Elohim, God, and Jesus

 In the KJV, Elohim appears about 2,606 times as the translation of Strong’s Hebrew H430, though the exact count can vary slightly by text base and counting method. In most places, it means “God” when referring to the one true God, but it can also mean “god,” “judges,” “mighty,” or even “angels” in a few contexts.

What it means

Elohim is a Hebrew noun that is plural in form, but when it refers to the God of Israel, it usually takes singular grammar and functions as a singular title. Its basic idea is power, majesty, or deity, so it emphasizes God as the mighty Creator and supreme ruler.

Is it always the same sense?

No. The word is not used identically every time. Most often, it refers to the true God, but in some verses it refers to false gods, human judges, or other exalted beings, so context determines the meaning.

Does it include Jesus?

In the Old Testament, Elohim is usually a title for God without directly naming Jesus. But Christians commonly connect Old Testament references to God’s creation and divine work with Jesus because John says, “All things were made through him,” and Colossians says, “all things have been created through him and for him”. So the New Testament presents Jesus as involved in creation and fully sharing in God’s divine work, which is why many Christians say the Creator seen in Genesis is revealed in Christ.

About the Messiah

The Hebrew Bible does have passages that later Christian interpretation applies to the Messiah, and some argue that certain uses of Elohim can point forward to him. But not every occurrence of Elohim is messianic, and the word itself does not automatically mean “Jesus” in every verse; context is the key.

If you want the clearest KJV answer in one sentence: Elohim mostly means “God,” sometimes “gods” or other powerful beings, and while it does not always directly mean Jesus, the New Testament identifies Jesus as the divine Word through whom all things were made.

A few Examples from the Old Testament that Jesus is part of the Trinity

Here are five Old Testament scriptures where Elohim appears, and the context is often understood by Christians as hinting at, or fitting with, the Trinity and the later revelation of Christ. The strongest point is not that every verse names Jesus directly, but that the language or scene fits the New Testament’s claim that the Son shares in creation and divine identity.

Five key passages; there are more.

1. Genesis 1:1–3, 26

- “In the beginning God [Elohim] created the heaven and the earth.”

- “The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”

- “And God said, Let us make man in our image…”

- Christians often see this as the clearest early hint of God’s plurality within unity: Elohim creates, the Spirit is active, and God speaks by His Word.

2. Genesis 3:22

- “And the LORD God [YHWH Elohim] said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil.”

- The “one of us” language is commonly taken as a sign of divine plurality, especially when read alongside John 1 and Colossians 1, where creation is tied to the Son.

3. Genesis 11:6–7

- “And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one… let us go down, and there confound their language…”

- The plural “let us” is another passage many Christians connect to the Godhead, seeing divine counsel and unity rather than a lone singular speaker.

4. Isaiah 48:12–16

- God says, “I am the first; I also am the last.”

- Then the speaker adds that “the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, hath sent me.”

- Christians frequently read this as a remarkable multi-person passage: the LORD, His Spirit, and the sent speaker are distinguished, which fits later Trinitarian understanding.

5. Psalm 110:1

- “The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand…”

- This does not use Elohim in the verse itself, but it is one of the most important Old Testament texts for the Messiah’s divine status, and Jesus applies it to Himself in the New Testament.

Why these matter

These passages do not all say “Jesus” explicitly, but they build a biblical pattern: God is one, yet the Old Testament sometimes uses language that leaves room for plurality within God’s identity. The New Testament then identifies Jesus as the divine Word through whom all things were made, which is why Christians often read these Old Testament verses as foreshadowing the Son’s role.

A careful note

Not every Elohim passage is about Jesus, and some are simply ordinary references to God, false gods, or other heavenly beings. So the best way to read these is not “every Elohim verse equals Jesus,” but “certain Elohim passages make the New Testament’s revelation of Father, Son, and Spirit look rooted in the Old Testament”.

What about the Messiah? Verses to support this.

Here are five KJV passages that are especially tied to the Messiah and, in Christian reading, to the divine identity of Christ. I’m quoting them in full and keeping the focus on texts that either name the coming King directly or strongly point to Him.

1. Genesis 49:10

“The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.”

This is one of the clearest early messianic prophecies. Christians read “Shiloh” as pointing to the coming Messiah, the ruler to whom the nations gather.

2. Numbers 24:17

“I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.”

This is a classic Messianic oracle from Balaam. The “Star” and “Sceptre” language is commonly understood as pointing to the coming king, and Christians connect it with Christ’s royal rule.

3. Psalm 2:7–8

“I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.”

This psalm is heavily messianic in Christian interpretation. It presents the Son receiving the nations, which fits the New Testament’s presentation of Jesus’ authority.

4. Isaiah 9:6–7

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”

This is one of the strongest Old Testament passages for the Messiah’s divine identity. The titles “The mighty God” and the endless Davidic kingdom are why Christians often see this as describing more than an ordinary human ruler.

5. Isaiah 53:4–6

“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

This is the great suffering-servant passage, and Christians have long understood it as describing the Messiah’s suffering and atoning death. It is one of the most direct prophetic portraits of Jesus in the Old Testament.

Why these matter

These five do not all use the word Elohim directly, but they are some of the clearest Old Testament passages where the Messiah is in view and where Christians see the Son’s divine role emerging before the New Testament. In that sense, they support the reading that the One revealed in Jesus is already present in the Hebrew Scriptures.

Note: there are passages that use Elohim specifically while still pointing to the Messiah. So much to consider. After all, Jesus is God!

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