אֱלֹהִים
God
‘God’ is one of 9 main senses fuller range ↓
Full lexicon entry — Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
From Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
Where this word appears
See every Construct-state word in the Hebrew Bible →
Grammar key — what these labels mean
Part of speech
- Noun
- A naming word — a person, place, thing, or idea.
Noun type
- Common
- A common noun — a general class of person, place, or thing (“king,” “city,” “water”), not a specific name.
State
- Absolute
- The independent form of a noun, not bound to a following word.
- Construct
- A noun bound to a following noun in a possessive / “of” relationship (the construct chain).
Gender
- Masculine
- Grammatically masculine.
Number
- Plural
- More than one (in Hebrew, generally three or more).
- Singular
- One.
Every verse where H430 appears in the Book of Nehemiah — 64 distinct verses. Click any verse to open its interlinear word-by-word view. Verse text shown in the World English Bible for context — . Each verse’s Hebrew form is shown with its reference; the English is not keyword-highlighted, since the data carries no word-level English alignment. Use “Compare translations” on any verse to read it across multiple English versions. This concordance covers the Hebrew Bible; Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) occurrences are not indexed here.
Nehemiah
- Nehemiah 1:4 אֱלֹהֵ֥י n c mp cs It happened, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days; and I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven,
- Nehemiah 1:5 אֱלֹהֵ֣י n c mp cs and said, I beg you, Yahweh, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and loving kindness with those who love him and keep his commandments:
- Nehemiah 2:4 אֱלֹהֵ֖י n c mp cs Then the king said to me, For what do you make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.
- Nehemiah 2:8 אֱלֹהַ֖/י n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cs and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the castle which appertains to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. The king granted me, according to the good hand of my God on me.
- Nehemiah 2:12 אֱלֹהַ/י֙ n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cs I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God put into my heart to do for Jerusalem; neither was there any animal with me, except the animal that I rode on.
- Nehemiah 2:18 אֱלֹהַ֗/י n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cs I told them of the hand of my God which was good on me, as also of the king's words that he had spoken to me. They said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for the good [work].
- Nehemiah 2:20 אֱלֹהֵ֣י n c mp cs Then answered I them, and said to them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but you have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.
- Nehemiah 4:4 אֱלֹהֵ֨י/נוּ֙ n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cp Hear, our God; for we are despised: and turn back their reproach on their own head, and give them up for a spoil in a land of captivity;
- Nehemiah 4:9 אֱלֹהֵ֑י/נוּ n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cp But we made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.
- Nehemiah 4:15 הָ/אֱלֹהִ֖ים ptcl def.art + n c mp It happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and God had brought their counsel to nothing, that we returned all of us to the wall, everyone to his work.
- Nehemiah 4:20 אֱלֹהֵ֖י/נוּ n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cp in whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, resort you there to us; our God will fight for us.
- Nehemiah 5:9 אֱלֹהֵ֨י/נוּ֙ n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cp Also I said, The thing that you do is not good: ought you not to walk in the fear of our God, because of the reproach of the nations our enemies?
- Nehemiah 5:13 הָֽ/אֱלֹהִ֟ים ptcl def.art + n c mp Also I shook out my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from his house, and from his labor, that doesn't perform this promise; even thus be he shaken out, and emptied. All the assembly said, Amen, and praised Yahweh. The people did according to this promise.
- Nehemiah 5:15 אֱלֹהִֽים n c mp But the former governors who were before me were chargeable to the people, and took of them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver; yes, even their servants bore rule over the people: but I didn't do so, because of the fear of God.
- Nehemiah 5:19 אֱלֹהַ֖/י n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cs Remember to me, my God, for good, all that I have done for this people.
- Nehemiah 6:10 הָ/אֱלֹהִ֜ים ptcl def.art + n c mp I went to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabel, who was shut up; and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to kill you; yes, in the night will they come to kill you.
- Nehemiah 6:12 אֱלֹהִ֖ים n c mp I discerned, and, behold, God had not sent him; but he pronounced this prophecy against me: and Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
- Nehemiah 6:14 אֱלֹהַ֛/י n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cs Remember, my God, Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and also the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear.
- Nehemiah 6:16 אֱלֹהֵ֔י/נוּ n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cp It happened, when all our enemies heard [of it], that all the nations that were about us feared, and were much cast down in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was worked of our God.
- Nehemiah 7:2 הָ/אֱלֹהִ֖ים ptcl def.art + n c mp that I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the governor of the castle, charge over Jerusalem; for he was a faithful man, and feared God above many.
- Nehemiah 7:5 אֱלֹהַ/י֙ n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cs My God put into my heart to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, that they might be reckoned by genealogy. I found the book of the genealogy of those who came up at the first, and I found written therein:
- Nehemiah 8:6 הָ/אֱלֹהִ֖ים ptcl def.art + n c mp and Ezra blessed Yahweh, the great God. All the people answered, Amen, Amen, with the lifting up of their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshiped Yahweh with their faces to the ground.
