Genesis 1:26 . . . WHO IS THE ELOHIM ?

WHO is THE ELOHIM ?

Bible Readers may be familiar with  “ELOHIM,”  the Hebrew Word used in the Sacred Texts which is translated as GOD in our English Bibles. 

ELOHIM itself is a plural noun

 with the literal meaning, “gods.” 

That may seem to be an anomaly for the Hebrew Sacred Text which states in Deuteronomy 6:4

Hear, O Israel: 

The LORD our GOD

is

ONE LORD.  

The Hebrew Word, “ELOHIM,” however, is used as a COLLECTIVE NOUN when referring to The GOD of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 

Thus, although “ELOHIM”  is a PLURAL noun, it will be used in a COLLECTIVE manner with a SINGULAR VERB because 

collective nouns

act as a UNIT.

When “ELOHIM” is used as a simple plural noun in the Hebrew Sacred Text, it refers to the pantheon of foreign deities ( i.e., demons ) as in Exodus 20:3 . . . 

"Thou shalt have no other gods [ elohim ] before ME. "

Now, this DIFFERENCE is crucial,

for more than one reason.

A collective noun consists of MORE THAN ONE.

For instance, we might say, “The sheep is  crying for her lamb.” One sheep is in focus in that sentence. 

But, in another situation, we  also may state, “The sheep are crying for their lambs.”  This statement tells us that more than one sheep are missing their lambs. It is a COLLECTIVE noun.

Both statements may be true and both are correct for their particular circumstances.

In Hebrew, there are other collective nouns: 

Heaven, in Hebrew is  הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם  SHAMAYIM --- a plural noun used COLLECTIVELY as a UNIT. However, it is oftentimes translated into English as a singular, “Heaven.”  

WATER   מַ֙יִם֙  is also used in the same way --- MAYIM --- as a plural noun used collectively as a unit.

THE “ELOHIM” functions in the same way: a plural noun functioning as a UNIT, a collective noun . 

Thus, Hebrew grammar itself tells us that there are MORE THAN ONE involved in THE ELOHIM. 

And, "they" act as a UNIT !

Does Scripture tells us this, also ? 

Let us recall Genesis chapter 1 verses.  To start, here is verse 26: 

And GOD said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. Genesis 1:26

     VaYoMeR = and HE said = Qal fut 3^rd person singular, masculine, Vav Conversive ( past tense translation).

 [The Analytical Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon, Benjamin Davidson, 2002, pg. 288 ]  . 
 
Now, the interesting thing is this:  VaYoMeR  is a  VAV CONVERSIVE. This means that this verb in the FUTURE Qal form will be translated in the PAST tense, as a completed action. [ Biblical Hebrew: a Text and Workbook , Bonnie Kittel et al, Yale University Press, 1989, page 7 and 57.

 

ELOHIM = GOD . To English readers, this is the normal translation of ELOHIM. This word is a noun, masculine, PLURAL, in the ABSOLUTE state. 

ELOHIM is the subject of this clause : And ELOHIM said,

Absolute state means this noun is in the INDEPENDENT state and can also be used as the understood object of a prepositional phrase with “ OF ”, indicating possession. In Hebrew grammar, the absolute noun is the last word in a construct chain . . . which translates in English as an “ OF ” phrase: The Spirit of GOD.  Of is understood; GOD would be in the absolute state; Spirit would be in the construct form. 

See parsing tag at biblehub.com 

for Genesis 1:26. 

Na’aSeh = Let us make    [ Let us make ] . Qal, future, 1^st person PLURAL. This verb is considered a COHORTATIVE, hence the "LET us MAKE ... " translation.   

     Adam = man.  Not definite with a "the", so it is generic mankind.
 

  B'TZaL Ma Nu = in our image .  Note the plural "nu" suffix. That plural "nu" = OUR.  Our is a plural possessive pronoun. 

The noun, "image" is SINGULAR. 

Thus  in our image   is

a SINGULAR IMAGE

which reflects the PLURAL ELOHIM.

    KiD Mu Ta Nu = according to our likeness.

Like image,  this noun is also a SINGULAR noun which reflects the plural ELOHIM , with the "NU" ( our ) suffix at the end of the word.  

SO NOW THEN, 

WHO is "us" ? 

Who is the "us" in the collective

body of THE ELOHIM ? 

Here is the FIRST clue from SCRIPTURE: Genesis 1:2 . . .

This verse introduces us to the SPIRIT of GOD, 

the Ruach ELOHIM ,      which hovered over the face of the waters during the creation process, working in total unity with THE ELOHIM.   

This is the first identity connected with THE ELOHIM.

  Where can we find the next part of the identity of THE ELOHIM ?

. . . MORE TO COME