General The meaning of "LET US" in Genesis 1:26

[Lori Jane]

This is how I understand it:

OT Scholar & Christian Author Dr. Michael Heiser - Genesis 1:26: The Divine Council

The Trinity in Genesis 1:26 makes no senseDr. Michael Heiser#Trinity #Christian #Bible #Jesus #God #Christianity #BiblicalUnitarian #Gospel #MichaelHeiser

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Who Is the “Us” in Genesis 1.26 according to Michael Heiser?​

Posted on November 28, 2020
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Genesis 1.26
Then 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 birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

This passage has intrigued Bible students for millennia. To whom is God speaking here? Is he deliberating with himself? Is he using a plural of majesty? Do we find here a plurality within the one God? Mike Heiser offers the following helpful explanation.

Many Bible readers note the plural pronouns (us; our) with curiosity. They might suggest that the plurals refer to the Trinity, but technical research in Hebrew grammar and exegesis has shown that the Trinity is not a coherent explanation.
Michael S. Heiser, The Unseen Realm (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press 2015), p. 39.

He continues in a lengthy footnote:

Seeing the Trinity in Gen 1:26 is reading the New Testament back into the old Testament, something that isn’t a sound interpretive method for discerning what an Old Testament writer was thinking. Unlike the New Testament, the Old Testament has no Trinitarian phrases (e.g., “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”; cf Matt 28:19-20). The triune godhead idea is never transparently expressed in the Old Testament. Since…other references to divine plurality involve divine beings who are lesser than Yahweh, we must be careful about attributing the language of divine plurality to the Trinity. Doing so will get us into theological trouble in other passages….The answer to the plurality language is also not the “plural of majesty.” As Joüon-Muraoka notes, “The we of majesty does not exist in Hebrew”…The plural of majesty does exist for nouns…but Gen 1:26 is not about the nouns–the issue is the verbal forms.
ibid.

So, if Genesis 1.26 is not employing the plural of majesty or manifesting some kind of inner plurality, then what is going on? Heiser continues:

The solution is much more straightforward, one that an ancient Israelite would have readily discerned. What we have is a single person (God) addressing a group–the members of his divine council.
It’s like me going int a room of friends and saying, “Hey, let’s go get some pizza!” I’m the one speaking. A group is hearing what I say. Similarly, God comes to the divine council with an exciting announcement: “Let’s create humankind!”
But if God is speaking to his divine council here, does that suggest that humankind was created by more than one elohim? Was the creation of humankind a group project? Not at all. Back to my pizza illustration: If I am the one paying for the pizza–making the plan happen after announcing it–then I retain both the inspiration and the initiative for the entire project. That’s how Genesis 1:26 works.
ibid., pp. 39-40.

Now, this makes a lot of sense, but the question then comes up, “So are you saying that ‘angels’ helped God make the first humans?” Heiser, once again:

Genesis 1:27 tells us clearly that only God himself does the creating. In the Hebrew, all the verbs of creation in the passage are singular in form: “So God created humankind in his image, in the likeness of God he created him.” The other members of the council do not participate in the creation of humankind. They watch, just as they did when God laid the foundations of the earth (Job 37:7)
ibid.

This understanding fits like a glove with the three other “us passages” in the Hebrew Bible. Here they are for your consideration:

Genesis 3.22
Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever– “
Genesis 11.7
Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.”
Isaiah 6.8
And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”

In each case, God is speaking to his angelic host. He’s suggesting an action and including them in the process. We know that “the sons of God” existed before creation (Job 38.7), so it makes perfect sense that these were the ones to whom God was speaking when he said, “us” in Genesis 1.26.