- Nehemiah 8:8 הָ/אֱלֹהִ֖ים ptcl def.art + n c mp They read in the book, in the law of God, distinctly; and they gave the sense, so that they understood the reading.
- Nehemiah 8:9 אֱלֹהֵי/כֶ֔ם n c mp cs + sfx pers 2mp Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites who taught the people, said to all the people, This day is holy to Yahweh your God; don't mourn, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.
- Nehemiah 8:16 הָ/אֱלֹהִ֑ים ptcl def.art + n c mp So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, everyone on the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the broad place of the water gate, and in the broad place of the gate of Ephraim.
- Nehemiah 8:18 הָ/אֱלֹהִים֙ ptcl def.art + n c mp Also day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. They kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according to the ordinance.
- Nehemiah 9:3 אֱלֹהֵי/הֶ֖ם אֱלֹהֵי/הֶֽם n c mp cs + sfx pers 3mp n c mp cs + sfx pers 3mp They stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of Yahweh their God a fourth part of the day; and [another] fourth part they confessed, and worshiped Yahweh their God.
- Nehemiah 9:4 אֱלֹהֵי/הֶֽם n c mp cs + sfx pers 3mp Then stood up on the stairs of the Levites, Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, [and] Chenani, and cried with a loud voice to Yahweh their God.
- Nehemiah 9:5 אֱלֹֽהֵי/כֶ֔ם n c mp cs + sfx pers 2mp Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, [and] Pethahiah, said, Stand up and bless Yahweh your God from everlasting to everlasting; and blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.
- Nehemiah 9:7 הָ/אֱלֹהִ֔ים ptcl def.art + n c mp You are Yahweh the God, who did choose Abram, and brought him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gave him the name of Abraham,
- Nehemiah 9:18 אֱלֹהֶ֔י/ךָ n c mp cs + sfx pers 2ms Yes, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt, and had committed awful blasphemies;
- Nehemiah 9:32 אֱ֠לֹהֵי/נוּ n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cp Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keep covenant and loving kindness, don't let all the travail seem little before you, that has come on us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria to this day.
- Nehemiah 10:28 הָ/אֱלֹהִ֔ים ptcl def.art + n c mp The rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinim, and all those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, everyone who had knowledge, and understanding;
- Nehemiah 10:29 הָ/אֱלֹהִ֔ים הָֽ/אֱלֹהִ֑ים ptcl def.art + n c mp ptcl def.art + n c mp They joined with their brothers, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of Yahweh our Lord, and his ordinances and his statutes;
- Nehemiah 10:32 אֱלֹהֵֽי/נוּ n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cp Also we made ordinances for us, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God;
- Nehemiah 10:33 אֱלֹהֵֽי/נוּ n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cp for the show bread, and for the continual meal-offering, and for the continual burnt-offering, for the Sabbaths, for the new moons, for the set feasts, and for the holy things, and for the sin-offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God.
- Nehemiah 10:34 אֱלֹהֵ֧י/נוּ אֱלֹהֵ֔י/נוּ n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cp n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cp We cast lots, the priests, the Levites, and the people, for the wood-offering, to bring it into the house of our God, according to our fathers' houses, at times appointed, year by year, to burn on the altar of Yahweh our God, as it is written in the law;
- Nehemiah 10:36 אֱלֹהֵ֔י/נוּ אֱלֹהֵֽי/נוּ n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cp n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cp also the firstborn of our sons, and of our cattle, as it is written in the law, and the firstborn of our herds and of our flocks, to bring to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God;
- Nehemiah 10:37 אֱלֹהֵ֔י/נוּ n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cp and that we should bring the first fruits of our dough, and our heave-offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, the new wine and the oil, to the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and the tithes of our ground to the Levites; for they, the Levites, take the tithes in all the cities of our tillage.
- Nehemiah 10:38 אֱלֹהֵ֔י/נוּ n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cp The priest the son of Aaron shall be with the Levites, when the Levites take tithes: and the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes to the house of our God, to the chambers, into the treasure-house.
- Nehemiah 10:39 אֱלֹהֵֽי/נוּ n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cp For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the heave-offering of the grain, of the new wine, and of the oil, to the chambers, where are the vessels of the sanctuary, and the priests who minister, and the porters, and the singers: and we will not forsake the house of our God.
- Nehemiah 11:11 הָ/אֱלֹהִֽים ptcl def.art + n c mp Seraiah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the ruler of the house of God,
- Nehemiah 11:16 הָ/אֱלֹהִ֔ים ptcl def.art + n c mp and Shabbethai and Jozabad, of the chiefs of the Levites, who had the oversight of the outward business of the house of God;
- Nehemiah 11:22 הָ/אֱלֹהִֽים ptcl def.art + n c mp The overseer also of the Levites at Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Mica, of the sons of Asaph, the singers, over the business of the house of God.
- Nehemiah 12:24 הָ/אֱלֹהִ֑ים ptcl def.art + n c mp The chiefs of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers over against them, to praise and give thanks, according to the commandment of David the man of God, watch next to watch.
- Nehemiah 12:36 הָ/אֱלֹהִ֑ים ptcl def.art + n c mp and his brothers, Shemaiah, and Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, and Judah, Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God; and Ezra the scribe was before them.
