'Elohim' is a plural word meaning 'the powerful ones' or 'the gods'; its singular form is 'eloha'. 'Elohim' is translated into English as 'God'. It is usually followed by singular verbs.
'YHWH' is seen as God's proper name. The Hebrews decided that 'YHWH' was too holy to be said aloud, so said 'adonay', meaning 'lord', instead. The original pronunciation was lost, but most scholars agree that it was probably 'Yahweh'. YHWH is translated into English as 'the LORD'.
God also has a tendency to use plurals when talking about himself, such as:
“Let us make man in our image, after our likeness."
“Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil."
"Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech.”
So, what's with the plurality?
Judaism - Plurals of Majesty
In Judaism, 'Elohim' and God's self-referencing plurals are seen as 'plurals of majesty' which emphasize the grandeur of God. Think of it as similar to the 'Royal we'.
Christianity - The Trinity
The triune Christian God is both singular and plural: three as one, one as three.
Mormonism - Separate Entities
According the Joseph Smith, 'Elohim' refers to God the father while 'YHWH' refers to God the Son (who became Jesus). The Father, the Son and God the Holy Ghost are three separate entities united in purpose as the Godhead of the Universe.
Both Elohim (God the Father) and YHWH/Jesus (God the Son) have physical bodies, whereas the Holy Ghost is purely spirit. Elohim and YHWH, being physical entities, are unable to enter human bodies to influence them, but the Holy Ghost can. Both YHWH/Jesus and the Holy Ghost are sons of Elohim.
Elohim has a wife, the Heavenly Mother.
Mormon theology allows for the existence of other gods, and the ability of any person to become a god and take a greater role in running the universe. Elohim began as a man himself:
"God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens! That is the great secret." - Joseph Smith
Polytheistic Origins - Separate Entities
Elohim and Yahweh might originally have been different deities. Last week I presented Samuel Shaviv's argument that the flood narrative was originally polytheistic, with Elohim and Yahweh being different deities who disagreed on whether mankind should live.
Polytheistic Origins - God of gods
'Elohim' might hint at a lost pantheon, but how does a plural word come to be used as a singular word, accompanied by singular verbs?
In ancient Egypt, the Pharaoh was seen as the representative, the physical embodiment, of the entire Egyptian pantheon. It was through him that the gods did their work, carried out their will. When the people spoke to him, they thought that they were addressing all of their gods.
The Pharaoh was addressed as 'my gods'.
A similar thing might have occurred with Elohim/YHWH. He might have began as part of a pantheon and, as he alone was worshipped more and more, came to represent the whole lot. The pantheon was retconned, it never existed, and is now only hinted at by God's plurals and the occasional verse, such as:
Psalm 82:1 'God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgement.'
Sources
The Polytheistic Origins of the Biblical Flood Narrative
The Polytheism of Genesis Chapter 1
The Bible and Mythological Polytheism
Polytheism in Primitive Israel
Elohim, Jesus, Holy Ghost, Godhead, Godhood, Heavenly Mother - Encyclopaedia of Mormonism
Introduction - ESV Bible
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