1G “The [true] God”—Heb., ha·ʼElʹ

The title ʼEl, when preceded by the definite article ha, gives the expression ha·ʼElʹ. This expression occurs 32 times in M in the singular and it always refers to the true God, Jehovah. Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar (GK), § 126 e, renders ha·ʼElo·himʹand ha·ʼElʹ as “the one true God.”

The New World Translation renders ha·ʼElʹ as “the [true] God” in all 32 places where it occurs in M in the singular, namely, in Ge 31:13; Ge 35:1, 3; Ge 46:3; De 7:9; De 10:17; De 33:26; 2Sa 22:31, 33, 48; Ne 1:5; Ne 9:32; Job 13:8; Job 21:14; Job 22:17; Job 31:28; Job 33:6; Job 34:10, 37; Job 40:9; Ps 18:30, 32, 47; Ps 57:2; Ps 68:19, 20; Ps 77:14; Ps 85:8; Isa 5:16; Isa 42:5; Jer 32:18; Da 9:4.

The plural of ʼel is ʼe·limʹ. In M ʼe·limʹ occurs once preceded by the definite article, namely, in Ex 15:11, where it refers to other gods.