Source: https://restitutio.org/2020/11/28/who-is-the-us-in-genesis-1-26/


Another resource (also attached)
https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/...RRgQXWjPR4qjCxQcuDyFfCGbG3l2jv9MwyIHnJAzjz_wc

 

[Lori Jane]

1:26 Let us make The occurrence of “us” in this passage has been understood to refer to the plurality of the godhead: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This understanding would have been unknown to the authors of the OT. Another possible explanation is the so-called “plural of majesty,” but this type of grammatical usage is more common for nouns and adjectives than verbs. A simpler explanation is that “us” reflects an announcement by the single God of Israel to a group in His presence—the heavenly host. Other OT passages support the idea of a heavenly host or divine council (Psa 29:1; see Psa 82:1 and note). This explanation also applies to Gen 11:7. The phrase “our image” then means that the members of the heavenly host also reflect the divine image.

John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Ge 1:26.

 

[Lori Jane]

Plural Pronouns in Genesis 1:26

The plural language associated with the image of God—“let us make humankind in our image”—has drawn much attention. Common interpretations include the following options.
Plurality within God—The Trinity

The expression may point to plurality within God. However, while Christians may observe the Trinity in this language, an ancient Israelite or Jew would never have presumed this. Furthermore, the language does not specify—or limit—the plurality to three persons. Elsewhere in the Old Testament, divine plurality language occurs in contexts that—if read as Trinitarian language—would result in its members being corrupt and wicked (e.g., Psa 82).
Plural of Majesty

The expression may be an example of the “plural of majesty,” a grammatical use of the plural that points to a fullness of attributes and powers. However, the plural of majesty is not used with pronouns or verbal forms. Since the verbal form is present in Genesis 1:26 and its parallel in Genesis 11:7 (“let us go down and confuse their language”), the plural of majesty does not represent a coherent explanation.
Self-Deliberation on God’s Part

With reference to Isaiah 6:8 (“whom shall I send and who will go for us?”), the plural language in Genesis 1:26 may be an expression of self-deliberation or self-encouragement—akin to the “editorial we.” This interpretation sees the plurality only in rhetorical terms; it describes the way someone might deliberate within him or herself over some decision.

However, this view may not work with the image as God’s representative. Neither does it cohere with Psalm 8 (which hearkens back to Genesis 1:26), which says in Hebrew that humanity was created a little lower than elohim (Psa 8:5). In this case, the word elohim is to be taken as a plural—as demonstrated by its citation in Hebrews 2:7, where the writer quotes the passage from the Septuagint, which renders elohim as “angels.” It makes little sense to connect the plurality with angels in Psalm 8 and Hebrews 2, yet have Genesis 1:26 as only self-referential.

An Announcement to the Heavenly Host

The most likely explanation for the plurality in Genesis 1:26 is that God—the lone speaker—is announcing His intention to create humankind to the members of His heavenly host (Psa 82; 89:5–8).

People regularly use this sort of language. For example, a mother might announce to her family, “let’s make dinner”—and then proceed to do so herself, without their involvement. Assuming the presence of an audience, or “heavenly host,” makes better sense of the plural pronouns than self-reference. This also represents the most coherent explanation for other plurality language in the Old Testament (Gen 11:7; Isa 6:8). God among His heavenly host is a familiar biblical description (e.g., Deut 33:1–2; Psa 68:17; 1 Kgs 22:19–23).

This interpretation raises the question of whether angels were also created in the image of God, and whether they took part in the work of creation. However, since the verbs of creation in Genesis 1:26–27 are grammatically singular, the angels did not participate in the creation of humankind. The singular suffix (“so God created humankind in his image”) indicates this as well.

Furthermore, angelic beings are also divine imagers—representatives of their Creator. Just as human beings reflect God’s image on earth, angelic beings reflect God’s image in their own realm: the spiritual world. They do God’s bidding in their own sphere of influence. In both the Old Testament and New Testament, angelic beings are described with administrative terminology, such as “prince” (Dan 10:13, 20–21), “thrones” (Col 1:16), “rulers” (Eph 3:10), and “authorities” (1 Pet 3:22; Col 1:16). First Kings 22:19–23 provides an illustration of the heavenly bureaucracy at work. In addition, Job 38:7–8 indicates that angelic beings were created before the foundations of the earth were laid, thus before humans existed. God’s decision to make humans as representatives of Him and His will on earth mirrors what He did in the spiritual world. God’s heavenly servants work as He would, in His place, in His name. The same would be true on earth.

