Genesis: God refers to himself in the plural? What the heck?

[Aristotle]

Um guys.....

If anyone paid attention in english class its called "first-person plural" its the same in the Holy Qur'an. God refers to himself in first person, and first person plural.

^This

 

[CMike]

Genesis 1:26

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

Is the monotheistic Christian God admitting that there is at least one other god?

Or are humans genetically engineered by aliens who are our God?

WHAT IS THE ANSWER?!?!?

God the Father God the Son God the Holy Ghost...

Duh!

That's the Christian bible not the Jewish one.

 

[konradv]

Could just be a language peculiarity. In Spanish God is also plural, dios.

 

[rosends]

the standard Jewish answer was written down and explicated by rashi about 1000 years ago (referring to texts older than that):

Even though they [the angels] did not assist Him in His creation, and there is an opportunity for the heretics to rebel (to misconstrue the plural as a basis for their heresies), Scripture did not hesitate to teach proper conduct and the trait of humility, that a great person should consult with and receive permission from a smaller one. Had it been written: “I shall make man,” we would not have learned that He was speaking with His tribunal, but to Himself. And the refutation to the heretics is written alongside it [i. e., in the following verse:]“And God created (וַיִּבְרָ&#1488 ,” and it does not say,“and they created וַיִּבְרְאוּ.” - [from Gen. Rabbah 8:9]

 

[CMike]

Elohim is singular.

 

[konradv]

Elohim is singular.

You're going to have to do better than a flat statement, given that -im is the usual designation for the plural in Hebrew.

 

[rosends]

Elohim is singular.

You're going to have to do better than a flat statement, given that -im is the usual designation for the plural in Hebrew.

nachmanides does say that there is a plural aspect to the word because it means "that which is above all other forces" - the plural refers to the other forces.

not only is -im not always plural, but the word elohim is used elsewhere in the text as a singularin 2 ways

1. it is used to refer to god as singular (as evidenced by the verb that matches with it)

2. in ex 4:16 it is used to refer to moses. moses was a singular person so making him into a leader wouldn't be "leaders" would it? same with ex 7:1.

 

[konradv]

Elohim is singular.

You're going to have to do better than a flat statement, given that -im is the usual designation for the plural in Hebrew.

nachmanides does say that there is a plural aspect to the word because it means "that which is above all other forces" - the plural refers to the other forces.

not only is -im not always plural, but the word elohim is used elsewhere in the text as a singularin 2 ways

1. it is used to refer to god as singular (as evidenced by the verb that matches with it)

2. in ex 4:16 it is used to refer to moses. moses was a singular person so making him into a leader wouldn't be "leaders" would it? same with ex 7:1.

Thank you, that's an explanation, not just a statement. Rep your way.

 

[rosends]

You're going to have to do better than a flat statement, given that -im is the usual designation for the plural in Hebrew.

nachmanides does say that there is a plural aspect to the word because it means "that which is above all other forces" - the plural refers to the other forces.

not only is -im not always plural, but the word elohim is used elsewhere in the text as a singularin 2 ways

1. it is used to refer to god as singular (as evidenced by the verb that matches with it)

2. in ex 4:16 it is used to refer to moses. moses was a singular person so making him into a leader wouldn't be "leaders" would it? same with ex 7:1.

Thank you, that's an explanation, not just a statement. Rep your way.

thanks -- if you want any other information from particularly the jewish POV I can try to help. I know that these arguments will be unpersuasive to anyone outside the jewish tradition but the jewish response to that might be "ok, well have fun with that"

 

[CMike]

Elohim is singular.

You're going to have to do better than a flat statement, given that -im is the usual designation for the plural in Hebrew.

Where does your vast knowledge of hebrew come from?

 

[CMike]

Genesis 1:26

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

Is the monotheistic Christian God admitting that there is at least one other god?

Or are humans genetically engineered by aliens who are our God?

WHAT IS THE ANSWER?!?!?

God the Father God the Son God the Holy Ghost...

Duh!

...I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me. (Isaiah, 46:9)

... so that all the peoples of the Earth may know that the Lord is God and that there is no other. (1 Kings, 8:60)

Turn to Me and be saved, all you ends of the Earth; for I am God, and there is no other. (Isaiah, 45:22)

This is what the Lord says…"Surely God is with you, and there is no other; there is no other God." (Isaiah, 45:14)

...The Lord our God, the Lord is one. (Deuteronomy, 6:4)

 

[CandySlice]

Liberty have you ever looked into the H2 series 'Ancient Aliens'? They touch on this subject and many others (though sometimes to excess for my money) but some of the findings that have been made make a good case for your question being a legitimate one. So far this is a 4 part series that can be ordered at Amazon for a little bit of nothing and it's well worth having a look. I'm always on the look-out for people willing to discuss these issues.

 

[CandySlice]

Answer me this. Why is the whole second half of Ezekiel about building a device (transport) for God to get around in? The God I worship doesn't need transportation.

 

[rdean]

books are written by men

gods are illiterate

 

[CandySlice]

b>A UFO as imagined in late Josef Blumrich’s 1973 book The Spaceships of Ezekiel (Bantam. ISBN 0553083783). Unaware that Ezekiel had described God enthroned, Blumrich, a NASA rocket engineer, reinterpreted Ezekial’s description as a UFO. Blumrich worked on the Saturn 5 rocket, the Lunar Lander and on Skylab.

http://www.thelivingmoon.com/43ancients/01archives/Ezekiels_Story01.htm

 

[CandySlice]

]

 

[there4eyeM]

As pointed out elsewhere, this is merely the English use of the royal "we", as when Elizabeth II the second speaks her opinion.

Language evolves, and sometimes we lose the sense of words and terms. Many who think they understand Shakespeare, for example, do not.

The most we can use the Bible for is metaphorical instruction.

 

[CMike]

Answer me this. Why is the whole second half of Ezekiel about building a device (transport) for God to get around in? The God I worship doesn't need transportation.

You are confusing it with Dr Who

 

[BreezeWood]

Genesis 1:26

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

Is the monotheistic Christian God admitting that there is at least one other god?

Or are humans genetically engineered by aliens who are our God?

WHAT IS THE ANSWER?!?!?

The religion of God is Remission ...

the Bible does not explain what the Forbidden Fruits are but is itself an example from God of the Faults mankind must overcome to reenter the OuterWorld of the Everlasting mankind is either expelled from or given the opportunity within a lifetime to accomplish.


"and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."


God is the Garden - the above is Idolatry and a Forbidden Fruit - whoever believes they "rule over" God will perish ... this scripture along with many others are meant to be recognized and corrected to find the true path back / to the Everlasting.


God is speaking to those who have accomplished Admission to the Everlasting.

 

[Foxfyre]

Answer me this. Why is the whole second half of Ezekiel about building a device (transport) for God to get around in? The God I worship doesn't need transportation.

Well, if the Elohim or Jahwaist writers--these are among the oldest manuscripts included in the Old Testament and are the ones who used the rhetorical "we" and "us"--were influenced by aliens, and Ezekial related influence by aliens, those aliens must have been making multiple visits over a long period. Ezekial was among the latter prophets with that manuscript dated probably in the Sixth Century B.C., some six or seven centuries after those earlier manuscripts were likely written.

But for alien theories, there is no more compelling book ever written to support visitation by aliens than Erich Von Daniken's Chariots of the Gods. It really is a good read and will make you think.

But just to make sure all the bases are covered, one should probably also read Clifford Wilson's rebuttal in Crash Go the Chariots. It is also a good read and will also make you think.