- Nehemiah 12:40 הָ/אֱלֹהִ֑ים ptcl def.art + n c mp So stood the two companies of those who gave thanks in the house of God, and I, and the half of the rulers with me;
- Nehemiah 12:43 הָ/אֱלֹהִים֙ ptcl def.art + n c mp They offered great sacrifices that day, and rejoiced; for God had made them rejoice with great joy; and the women also and the children rejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.
- Nehemiah 12:45 אֱלֹֽהֵי/הֶם֙ n c mp cs + sfx pers 3mp They kept the charge of their God, and the charge of the purification, and [so did] the singers and the porters, according to the commandment of David, and of Solomon his son.
- Nehemiah 12:46 לֵֽ/אלֹהִֽים prep + n c mp For in the days of David and Asaph of old there was a chief of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.
- Nehemiah 13:1 הָ/אֱלֹהִ֖ים ptcl def.art + n c mp On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; and therein was found written, that an Ammonite and a Moabite should not enter into the assembly of God forever,
- Nehemiah 13:2 אֱלֹהֵ֛י/נוּ n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cp because they didn't meet the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, to curse them: however our God turned the curse into a blessing.
- Nehemiah 13:4 אֱלֹהֵ֑י/נוּ n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cp Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, being allied to Tobiah,
- Nehemiah 13:7 הָ/אֱלֹהִֽים ptcl def.art + n c mp and I came to Jerusalem, and understood the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God.
- Nehemiah 13:9 הָ/אֱלֹהִ֔ים ptcl def.art + n c mp Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers: and there brought I again the vessels of the house of God, with the meal-offerings and the frankincense.
- Nehemiah 13:11 הָ/אֱלֹהִ֑ים ptcl def.art + n c mp Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? I gathered them together, and set them in their place.
- Nehemiah 13:14 אֱלֹהַ֖/י אֱלֹהַ֖/י n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cs n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cs Remember me, my God, concerning this, and don't wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the observances of it.
- Nehemiah 13:18 אֱלֹהֵ֜י/נוּ n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cp Didn't your fathers do thus, and did not our God bring all this evil on us, and on this city? yet you bring more wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.
- Nehemiah 13:22 אֱלֹהַ֔/י n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cs I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day. Remember to me, my God, this also, and spare me according to the greatness of your loving kindness.
- Nehemiah 13:25 בֵּֽ/אלֹהִ֗ים prep + n c mp I contended with them, and cursed them, and struck certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, [saying], You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons, or for yourselves.
- Nehemiah 13:26 לֵֽ/אלֹהָי/ו֙ אֱלֹהִ֔ים prep + n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms n c mp Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, and he was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did foreign women cause to sin.
- Nehemiah 13:27 בֵּֽ/אלֹהֵ֑י/נוּ prep + n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cp Shall we then listen to you to do all this great evil, to trespass against our God in marrying foreign women?
- Nehemiah 13:29 אֱלֹהָ֑/י n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cs Remember them, my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites.
- Nehemiah 13:31 אֱלֹהַ֖/י n c mp cs + sfx pers 1cs and for the wood-offering, at times appointed, and for the first fruits. Remember me, my God, for good.
About this entry
At a glance — auto-summarized from this page’s data, not written by a person. Every figure links to its source below. This summary describes the numbers; it doesn’t interpret them.
אלהים — transliterated ʼĕlôhîym — is a Hebrew name carrying the sense “God.” It first appears in Genesis 1:1. The Hebrew Bible uses it across 2,246 verses — among the most common. Each statement above links to its evidence; the full detail follows below.
Gloss history
Strong's 1890 vs modern scholarship
About this word
Strong's H430 catalogs a Hebrew word from the Hebrew Old Testament.
These counts are not copied from any lexicon or concordance. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged Hebrew Old Testament. What Lemma adds →
- 2,246
- distinct verses
- The word appears in 2,246 distinct verses.
- 35 / 39
- OT books
- The word appears in 35 of 39 Old Testament books.
- #13
- by frequency
- Top 25 most frequent Hebrew words (rank 13 of 8,640 Hebrew words by occurrence).
View all 2,246 occurrences in the concordance →
Most concentrated in
- Psalms 322 verses 14%
- Deuteronomy 312 verses 14%
- Genesis 190 verses 8%
By section of the Old Testament
By traditional corpus
Conventional, traditional groupings — biblical authorship is debated, so this is a traditional corpus grouping, not an authorship claim. Each share is this word’s portion of its verses in that division of the Hebrew canon. Each figure is a share of the word’s 2,246 distinct verses.
- Prophets (Nevi'im) 784 verses · 35%
- Writings (Ketuvim) 779 verses · 35%
- Torah (Pentateuch) 683 verses · 30%
How translations render this word
Counts come from each version’s own published word-to-Strong’s tagging or interlinear alignment — an approximate guide to how each version renders this word, not a word-level alignment the data otherwise carries. Because each total is that version’s own tagged count, the per-version totals vary from one another and need not match the appearance or distinct-verse counts above. These counts may also differ from a printed concordance because Lemma counts each distinctly tagged rendering and does not collapse phrase taggings into a single head-word total. This is a fixed set of word-tagged versions (KJV, ASV, BSB, ULT) and does not change with the reading translation you choose elsewhere. Each version’s license is shown beside its name below (and on Sources).