Ultimately, the plural language in Genesis 1:26 is most likely God announcing the decision to His angelic imagers that, as things are in the heavenly realm, so they will be on earth.


John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016).

 

[Lori Jane]

The Image of God

The phrase “image of God” occurs several times throughout the book of Genesis (Gen 1:26–27; 5:1–3; 9:6). In many ways, the concept serves to distinguish human persons from animals and plants. As such, it speaks of how human personhood should be understood. It also elevates humans above all other created things on earth, indicating their responsibility to provide a benevolent and ethical stewardship over the rest of creation.

Examination of the passages in which “image of God” is mentioned or alluded to (Gen 1:26–27; 5:1–3; 9:6) produces several observations: the phrase is gender neutral; it is applied only to humans; humanity does not grow into the image or develop the image—there is no “potential” image of God; and the image has not been, nor can be, bestowed incrementally or partially—there is no “partial” image.

Ultimately, the Bible indicates that the image of God inherently belongs to all humans equally and immediately. The Bible deliberately presents the image of God as that which fundamentally distinguishes humanity from the rest of earth’s living creatures. There are multiple ways in which the “image of God” has been understood and articulated.

Image of God as Physical Form or Appearance

The idea that the image of God speaks of an external, visible form has fallen out of favor. This interpretation is based on the fact that the Hebrew word for “image” (tselem) was used of idols in the ancient world, and so refers to a physical form; that its use in Genesis 1:26–27 is partnered with demuth (“likeness”); and that in Genesis 5:3, both words are used to describe that Adam “fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image”—Seth.

However, tselem does not always speak of physical objects in the Old Testament (e.g., in Psalm 39:7 it refers to a “shadow” and Psalm 73:20, a “phantom”) or the ancient Near East. The word can be used metaphorically or to speak of nonconcrete objects or attributes. As such, tselem likely speaks of a type of “representation” of God without saying that the thing represented (God) must also be concrete or physical.

Furthermore, the fact that tselem (“image”) and demuth (“likeness”) are paired does not mean that the latter requires that the former be understood in visual terms. Neither do the terms always appear together, which suggests that their meanings are not entirely synonymous.

Image of God as a Physical or Mental Attribute

The image of God may be defined as an ability particular to humans—such as intelligence, rationality, emotions, volitional will, consciousness, sentience, or the ability to communicate. However, defining the image of God in any of these ways fails exegetically and creates difficulties regarding ethical questions about human life. All of these abilities cannot be said to be present equally among all human beings at all stages of life. Additionally, some are not certifiably unique to humans.

Image of God as Spiritual Ability

The term “spiritual abilities” refers to God-directed abilities or spiritual inclinations of the inner life. Examples would include belief in God, a desire to know God, prayer, and the ability to discern right from wrong. However, as with a physical or mental ability, spiritual abilities or desires are not possessed equally by all humans at all stages of life.

Image of God as Disembodied Soul

The image of God may refer to the possession of a soul or spirit. The terms naphesh and ruach, often translated “soul” and “spirit,” most commonly describe the inner disposition. Since they are used interchangeably, it cannot be posited that one refers to a physical reality and the other to a spiritual reality. The terms describe faculties possessed by embodied humans and also serve as a means of self-reference (“myself”; “themselves”).

In the Old Testament, a human being was believed to be a fusion of body and naphesh or ruach. So ingrained was this mindset that even human corpses were referred to with the term naphesh, since a person’s identity was considered inseparable from their body. However, these terms were occasionally used of animals (Gen 1:20–21; Eccl 3:21), since animals are animate creatures.

The Meaning of the Image of God

One solution avoids all of these difficulties while remaining consistent with the Genesis passages regarding the image of God. At times, the Hebrew preposition translated “in” can mean “as,” which denotes function or status: this means that it can be said that humanity was created “as” the image of God. Humans are created as God’s imagers—they function as God’s representatives.

