Elohim

===Angels and judges===
[[File:Angel head with Hebrew (?) text, St George's, Dublin.jpg|thumb|Carved angel's head with Hebrew text "Elohim", from [[St. George's Church, Dublin]]]]
In a few cases in the Greek Septuagint (LXX), Hebrew ''elohim'' with a plural verb, or with implied plural context, was rendered either ''angeloi'' ("angels") or {{lang|grc-Latn|to kriterion tou Theou}} ("the judgement of God").<ref>Brenton ''Septuagint'' {{bibleverse|Exodus|21:6|HE}}: {{lang|grc|προσάξει αὐτὸν ὁ κύριος αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὸ κριτήριον τοῦ θεοῦ}}</ref> These passages then entered first the Latin [[Vulgate]], then the English [[King James Version]] (KJV) as "angels" and "judges", respectively. From this came the result that [[James Strong (theologian)|James Strong]], for example, listed "angels" and "judges" as possible meanings for ''elohim'' with a plural verb in his ''[[Strong's Concordance]]'',<ref name="Strong 1890"/><ref name="Biblehub"/> and the same is true of many other 17th–20th century reference works. Both Gesenius' Hebrew Lexicon and the [[Brown–Driver–Briggs]] Lexicon<ref name="Biblehub"/> list both "angels" and "judges" as possible alternative meanings of ''elohim'' with plural verbs and adjectives.

Gesenius and [[Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg]] have questioned the reliability of the [[Septuagint]] translation in this matter. Gesenius lists the meaning without agreeing with it.<ref>''The Biblical Repositor'' p. 360, ed. Edward Robinson, 1838. "Gesenius denies that elohim ever means angels; and he refers in this denial particularly to Ps. 8: 5, and Ps. 97: 7; but he observes, that the term is so translated in the ancient versions."</ref> Hengstenberg stated that the Hebrew Bible text never uses ''elohim'' to refer to "angels", but that the Septuagint translators refused the references to "gods" in the verses they amended to "angels".<ref>Samuel Davidsohn, ''An Introduction to the New Testament'', Vol. III, 1848, p. 282: "Hengstenberg, for example, affirms, that the usus loquendi is decisive against the direct reference to angels, because Elohim never signifies angels. He thinks that the Septuagint translator could not understand the representation&nbsp;..."</ref>

The Greek New Testament (NT) quotes {{bibleverse|Psalms|8:4–6|HE}} in Hebrews 2:6b-8a, where the Greek NT has {{lang|grc|ἀγγέλους}} ({{lang|grc-Latn|angelous}}) in vs. 7,<ref>{{cite web |title=Hebrews 2:7 with Greek |url=http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Hbr&c=2&v=7&t=KJV#conc/7 |access-date=18 March 2013}}</ref> quoting {{bibleverse|Psalms|8:5|HE}} (8:6 in the LXX), which also has {{lang|grc|ἀγγέλους}} in a version of the Greek Septuagint.<ref>{{cite web |title=Psalm 8:5 with Greek (8:6 in the LXX) |url=http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Psa&c=8&v=5&t=KJV#conc/5 |access-date=18 March 2013}}</ref> In the KJV, ''elohim'' (Strong's number H430) is translated as "angels" only  in Psalm 8:5.<ref>{{cite web |title=Elohim as angels in the KJV only in Psalm 8:5 (8:6 in LXX) |url=http://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfm?Criteria=angel%2A+h430&t=KJV#s=s_primary_0_1 |access-date=18 March 2013}}</ref>

The KJV translates ''elohim'' as "judges" in {{bibleverse|Exodus|21:6|HE}}; [https://biblehub.com/text/exodus/22-8.htm Exodus 22:8]; twice in [https://biblehub.com/text/exodus/22-9.htm Exodus 22:9] <ref>{{cite web |title=Elohim as 'judges' in the KJV |url=http://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfm?Criteria=%22judges%22&t=KJV#s=s_primary_0_1 |access-date=18 March 2013}}</ref> as "judge" in [https://biblehub.com/1_samuel/2-25.htm 1 Samuel 2:25], and as "gods" in [https://biblehub.com/exodus/22-28.htm#lexicon Exodus 22:28], [https://biblehub.com/psalms/82-1.htm#lexicon Psalm 82:1], [https://biblehub.com/psalms/82-6.htm#lexicon Psalm 82:6], [https://biblehub.com/psalms/95-3.htm#lexicon Psalm 95:3], [https://biblehub.com/psalms/96-4.htm#lexicon Psalm 96:4], [https://biblehub.com/psalms/97-9.htm#lexicon Psalm 97:9], and [https://biblehub.com/psalms/138-1.htm#lexicon Psalm 138:1].

[[Angel|Angels]] cited in the [[Hebrew Bible]] and external literature often contain the related noun [[El (deity)|''ʾĒl'']] ({{lang|he|אֵל}}) in their [[Theophory in the Bible|theophoric]] names such as [[Michael (archangel)|Michael]] and [[Gabriel]].