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  • From: jhonhar AT juno.com
  • To: b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: Re: Elohim, a plural of Majesty ?
  • Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2002 17:58:36 -0500


As ELOHIM indicates reverence or majesty, would this show more of a
qualitative aspect than a name? It seems that the singular verb BARA in
Ge. 1:1 ties these vast qualities in HIM. But as a name, perhaps, since
Ex. 6:3 definitively gives the Tetragrammaton as His Name. Any
suggestions on harmonizing these two texts as names?
Thanks,
John Carras
jhonhar AT juno.com

On Tue, 29 Jan 2002 12:29:44 -0500 "Shoshanna Walker"
<rosewalk AT concentric.net> writes:
> > I thought Elohim was determined by Secular scholars to be an
> archaic
> "plural
> > of majesty."
>
> This is what Ibn Ezra said, which I posted:
>
>
> Ibn Ezra suggests that the name Elohim is derived from Eil
> [literally
> meaning strength]. It appears in the plural form as a matter of
> reverence,
> for every language has its reverent form of address [as in the
> 'plural of
> majesty'], but no idea of plurality is to be inferred from this form
> as
> evidenced by the fact that the verb Bara, created, IS IN THE
> SINGULAR
>
>
> >
> > Acccording to Dalley-
> >
> > "THE GODS" is used to refer to Nergel. This is a Phoenician and
> Punic
> usage,
> > also found in the Old Testament when Yahweh is called ELOHIM
> "gods", and
> in
> > Amarna letters from Phoenician cities where Pharaoh is addressed
> as "MY
> > GODS" (RlA, s.v. Elohim)"
> > (p.177 note 11, "Nergal and Ereshkigal Notes." Stephanie Dalley.
> Myths
> From
> > Mesopotamia, Creation, The Flood, Gilgamesh and Others. Oxford &
> New York.
> > Oxford University Press. 1989, 1991)
> > Note: RlA is Reallexikon der Assyriologie
> >
> >
> > All the best, Walter
> >
> > Walter Reinhold Warttig Mattfeld
> > Walldorf by Heidelberg
> > Baden-Wurttemburg, Germany
> > www.bibleorigins.net
> >
> >
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