition: For H7067; jealous or angry: jealous.
Every Occurrence¶
| Reference | Text |
|---|---|
| Jos 24:19 | "he is a jealous God" |
| Nah 1:2 | "God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth" |
H7068 -- qin'ah (קִנְאָה)¶
Original: קִנְאָה Transliteration: qin'ah Pronunciation: kin-aw Part of Speech: feminine noun Total Occurrences: 45
Definition: From H7065; jealousy or envy: envy(-ied), jealousy, sake, zeal.
Translation Distribution¶
| Translation | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| of jealousy | 6 | 13.3% |
| envy | 4 | 8.9% |
| jealousy | 4 | 8.9% |
| the zeal | 3 | 6.7% |
| zeal | various | various |
Significance¶
Unlike qanna (adj., only of God), the noun qin'ah is used of both divine and human jealousy/zeal. The range includes: - God's jealousy for His people (Num 25:11; Isa 42:13; Zec 1:14; 8:2) - Human jealousy/envy (Psa 78:58; Prov 6:34; Song 8:6) - Zeal (Isa 9:7; 37:32; 63:15)
H457 -- eliyl (אֱלִיל)¶
Original: אֱלִיל Transliteration: eliyl Pronunciation: el-eel Part of Speech: masculine adjective Total Occurrences: 21
Definition: Apparently from H408; good for nothing, by analogy vain or vanity; specifically an idol: idol, no value, thing of nought.
Significance¶
This word is a devastating wordplay on el (H410, "God/mighty"). The word eliyl literally means "worthless, nothing, a non-entity." Psalm 96:5 uses it: "all the gods [elohim] of the nations are idols [elilim]" -- i.e., the so-called "mighty ones" are actually "worthless nothings."
Key Verses¶
- Lev 19:4 -- "Turn ye not unto idols"
- Lev 26:1 -- "Ye shall make you no idols"
- Psa 96:5 -- "all the gods of the nations are idols [elilim]: but the LORD made the heavens"
- Psa 97:7 -- "Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols"
- Isa 2:8,18,20 -- "their land also is full of idols"
- Hab 2:18 -- "What profiteth the graven image... the idol?"
H8655 -- teraphim (תְּרָפִים)¶
Original: תְּרָפִים Transliteration: teraphiym Pronunciation: ter-aw-feem Part of Speech: masculine noun Total Occurrences: 15
Definition: Plural from H7495; a healer; Teraphim (singular or plural) a family idol: idols(-atry), images, teraphim.
Key Verses¶
- Gen 31:19 -- "Rachel had stolen the images [teraphim] that were her father's"
- Jdg 17:5 -- "the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an ephod, and teraphim"
- 1Sa 15:23 -- "stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry [teraphim]"
- Hos 3:4 -- "Israel shall abide many days without a king... without an ephod, and without teraphim"
G2316 -- theos (θεός)¶
Original: θεός Transliteration: theos Pronunciation: theh-os Part of Speech: masculine noun Total Occurrences: 1,151
Definition: Of uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with the article) the supreme Divinity.
Translation Distribution¶
| Translation | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| God | 560 | 48.7% |
| of God | 461 | 40.1% |
| to God | 38 | 3.3% |
| unto God | 29 | 2.5% |
| gods | 6 | 0.5% |
| god | 2 | 0.2% |
Key Verses¶
- 1Co 8:4 -- "there is none other God [theos] but one"
- 1Co 8:5 -- "there be that are called gods [theoi], whether in heaven or in earth"
- 1Co 8:6 -- "to us there is but one God [theos], the Father"
- Jhn 17:3 -- "thee the only true God [theos]"
- 1Ti 2:5 -- "there is one God [theos]"
- Gal 4:8 -- "them which by nature are no gods [theoi]"
G1497 -- eidolon (εἴδωλον)¶
Original: εἴδωλον Transliteration: eidolon Pronunciation: i-do-lon Part of Speech: neuter noun Total Occurrences: 10
Definition: From G1491; an image (i.e. for worship); by implication, a heathen god.
Key Verses¶
- 1Co 8:4 -- "an idol [eidolon] is nothing in the world"
- 1Co 8:7 -- "with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol"
- 1Co 10:19 -- "that the idol is any thing?"
- 1Th 1:9 -- "ye turned to God from idols"
- 1Jn 5:21 -- "keep yourselves from idols [eidolon]"
- Rev 9:20 -- "worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver"
G1495 -- eidololatreia (εἰδωλολατρεία)¶
Original: εἰδωλολατρεία Transliteration: eidololatreia Part of Speech: feminine noun Total Occurrences: 4
Definition: From G1497 and G2999; image-worship (literally or figuratively): idolatry.