- King James Version: God 2,100×, Gods 160×, Is no god 7×
- American Standard Version: God 1,915×, Gods 141×, Jehovah thy god 20×
- Berean Standard Bible: God 2,183×, Gods 176×, May god 17×
- unfoldingWord Literal Text: God 1,924×, God of 307×, Gods 148×
King James Version Public Domain
Renders H430 across 2,605 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 173 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings. Not rendered by a distinct English word in 1 further occurrence.
American Standard Version Public Domain
Renders H430 across 2,605 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 248 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings. Not rendered by a distinct English word in 2 further occurrences.
Berean Standard Bible Public Domain
Renders H430 across 2,560 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 60 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings. Not rendered by a distinct English word in 40 further occurrences.
unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
Renders H430 across 2,584 tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 48 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
15 senses and sub-senses in the full BDB
What do BDB’s symbols mean?
BDB uses these scholarly abbreviations:
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 𝔊 | the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation, LXX) |
| 𝔙 | the Vulgate (the Latin translation) |
| 𝔖 | the Syriac version (the Peshitta) |
| 𝔗 | the Targum (the Aramaic translation) |
| ψ | the Psalms |
| √ | root (the underlying root or stem) |
| ‖ | parallel passage (a synonymous or contrasted parallel) |
| † | the dagger: every passage where the word occurs is cited |
The 15 senses and sub-senses the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon distinguishes for this word, in lexicon order (not ranked by frequency), with BDB’s own verbatim wording and sub-sense lettering. Shown in Hebrew script with BDB’s own scholarly abbreviations. The condensed entry is in the Lexicon Entry tab. See also the Forms in the corpus table below.
- 1. pl. in number.
- a. rulers, judges, either as divine representatives at sacred places or as reflecting divine majesty and power: האלהים Ex 21:6 (Onk 𝔖, but τὸ κριτήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ 𝔊) 22:7, 8; אלהים 22:8, 27 (𝔗 Ra AE Ew RVm; but gods, 𝔊 Josephus Philo AV; God, Di RV; all Covt. code of E) cf. 1 S 2:25 v. Dr.; Ju 5:8 (Ew, but gods 𝔊; God 𝔖 BarHeb.; יהוה 𝔙 Be) ψ 82:1, 6 (De Ew Pe; but angels Bl Hup) 138:1 (𝔖 𝔗 Rab Ki De; but angels 𝔊 Calv; God, Ew; gods, Hup Pe Che). e.g. Exodus 21:6
- b. divine ones, superhuman beings including God and angels ψ 8:6 (De Che Br; but angels 𝔊 𝔖 𝔗 Ew; God, RV and most moderns) Gn 1:27 (if with Philo 𝔗 Jer De Che we interpret נעשה as God’s consultation with angels; cf. Jb 38:7). e.g. Psalms 8:6
- c. angels ψ 97:7 (𝔊 𝔖 Calv; but gods, Hup De Pe Che); cf. בני (ה)אלהים = (the) sons of God, or sons of gods = angels Jb 1:6; 2:1; 38:7 Gn 6:2, 4 (J; so 𝔊 Bks. of Enoch & Jubilees Philo Jude v 6; 2 Pet 2:4 JosAnt. i, 3, 1, most ancient fathers and modern critics; against usage are sons of princes, mighty men, Onk and Rab.; sons of God, the pious, Theod Chrys Jer Augustine Luther Calv Hengst; 𝔊L read οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ), cf. בני אלים. e.g. Psalms 97:7
- d. gods האלהים Ex 18:11; 22:19 (E) 1 S 4:3; 2 Ch 2:4 ψ 86:3; אלהי האלהים the God of gods, supreme God Dt 10:17 ψ 136:2; אלהים Ex 32:1, 23 (JE) Ju 9:13; אלהים אחרים other gods Ex 20:3; 23:13 Jos 24:2, 16 (E) Dt 31:18, 20 (JE) 5:7 + (17 times in D, not P) Ju 2:12, 17, 19; 10:13 1 S 8:8; 26:19 1 K 9:6, 9 (= 2 Ch 7:19, 22) 11:4, 10; 14:9 2 K 5:17; 17:35, 37, 38; 22:17 (= 2 Ch 34:25) 2 Ch 28:25 Je 1:16 + (18 times Je) Ho 3:1; אלהי (ה)נכר foreign gods Gn 35:2, 4 Jos 24:20, 23 (E) Dt 31:16 (JE) Ju 10:16 1 S 7:3 2 Ch 33:15 Je 5:19; א׳ נחור (v. 4 b); א׳ מצרים Ex 12:12 (P) Je 43:12, 13; א׳ האמרי Jos 24:15 (E) Ju 6:10; א׳ ארם etc. Ju 10:6; אלהים מעשה ידי Dt 4:28; א׳ הגוים gods of the nations 2 K 18:33; 19:12 Dt 29:17; 2 Ch 32:17, 19 Is 36:18; 37:12; א׳ העמים Dt 6:14; 13:8 Ju 2:12 ψ 96:5 1 Ch 5:25; 16:26; 2 Ch 32:13, 14; א׳ כסף Ex 20:23 (E); א׳ זהב Ex 20:23 (E) 32:31 (JE); א׳ מַסֵּכָה Ex 34:17 (J) Lv 19:4 (H). e.g. Exodus 18:11
- 2. Pl. intensive.
