Introduction
In Genesis 1 the Hebrew word “Elohiym” is used as a name for YHVH. Elohiym is a plural form, and because of this it is said that the Genesis account tells us that more than one person was at creation. In this document a scriptural analysis is done of the use of the word “Elohiym” in the first five books of the Bible, using the King James Version (KJV) and Strong’s Concordance. This analysis allows the Bible to explain itself; be its own translator.
[All Bible quotes are from Jay P. Green’s literal translation of the bible (LITV) unless otherwise indicated.]
Strong’s Concordance is an exhaustive cross-reference of every word in the KJV back to the word in the original Hebrew. It was first published in 1890. It does not provide content or commentary about the Bible, but allows the reader to compare how the same word is used elsewhere (Wikipedia, Strong’s).
The Strong’s Concordance gives the meaning of the word “Elohiym” as
430 ‘elohiym el-o-heem’ plural of 433; 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, X exceeding, God (gods)(-dess, -ly), X (very) great, judges, X mighty.
From this definition we can see that, though the word is a plural form, it is mostly used as a singular. (The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon calls this singular use of a plural the “Plural-Intensive”.)
Moses, the writer of the first five books of the bible(the Torah), used “Elohiym” almost exclusively as a singular. Of his eight hundred and eleven uses of the word, there are only a few (forty-four: 5%) places where it is used as a plural, and in these cases the context shows that it is plural. In such cases it is never used to refer to YHVH. Each use of the word was checked and the following texts with a plural context has been found: Genesis 31:30, 32 , 35:2, 4; Exodus 18:11, 22:8, 9, 23:24, 32, 33, 34:15, 16, 17; Numbers 33:4 Deuteronomy 4:28, 6:14, 7:4, 16, 25, 8:19, 10:17, 12:2, 3, 30, 31,13:2, 6, 7, 13, 28:64, 29:18, 29:26, 30:17, 31:16, 18, 20, 32:17.
We will now look at eight particular uses of the word “Elohiym” by Moses.
Uses of “Elohiym” where context requires a singular
The KJV mostly translates the Hebrew word “Elohiym” with the singular meaning. Among Moses’ uses of “Elohiym” there are several clear instances were the context shows, unequivocally that a singular meaning is required. These are given below:
Exodus 7:1
In Exodus 7:1 YHVH says to Moses:
See, I have made you a god to Pharaoh; and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. (Exodus 7:1)
The Hebrew word for “god” used here was “Elohiym” a plural form, and yet there is obviously only one Moses. This gives us a prime example of how Moses mostly used the word.
Exodus 32
In Exodus 32 we have the story of the children of Israel falling into idolatry. Aaron makes a golden calf which they then worship as the god which brought them out of Egypt. It is clear from the context that Aaron made a single calf from the gold provided by the people of Israel.
Let us take a moment to look at the context. In verse 1 the children of Israel ask for a god to go before them. They were asking for something for the people to follow, in the same way they were led by the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. Verse 4 states that Aaron made a single molten calf, no context is given to suggest it was more than one. Most importantly, in verse 5, Aaron built an altar for the calf. The activities in verse 6 suggest to us that the calf was a single focus of attention. Additionally, in verse 19 Moses saw the calf from a distance when on his way back with the tablets of stone with YHVH’s law. If the calf was visible from a distance it must have been pretty big, and it is unlikely that small multiple calves would be visible in the same way.
It can thus be safe to say that a single large calf was made, but throughout the KJV translation of the story this single calf was referred to as “gods”, e.g. In verse 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. (Exodus 32:4)
The translation is the same for many other versions of the bible (e.g. LITV, NIV). The word used for “gods” here is “Elohiym”. It is clear from the context that the word is being used as a singular, and thus verse 4 should read:
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, Here is thy god, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.(Exodus 32:4 – revised)
This translation is confirmed by the KJV bible itself, in the book of Nehemiah. Here the children of Israel have returned from their exile in Babylon. They have just read YHVH’s law as written by Moses (Nehemiah 8:1-3) and in expressing their remorse for the nation’s previous behaviour they recount what YHVH had done for them in the past, as they had heard from Moses’ writings. This recitation includes the statement:
Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This is thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations; (Nehemiah 9:18 [KJV])
The KJV translators have rendered the word “Elohiym” here as the singular “God” as it should be.
Exodus 22:28
In Exodus 22:28 translators seem to have made a serious error in using the plural, “the gods” for the “Elohiym” where the context makes it clear it is referring to YHVH. In Exodus 22:28:
Though shalt not revile their gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people. (Exodus 22:28)
It should read something like this:
“You should not give YHVH a bad name, nor curse your ruler”. (Exodus 22:28 – revised)
With the original translation it gives the impression that God is asking for respect to be given to other gods.
Exodus 31:18
In Exodus 31:18 “And when He finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave to Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God.” This is a personal communication written by the finger of God. A plural cannot easily work in this scripture. We have a singular “finger” and no indication that the testimony was a corporate work..
Numbers 25:1-5
“1 And Israel lived in Shittim. And the people began to fornicate with the daughters of Moab. 2 And they called the people to the sacrifices of their gods. And the people ate and bowed themselves to their gods. 3 And Israel was joined to Baal-peor, and the anger of Jehovah burned against Israel. 4 And Jehovah said to Moses, Take all the leaders of the people and hang them up to Jehovah before the sun, that the fierce anger of Jehovah may be turned away from Israel. 5 And Moses said to the judges of Israel, Each one of you kill his men, those who joined to Baal-peor. “ (Numbers 25:1-5)
Only one god, “Baal-peor” is mentioned here, so there is no reason why the plural should be inferred, thus making the text grammatically incorrect, quite unnecessarily.
