The prevailing view in OT studies is that monotheism is a mistaken postbiblical construct that does not cohere with the biblical texts. This paper will admittedly swim upstream against this widespread view. It sketches out a contrary perspective, arguing that the OT is consistently monotheistic, by challenging ten relevant claims as misconceptions.
(1) Is evidence for ancient Israelite polytheism also evidence for OT polytheism? No doubt many—at times, even most—ancient Israelites were polytheists. However, none of the OT texts teaches or endorses polytheism (defined as the belief in the legitimacy of honoring multiple beings as gods). (2) Did Jewish monotheism evolve late in OT history from an earlier Israelite-Canaanite polytheistic form of Yahwism? This theory depends on a dubious reconstruction of Israelite history that denies that the Exodus and Conquest took place and that regards the Israelites as becoming differentiated religiously from the Canaanites only during the monarchy.
(3) Does monotheism assert the existence of only one supernatural or spiritual being? No; monotheism asserts the existence of only one being deserving of religious honors from any people on earth. (4) Does the term elohim refer broadly to all spirits? This definition depends on an overly generalized reading of the statement attributed to the witch of Endor (1 Sam. 28:13).
(5) Does the creation narrative teach the existence of multiple gods (Gen. 1:26; 3:5, 22)? To the contrary, no other gods are mentioned in Genesis 1, and both Genesis 3:5 and 3:22 should be understood to mean “as God,” not “as gods.” (6) Are the Ten Commandments and the Shema henotheistic rather than strictly monotheistic? In the contexts (Exod. 19–20; Deut. 4–6), Yahweh’s demand to be the Israelites’ sole object of religious devotion is grounded on both his being the sole Creator of heaven and earth and his having delivered the Israelites from Egypt in a manner exhibiting his sole divinity. (7) Is Yahweh one of the sons of God in Deuteronomy 32:8-9? Properly interpreted, the text means that God, whose covenant name is Yahweh, has chosen Israel for his special possession. (8) Did God authorize worship of other gods by the nations? The texts assert rather that God gave the nations over to the worship of useless, impotent “gods” unworthy of the title. (9) Are affirmations of one God in the OT merely rhetorical statements of incomparability, i.e., assertions that Yahweh is far greater than other legitimate gods? Arguments for this interpretation are fallacious and not even carried through consistently. (10) Do OT writings affirm that there are gods other than Yahweh in a “divine council”? The main text cited to support this conclusion, Psalm 82, condemns the gods of the nations, turning divine council imagery on itself and thereby indirectly advancing a monotheistic vision.
The paper concludes briefly with implications for New Testament Christology and for the Nicene Creed.