god Summary and Overview

(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.

(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. #Ge 17:1; 28:3, Ex 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 #Le 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," #Ex 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.

GOD (good). The name of the Creator of all things and the supreme Governor of the universe and the Giver of all good gifts. He is "a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth." He is revealed to us in an endless variety of ways in his works and providential government, Rom 1:20, but more fully in the Holy Scriptures and in the person and work of his only begotten Son, our Lord.
1. Names. -- There are three principal designations of God in the O.T. -- Elohim, Jehovah, and Adonai. The first is used exclusively in the first chapter of Genesis; it predominates in the second book of Psalms (Ps 42-72, called the Elohim Psalms), and occurs alternately with the other names in the other parts of the O.T. It expresses his character as the almighty Maker and his relation to the whole world, the Gentiles as well as the Jews. The second is especially used of him in his relation to Israel as the (God of the covenant, the God of revelation and redemption. "Adonai" (i.e. say Lord) is used where God is reverently addressed, and is always substituted by the Jews for "Jehovah," which they never pronounce. These three words are indiscriminately translated, in the English Version, God, Lord, and Jehovah.
1. The Nature of God. -- God is revealed to us as a trinity consisting of three Persons who are of one essence, Matt 28:19; 2 Cor 13:14;John 1:1-3-- God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. To the Father is ascribed the work of creation, to the Son the redemption, to the Holy Spirit the sanctification; but all three Persons take part in all the divine works. Although this idea of God is not brought out as prominently in the O.T. as in the New, it is nevertheless there. It is intimated in Gen 1, where God, the Word ("God spake," etc., compare Ps 33:6; John 1:1, John 1:3), and the Spirit of God are mentioned in the work of creation. The "divine Wisdom" of Prov 8 is personified, and corresponds to the "Word" in John 1, and refers to the second Person of the Trinity. To each of these Persons of the Trinity are ascribed the essential attributes of the supreme God. Thus, the Son is represented as the Mediator of the creation. John 1:3; Col 1:16; Heb 1:4.
2. The unity of the Godhead is emphasized in the O.T., while the trinity is only shadowed forth, or at best faintly brought out. The grand reason for the emphasis of the unity of the Godhead was to show the fallacy of polytheism and to discourage idolatry, which the heathen practised. God is denominated "one Lord," Deut 6:4. Over against the false deities of the heathen, he is designated the "living" God. This belief in God as one was a chief mark of the Jewish religion.
3. The attributes of God are those of the most perfect being. He is holy, Josh 24:19; eternal, 1 Tim 1:17; everywhere present, Ps 139:7; Acts 17:24; almighty, Gen 17:1; immutable, Ps 102:20. God is, moreover, just, Jer 9:24, wise, Job 12:13, and above all he is Love, 1 John 4:16.

frontGENESIS, on Elohim and Yahweh). ELOHIM expresses the might of the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. ELYON, His sublimity, (Genesis 14:22), "the Most High." SHADDAI, the "Almighty," His all sufficiency (Genesis 17:1; Philemon 4:19; 2 Corinthians 3:5; 2 Corinthians 12:9). JEHOVAH, His unchangeable faithfulness to His covenanted promises to His people. ADONAI, His lordship, which being delegated to others as also is His might as ELOHIM, ADONAI and ELOHIM are used occasionally of His creatures, angels and men in authority, judges, etc. (Psalm 8:5; Psalm 97:7 (Hebrew); Psalm 82:1; Psalm 82:6-7.) "Lord" in small letters stands for Hebrew ADONAI in KJV, but in capitals ("LORD") for JEHOVAH. ELYON, SHADDAI, and JEHOVAH are never used but of GOD; Jehovah the personal God of the Jews, and of the church in particular. ELOAH, the singular, is used only in poetry. The derivation is 'aalah "to fear," as Genesis 31:42; Genesis 31:53, "the fear of Isaac," or 'aalah "to be mighty." The plural ELOHIM: is the common form in prose and poetry, expressing that He combines in Himself all the fullness of divine perfections in their manifold powers and operations; these the heathen divided among a variety of gods. ELOHIM concentrates all the divine attributes assigned to the idols severally, and, besides those, others which corrupt man never of himself imagined, infinite love, goodness, justice, wisdom, creative power, inexhaustible riches of excellence; unity, self existence, grace, and providence are especially dwelt on, Exodus 3:13-15; Exodus 15:11; Exodus 34:6-7. The plural form hints at the plurality of Persons, the singular verb implies the unity of Godhead. The personal acts attributed to the Son (John 1:3; Psalm 33:6; Proverbs 8:22-32; Proverbs 30:4; Malachi 3:1, the Lord the Sender being distinct from the Lord the Sent who "suddenly comes") and to the Holy Spirit respectively (Genesis 1:2; Psalm 104:30) prove the distinctness of the Persons. The thrice repeated "LORD" (Numbers 6:25-27) and "Holy" (Isaiah 6:3) imply the same. But reserve was maintained while the tendency to polytheism prevailed, and as yet the redeeming and sanctifying work of the Son and the blessed Spirit was unaccomplished; when once these had been manifested the doctrine of the Trinity in Unity was fully revealed in New Testament. The sanctions of the law are temporal rather than spiritual, because a specimen was to be given in Israel of God's present moral government. So long as they obeyed, Providence engaged national prosperity; dependent not on political rules or military spirit, as in worldly nations, but on religious faithfulness. Their sabbatical year, in which they neither tilled nor gathered, is a sample of the continued interposition of a special providence. No legislator without a real call from God would have promulgated a code which leans on the sanction of immediate and temporal divine interpositions, besides the spiritual sanctions and future retributions.