אֱלוֹהַּ

Eloah is a Hebrew word for God, appearing 50 times in the Old Testament. It is a more archaic and poetic term for deity, often found in poetic books like Job (where it appears 41 times). While similar to the more common plural "Elohim" (H430), eloah specifically refers to a single divine being. It can denote a pagan god, but most frequently refers to the one true God of Israel. Its use often emphasizes the uniqueness and solitary nature of God's power and existence. When used in parallel with other divine names, it generally reinforces the idea of God's supreme authority and majesty. The theological weight of eloah often lies in its singularity, contrasting with the polytheistic environments of ancient Near Eastern cultures.

In contexts referring to the God of Israel, eloah highlights His distinctiveness from other deities and His absolute sovereignty. It can convey a sense of awe and reverence for the divine. In other contexts, particularly in Daniel, it can refer to a foreign or false god, demonstrating its semantic range as a general term for divinity. The choice of eloah in certain biblical passages might be to evoke a sense of ancient tradition or to emphasize a particular aspect of God's character, such as His power or justice, in a solemn or reflective tone.

Its usage in the book of Job, for example, often emphasizes God's mysterious ways, His justice, and His ultimate control over creation and human destiny. The term contributes to the profound theological discussions in Job about suffering, righteousness, and the nature of God. The connection between eloah and elohim is significant; while elohim can have a plural sense for gods, it also functions as a singular intensified plural for the one God, much like eloah, but eloah always maintains a singular grammatical form.