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).