In Genesis 2, God is repeatedly called Yahweh Elohim (“LORD God,” in English). But every time the serpent refers to God, he just says Elohim (“God”), the abstract name for divinity, dropping the personal. It’s calling someone by their title instead of their name—Doctor instead of Susan, Professor instead of Darrell, Sir instead of Dad. It’s respectful, but distant, depersonalized. The more intimacy in a relationship, the less likely someone is to be known by a title. An MD’s spouse doesn’t call her “Doctor”; he calls her by her first name. My kids don’t call me “Pastor”; they call me Dad. The
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