H430

אֱלֹהִים

ʼĕlôhîym · el-o-heem'

gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative

Lexicon

Derivation: plural of H433 (אֱלוֹהַּ);

gods in the ordinary sense
but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God
occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates
and sometimes as a superlative

Definition from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890). Wording is Strong's own, including his etymological notes, which are not separate meanings.

KJV renderings: angels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.

Letters

אAlef1
Picture: ox head
Concrete
ox · bull · cattle
Extended
strength · leader · first · the one in front
לLamed30
Picture: shepherd's staff or goad
Concrete
staff · goad · yoke · cattle prod
Extended
authority · to lead · to teach · to bind · toward
הHe5
Picture: a person with both arms raised
Concrete
a man calling out · a window · breath
Extended
behold! · revelation · to reveal · the (definite article)
יYod10
Picture: arm and closed hand
Concrete
hand · arm · work
Extended
a deed · to make · to work · to throw or worship
מMem40
Picture: waves of water
Concrete
water · sea · blood · liquid
Extended
chaos · mighty and uncontrollable · the masses · from / out of

Possible cultural reading

strength, the leader › authority, the one who leads › to reveal, behold › the hand that works › water, chaos, the mighty deep

The strength (alef) that leads (lamed) with the hand (yod) over the mighty waters (mem), power exercised over chaos.

Interpretive, not lexical. The dictionary sense of אֱלֹהִים above is the attested meaning; this pictographic reading is a tradition about how the sign-shapes may have been heard. Both can be held at once, they are answering different questions.

Usage

2603 occurrences · 2603 OT · 0 NT · 384 distinct forms

KJV renderings of this word, by how often each one is used.

god380 · 19%
of god321 · 16%
thy god312 · 16%
your god151 · 8%
our god110 · 6%
the god104 · 5%
and god95 · 5%
gods81 · 4%
o god54 · 3%
my god48 · 2%
their god46 · 2%
of our god40 · 2%
his god34 · 2%
unto god31 · 2%
for god27 · 1%
of the god25 · 1%
that god21 · 1%
of his god15 · 1%
their gods14 · 1%
but god14 · 1%
of my god12 · 1%
and the god11 · 1%
o my god11 · 1%
in god10 · 1%
which god10 · 1%

Where it is used, by book.

Inflected forms found in the text.

אֱלֹהֵ֣י185אֱלֹהִ֖ים112אֱלֹהֵ֥י89אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ78אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ69אֱלֹהִים֙68אֱלֹהִ֣ים64הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים57אֱלֹהִ֑ים57הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים54אֱלֹהִֽים׃52אֱלֹהִ֔ים51

Counts are computed from the tagged Hebrew and Greek text aligned to the King James Version, not from an estimate.