God
In the English language the word "god" means:
- one of several deities, especially a male deity, presiding over some portion of worldly affairs.
- an image of a deity; an idol.
- any deified person or object.
- a nebulous powerful force imagined to be responsible for one's fate: The god of poker dealt me two aces.
However, the word "God" in the Bible which is translated from the Hebrew word ("elohim") could have a different meaning depending on the context:
- ’ĕ·lō·hîm or אֱלֹהִ֖ים
- translated as "God" but refers to Moses (Exodus 7:1)
- translated as "god" but refers to Samuel (1 Samuel 28:13)
- translated as "gods" but refers to human kings who "judge as gods" but "shall die as men" (Psalm 82:1; Psalm 82:6)
- translated as "God" but possibly refers to Jesus who would "inherit the nations" (Psalm 82:1, Psalm 82:8)
- translated as "God" but refers to the Supreme God (Genesis 1:27)
- hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm or הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙
- translated as "rulers or judges" (Exodus 21:6)
- translated as "gods" (Exodus 18:11)
- translated as "God" (Job 1:6, Job 2:1, Deuteronomy 4:35
- lā·’ĕ·lō·hîm or לָאֱלֹהִ֖ים
- translated as "god" but refers to an idol (Exodus 22:20))
- mê·’ĕ·lō·hîm or מֵאֱלֹהִ֑ים
- translated as "angles" (Psalm 8:5)
- translated as "God" (Leviticus 19:14)
The word "God" in the Bible is also translated from the Hebrew word ("el"):
- ’êl or אֵ֥ל
- translated as "god" (Deuteronomy 32:12) but refers to an idol
- translated as "God" (Job 33:4) but refers to God's Spirit
- translated as "God" (Job 34:10) but possibly refers to the Son as he is the judge according to John 5:22 and "the Almighty" is addressed separately
- translated as "God" (Isaiah 9:6) but refers to "a prince" which probably refers to Jesus
- translated as "God" (Genesis 14:19-22) but refers to the "God Most High"
The Greek uses the same words ("theos" or "theou"), which both translates to "God", to refer to any type of god because in the pagan religions there are multiple gods and having only one God does not make sense to them:
- theos or θεὸς:
- translated as "god" (2 Corinthians 4:4)
- translated as "God" (Matthew 1:23)
- theou or Θεοῦ:
- translated as "god" (Acts 12:22)
- translated as "God" (2 Corinthians 4:4)
There may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth — as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords” — yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. However, not all possess this knowledge. -- 1 Corinthians 8:5-7 (ESV)
Some scholars confuse God with the Godhead because they argue that He is a "plural" or "united".