Deuteronomy 32:37,38
37And He will say, Where are their gods, their rock in which they sought refuge? 38 Who ate the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offerings? Let them rise up and help you; let it be a hiding place for you. (Deuteronomy 32:37,38)
Here the singular meaning, pertaining to the singular “rock” as the subject, makes better sense:
37And He will say, Where is their god, the rock in which they sought refuge? 38 Who ate the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offerings? Let him rise up and help you; let it be a hiding place for you. (Deuteronomy 32:37,38 – revised)
Places where the Singular seems a better translation
Exodus 20 is a case in point were the context shows more than once that a plural is not necessary, though it can be used. In these cases, inferring a singular form for the translation of “Elohiym” increases the understanding of the text. For instance in verse 3:
Though shalt have no other gods before me. (Exodus 20:3)
Could be replaced by:
Though shalt have no other god before me. (Exodus 20:3 revised)
This provides the same meaning, but improves the emphasis of the commandment.
The following text provides a more concrete example of where the singular/plural confusion has obscured the meaning:
22 And Jehovah said to Moses, You shall say this to the sons of Israel: You have seen that I have spoken with you from the heavens. 23 You shall not make gods of silver along with Me, and you shall not make gods of gold for yourselves. 24 You shall make an altar of earth for Me, and you shall sacrifice your burnt offerings and your peace offerings on it, your sheep and your cattle. In every place in which I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and will bless you. (Exodus 20: 22-24)
Would read more accurately as:
“And YHVH said to Moses, tell the children of Israel, ‘You have seen how I spoke to you from heaven, so do not make me as a god of silver nor a god of gold. Just make an alter of earth upon which to make your burnt offerings. Do this in every place in which I cause My name to be remembered, and I will come to you and will bless you.’”(Exodus 20: 22-24 – revised)
Here we do not have the incongruous repeat of the false idols commandment, but the development of instructions as to how YHVH is to be worshipped.
Places where context is singular but plural terms are included
There are two places where the singular use of the word “Elohiym” is meant, but there is a plural associated with its use. In these cases, as previously stated, the context shows that the plural does not apply to YHVH Himself but that He speaks, in the first person (I/we/us).
Genesis 1:26-27
These verses are from the creation account, when man was made, and is the single most important evidence used for suggesting that there was more than one Creator.
26 And God said, let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all the creepers creeping on the earth. 27 And God created the man in His own image; in the image of God He created him. He created them male and female. (Genesis 1:26-27)
In verse 26 it is the singular, YHVH who is reported as speaking who then uses the “royal we”. However, in verse 27, where the deed is actually done, “Elohiym” is unmistakably used in the singular context: Man is made in His image and by Him.
Genesis 3:22-23
These verses refer to when Adam and Eve were facing the consequences of their rebellion.
22 And Jehovah God said, Behold! The man has become as one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put forth his hand and also take from the Tree of Life, and eat, and live forever, 23 Jehovah God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground out of which he was taken. (Genesis 3:22-23)
In this case there can be no mistaking that it is the singular YHVH who is reported as speaking. He is specifically referred to by name, with the singular use of “Elohiym”. It is YHVH who is reported as speaking, and YHVH who sent Adam and Eve out of the garden of Eden.
The bible translates the meaning of these verses
In Genesis 11:6-8 YHVH is responding to the building of the tower of Babel:
6 And Jehovah said, Behold, the people is one, and the lip one to all of them, and this they are beginning to do, and now all which they have purposed to do will not be restrained from them. 7 Come, let Us go down and confuse their language so that they cannot understand one another’s speech. 8 And Jehovah scattered them from there, over the face of all the earth. And they stopped building the city. ( Genesis 11:6-8)
The Bible here directly acts as its own translator. In this passage YHVH is referred to only by his personal name. When speaking He uses the, “royal we”, but when the scattering is done, it is He alone who acts.
Conclusion
It is clear from Moses’ use of the word “Elohiym” that he primarily used it to refer to a single being. In only 5% of usages was the word used as a plural, and in each of these cases the context of the usage closely defines that the plural is meant. In the vast majority (95%) of Moses’ usage of the word the singular rendering of the word is meant.
The inappropriate usage of the plural meaning by translators has obscured the readability of parts of the scripture at best and woefully corrupted them at the worst. The problematic translation of the first chapter of Genesis has lead to serious misunderstandings of the nature of YHVH and the Gospel. Fortunately we have the rest of Scripture which provides us with a clear understanding, but we must allow the Bible to be its own translator. Following this method we are led to a true knowledge of the nature of YHVH and His plan of redemption through His son Jesus.
The information provided through Moses is the foundation of God’s communication to man. If we get this right, then it supports the rest of the entire Bible. Moses made it clear that the creator was one being, YHVH, so to bring this study to a close here are three quotes from Moses concerning the true nature of YHVH:
“ know today, and lay it to your heart, that Jehovah, He is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath; there is no other.” (Deuteronomy 4:39)
“ Hear, O Israel, Jehovah our God is one Jehovah.” (Deuteronomy 6:4)
“See now that I, I am He, and there is no other God with Me. I kill, and I keep alive. I wound and I heal, and there is no deliverer from My hand. “ (Deuteronomy 32:39 )