Every Occurrence¶
- 1Co 10:14 -- "my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry"
- Gal 5:20 -- "Idolatry, witchcraft" (works of the flesh)
- Col 3:5 -- "covetousness, which is idolatry"
- 1Pe 4:3 -- "abominable idolatries"
G1496 -- eidololatres (εἰδωλολάτρης)¶
Original: εἰδωλολάτρης Transliteration: eidololatres Part of Speech: masculine noun Total Occurrences: 7
Definition: From G1497 and the base of G3000; an image-(servant or) worshipper.
Every Occurrence¶
- 1Co 5:10-11 -- "with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters"
- 1Co 6:9 -- "neither idolaters... shall inherit the kingdom of God"
- 1Co 10:7 -- "Neither be ye idolaters"
- Eph 5:5 -- "covetous man, who is an idolater"
- Rev 21:8 -- "idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth"
- Rev 22:15 -- "without are dogs... and idolaters"
G2320 -- theotes (θεότης)¶
Original: θεότης Transliteration: theotes Pronunciation: theh-ot-ace Part of Speech: feminine noun Total Occurrences: 1
Definition: From G2316; divinity (abstractly): godhead.
Key Verse¶
- Col 2:9 -- "in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead [theotes] bodily"
G2304 -- theios (θεῖος)¶
Original: θεῖος Transliteration: theios Part of Speech: adjective Total Occurrences: 3
Definition: From G2316; godlike (neuter as noun, divinity): divine, godhead.
Key Verses¶
- Acts 17:29 -- "we ought not to think that the Godhead [theion] is like unto gold, or silver, or stone"
- 2Pe 1:3 -- "his divine [theios] power hath given unto us all things"
- 2Pe 1:4 -- "partakers of the divine [theios] nature"
Hebrew Grammar Analysis: Exodus 20:3¶
Full Parse¶
לֹֽ֣א יִהְיֶֽה־לְךָ֛֩ אֱלֹהִ֥֨ים אֲחֵרִ֖֜ים עַל־פָּנָֽ֗יַ׃
lo yihyeh-lekha elohim acherim al-panay
not shall-be-to-you gods other upon-my-face
| Hebrew | Lemma | Parsing | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|
| לֹֽ֣א | לא | Neg.+NAN | not |
| יִהְיֶֽה | היה | Verb.Qal.Impf.3ms | be |
| לְךָ֛֩ | ל | Prep.+2ms | to (you) |
| אֱלֹהִ֥֨ים | אלהים | Noun.mp.Abs | god(s) |
| אֲחֵרִ֖֜ים | אחר | Adj.mp.Abs | other |
| עַל | על | Prep | upon |
| פָּנָֽ֗יַ | פנה | Noun.mp.Abs.+1us | face (my) |
Clause Structure¶
- Type: xYqX (subordinate clause pattern)
- Domain: Q (quotation/direct speech)
- Components:
- [Nega] לֹֽ֣א (negation)
- [Pred] יִהְיֶֽה (predicate: "shall be")
- [Cmpl] לְךָ֛֩ (complement: "to you")
- [Subj] אֱלֹהִ֥֨ים אֲחֵרִ֖֜ים (subject: "other gods")
- [Adju] עַל פָּנָֽ֗יַ (adjunct: "upon my face")
Grammatical Notes¶
- The verb yihyeh (Qal imperfect 3ms of היה "to be") with lo (not) forms a prohibition
- The phrase "al panay" (upon my face / before me) functions as an adverbial adjunct modifying the entire clause
- The subject "elohim acherim" (other gods) is plural masculine absolute
Hebrew Grammar Analysis: Deuteronomy 6:4 (The Shema)¶
Full Parse¶
שְׁמַ֖ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ יְהוָ֥ה׀ אֶחָֽד׃
shema yisra'el YHWH elohenu YHWH echad
hear Israel YHWH our-God YHWH one
| Hebrew | Lemma | Parsing | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|
| שְׁמַ֖ע | שׁמע | Verb.Qal.Impv.2ms | hear |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | ישׂראל | PropN.s.Abs | Israel |
| יְהוָ֥ה | יהוה | PropN.ms.Abs | YHWH |
| אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ | אלהים | Noun.mp.Abs.+1up | our God(s) |
| יְהוָ֥ה | יהוה | PropN.ms.Abs | YHWH |
| אֶחָֽד | אחד | Noun.s.Abs | one |
Grammatical Notes¶
- shema (Qal imperative 2ms) -- a direct command to hear/listen/obey
- The construction "YHWH elohenu YHWH echad" can be parsed:
- "YHWH our God, YHWH [is] one" (predicative reading)
- "YHWH our God [is] one YHWH" (attributive reading)
- The word echad (one) is parsed as a noun in absolute state
- elohenu = elohim + 1st person common plural suffix ("our God")