- a. god or goddess, always with sf. 1 S 5:7 (Dagon), Ju 11:24 (Chemosh), 1 K 18:24 (Baal), Ju 9:27 Dn 1:2(×2); or cstr. לעשתרת א׳ צדנים לכמוש א׳ מואב to Ashtoreth goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh god of Moab, etc. 1 K 11:33; א׳ הארץ god of the land 2 K 17:26(×2), 27, and so the Syrians suppose that Yahweh is a mountain-god and not a god of valleys 1 K 20:28. e.g. 1 Samuel 5:7
- b. godlike one Ex 4:16 (J; Moses in relation to Aaron), Ex 7:1 (P; in relation to Pharaoh), 1 S 28:13 (the shade of Samuel), ψ 45:7 (the Messianic king, O God, 𝔊 𝔖 Jer, most scholars ancient and modern, but thy throne is God’s = God’s throne AE Ki Thes Ew Hup, cf. 1 Ch 28:5). e.g. Exodus 4:16
- c. works of God, or things specially belonging to him (vid. אֵל 5) הר אלהים ψ 68:16; Ez 28:14, 16; אש אלהים Jb 1:16; גן (ה)אלהים Ez 28:13; 31:8, 9. e.g. Psalms 68:16
- d. God (vid. 3 & 4).
- 3. הָאֱלֹהִים the (true) God, י׳ הוא האלהים Yahweh is (the) God Dt 4:35, 39; 7:9 1 K 8:60; 18:39(×2) 2 Ch 33:13 הוא האלהים 1 K 18:24 Is 45:18; י׳ האלהים Jos 22:34 (P?) 1 K 18:21; 2 Ch 32:16; אתה הוא האלהים 2 S 7:28; 1 K 18:37; 2 K 19:15; 1 Ch 17:26; Is 37:16; Ne 9:7; האלהים as subj. or obj. is used in E 33 times, Chr 38 times, Ec 31 times, Jon 5 times, elsewhere Gn 5:22, 24; 6:9, 11 (sources of P) 17:18 (P) Jos 22:34 (P?) Gn 44:16 (J) Dt 4:35, 39; 7:9; Ju 6:36, 39; 7:14; 10:14; 16:28; 21:2 1 S 10:3, 7; 14:36; 2 S 2:27; 6:7; 7:28; 12:16 1 K 8:60; 18:21, 24(×2), 37, 39(×2) 2 K 19:15 (Ephr) Jb 2:10 Je 11:12 Is 37:16; 45:18 ψ 108:14 Dn 1:9, 17; י׳ הא׳ הקדוש 1 S 6:20; י׳ הא׳ הגדול Ne 8:6; הא׳ אשר בירושלם Ezr 1:3; אדני האלהים Dn 9:3; in many phrases, as איש האלהים the man of God, acting under divine authority and influence: = (a) angel Ju 13:6, 8, (b) prophet (the term coming into use in the Northern kingdom in the age of Elijah 1 S 9:6–10, cf. אִישׁ הָרוּחַ Hos 9:7): of Moses Dt 33:1 Jos 14:6 (E) 1 Ch 23:14 2 Ch 30:16 Ezr 3:2 ψ 90:1; of Samuel 1 S 9:6–10; of David 2 Ch 8:14 Ne 12:24, 36; Shemaiah 1 K 12:22 (= 2 Ch 11:2); Elijah, Elisha, and others of their time 1 K 13:1–31; 17:18–24; 20:28 2 K 1:9–13; 4:7–42; 5:8–20; 6:6–15; 7:2, 17; 8:2–11; 13:19; 23:16–17 (Ephr.) 2 Ch 25:7, 9; unnamed prophet 1 S 2:27; Hanan Je 35:4; a later title of prophet was עֶבֶד האלהים the servant of God, used of Moses 1 Ch 6:34 2 Ch 24:9 Ne 10:30 Dn 9:11. בית האלהים the house of God, Ju 18:31, especially late, Chr (52 times) Ec 4:17 Dn 1:2; בית י׳ הא׳ 1 Ch 22:1; האלהים (ברית) ארון the ark (of the covenant) of God Ju 20:27 1 S 4–5. 14, 2 S 6–7. 15 (23 times) 1 Ch 13. 15. 16, 2 Ch 1:4 (13 times); מטה האלהים the rod of God Ex 4:20; 17:9 (E); הר האלהים the mount of God (Horeb) Ex 3:1; 4:27; 18:5; 24:13 (E) 1 K 19:8 (Ephr.); מלאך האלהים the (theophanic) angel of God Gn 31:11 Ex 14:19 (E) Ju 6:20; 13:6, 9 2 S 14:17, 20; 19:28; in other combinations Ex 18:16 Nu 23:27 (E) Ju 20:2 1 S 4:8; 5:11; 10:5 2 S 16:23 1 K 12:22 1 Ch 21:7 + ψ 87:3 Ec 9:1. e.g. Deuteronomy 4:35
- 4. אֱלֹהִים = God י׳ אֱלֹהִים אֱמֶת = Yahweh is God in truth Je 10:10. e.g. Jeremiah 10:10
