16. “Elohim” and “Let us make”- Plurality of Persons?

Gen 1:26 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.

The original Hebrew scripture uses the word “Elohim” to refer to God. Elohim, pronounced el-o-heem', can be translated God, god, goddess, gods. It is translated "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: -angels, exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), and (very) great judges, and mighty.

“El” is the singular form of the word “God”. When -im is added, it becomes “Elohim”, which is plural. However, when referring to God Almighty, it is like a uniplural noun. Uniplural nouns can refer to an object in singular or plural. For example, the word “sheep” is both singular and plural.

Even though Elohim is the plural form of the word, it is ALWAYS translated in the singular form when used in reference to the one true God.

Also, “Elohim” is translated in the plural sense when referring to pagan gods, but it is also translated singularly to describe a pagan deity.

Since “Elohim” describes more than one god when translated in the plural form, and is used so frequently as a name for God, Trinitarians use it to promote the concept of Trinity.

But this concept of Trinity is in direct contradiction to how God describes Himself.

God (El- -singular) appeared to Abram. Only one individual appeared in Genesis 17:1, but in 17:3, that same individual, God (Elohim- -plural), appeared to Abram. Was God alone during one moment and accompanied by the other two members of the Trinity in the the next, while Abram continually saw only one LORD?

If Trinitarians do not interpret “El” to be the entire Godhead, then one member of the Godhead is claiming to be "Almighty" over the other two members. This only collapses their doctrine that all 3 persons of the trinity are co-equal. The plural term “Elohim” is to be interpreted in a singular sense when referring to God Almighty.

Let us see some more examples where the term “Elohim” was used to refer to a SINGLE PERSON:

1 Kings 11: 33 Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon...

அவர்கள் என்னைவிட்டு, சீதோனியரின் தேவியாகிய அஸ்தரோத்தையும், மோவாபியரின் தேவனாகிய காமோசையும், அம்மோன் புத்திரரின் தேவனாகிய மில்கோமையும் பணிந்துகொண்டு...

The heathen false gods Ashtoreth, Chemosh and Milcom are all singular deities, and the word “Elohim” is interpreted singularly.

Exodus 32: 4 And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

அவர்கள் கையிலிருந்து அவன் அந்தப் பொன்னை வாங்கி, சிற்பக்கருவியினால் கருப்பிடித்து, ஒரு கன்றுக்குட்டியை வார்ப்பித்தான். அப்பொழுது அவர்கள்: இஸ்ரவேலரே, உங்களை எகிப்துதேசத்திலிருந்து அழைத்துக்கொண்டுவந்த உங்கள் தெய்வங்கள் இவைகளே என்றார்கள்.

Aaron and the Israelites made just ONE golden calf, but still the word “Elohim” is used to denote it.

Having established the uniplural nature of the term “Elohim”, let us now consider the use of “Majestic Plural” in the Bible.

“Royal we” or “Majestic plural” is the practice of using plural pronoun to refer to a single person as a mark of respect and honour. It is usually used by Kings and Emperors to refer to themselves.

For more details see the question "Sonship- God became man".

Ezra 4:17 Then sent the king an answer unto Rehum the chancellor, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their companions that dwell in Samaria, and unto the rest beyond the river, Peace, and at such a time. 18 The letter which ye sent unto us hath been plainly read before me.

அப்பொழுது ராஜா… எழுதியனுப்பின பிரதியுத்தரமாவது… நீங்கள் அனுப்பின மனு நமது சமுகத்தில் தீர்க்கமாய் வாசிக்கப்பட்டது.

King Artaxerxes refers to himself in the plural to signify his majesty and power.

Isa 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

பின்பு: யாரை நான் அனுப்புவேன், யார் நமது காரியமாய்ப் போவான் என்று உரைக்கிற ஆண்டவருடைய சத்தத்தைக் கேட்டேன். அதற்கு நான்: இதோ, அடியேன் இருக்கிறேன்; என்னை அனுப்பும் என்றேன்.

Here we see the Lord (God) referring to himself in both singular and plural at the same time.

On a concluding note, in Gen 1:26 when God said “Let us make man in our image”, He was not speaking to two other persons of the Trinity. He emphasizes this again by saying “he which made them at the beginning made them male and female” (Matt 19:4). Not “they” which made them.

And again in Isa 44:24 “I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;”