Polytheism/Henotheism of the Bible
Genesis 3:5
King James Version
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
NOTE: This can't be the Trinity because that would be anachronistic and tritheism.
Genesis 35:7
Modified Translation
7 And he built there an altar, and called the place El-bethel: because there the gods revealed themselves unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother.
NOTE: El-bethel literally means "The God of the House of God." The Hebrew verb is niglu (plural). In a standard "monotheistic" verse, it would be nigla (singular). By using niglu, the verse literally says "they revealed themselves. The subject is ha-Elohim. While Elohim can be singular, the fact that it is paired with a plural verb forces the noun to be read as "the gods" or "the divine beings."
Psalm 8:5
Literal Standard Version
5 You make him a little lower than the gods [[or God]], "" And surround him with glory and majesty.
NOTE: Elohim is used here and it is plural, not Malak. Hebrews 2 switches it to angels.
Exodus 12:12
English Standard Version
12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD.
1 Samuel 28:13
King James Version
13 And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth.
NOTE: This is plural, but translated singular.
Psalm 97:7
King James Version
7 Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods.
NOTE: It is turned to angels in other translations
Psalm 135:5
English Standard Version
5 For I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.
Deuteronomy 32:8-9
English Standard Version
8 When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God. 9 But the Lord's portion is his people, Jacob his allotted heritage.
NOTE: You don't allot people to non-existent beings. These were peer-level entities given jurisdiction over specific territories. Other translations have angels and the Sons of Israel.
Deuteronomy 32:17
New International Version
17 They sacrificed to false gods, which are not God— gods they had not known, gods that recently appeared, gods your ancestors did not fear.
NOTE: See also GNT.
Deuteronomy 32:39
Geneva Bible of 1587
39 Behold now, for I, I am he, and there is no gods with me: I kill, and giue life: I wound, and I make whole: neither is there any that can deliuer out of mine hand.
NOTE: Give, Deliver. Some translations try to change the with me to make it sound more monotheistic.
Deuteronomy 32:43
English Standard Version
43 “Rejoice with him, O heavens; bow down to him, all gods, for he avenges the blood of his children and takes vengeance on his adversaries. He repays those who hate him and cleanses his people’s land.”
NOTE: BLB, MSB, and BAB has angels. Some translations even omitted it. CEV and NRSV has gods.
Daniel 10:13
English Standard Version
13 The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia,
NOTE: Both Michael and the Prince of Persia are called princes of their respective territories.
Psalm 82:1,6-8
English Standard Version
A Psalm of Asaph. 1 God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment…….6 I said, “You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you; 7 nevertheless, like men you shall die, and fall like any prince.” 8 Arise, O God, judge the earth; for you shall inherit all the nations!
NOTE: The gods are being punished for failing at a job (ruling the nations) that they were actually authorized to do. If they weren't real, the judgment would be meaningless.
Deuteronomy 33:2-3
English Standard Version
2 He said, “The Lord came from Sinai and dawned from Seir upon us; he shone forth from Mount Paran; he came from the ten thousands of holy ones, with flaming fire at his right hand. 3 Yes, he loved his people, all his holy ones were in his hand; so they followed in your steps, receiving direction from you,
Job 5:1
English Standard Version
5 “Call now; is there anyone who will answer you? To which of the holy ones will you turn?
Job 15:15
English Standard Version
15 Behold, God puts no trust in his holy ones, and the heavens are not pure in his sight;
NOTE: The angels in Job 4:18 are human when you compare Malak to the other contexts.
Daniel 4:13
King James Version
13 I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven;
Daniel 4:17
King James Version
17 This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.
Daniel 4:23
King James Version
23 And whereas the king saw a watcher and an holy one coming down from heaven, and saying, Hew the tree down, and destroy it; yet leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him;
NOTE: Watchers and holy ones are not angels (Malak). They are separate entities. Some translations try to collapse them into one entity as angel.
Deuteronomy 10:17
King James Version
17 For the Lord your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward:
Exodus 15:11
King James Version
11 Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?
Isaiah 24:21
New Living Translation
21 In that day the LORD will punish the gods in the heavens and the proud rulers of the nations on earth.
NOTE: Other translations have high ones, exalted ones, rebellious angels, host of heaven, heaven's armies, etc.
1 Kings 22:19
King James Version
19. And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left.
NOTE: Other translations says angels and heavenly army.
Psalm 95:3
English Standard Version
3 For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
Psalm 96:4
English Standard Version
4 For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.
Exodus 18:11
King James Version
11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them.
Exodus 20:3
King James Version
3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Deuteronomy 4:19
Smith's Literal Translation
19 And lest thou shalt lift up thine eyes to the heavens, and seeing the sun and the moon and the stars, all the army of the heavens, and thou wert driven and didst worship to them, and didst serve them, which Jehovah thy God divided them out to all the peoples under all the heavens.