- a. אלהים (as subj. obj. direct or indirect) is used by P (50 times in story of creation and deluge, elsewhere 28 times), by E (91 times), J chiefly in poetic sources Gn 3:1, 3, 5(×2); 9:27; 39:9 Dt 32:17, 39, by D (11 times) Ju (21 times) S (50 times) K (29 times) Chr (45 times); in ψ 42–86 (180 times often by editorial change for an original יהוה), elsewhere ψ 3:3; 5:11; 7:11, 12; 9:18; 10:4, 13; 14:1, 2, 5; 25:22; 36:2, 8; 77:14; 100:3; 108:2, 6, 8, 12(×2), 14 Jb 5:8; 20:29; 28:23; 32:2; 34:9 (& in Prologue 6 times) Pr 2:5; 3:4; 25:2 Ec (7 times) Hos (5 times) Am 4:11 (כמהפכת אלהים את סדם as God overthrew Sodom = Je 50:40 = Is 13:19) Zc 8:23; 12:8 Mi 3:7 (but אליהם 𝔊 𝔖) Is 35:4 Is 2 (9 times) Je 10:10 Ez (13 times) Mal (5 times) Jon (4 times); the phrase היה ל׳ לאלהים Gn 28:21 (ER) 17:7, 8 Ex 6:7; 29:45 Lv 11:45; 22:33; 25:38; 26:12, 45 Nu 15:41 (P) Dt 26:17; 29:13 2 S 7:24 (= 1 Ch 17:22) Zc 8:8 Je (6 times) Ez (6 times); אלהים צדיק righteous God ψ 7:10; א׳ קדשים holy God Jos 24:19 (E); א׳ חיים living God Dt 5:23 1 S 17:26, 36 Je 10:10; 23:36; א׳ חי 2 K 19:4, 16 (= Is 37:4, 17). For the phrases יהוה א׳, י׳ א׳ צבאות, א׳ צבאות, אל א׳ י׳, יה א׳, י׳ צבאות א׳, י׳ אלהי צבאות, אדני א׳ vid. יהוה, יה, צבאות & אדני. e.g. Genesis 3:1
- b. cstr. אֱלֹהֵי (α) with persons אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם = God of Abraham, a phrase of J, Gn 26:24; 28:13; 31:53, Gn 31:42 (ε) Ex 3:6 ψ 47:10 1 K 18:36 1 Ch 29:18 2 Ch 30:6; א׳ אדני אברהם Gn 24:12, 27, 42, 48 (J); אלהי אב father’s God (various sf. & names), a phrase of E, Gn 31:5, 29, 42; 46:3; 50:17 Ex 3:6, 13, 15, 16; 15:2; 18:4 Jos 18:3, elsewhere Gn 32:10; 43:23 (J) Ex 4:5 (J?) Dt (8 times) Ju 2:12 2 K 21:22 Chr (31 times) Dn 11:37; אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל Israel’s God, phrase of E, Gn 33:20 Ex 5:1; 24:10; 32:27 Jos 8:30; 14:14; 22:16; 24:2, 23, elsewhere Ex 34:23 Jos 7:13, 19, 20 (JE) Nu 16:9 Jos 9:18, 19; 22:24; 10:40, 42; 13:14, 33 (R vid. Di Jos 7:13) Ju 4:6; 5:3, 5; 6:8; 11:21, 23; 21:3 1 S 1:17 + (20 times) K (26 times) Chr (45 times) ψ 41:14; 106:48 (doxol.) 59:6; 69:7 Is 17:6; 21:10, 17; 29:23 Is 3; 24:15; 37:16, 21 Is 2; 41:17 + (6 times) Je 35:17 + (48 times), Ez 8:4 + (7 times) Zp 2:9 Mal 2:16 Ru 2:12; א׳ מערכות ישראל God of the battle array of Israel 1 S 17:45; א׳ יַעֲקֹב 2 S 23:1 (poet.) ψ 20:2; 46:8, 12; 75:10; 76:7; 81:2, 5; 84:9; 94:7 Is 2:3 (= Mi 4:2); א׳ העבריים God of the Hebrews Ex 3:18; 5:3; 7:16; 9:1, 13 (JE); it is used with other proper names, Nahor Gn 31:53 (E), Shem Gn 9:26 (J), David 2 K 20:5 2 Ch 21:12; 34:3 Is 38:5, Hezekiah 2 Ch 32:17, Elijah 2 K 2:14; א׳ אדני המלך the God of my lord the king 1 K 1:36. (β) with nouns of attributes or relationships, א׳ קֶדֶם ancient God Dt 33:27; א׳ עולם everlasting God Is 40:28; א׳ אֱמֶת true God 2 Ch 15:3; א׳ אָמֵן Is 65:16 (vid. אָמֵן); א׳ משפט Is 30:18 Mal 2:17; א׳ מרום Mi 6:6; א׳ כָל בָשָׂר God of all flesh Je 32:27; cf. א׳ הרוחת לכל בשר Nu 16:22; 27:16 (P); א׳ השמים God of heaven Gn 24:7 (JR) 2 Ch 36:23 Ezr 1:2 Ne 1:4, 5; 2:4, 20; cf. א׳ כל הארץ Is 54:5; י׳ א׳ השמים וא׳ הארץ Gn 24:3 (JR); א׳ מִקָּרֹב a God at hand opp. א׳ מֵרָחֹק Je 23:23, א׳ ישועתי, א׳ יִשְׁעִי God of my salvation ψ 18:47 (= 2 S 22:47) 24:5; 25:5; 27:9; 65:6; 79:9; 85:5 Is 17:10 Mi 7:7 Hb 3:18 1 Ch 16:35; א׳ ישועתי ψ 88:2; א׳ תשועתי ψ 51:16; א׳ צִדְקִי God of my righteousness ψ 4:2; א׳ חַסְדִּי ψ 59:11, 18; א׳ צוּרִי God who is my rock 2 S 22:3 (cf. ψ 18:3); א׳ מָעוּזִּי֯ God who is my stronghold ψ 43:2; א׳ תְהִלָּתִי God who is my praise ψ 109:1. e.g. Genesis 26:24
