“A MODERN JEW’S ANSWER.” ⁱ Disbelieving Jews offer all kinds of answers for explaining away the plural of Jehovah in the Old Testament. ⁱⁱ I have selected one who admits the plural is used for God in the Hebrew Scriptures. My review is below.

Review. The word for an individual God in the ancient Old Testament Hebrew language was el ^H410 ???. Americans are familiar with the word “el.” First of all, you have heard of the nation of Israel. Then you are acquainted with its ending of "-el." The name Israel is derived from the Hebrew words, "yisra," which means to struggle, and "el," which stands for "God." Incidentally, EL was borrowed for the fanciful story of Superman in the Twentieth Century. The scientist El on the dying planet Krypton sends his son to Earth to save both his child along with the destined planet Earth (or at least the USA).

Plural and revelation. The Hebrew plural form for God is elohim; that is, el ^H410 with a Hebrew plural ending “im” which is equivalent to our English “s”. The mystery is why was God known as a plural Elohim to the Jews in the Old Testament instead of the singular “El”? And if so why can’t Christians use it too in explaining the Trinity revealed in the Old Testament.

Around 200 times the OT Hebrew Biblical text indeed uses the singular EL; e.g., with Melchizedec, “priest of El” (God, Genesis 14:18-20); with Hagar (Genesis 16:13); with Abram (Genesis 17:1); with Jacob (Genesis 31); with Joseph (Genesis 43:14); with Moses on the Mount (Exodus 34:5); with the Psalmist (Psalm 84:1,2). But the plural reference Elohim, however, is used for “God” over 2400 times. God as the creator in Genesis 1:1 is designated Elohim.

A JEWISH EXPLANATION FOR THE PLURAL. My proposition has been that the use of the plural for God in Genesis proves the Trinity of the Godhead in the beginning. The Jews would have known the plural. In answer to such a proposition, a Jewish writer online admits the plural being used. But he explains “the Jewish Scriptures teach us that ’Elohim is an honorific title, which expresses the plural of majesty. The underlying reason for the grammatically plural form ’Elohim is to indicate the all-inclusiveness of God’s authority as possessing every conceivable attribute of power.” ⁱⁱⁱ

As I have pointed out that even some Christians have criticized me for referring to the Trinity in the plural as Gods. But the Jewish writer referred to, supposes that there are some Trinitarians that do. So I’m not alone.

CONSIDERING “ELOHIM AS A TITLE OF POWER.” The writer referenced above believes the use of the PLURAL was for MAJESTY. In this Jew’s article the Hebrew plural Elohim for God is explained simply as “an honorific title.” But of course that simply is what he has been told. No where in the texts do the prophets or Moses claim this. This is what’s important. Only heaven’s revelation could explain why the prophet used the plural Elohim “for Gods created” (Genesis 1:1).

2 Peter 1:21 (CEV), “The prophets did not think these things up on their own, but they were guided by the Spirit of God.”

The period of history before the flood had to be delivered through the prophets. To my knowledge no archeological finding reveals the history before the flood. Genesis 1:1 was delivered to men (attributed by some to the prophet Moses)^iv but with no explanation for either the plurality or the plural speech in verse 26, “Let us make.” The creation scenes had to be revealed to the Jews. The identity of the name for the Creator was given without explanation.

HIS MAJESTY? The Jewish article admits that the Hebrew word Elohim for “God” in English is plural. To him the plural was used to emphasize majesty and every attribute of power. But how would he know this? His only explanation is from the commentator Rashi who defines El and Elohim as denoting holiness and strength for the God of Israel who is “the sum of all powers.”

MY QUESTION: If the plural was required for the expression of power for our Creator to the Jews, why is the word not so translated in the plural in English? Surely God’s power is not to be diminished by the English reader? The same applies to God’s majesty. Is God’s majesty to be diminished in the Gentile world by reducing God to a singular when plural is preferred in the original?

Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries defines for us how the word elohim was understood by the ancients.

'e?lo^hi^ym^H430 Plural --gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative

Brown-Driver-Briggs’ Hebrew Definitions`

'e^l. ^H410 [Singular] 1) god, god-like one, mighty one; 2) mighty things in nature; 3) strength, power.

Please note that the singular 'e^l is sufficient to indicate “power.” The plural is not required for this.

If the plural was to give the true God extra glory, the peoplee surely diminished it by using it for the enemy’s gods. It is more reasonable to believe that the Israelites had been simply taught by the prophets to use the plural for the true deity and they just applied it to any religion.

Throughout the Old Testament “God” is known by the plural “Gods” in the Hebrew text. The Hebrew word for God is plural (Gods) in verse 1 while the action word “created” is singular. This is what we could expect for the Trinity’s actions: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS AND THE PLURAL ELOHIM.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. “And Elohim spoke” (Exodus 20:1). “I am Jehovah thy Elohim” (20:2). “… have no other Elohim” (20:3). “For I the Jehovah thy Elohim am a jealous El” (20:5). “Thou shalt not take the name of Jehovah thy Elohim in vain” (20:7). “But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Jehovah thy Elohim” (20:10). “For in six days the Jehovah made” (20:11). “… the land which the Jehovah^H3068 thy Elohim^H430 giveth thee” (20:12).

“And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not Elohim^H430 speak with us, lest we die.” And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for Elohim^H430 is come to prove you …” (Exodus 20:19,20).

In the repetition of the Ten Commandments in Deuteronomy 5, the plural Elohim^H430 is likewise used.

God is certainly referred to in the Old Testament in the plural. But it is a mystery as to why until we get to the New Testament which completely reveals who Deity is, along with the revealing of uniting of Jew and Gentile in the church.

GAYLON WEST :::: CONTINUE TO PART 3 by tapping on the link under the image above.