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  • From: Gerry Folbre <gerry AT wetmountainvalley.us>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [b-hebrew] Definite articles and proper names in B-Hebrew
  • Date: Fri, 02 Oct 2009 10:50:13 -0600

James Christian asks, "If Elohim in the creation account is to be understood as a strict title what are the contextual clues that make it understood as such?"



I suspect that the contextual clue exists within the plural masculine noun itself; ????? = 'LHYM {Elhym or Elohim} begins with the masculine noun ?? = 'L that denotes "strength & power" and was common to most Semitic languages as denoting "the supreme God". In the Occidental Semitic language related to Phoenician and to the language of Canaan that was adopted by the Israelites, the Ugaritic pantheon was presided over by El (i.e. ?? = 'L) (Larousse World Mythology, pg 86/7). The proper noun Israel = ????? means: ? = he ?? = ruler ?? = El/God. The plural masculine noun ????? = Elhym appears to denote the multifaceted nature of the Israelites' monotheistic conception of their Deity. Therefore ????? can be contextually perceived as "a distinctive and descriptive appellation (or title)" that denotes the strengths and powers of the Israelites' monotheistic conception of their one true God. None the less, ????? or Elohim is a common noun and so too is ?? = El, for the Name of the Israelites" multifaceted monotheistic Deity is ???? {perhaps meaning: ? = he ??? = becomes and/or ? = he ??? = destruction; e.g. Isaiah 45:7 I form light and create darkness: I make peace and create calamity; I ???? do all this).



Gerry Folbre




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