Scribal Changes Involving the Divine Name

[The Librarian]

“The [true] God”—Heb., ha‧ʼElo‧him′

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The title ʼElo‧him′, when preceded by the definite article ha, gives the expression ha‧ʼElo‧him′. This expression occurs 376 times in M. In 368 places it refers to the true God, Jehovah, and in 8 places it refers to other gods.

ZorellHeb, p. 54, says: “In the Holy Scriptures especially the one true God, Jahve, is designated by this word; a) האלהים ὁ θεός Ge 5:22; 6:9, 11; 17:18; 20:6; Ex 3:12; 19:17 and in several books written in prose; יהוה הוא האלהים ‘Jahve is the [one true] God’ De 4:35; 4:39; Jos 22:34; 2Sa 7:28; 1Ki 8:60 etc.”—Brackets his.

The New World Translation renders ha‧ʼElo‧him′ as “the [true] God” in all 368 places where it refers to Jehovah. Following is a list of these 368 places: Ge 5:22, 24; 6:2, 4, 9, 11; 17:18; 20:6, 17; 22:1, 3, 9; 27:28; 31:11; 35:7; 41:25, 28, 32, 32; 42:18; 44:16; 45:8; 48:15, 15; Ex 1:17, 21; 2:23; 3:1, 6, 11, 12, 13; 4:20, 27; 14:19; 17:9; 18:5, 12, 16, 19, 19; 19:3, 17, 19; 20:20, 21; 21:6, 13; 22:8, 9; 24:11, 13; Nu 22:10; 23:27; De 4:35, 39; 7:9; 33:1; Jos 14:6; 22:34; 24:1; Jg 6:20, 36, 39; 7:14; 13:6, 6, 8, 9, 9; 16:28; 18:31; 20:2, 27; 21:2; 1Sa 4:4, 8, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22; 5:1, 2, 10, 10, 11; 6:20; 9:7, 8, 10; 10:3, 5, 7; 14:18, 18, 36; 2Sa 2:27; 6:2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 7, 12, 12; 7:2, 28; 12:16; 14:17, 20; 15:24, 24, 25, 29; 16:23; 19:27; 1Ki 8:60; 12:22, 22; 13:4, 5, 6, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 14, 14, 21, 26, 29, 31; 17:18; 18:21, 24, 24, 37, 39, 39; 19:8; 20:28; 2Ki 1:9, 11, 12, 13; 4:7, 16, 21, 22, 25, 25, 27, 27, 40, 42; 5:8, 14, 15, 20; 6:6, 9, 10, 15; 7:2, 17, 18, 19; 8:2, 4, 7, 8, 11; 13:19; 19:15; 23:16, 17; 1Ch 5:22; 6:48, 49; 9:11, 13, 26, 27; 13:5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 12, 14; 14:11, 14, 15, 16; 15:1, 2, 15, 24, 26; 16:1, 1, 6, 42; 17:2, 21, 26; 21:7, 8, 15, 17; 22:1, 2, 19, 19; 23:14, 28; 24:5; 25:5, 5, 6; 26:20, 32; 28:3, 12, 21; 29:7; 2Ch 1:3, 4; 3:3; 4:11, 19; 5:1, 14; 7:5; 8:14; 9:23; 10:15; 11:2; 13:12, 15; 15:18; 18:5; 19:3; 22:12; 23:3, 9; 24:7, 9, 13, 16, 20, 27; 25:7, 8, 9, 9, 20, 24; 26:5, 5, 7; 28:24, 24; 29:36; 30:12, 16, 19; 31:13, 14, 21; 32:16, 31; 33:7, 13; 35:8; 36:16, 18, 19; Ezr 1:3, 4, 5; 2:68; 3:2, 8, 9; 6:22; 8:36; 10:1, 6, 9; Ne 4:15; 5:13; 6:10; 7:2; 8:6, 8, 16, 18; 9:7; 10:28, 29, 29; 11:11, 16, 22; 12:24, 36, 40, 43; 13:1, 7, 9, 11; Job 1:6; 2:1, 10; Ps 87:3; 90:Sup; Ec 2:24, 26; 3:11, 14, 14, 15, 17, 18; 5:1, 2, 2, 6, 7, 18, 19, 20; 6:2, 2; 7:13, 14, 26, 29; 8:12, 15, 17; 9:1, 7; 11:5, 9; 12:7, 13, 14; Isa 37:16; 45:18; Jer 35:4; Eze 31:9; Da 1:2, 9, 17; 9:3, 11; Jon 1:6; 3:9, 10, 10; 4:7.

In the following eight places ha‧ʼelo‧him′ refers to other gods: Ex 18:11; 22:20; De 10:17; Jg 10:14; 2Ch 2:5; Ps 86:8; 136:2; Jer 11:12.
 

“The [true] God”—Heb., ha‧ʼEl′

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The title ʼEl, when preceded by the definite article ha, gives the expression ha‧ʼEl′. This expression occurs 32 times in M in the singular and it always refers to the true God, Jehovah. Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar (GK), § 126 e, renders ha‧ʼElo‧him′and ha‧ʼEl′ as “the one true God.”

The New World Translation renders ha‧ʼEl′ as “the [true] God” in all 32 places where it occurs in M in the singular, namely, in Ge 31:13; 35:1, 3; 46:3; De 7:9; 10:17; 33:26; 2Sa 22:31, 33, 48; Ne 1:5; 9:32; Job 13:8; 21:14; 22:17; 31:28; 33:6; 34:10, 37; 40:9; Ps 18:30, 32, 47; 57:2; 68:19, 20; 77:14; 85:8; Isa 5:16; 42:5; Jer 32:18; Da 9:4.

The plural of ʼel is ʼe‧lim′. In M ʼe‧lim′ occurs once preceded by the definite article, namely, in Ex 15:11, where it refers to other gods.
 

“The [true] Lord”—Heb., ha‧ʼA‧dhohn′

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The title ʼA‧dhohn′, “Lord; Master,” when preceded by the definite article ha, “the,” gives the expression ha‧ʼA‧dhohn′, “the [true] Lord.” The use of the definite article ha before the title ʼA‧dhohn′ limits the application of this title exclusively to Jehovah God.

In M the expression ha‧ʼA‧dhohn′ occurs nine times, namely, in Ex 23:17; 34:23; Isa 1:24; 3:1; 10:16, 33; 19:4; Mic 4:13; Mal 3:1.
The plural of ʼa‧dhohn′ is ʼadho‧nim′. In M the expression ha‧ʼadho‧nim′, “the lords,” occurs twice, namely, in De 10:17; Ps 136:3.

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