According to this view, the image of God is not a quality within human beings; it is what humans are. Every human, regardless of its stage of development, is an imager of God. This imaging is neither incremental nor partial, nor does it derive from a physical or spiritual ability; rather, it derives from being created as God’s image.


John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016).

Here is another resource on Image of God from Lexham Bible Dictionary. It was too big to attach so I am linking to drop box.

Image of God - Lexham Bible Dictionary.pdf

Shared with Dropbox

www.dropbox.com

 

[Lori Jane]

Notes for 1:26 NET Study Bible

47 sn The plural form of the verb has been the subject of much discussion through the years, and not surprisingly several suggestions have been put forward. Many Christian theologians interpret it as an early hint of plurality within the Godhead, but this view imposes later trinitarian concepts on the ancient text. Some have suggested the plural verb indicates majesty, but the plural of majesty is not used with verbs. C. Westermann (Genesis, 1:145) argues for a plural of “deliberation” here, but his proposed examples of this use (2 Sam 24:14; Isa 6:8) do not actually support his theory. In 2 Sam 24:14 David uses the plural as representative of all Israel, and in Isa 6:8 the LORD speaks on behalf of his heavenly court. In its ancient Israelite context the plural is most naturally understood as referring to God and his heavenly court (see 1 Kgs 22:19–22; Job 1:6–12; 2:1–6; Isa 6:1–8). (The most well-known members of this court are God’s messengers, or angels. In Gen 3:5 the serpent may refer to this group as “gods/divine beings.” See the note on the word “evil” in 3:5.) If this is the case, God invites the heavenly court to participate in the creation of humankind (perhaps in the role of offering praise, see Job 38:7), but he himself is the one who does the actual creative work (v. 27). Of course, this view does assume that the members of the heavenly court possess the divine “image” in some way. Since the image is closely associated with rulership, perhaps they share the divine image in that they, together with God and under his royal authority, are the executive authority over the world.

48 tn The Hebrew word is אָדָם (’adam), which can sometimes refer to man, as opposed to woman. The term refers here to humankind, comprised of male and female. The singular is clearly collective (see the plural verb, “[that] they may rule” in v. 26b) and the referent is defined specifically as “male and female” in v. 27. Usage elsewhere in Gen 1–11 supports this as well. In 5:2 we read: “Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and called their name ‘humankind’ (אָדָם).” The noun also refers to humankind in 6:1, 5–7 and in 9:5–6.
49 tn The two prepositions translated “in” and “according to” have overlapping fields of meaning and in this context seem to be virtually equivalent. In 5:3 they are reversed with the two words. The word צֶלֶם (tselem, “image”) is used frequently of statues, models, and images—replicas (see D. J. A. Clines, “The Etymology of Hebrew selem,” JNSL 3 [1974]: 19–25). The word דְּמוּת (démut, “likeness”) is an abstract noun; its verbal root means “to be like; to resemble.” In the Book of Genesis the two terms describe human beings who in some way reflect the form and the function of the creator. The form is more likely stressing the spiritual rather than the physical. The “image of God” would be the God-given mental and spiritual capacities that enable people to relate to God and to serve him by ruling over the created order as his earthly vice-regents.

sn In our image, after our likeness. Similar language is used in the instructions for building the tabernacle. Moses was told to make it “according to the pattern” he was shown on the mount (Exod 25:9, 10). Was he shown a form, a replica, of the spiritual sanctuary in the heavenly places? In any case, what was produced on earth functioned as the heavenly sanctuary does, but with limitations.

50 tn Following the cohortative (“let us make”), the prefixed verb form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result (see Gen 19:20; 34:23; 2 Sam 3:21). God’s purpose in giving humankind his image is that they might rule the created order on behalf of the heavenly king and his royal court. So the divine image, however it is defined, gives humankind the capacity and/or authority to rule over creation.