- c. with sf. in P (22 times incl. phr. ויראת מאלהיך) Lv 19:14, 32; 25:17, 36, 43 (H) Ex 8:21 Jos 24:27 (E) Dt 32:37 (poet.) Jos 9:23 (JE) Dt 10:21; 31:17 Ju 10:10; 16:23, 24 1 S 10:19 2 S 10:12; 22:32 + (4 times poet.) 1 K 12:28; 20:23 2 K 19:10 Chr (83 times) ψ (62 times) Pr 2:17; 30:9 Ru 1:15, 16(×2) Is 1:10; 7:13; 8:19, 21 Is 2 (29 times) Je 5:4, 5; 23:36; 51:5 Ez 34:31 Dn (5 times) Ho (12 times) Am 2:8; 4:12 Jo 1:13(×2), 16; 2:17 Mi 6:8; 7:7 Jon 1:5, 6 Zp 3:2 Na 1:14 Zc 9:7; 12:5; אלהים with sf. is also used with יהוה several hundred times (vid. יהוה). e.g. Leviticus 19:14
Senses from the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon (Brown, Driver, Briggs; Oxford 1906 — public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). Full attribution on Sources.
Word origin
n.m.pl. (f. 1 K 11:33; on number of occurrences of אֵל, אֱלוֹהַּ, אֱלֹהִים cf. also Nesl.c.)
— Brown-Driver-Briggs (Oxford 1906, public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). See Sources.
Derived from אלוה (ʼĕlôwahh) (H433) — God.
Jastrow Dictionary
A second Hebrew/Aramaic lexicon for comparison, covering Aramaic and post-biblical (Talmudic, Targumic, Midrashic) usage that the biblical-Hebrew BDB does not. Matched by lemma rather than by Strong’s number, so a lemma may carry more than one Jastrow headword (shown separately below), and the entries cover usage well beyond the Bible.
אֱלֹהִים
- , v. אֱלוֹהַּ
A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature (Marcus Jastrow; London, Luzac, 1903) — Public Domain. Digitized via Sefaria. Digitized via Sefaria. Full attribution on Sources.
Forms in the corpus
The 348 distinct written forms H430 takes in the Hebrew Bible, most frequent first — each parse links to that state’s occurrences in the concordance. Hebrew forms include their vowel points and cantillation, so a single lemma takes many written forms.
The 60 most common forms are shown; 288 rarer forms follow in the full concordance.
Same root — word family
Other BDB entries built from the same root as H430, grouped by Strong’s listed origin. These share a root / origin per the lexicon — not necessarily a shared meaning. Each links to that word’s own entry.
Derives from
Proper names from this root
People and places named from this root — a name, not an additional meaning of the word.
Compare all same-root words → 2 of the same-root words are proper names (people or places). They share a root, not necessarily a meaning.
Bible dictionary
Public-domain dictionary articles matched to this entry by name (God). A biblical name can be shared by more than one person or place, so an article may treat several.
