19. Bereshit — Abarbanel on the Torah, Section 19
Elohim and the Architecture of Creation
Previous section → The Meaning of the Divine Name Elohim
The First Principle concerns five unique properties of the Name Elohim found in Scripture.
The first: No communication from God to a prophet, nor from a prophet to God, is ever found except with one of two Names—either the Tetragrammaton (Y-H-V-H) or Elohim, or both together. With the other sacred names and appellations, there is no instance of prophecy. We never find “And Shaddai spoke,” or “And Tzevaot spoke,” or “And Merciful,” or “And Gracious.” None of the other names or titles appear in this way.
The second: These two Names, Y-H-V-H and Elohim, can appear in either order, one preceding or one following the other. Thus we read: “O Lord God (Adonai Elohim), You have begun…” (Deuteronomy 3:24), “O Lord God of Hosts, restore us” (Psalms 80:20), and likewise: “My God, the Lord, is my strength” (Habakkuk 3:19). With the other divine names and appellations, this interchangeability is never found.
The third: Just as no other Name ever precedes the Tetragrammaton—we never find “Tzevaot Y-H-V-H,” or “Shaddai Y-H-V-H,” or “Gracious Y-H-V-H”—so too, no other Name ever precedes Elohim. We do not find “Tzevaot Elohim,” or “Shaddai Elohim,” or “El Elohim,” or “Gracious Elohim.” What we do sometimes find—“Gracious and Merciful is the Lord” (Joel 2:13)—is missing the verb “is,” as if to say, “The Lord is gracious and merciful.”
The fourth: When an attribute is attached to the Tetragrammaton, it is joined only by way of Elohim or El: “The Lord, God, merciful and gracious” (Exodus 34:6), “The Lord, God of Hosts” (Psalms 59:6), “The Lord, God of Israel” (Exodus 5:1). In other cases, such as “The Lord of Hosts” (Isaiah 1:9), the word Elohim must be understood as implied.
The fifth: The Tetragrammaton is sometimes written with the vocalization of Elohim and then read aloud accordingly; but Elohim is never written with the vocalization of the Tetragrammaton.
Take note: every occurrence of Elohim in Scripture is written defective (without the vav). By contrast, Eloah is always written full, with a vav between the lamed and the heh—except once, in “They sacrifice to demons that are not God (Eloah), to deities they did not know” (Deuteronomy 32:17), where it is defective, because demons are not truly divine.
Behold, then, five special properties found with the Name Elohim. This is the first principle.
The Second Principle is that the divine names are essentially three: El, Eloah, Elohim (or Elohai)1. The latter two are the same in meaning, except that Elohai is in the construct form, attached to another word, as in “God of the heavens,” “God of the earth,” “God of Jerusalem.” Elohim, by contrast, is absolute, not attached to another word.
Take note: every occurrence of Elohim in Scripture is written defective (without the vav)2. By contrast, Eloah is always written full, with a vav between the lamed and the heh3—except once, in “They sacrifice to demons that are not God (Eloah), to deities they did not know” (Deuteronomy 32:17), where it is defective, because demons are not truly divine4. As for Elohai and Elohecha (“my God,” “your God”), which are divine names with possessive suffixes, they are always written defective, without the vav. The general rule is consistent across all of Scripture, with only two exceptions in Psalms: “Teach me to do Your will, for You are my Elohai” (Psalms 143:10), and “I will exalt You, my God, the King” (Psalms 145:1). These, according to the sages of the Masorah5, have their own reason.
But aside from these rare exceptions, the rule is constant throughout the Bible. Any wise person should reflect: if El, Eloah, Elohim, Elohai, and the other divine names all derive from the same root and convey the same meaning, why should there be such variation in their written forms? Elohim and Elohai are always written defective, without vav, while Eloah is always written full with vav. And Elohai, which means “my Eloah,” is written defective, when it would seem natural for it to be written full, like Elohai with a vav. There is no doubt that this variation in Scripture is not random or accidental, but the result of deep wisdom6.
This is the second principle.
And what should be said regarding all this is that when we contemplate Him, blessed be He, we perceive in Him two aspects from our perspective—even though in Him they are one.
The first aspect is in relation to His essence and His very being, the Necessary Existent, who is absolute perfection and is incomprehensible to any other as He truly is. This is signified by the four-lettered sacred Name7, the Tetragrammaton8, which is called the Shem HaMeforash9. As the Master [Maimonides in the Guide] wrote, this Name belongs uniquely to Him, and none other shares in it. As our Sages expounded: “And they shall place My Name” (Numbers 6:27)—My special Name, which is Mine alone10.
The second aspect is in relation to His influence upon all other beings, who receive from Him according to His perfection. Since His influence corresponds to His infinite power and capacity, He is designated by the Name Elohim, which signifies the One who bestows and brings forth all things by His power. The Name El conveys the same idea. Thus it is written: “The Lord, God of the universe, Creator of the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 40:28); “I am the first, and I am the last, and besides Me there is no Elohim” (Isaiah 44:6); “Know that the Lord, He is Elohim; it is He who made us” (Psalms 100:3). In all these, and in many others, the names El and Elohim are always mentioned in connection with influence and creation.
Next section →
