PHILOLOGY TO THE TROTH OK THE OLD TESTAMENT. 217 



in this different use of the word. I should like to call your attention 

 to a few passages which I am sure will interest you. In Genesis, for 

 instance, in the story of the Creation, and right on up to ch. v, 

 Elohim is used without the article, and undoubtedly refers to the 

 Almighty Creator ; but in ch. v, verses 22 and 24, it is used for 

 the first time with the article. It is very striking, verse 22, " And 

 Enoch walked with the Elohim after he begat Methuselah 

 verse 24, "And Enoch walked with the Elohim, and he was not, 

 for Elohim took him " (without the article). In ch. vi, 2, we read : 

 " The sons of the Elohim saw the daughters of the Adam that they 



were fair " Who were the sons of the Elohim 1 And who 



were tlie Elohim ? Eead verse 4 : " The Nephilim (giants) were in 

 the earth in those days (they were not there when the spies brought 

 up their lying report about Canaan), and also after that, when the 

 sons of the Elohim came in unto the daughters of the Adam and they 

 bare children to them the same became the Gibborim which were of 

 old, men of renown." Again let us ask who were the Nephilim, the 

 Elohim, the Adam, and the Gibborim 1 Then in verse 9 we read of 

 Noah, that he " was a just man and perfect in his generations, and 

 Noah walked with the Elohim." And in verse 11, *' The earth also 



was corrupt before the Elohim and Elohim looked upon the 



earth, and behold it was corrupt." 



Now from these passages it does not appear that the two 

 expressions " Elohim " and " the Elohim " were used to designate 

 the same personalities. And this use is still more evident in 

 Exodus xxi, 6 : " Then his master shall bring him unto the Elohim " 

 ("judges "). On the other hand, in verse 13, we read : " If a man 

 lie not in wait, but the Elohim deliver him into his hand." But the 

 verb is in the singular and the reference is undoubtedly to God. In 

 ch. xxii, 8, again we read : " If the thief be not found, the master 

 of the house shall be brought unto the Elohim " (" judges " — not God). 

 In verse 9 : " The cause of both parties shall be brought before the 

 Elohim (judges) and whom Elohim (judges) shall condemn (verb 

 in plural) he shall pay double." 



So you will see that this word is used, not only for the Divine 

 Being, but for other persons also. It is a nut for the Higher 

 Criticism to crack when it cuts up the Old Testament into " J " and 

 " E " (" P ") documents. Now the only definition of the word that 

 I know of when used of beings inferior to the Deity is given by us 



