[Mad Dawg]

"Elohim" is Hebrew.

It seems your point about Elohim is under discussion here:

What these different perspective clearly show is that “judges” was not posited as a valid translation prior to the Rabbinic Period.

Next we’ll take a look a more up-to-date and respected Hebrew lexicon, the Hebrew Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, by Koehler and Baumgartner. It should be no surprise that the entry on elohim explains the translation can only be “gods,” or “God.” “Judges” is mentioned as a rare Midrashic translation that is not accurate. Older dictionaries and lexicons are generally based on the early twentieth century Christian apologetic readings of Ps 82 that I discussed above.

I was not referring anyone to an argument FOR purgatory but to a discussion of the idea. I don't think Sayers or Dante was trying to persuade anybody of the idea. They are explaining it.

[CynicalBear]

When the word Elohim is used in the singular it generally refers to God as the Supreme judge and a singular God. When it is used in the plural form it refers to judges, magistrates, angels in their role as judges, and kings in their role as judges.

While the Catholic encyclopedia would like you to believe it is being used as a metaphor because it is also used for judges, angels and kings it, the Catholic church, also agrees with the judge references.