What does that first part, El, or its longer form, Elohim, mean? More precisely, what do these terms mean when they are words, and not names? Consider how el is used in the following verse: I have it within my power to do harm to you (Genesis 31:29) That was the warning Laban gave to Jacob upon catching up to him after Jacob’s sudden departure from his home. In that verse, el is the Hebrew word for “power.” That seems to be the connotation of El, or Elohim, when it is used as a divine name, too. The Deity is being denoted as a powerful force.[9]