51 tc The MT reads “earth”; the Syriac reads “wild animals” (cf. NRSV).

52 tn Heb “creep” (also in v. 28).


Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition Notes (Biblical Studies Press, 2006), Ge 1:25–26.

 

[LeeB]

The image of God is………SPIRIT. GOD IS SPIRIT . Angels are spirits.
Humans have a human spirit. In Genesis God was indeed speaking to angels, however Adam was TESLEM or SELEM a shadow, phantom or illusion image of God. Hebrew Strongs #6754 . Humans are only a shadow of God or angels but have the potential to become Elohim through Jesus Christ. Jesus in the flesh was already in his human spirit an Elohim that needed to become immortal, we need a dual change of both body and spirit because of sin. Adams human spirit would have changed to a true image of God if he had obeyed and ate the the fruit of the tree of life. Jesus is now the tree of life because whoever feeds on him will live because of him. There is so much more.

 

[Lori Jane]

Let Us Make Man​

Posted on December 15, 2015 by Sean Finnegan

The word “person” has multiple meanings. In normal conversation, it means simply a human being. However, in theological terminology (thanks to the council of Nicaea in AD 325) “person” means a being that has a mind (an independent consciousness). According to this definition, God is a person because He (note the personal pronoun) thinks, acts, and feels demonstrating his unique personality. Even so, the Trinity states that there are three persons in one God. Thus, each person － the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit － are independent in mind but are thought to share the same substance ( i.e. they are all considered to be fully God).

“The Hebrew Bible and the New Testament contain well over twenty thousand pronouns and verbs describing the One God.”*[1] In order to grasp this statement, perhaps a brief grammar lesson will clarify. Personal pronouns are those little words that are used to refer to a person rather than repeating his or her name. There are both singular and plural personal pronouns. Plural personal pronouns include: we, us, our, ours, they, them, their, and theirs. Singular personal pronouns include: I, me, my, he, him, his, she, her, and hers. Back to the Bible: God is referred to by the words “he,” “his,” and “him” thousands of times. For example, perhaps the most famous verse in the whole Bible is John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son….” Notice the type of personal pronouns used for God － “he” and “his.” These pronouns are singular; thus, God is a singular person ( i.e. He is one). If God were a Trinity (three persons), then John 3:16 should read: “For God so loved the world that They gave Their only begotten Son….” Thus, the simple fact that God is always** referred to by singular personal pronouns is strong evidence that God is a single person!

This is exactly what one would expect if the central creed of Jesus (the Shema) is taken seriously: “Hear O Israel, the LORD your God is one LORD” (Deut. 6:4; Mark 12:29). Yahweh is in a class by Himself (Deut. 4:35, 39; Is. 45:5 and 6). There is no one that even comes close to Him － He has no equals. He alone is the uncreated One, and He alone deserves all of our worship (Matthew 4:10; Luke 4:8; John 4:23 and 24).

There are four “us” texts in the Bible (Genesis 1.26; 3.22; 11.7; Isaiah 6.8). These are verses in which God uses a plural pronoun when referring to something He will do. The most common example of this phenomenon is quoted below.

“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness’…God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1.26-27)

The traditional understanding is that these places prove that God is composed of multiple persons (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit) who are conferring together to act. This view, although popular, is not the only interpretation that makes sense. In order to shed light on this, we will consider a number of times when men saw visions of God.

Isaiah saw God seated upon the throne with the train of His robe filling the temple with glory. Yet, Yahweh was not alone; He was accompanied by an undisclosed number of seraphim.

“In the first year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.’” (Isaiah 6.1-3)

Immediately Isaiah became aware of his own impurity and the sin of his people. One seraph flew and purified Isaiah with a coal of fire. Then as if Isaiah wasn’t even there God asks a question, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Isaiah perks up and boldly declares, “Here am I. Send me!” God needed a human agent to declare His word to the people of Israel. The seraphim are part of His host and so God sent Isaiah for Him and the seraphim to be his appointed prophet on earth.

