by jimwalton » Thu Oct 19, 2017 7:14 pm
El was the generic word for "God," just like our word "God." YHWH was the specific name of what the Hebrews called the true God or the only God. All other "El"s were false deities, made up gods.
"Elohim" is used exclusively in Genesis 1; YHWH Elohim first shows up in Genesis 2.4. In the ancient Near East compound names were often used to designate one deity. (Amon-Re in Egypt is an example.) There seems to be reasons that the author uses one name or the other, or a combination of the two. Often Elohim is used when speaking of power and YHWH when speaking of personal relation with His people. Used together they portray a God of power who is also a personal God. There is no particular reason to assume the Israelites got their religion from the Canaanites. El was the generic term in the whole region during that era when speaking of deity.
El was the generic word for "God," just like our word "God." YHWH was the specific name of what the Hebrews called the true God or the only God. All other "El"s were false deities, made up gods.
"Elohim" is used exclusively in Genesis 1; YHWH Elohim first shows up in Genesis 2.4. In the ancient Near East compound names were often used to designate one deity. (Amon-Re in Egypt is an example.) There seems to be reasons that the author uses one name or the other, or a combination of the two. Often Elohim is used when speaking of power and YHWH when speaking of personal relation with His people. Used together they portray a God of power who is also a personal God. There is no particular reason to assume the Israelites got their religion from the Canaanites. El was the generic term in the whole region during that era when speaking of deity.