# H0410 - el **Strong's:** [H0410](https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h410/) · BLB lookup **Pronunciation:** ale **Part of speech:** masculine noun **OT occurrences:** ~245 **Greek equivalent (LXX):** typically *theos* (G2316) ## Semantic range (BDB / HALOT) 1. **God**, divine being (the dominant biblical usage) 2. **Mighty one, strong one**, applied occasionally to humans ([Ezek 31:11](/codex/ezekiel-31-11/)) or angels ([Job 41:25](/codex/job-41-25/)) 3. **Power, strength** in some contexts 4. **A god** (lower-case), applied to false gods or as generic divine-being term The base meaning is *strength / might*, the divine being is the *mighty / strong one*. The term is part of the broad Semitic divine-name family (Akkadian *ilu*, Ugaritic *El*, Arabic *Ilāh*), often used as the head-deity name in West Semitic religion. ## Theological force ### *El* as biblical-theological name In OT usage, *El* often appears in **compound names** identifying specific aspects of God: - ***El Shaddai*** ([Genesis 17:1](/codex/genesis-17-1/); 28:3; 35:11), *Almighty God* / *God All-Sufficient* - ***El Elyon*** ([Genesis 14:18-22](/codex/genesis-14-18-22/)), *God Most High* - ***El Olam*** ([Genesis 21:33](/codex/genesis-21-33/)), *Eternal God* - ***El Roi*** ([Genesis 16:13](/codex/genesis-16-13/)), *God Who Sees* - ***El Bethel*** ([Genesis 35:7](/codex/genesis-35-7/)), *God of Bethel* - ***El Berith*** ([Judges 9:46](/codex/judges-9-46/)), *God of the Covenant* - ***El Gibbor*** ([Isaiah 9:6](/codex/isaiah-9-6/)), *Mighty God*, see [Isaiah 9.6](/codex/isaiah-9-6/) - ***El Qanna***, *Jealous God* ([Exodus 20:5](/codex/exodus-20-5/); [Deut 4:24](/codex/deuteronomy-4-24/)) - ***El Emet***, *God of Truth* ([Psalm 31:5](/codex/psalms-31-5/)) Each compound name highlights a divine attribute or a specific revelatory encounter. ### Plural *Elohim*, the related form [H0430 - elohim](/codex/h0430-elohim/) (אֱלֹהִים) is the plural / intensive-plural form, used uniformly with singular verbs and adjectives when referring to Israel's God. The relationship: *El* (singular base) → *Elohim* (intensive / majestic plural). The singular *El* is preserved in compound names; *Elohim* dominates in general-creator-God references ([Gen 1:1](/codex/genesis-1-1/), etc.). ### *El* in Christological prophecy **[Isaiah 9.6](/codex/isaiah-9-6/)**, *El Gibbor*, "Mighty God", applied to the Messianic child. This is one of the most concentrated OT divine-title applications to the coming Messiah. The conservative Christological reading: [Isaiah 9:6](/codex/isaiah-9-6/) explicitly attributes deity to the Messiah (called *El Gibbor*), confirmed by NT Christology (see [Christology](/codex/christianity/)). ### *El* and ancient-Near-Eastern religion The term *El* appears in surrounding ANE religious literature (Ugaritic Baal-cycle texts; Canaanite religion). Critical scholarship sometimes argues that biblical *El* is borrowed from Canaanite religion. Conservative response (M. G. Kline; Bruce Waltke; Allen Ross): biblical *El* deliberately *contrasts* with Canaanite *El*, Israel's *El* is the Creator, transcendent, holy, jealous; the Canaanite *El* was a remote sky-god who delegated power to lesser gods. The shared vocabulary emphasizes the polemical contrast, not religious-historical borrowing. ## Notable verses ### Compound names - **[Genesis 14:18-22](/codex/genesis-14-18-22/)**, *El Elyon* - **[Genesis 16:13](/codex/genesis-16-13/)**, *El Roi* - **[Genesis 17:1](/codex/genesis-17-1/)**, *El Shaddai* - **[Genesis 21:33](/codex/genesis-21-33/)**, *El Olam* - **[Exodus 6:3](/codex/exodus-6-3/)**, God known to patriarchs as *El Shaddai*; now revealed as YHWH - **[Isaiah 9.6](/codex/isaiah-9-6/)**, *El Gibbor* (Messianic) - **[Psalm 22:1](/codex/psalms-22-1/), [10](/codex/psalms-22-10/); [Psalm 89:7](/codex/psalms-89-7/)**, *El* - **[Daniel 11:36](/codex/daniel-11-36/)**, *El elim*, God of gods ### *El* used for false gods (rare, contextual) - [Deuteronomy 32:12](/codex/deuteronomy-32-12/), there is no other *el* - [Judges 9:46](/codex/judges-9-46/), *El Berith* (Shechemite cult; idolatrous use) ## Patristic / scholarly note Patristic engagement: through the LXX *theos* rendering. Modern Christian engagement: extensive in OT-theology works. Modern conservative scholarship: - M. H. Pope (*El in the Ugaritic Texts*, 1955) - Bruce K. Waltke (*An Old Testament Theology*, 2007) - Walter Eichrodt (*Theology of the Old Testament*, 1961-67) - John Goldingay (*Old Testament Theology*, 3 vols., 2003-09) ## See also - [H0430 - elohim](/codex/h0430-elohim/), the plural / intensive form - [H3068 - YHWH](/codex/h3068-yhwh/), the covenant-personal name - H136 - adon, Adonai / Lord - [H7706 - Shaddai](/codex/h7706-shaddai/), Almighty (compound with *El*) - [Isaiah 9.6](/codex/isaiah-9-6/), *El Gibbor* Messianic prophecy - [Trinity](/codex/trinity/), divine plurality patterns - [Christology](/codex/christianity/), *El* applied to the Messiah ## Notes _Lexical workspace for El._