Elohim derives from El, the chief god in the Canaanite pantheon, and the father of other gods (such as Baal and Yahweh). El also appeared in the religions of many neighboring societies in the near east.
In Canaanite societies and in Hebrew, the name El became genericised, so the name could be used as a title for any god or for god powers in general.
God is multitudinous and thus worthy of the title, but also one single god dont you dare worship any other
In terms of the Hebrew Bible, it’s more like different parts were written by different people at different times, with various views on polytheism, henotheism, and monotheism. Elohim is grammatically plural, and in some places it is used as a plural to refer to multiple deities. In other places it agrees with singular forms, similar to “royal we”, or it becomes an abstract term for divinity as a concept.
Elohim derives from El, the chief god in the Canaanite pantheon, and the father of other gods (such as Baal and Yahweh). El also appeared in the religions of many neighboring societies in the near east.
In Canaanite societies and in Hebrew, the name El became genericised, so the name could be used as a title for any god or for god powers in general.
In terms of the Hebrew Bible, it’s more like different parts were written by different people at different times, with various views on polytheism, henotheism, and monotheism. Elohim is grammatically plural, and in some places it is used as a plural to refer to multiple deities. In other places it agrees with singular forms, similar to “royal we”, or it becomes an abstract term for divinity as a concept.