Many years after Isaiah, the prophet Ezekiel saw God (shortly after many of the people of Judah were exiled by Nebuchadnezzar) (Ezekiel 1.1-3). His vision of God is one of the most bizarre in the entire Bible. In fact, the first chapter of Ezekiel reads like a science fiction novel. The chapter abounds with the words “like,” “resembling,” and “appearance” as he relates to the reader what he has seen. He saw God engulfed in flames (Ezekiel 1.26-27) seated upon a throne situated upon a crystalline surface (Ezekiel 1.22), which was carried by four cherubim (Ezekiel 1.5; 10.15,20). These four cherubim carry God wherever His spirit leads them.

Shortly after Ezekiel’s vision, Daniel saw God while he was living in Babylon. After a vision of four great beasts coming up from the sea, and the little horn, Daniel saw the Ancient of Days sitting on His throne.

“I kept looking until thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow and the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, its wheels were burning with fire. A river of fire was flowing and coming out from before Him; thousands upon thousands were attending Him, and myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; the court sat, and the books were opened.” (Daniel 7.9-10)

Notice that again God is not pictured alone. He is attended by myriads upon myriads or as the KJV says, “ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.” This is amazing—millions of heavenly beings surround the throne of the supreme Judge as he determines the verdict of the little horn.

The last Bible prophet, John, saw God seated on His heavenly throne (Revelation 4.1-11). In this case there are a series of concentric beings described from closest to farthest. The inner circle around the throne is made up of four creatures (possibly the cherubim from Ezekiel’s vision). Beyond the four creatures are twenty-four elders sitting upon their thrones. Lastly, the outer circle consists of myriads of angels (Revelation 5.11; 7.11). God is surrounded by heavenly creatures about whom very little is said in Scripture. Other texts which demonstrate that God is accompanied by heavenly beings include Job 1.6; 2.1; Psalm 89.6-7; 103.19-20; Zech 6.5; 1 Timothy 5.21.

One incident wonderfully puts all of this together and effectively explains God’s level and method of interaction with His heavenly host. The episode involves a prophet named Micaiah who saw God. However, before getting to that, a little background may prove beneficial. The king of Israel, a wicked man named Ahab, wanted to go to war against Syria (Aram) to reclaim some lost territory but he wanted the assistance of the king of Judah, a righteous man, named Jehoshaphat. Thus, Ahab sent for Jehoshaphat and while the two were sitting side-by-side preparing to go to war, Jehoshaphat said, “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses. Please inquire first for the word of Yahweh” (1 Kings 22.4-5).

Then about four hundred prophets began to prophesy before the two kings saying “Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.” Nevertheless, Jehoshaphat was not impressed by these false prophets (probably prophets of Baal) and said, “Is there not yet a prophet of Yahweh here that we may inquire of him?” Ahab replied with disdain, “there is yet one man by whom we may inquire of Yahweh, but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.” Therefore, Ahab sent for Micaiah. When the king’s messenger came to him, he said, “behold now, the words of the prophets are uniformly favorable to the king. Please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably.” This pressure was exerted upon Micaiah so the king of Israel could save face in front of the king of Judah. Yet, Micaiah responded with conviction, “As Yahweh lives, what Yahweh says to me, that I shall speak.”

When Micaiah came before the kings, he was asked to prophecy and retorted sarcastically, “Go up and succeed, and Yahweh will give it into the hand of the king.” Ahab them put Micaiah under oath to only speak the truth in the name of Yahweh, so Micaiah responded, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep which have no shepherd. And Yahweh said, ‘These have no master. Let each of them return to his house in peace.’” This prophecy upset Ahab (even though he asked for it) and he commented to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?” Micaiah then continued his prophecy,