NOTE: See the World English bible, NAB, Lamsa, Peshitta, and Brenton. See also Nehemiah 9:6 KJV for the host of Heaven worshipping God. Yahweh gave the nations the accessibility to worship.
Zephaniah 2:11
English Standard Version
11 The LORD will be awesome against them; for he will famish all the gods of the earth, and to him shall bow down, each in its place, all the lands of the nations.
NOTE: Compare this to Psalm 50:12. God is rejecting the idea he needs sacrifices like the pagan gods do.
Isaiah 14:13
Christian Standard Bible
13 You said to yourself, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will set up my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of the gods’ assembly, in the remotest parts of the North.
NOTE: See also HCSB, CEV, GWT,GNT, NLT. Some translation have MT Zaphon. Jerusalem isn't in the north, but the Bible uses the term "North" (Zaphon) as a synonym for "the place where the High God lives." This is a direct linguistic carry-over from El's council meetings.
Ezekiel 28:2
English Standard Version
2 “Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, Thus says the Lord GOD: “Because your heart is proud, and you have said, ‘I am a god, I sit in the seat of the gods, in the heart of the seas,’ yet you are but a man, and no god, though you make your heart like the heart of a god—
NOTE: BSB,BLB,NKJV,NASB,LSB,HCSB, NET, MSB, NRSV. GWT tries to make it sound monotheistic. NIV tries to make it more general. There is too much assuming and effort to cover this passage.
Exodus 22:28
King James Version
28 Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people
NOTE: Rulers and gods are separate, not the same. These. are lower gods under Yahweh as representatives.
Exodus 34:14
King James Version
14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:
Exodus 21:6
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
6 His master shall bring him to the gods, and he shall be set to the door and the posts, and he shall bore his ear through with an awl: and he shall be his servant for ever.
NOTE: The Ancient Near East had doorway gods. We see this connected with blood on the doorposts and inscriptions on gates and thresholds. It functioned as a micro-sanctuary. Inquiry can include casting lots or Urim and Thummin. See also Deut. 6:9 and 11:20.
Exodus 22:8
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
8 If the thief be not known, the master of the house shall be brought to the gods, and shall swear that he did not lay his hand upon his neighbour's goods,
Psalm 138:1
King James Version
138 I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.
NOTE: Elohim is a general category for the divine being. Malak is for angels specifically. Douay-Rheims changes it to angels. Lamsa has kings. The JPS Tanak 1917 has the mighty.
Psalm 29:1
Catholic Public Domain Version
1 A Psalm of David, at the completion of the tabernacle. Bring to the Lord, O sons of God, bring to the Lord the sons of rams.
NOTE: Other translations have mighty ones and heavenly beings. Brenton also have Sons of God.
Psalm 58:1
English Standard Version
1 Do you indeed decree what is right, you gods? Do you judge the children of man uprightly?
NOTE: Some translations have silent ones, rulers, mighty ones, congregation.
Psalm 50:1
Douay-Rheims Bible
A psalm for Asaph. The God of gods, the Lord hath spoken: and he hath called the earth. From the rising of the sun, to the going down thereof:
NOTE: See. alternate translations :CPDV, YLT,SLT,BLB,LSV, and HCSB.
Micah 4:5
English Standard Version
For all the peoples walk each in the name of its god, but we will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever.
Exodus 32:4
English Standard Version
And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”
NOTE: The NKJV and NASB turn it to God. This story captures the "identity crisis" of the people. They are trying to worship the god who saved them (Yahweh) using the iconography of the god they already knew (El). Moses’ rage is the "Hostile Takeover" in action—he is forcing them to abandon the El-bull for the "invisible" Yahweh. El couldn't save them, but Yahweh. Notice it says two gods.
2 Samuel 7:23
English Standard Version
23 And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing for them great and awesome things by driving out before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods?
NOTE: Some translations remove gods like Lamsa, Brenton, SLT, and Peshitta.
***The Balaam Inscription has gods plural as well in Numbers 24***
Conclusion
It is difficult to dismiss these beings as merely imaginary or poetic metaphors when the biblical texts portray them as active participants in the administration of the nations and the heavenly order. Passages that describe the nations being allotted among divine beings, commands for these beings to bow before Yahweh, and declarations that Yahweh will judge or remove them from their positions all suggest that the authors viewed them as real supernatural entities within a hierarchical divine council. The tension in many modern translations arises from attempting to preserve later monotheistic interpretations while the older Hebrew texts themselves often reflect a worldview populated by multiple divine beings subordinate to Yahweh rather than a strict denial of their existence altogether.
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