Monotheism is the belief in one and only one God. Henotheism is the belief in many gods, but with a specific devotion to one God above all others.
Given that we are a monotheistic faith, how do we understand the meaning of the honorific title, "God of gods" occurring in Deuteronomy 10:17, Joshua 22:22, Psalm 136:2, and Daniel 2:47 & 11:36?
Comments
i. That the term God of gods is a honorific in a particular historical context and does not describe a polytheistic universe. In the same way that a judge is called 'your worship' but is not being worshipped in the sense we now use that word. I think of the titles given to the Christian Emperors of Rome, and to their officers, which are far beyond anything we would use towards any persons in our own times.
ii. That the gods refer to the pantheon of pagan gods who are not Gods at all but are demonic forces and must all submit before the true God of all that are called gods.
iii. That the gods refer to the immortal spiritual beings who surround God and are the angels, archangels, powers and dominions.
I have never understood the term as giving any value to the reality of other divine beings beside God. Of course in the history of Israel there was both pantheism and henotheism, but in terms of the true revelation of God within the history of Israel I believe that there have always been those who have understood that there is one God alone.
Father Peter