Landmark Baptist

The law of first mention indicates the most significant meaning of a term is derived from its first usage. Accordingly, it is most interesting to try to conceive the meaning of the almighty as He introduces Himself the first time in the Bible. That introduction is in Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."
The term English-speaking people use for the Supreme being, the Creator of all things is "God". However this anglo-saxon term somehow utterly fails to carry with it any definitive idea or imagery so desperately needed by the human mind. Not so the ancient Hebrew language. The Hebrew word translated God in this passage is "Elohim."
The term "Elohim" consistently violates Hebrew grammar. That grammar states that verbs and subjects must agree in gender, number and definiteness. In other words, plural subjects have plural verbs; singular subjects take singular verbs, etc. "Elohim" is a plural noun that consistently takes a singular verb. Such abberations in the language tell a story; in this case a very important one.
Unlike English which employs singular and plural, Hebrew employs singular, dual, and plural. The consistent use of the plural in "Elohim" is an indicator of at least three. The consistent use of a singular verb with it is an indicator that the three are one; hence, in language construction God introduces Himself as a trinity.
The word "Elohim" itself is a combination of two other words. The first is "El" which means the ultimate in strength and is by itself translated "God" some 250 times in the Old Testament. The other term from which "Elohim" is derived is "Alah" which means "to swear" as in to "speak most solomnly."
Consequently, the congealed ideas one may understand from this holy introduction necessitates a paragraph and may be rightly perceived as follows:
"Elohim" is the three who is/are inseparably one; who possesses ultimate power/strength. They/He solomnly declares and His/Their own intrinsic power makes the meaning of His/Their words come to pass."
This latter part is graphically illustrated in the progression of Genesis One. Elohim said, "Let there be light, and there was light." No process, just instant happening. As it is stated in Isaiah 48:3, "I did them suddenly and they came to pass."
This, then, is the Almighty, whom we call God in the English language.