“Micaiah said, ‘Therefore, hear the word of Yahweh. I saw Yahweh sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right and on His left. Yahweh said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said this while another said that. Then a spirit came forward and stood before Yahweh and said, ‘I will entice him.’ And Yahweh said to him, ‘How?’ He said, ‘I will go and be a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ Then He said, ‘You are to entice him and prevail also. Go and do so.’ Now therefore, behold, Yahweh had put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of these your prophets, for Yahweh has proclaimed disaster against you.” (2 Chronicles 18.18-22)

This is a remarkable prophecy. Micaiah saw the throne of the Almighty surrounded by His royal attendants—the spirit beings (angels). God knew what He wanted done but He did not preplan how it should be done. He left that open to discussion. The angels were given a chance to say one thing or another, and when one in particular came with the plan to confirm Ahab’s arrogance through the mouth of his four hundred prophets; God approved and sent him to perform the task.

God is not a domineering Leader. He involves others in His decisions. That He will get the job done is not the question but how it is done is left open. All of us have probably had the unpleasant experience of working for someone who thought they could do everything themselves and wouldn’t let others do the work. A boss with this kind of controlling attitude shows a lack of appreciation for those who are under him or her. God is not like that. He does not just do everything Himself. There are some things, such as the creation of the universe, in which He acted alone (Isaiah 44.24; 45.18). Yet, even in this situation the angels were there forming a choir to sing for joy as God worked (Job 38.6). However, it is probable that the majority of times that God acts, He empowers others to participate. Consider the first verse of Revelation, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and he sent and communicated it by his angel to his bond-servant John.” There is a chain of communication evident here. God is the source who assigned Jesus the task of giving this revelation to John, but Jesus does this through his angel. God could easily have just spoken directly to John but that would leave others out of the loop. God cares about His heavenly companions and works through them and with them to accomplish His own perfect will.

What does all of this have to do with the “us” texts—Genesis 1.26, 3.22 or 11.7? In the first instance, God somehow involves the heavenly beings in the making of man, the second refers to how God and His angels have the knowledge of both good and evil, and the last speaks about God and His angels going down to the tower to confuse the languages there. Thus, God is not a plurality but a single person—the Father (John 17.3)—who does not act in a vacuum but in concert with His spirit beings. He can say “us” if He wants to in an uncomplicated way, referring to both Himself and someone else other than himself—angels. What an awesome God, who demonstrates His perfect character even through His leadership style.

Below I have cited the study note from the NET Bible which surveys the various theories commonly put forward to interpret Genesis 1.26. What is noteworthy is the incredible honesty of the translators who, although trinitarian in theology, do not force their theological belief onto the plural pronoun.

The plural form of the verb has been the subject of much discussion through the years, and not surprisingly several suggestions have been put forward. Many Christian theologians interpret it as an early hint of plurality within the Godhead, but this view imposes later trinitarian concepts on the ancient text. Some have suggested the plural verb indicates majesty, but the plural of majesty is not used with verbs. C. Westermann (Genesis, 1:145) argues for a plural of “deliberation” here, but his proposed examples of this use (2 Sam 24:14; Isa 6:8) do not actually support his theory. In 2 Sam 24:14 David uses the plural as representative of all Israel, and in Isa 6:8 the Lord speaks on behalf of his heavenly court. In its ancient Israelite context the plural is most naturally understood as referring to God and his heavenly court (see 1 Kgs 22:19-22; Job 1:6-12; 2:1-6; Isa 6:1-8). (The most well-known members of this court are God’s messengers, or angels. In Gen 3:5 the serpent may refer to this group as “gods/divine beings.” See the note on the word “evil” in 3:5.) If this is the case, God invites the heavenly court to participate in the creation of humankind (perhaps in the role of offering praise, see Job 38:7), but he himself is the one who does the actual creative work (v. 27). Of course, this view does assume that the members of the heavenly court possess the divine “image” in some way. Since the image is closely associated with rulership, perhaps they share the divine image in that they, together with God and under his royal authority, are the executive authority over the world.[2]

The entry in the NIV Study Bible wonderfully confirms this concept when it says,

1.26 us…our…our. God speaks as the Creator-King, announcing his crowning work to the members of his heavenly court (see 3.22; 11.7; Isa 6.8; se also 1 Ki 22.19-23; Job 15.8; Jer 23.18).

