What is the Hebrew word for “God?
There are three words in Hebrew that are translated as “God.” The word “El” (aleph-lamed) is a common Hebrew word that literally means “powerful one” and is used in the Bible for anything with power such as a god (Ex 34:14), a mountain (Ps 36:6) and God (Gen 14:18). The word “elo’ah” (aleph-lamed-vav-hey) is also translated as God but more literally means “one who yokes to another.” The root of this word is alah (aleph-lamed-hey) and means an oath in the sense of being a “binding yoke” (Gen 26:28). The third word is elohiym (aleph-lamed-hey-yud-mem) and is the plural form of the word elo’ah (see Previous FAQ).
