Some of those false gods were viewed as ruling over certain parts of nature. Others were separate forms of a particular deity.
فَأُولٰئِكَ ٱلشُّعُوبُ عَبَدُوا ٱلْعَدِيدَ مِنَ ٱلْآلِهَةِ وَٱلْإِلَاهَاتِ ،‏ وَٱعْتَقَدُوا أَنَّ بَعْضَهَا يَتَحَكَّمُ فِي قِوًى طَبِيعِيَّةٍ مُعَيَّنَةٍ .‏