A controversy took place about the middle of the last century between one Dr. Sharpe and several other divines upon the word Aleim. The Doctor was pretty much of my opinion. He says, “If there is no reason to doubt, as I think there is none, that אלה ale and אלוה alue are the same word, only the vau is suppressed in the one, and expressed in the other, why may not אלהים aleim be the plural of one as well as of the other? If it be said it cannot be the plural of אלוה alue, because it is wrote without the vau; I answer, that קרבים qrbim, רחקים rhqim, גברים gbrim, גדלים gdlim, &c., are frequently wrote without the vau: are they not, therefore, the plurals of קרוב qrub,” &c.? Again, he says,
“When, therefore, Mr. Moody tells us that אלהים aleim may be the plural masculine of אלה ale, as אדנים adnim, and אדני adni, are also plurals of אדון adun, Lord, so may אלהים aleim and אלהי alei be plural of אלוה Alue, God.”[1]
In the course of the controversy it seems to be admitted by all parties, that the word has the meaning of mediator or interposer for protection, and this is very important.
T cannot quite agree with Mr. Moody, because, according to the genius of the Hebrew language, it is much more in character for אלהים aleim to be the plural feminine of אלה ale, a feminine noun, than the plural masculine; and for אלים alim to be the plural masculine, of the masculine noun by אל al.
But it does not seem to have ever occurred to any of those gentlemen, that the words in question, אלה ale, or אלוה alue, and אל al, might be one the masculine, and the two others the feminine, of the same word—like God and Goddess. They never seem to have thought that the God of the Hebrews could be of any sex but their own, and, therefore, never once gave a thought to the question. The observation of Mr. Moody is very just, if אלה ale be a masculine noun. But it is much more according to the genius of the language that it should be feminine. If אלה ale be masculine, it is an exception. I beg the reader to observe, that the Arabians, from whose language the word al properly comes, have the word for the Sun, in the feminine, and that for the moon, in the masculine gender; and this accounts for the word being in the feminine plural. From the androgynous character of the Creator, the noun of multitude, Aleim, by which we shall now see that he was described, probably was of the common gender: that is, either of one gender or the other, as it might happen.
From the plural of this word, אל al, was also formed a noun of multitude used in the first verse of Genesis: exactly like our word people, in Latin populus, or our words nation, flock, and congregation. Thus it is said, בארא אלהים bara aleim, Aleim formed the earth; as we say, the nation consumes, a flock strays, or the congregation sings psalms, or a triune divinity, or a trinity blesses or forms. It is used with the emphatic article: “Their cry came up to the Gods,” האלהים e-aleim. In the same way we say, wolves got to the sheep, or the flock, or the congregation sing or sings. Being a noun of multitude, according to the genius of the language, the verb may be either in the singular or plural number.
Parkhurst says, that “the word Al means God, the Heavens, Leaders, Assistance, Defence, and Interposition; or, to interpose for protection.” He adds, “that אלל All, with the ל l doubled, has the meaning, in an excessive degree, of vile, the denouncing of a curse: nought, nothing, res nihili.” Mr. Whiter[2] says, that it has the same meaning in Arabic, and that Al Al, also means Deus optimus maximus. Thus we have the idea of creating, preserving, and destroying.
The meaning of mediator, preserver, or intervener, joined to its character of a noun of multitude, at once identifies it with the Trinity of the Gentiles. Christians will be annoyed to find their God
K