Easton's Bible Dictionary · M. G. Easton, 1897
(A.S. and Dutch God; Dan. Gud; Ger. Gott), the name of the Divine Being. It is the rendering (1) of the Hebrew 'El, from a word meaning to be strong; (2) of 'Eloah_, plural _'Elohim. The singular form, Eloah, is used only in poetry. The plural form is more commonly used in all parts of the Bible, The Hebrew word Jehovah (q.v.), the only other word generally employed to denote the Supreme Being, is uniformly rendered in the Authorized Version by "LORD," printed in small capitals. The existence of God is taken for granted in the Bible. There is nowhere any argument to prove it. He who disbelieves this truth is spoken of as one devoid of understanding (Ps. 14:1).
The arguments generally adduced by theologians in proof of the being of God are:
(1.) The a priori argument, which is the testimony afforded by reason.
(2.) The a posteriori argument, by which we proceed logically from the facts of experience to causes. These arguments are,
(a) The cosmological, by which it is proved that there must be a First Cause of all things, for every effect must have a cause.
(b) The teleological, or the argument from design. We see everywhere the operations of an intelligent Cause in nature.
(c) The moral argument, called also the anthropological argument, based on the moral consciousness and the history of mankind, which exhibits a moral order and purpose which can only be explained on the supposition of the existence of God. Conscience and human history testify that "verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth."
The attributes of God are set forth in order by Moses in Ex. 34:6, 7. (see also Deut. 6:4; 10:17; Num. 16:22; Ex. 15:11; 33:19; Isa. 44:6; Hab. 3:6; Ps. 102:26; Job 34:12.) They are also systematically classified in Rev. 5:12 and 7:12.
God's attributes are spoken of by some as absolute, i.e., such as belong to his essence as Jehovah, Jah, etc.; and relative, i.e., such as are ascribed to him with relation to his creatures. Others distinguish them into communicable, i.e., those which can be imparted in degree to his creatures: goodness, holiness, wisdom, etc.; and incommunicable, which cannot be so imparted: independence, immutability, immensity, and eternity. They are by some also divided into natural attributes, eternity, immensity, etc.; and moral, holiness, goodness, etc.
Smith's Bible Dictionary · William Smith, 1863
(good). Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures two chief names are used for the one true divine Being--ELOHIM, commonly translated God in our version, and Jehovah, translated Lord . Elohim is the plural of Eloah (in Arabic Allah); it is often used in the short form EL (a word signifying strength, as in EL-SHADDAI, God Almighty, the name by which God was specially known to the patriarchs. (Genesis 17:1; 28:3; Exodus 6:3) The etymology is uncertain, but it is generally agreed that the primary idea is that of strength, power of effect, and that it properly describes God in that character in which he is exhibited to all men in his works, as the creator, sustainer and supreme governor of the world. The plural form of Elohim has given rise to much discussion. The fanciful idea that it referred to the trinity of persons in the Godhead hardly finds now a supporter among scholars. It is either what grammarians call the plural of majesty, or it denotes the fullness of divine strength, the sum of the powers displayed by God. Jehovah denotes specifically the one true God, whose people the Jews were, and who made them the guardians of his truth. The name is never applied to a false god, nor to any other being except one, the ANGEL-JEHOVAH who is thereby marked as one with God, and who appears again in the New Covenant as "God manifested in the flesh." Thus much is clear; but all else is beset with difficulties. At a time too early to be traced, the Jews abstained from pronouncing the name, for fear of its irreverent use. The custom is said to have been founded on a strained interpretation of (Leviticus 24:16) and the phrase there used, "THE NAME" (Shema), is substituted by the rabbis for the unutterable word. In reading the Scriptures they substituted for it the word ADONAI (Lord), from the translation of which by Kurios in the LXX., followed by the Vulgate, which uses Dominus, we have the Lord of our version. The substitution of the word Lord is most unhappy, for it in no way represents the meaning of the sacred name. The key to the meaning of the name is unquestionably given in God's revelation of himself to Moses by the phrase "I AM THAT I AM," (Exodus 3:14; 6:3) We must connect the name Jehovah with the Hebrew substantive verb to be, with the inference that it expresses the essential, eternal, unchangeable being of Jehovah. But more, it is not the expression only, or chiefly, of an absolute truth: it is a practical revelation of God, in his essential, unchangeable relation to this chosen people, the basis of his covenant.
Classic public-domain reference works; full attribution on Sources.
Septuagint verse parallels
This word appears in 2,078 verses that also exist in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), out of the 2,246 Hebrew verses it occurs in. You can read those verses in Greek by switching the Old Testament edition to the Septuagint.
Read these verses in the Septuagint
- Genesis 1:1
- Exodus 1:17
- Leviticus 2:13
- Numbers 6:7
- Deuteronomy 1:6
- Joshua 1:9
- Judges 1:7
- Ruth 1:15
- 1 Samuel 1:17
- 2 Samuel 2:27
- 1 Kings 1:17
- 2 Kings 1:2
This is a verse-level parallel only — the same verses exist in both the Hebrew and Greek Old Testaments. No word-level Hebrew↔Greek correspondence is claimed: the data carries no such alignment, so no Greek word is shown as this Hebrew word’s translation. Coverage is not total — the Septuagint omits the deuterocanon and renumbers the Psalms, so some Hebrew verses have no direct Greek parallel.