With all this in mind I would suggest that “us” refers to God in relation to his heavenly court. Understanding the “us” texts like this does not in any way damage the massive evidence from the singular pronouns, yet it satisfactory explains the verses in their context.

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[1] The Doctrine of the Trinity: Christianity’s Self Inflicted Wound , Buzzard & Hunting, page 17.

[2] sn #47 from the NET Bible (www.bible.org) concerning Genesis 1.26

 

[LeeB]

God is sometimes called Elohim #H430 Strongs but Elohim can also be an angel or a human. God is not called El Shaddai until later in Genesis 17:1 and also Yahweh as well. I know there is only one God, the Father, the God and Father of Jesus Christ. The image of God is not flesh, it is spirit, the spirits of just men made perfect, not the bodies. Jesus is the second Adam of a second Genesis, his Eve is the church. The saints are now inside Eve, not yet born but being formed, developed to be in the express image of Jesus who was created in the express image of God.

 

[William]

True, some theologians in the past may have made the (exegetically flawed) argument that the "us" in Gen. 1:26 referred to the Trinity. But it's a long-discredited position. No reputable Hebrew scholar—not even those of a Trinitarian persuasion, such as Michael Heiser—agrees with that preposterous interpretation of Gen. 1:26.
Even on purely grammatical grounds, that argument is flawed. The plural, as your post rightly points out, is more likely a majestic and not a numerical plural. I learnt that Semitic languages (Arabic and Hebrew) tend to use such plurals.
Then there's the ancient near eastern background of the verse: Jews and other near eastern people believed in a divine council. Heiser's work bears witness to that fact. So whichever way you look at it—culturally/contextually or grammatically—Gen. 1:26 is most definitely NOT an evidence for the Trinity.

 

[Lori Jane]

There is so much more.

@LeeB do you have any books etc to recommend on this topic?

 

[LeeB]

I have a post here called Spiritual Logic. It is a short article that needs more explanation but it is the method I believe the Spirit of the Father uses to teach us. When combined with ask, seek and knock spiritual logic keeps carnal thoughts out of the equation. In faith we follow the lead of the Spirit, sometimes not knowing where it will lead, but in the end joy comes from discovering something new and awesome about God, Christ, Christianity and ourselves.

 

[LeeB]

I forgot to mention that the Elijah to come that will restore all things is Gods Holy Spirit. The prophet Elijah of old had no power of himself, the power behind Elijah was the Fathers Spirit, just as with all the prophets and Apostles and also Jesus. This Elijah Spirit is what teaches the church and guides into all truth, restoring truth that was lost to Satanic attack. Anyone who is a Christian will learn by the SPIRIT. This is why all Christians are prophets. We must never think that any man can teach us. Peter only knew that Jesus was the Christ, the son of the living God because the Father taught him. The saints are all at different levels of learning by the SPIRIT because some are babes and drink milk while others are mature and eat meat. Paul planted a seed and Apollos watered it but only God could give the increase; so this shows that those who we think are teachers are not teachers, the SPIRIT is always the teacher. Zechariah 4:6 , I do what I do here on Simply Christian not to teach but to challenge, to inspire investigation, open new avenues of thought so that if the SPIRIT is willing increase may come.

 

[LeeB]

I forgot to answer your question about if I have any books on this topic. I have 66 of them and they are available to almost everyone everywhere. I do read writings from many others who appear to me as having some degree of the truth but along with that truth I see errors as well. I have tried to communicate with several of these others but was met with immovable unbending minds refusing to consider any other point of view. I have written about these topics on Simply Christian.

 

[Lori Jane]

I do what I do here on Simply Christian not to teach but to challenge, to inspire investigation, open new avenues of thought so that if the SPIRIT is willing increase may come.

And I for one greatly appreciate it!