Who was God talking about?

Question

Gen 26

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, [b] and over all the creatures that move along the ground."


Our & us is plural....who is our & us referring to?

Answer 1

In the original Hebrew, Genesis 1:1 uses the word "elohim", which is the plural form of the world "el". The first line of the bible, correctly translated, actually says "In the beginning, the GODS created the heavens and the earth..."

You see, the Canaanite mystery cult that later evolved into the Abrahamic religions had a whole pantheon of gods; and Yahweh (who would later morph into the Christian god) was just one of them -- the god of lightning, to be precise.

Later translators and editors of the bible neglected to correct this glaring error once they changed their minds and decided on a single god -- but it didn't matter much, since the bible was kept in the obscure language of Latin, and most people of the time were illiterate, anyway. There just weren't many people educated enough to catch this inconsistency; and those who were (i.e.; the clergy) had a vested interest in not stopping the gravy train. Now that we have English bibles and 90%+ literacy rates, though, they can't really go back and change it now without the atheists yelling "Gotcha"; so they're counting on you not going back and reading the original text...

(And to those about to give me a "thumbs-down" -- don't get all p!ssy just because I caught your bible's editors in the act of obfuscation -- if you don't believe me, go dig up the original text, and you'll see for yourself that I'm right!)

Answer 2

That verse in Genesis has to probably be one of the most crucial verses in the whole bible. God shows us Who He is.. He is One Yet Three.. He is God the Father, The Son, and The Spirit. Making man in His image according to His likeness.. Image meaning that He is Spirit and He made man with a spirit within him to contain and contact God and live by and according TO God.
Likeness refers to the make up in man's soul. Man's soul with his personality.. his mind, will and emotions to express everything FROM his spirit. God too has a mind, will and emotions...

So the image is inward .. the likeness is outward

But get this... God also said let us make MAN ( singular) and then in that same verse He said " and let THEM" have dominion. So even in reference to man he uses the same principle. He created Adam but as far as He is concerned he created a Cooperate man.. which included Eve and all the decendents. ITs quite fantastic the way our God thinks:)
He is totally profound in the way He utters things with their deeper meanings.

Answer 3

Have you ever said to yourself?? Lets see how are we going to do this?? Don't believe that mess about trinity tho. God said, " Hear O Israel I am the Lord thy God. Besides me there is no other God. No. I know of not any". The important thing to remember about trinity is that it ain't in the bible. God beat it into the Jews heads that there was only 1 God and he is it. He never says he shares his glory with any 2nd or 3rd person. God is not a person.

Answer 4

In the original Hebrew the word used here is "Elohim," which is a masculine plural of a feminine singular noun. So this is NOT a case of the "Royal We," and there is nothing much more disingenuous than claiming that it refers to the Christian Trinity. Many scholars believe it refers to a tradition, abandoned in patriarchal mainline Judaism, that God had a feminine component. Note later "In the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." (Gen 1:27.) This would seem to imply that God is both male and female.

Soleil Noir's excellent response has goaded me to add that yes, "Elohim" derives from the Canaanite father god "El," and originally referred to the pantheon associated with him. Anybody who takes Judeo-Christian mythology seriously would do well to investigate its antecedents - it shows how the legends of the Old Testament evolved.

Answer 5

God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

This is actually the 2nd passage in the Bible showing us evidence that God exists eternally as Three Persons, yet is One God.

The first passage is Genesis 1:1 where the Hebrew word for God, Elohim, is in the plural.

Pastor Art

Answer 6

26. And God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and they shall rule over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the heaven and over the animals and over all the earth and over all the creeping things that creep upon the earth."

Let us make man
From here we learn the humility of the Holy One, blessed be He. Since man was created in the likeness of the angels, and they would envy him, He consulted them. And when He judges kings, He consults with His Heavenly household, for so we find regarding Ahab, that Micah said to him, (I Kings 22:19): “I saw the Lord seated on His throne, and all the host of heaven were standing by Him, on His right and on His left.” Now do “left” or “right” apply to Him ?! But rather, [the passage means that] these [angels] were standing on the right to defend, and these [angels] were standing on the left to prosecute. Likewise, (Dan. 4:14): “By the decree of the destructive angels is the matter, and by the word of the holy ones is the edict.” Here too, He took counsel with His heavenly household. He said to them, “Among the heavenly beings, there are some in My likeness. If there are none in My likeness among the earthly beings, there will be envy among the creatures of the Creation. ” - [from Tanchuma, Shemoth 18; Gen. Rabbah 8:11, 14:13]

Let us make man
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 (וַיִּבְרָא) ,” and it does not say,“and they created וַיִּבְרְאוּ.” - [from Gen. Rabbah 8:9]

Answer 7

Christians believe that God is three in one. The creator-God was speaking to the other members of the trinity.

Don't believe a word of the "royal plural" explanation. This was written in Hebrew, there's no such thing as a royal plural in Hebrew.

The word used for God here is Elohim, learn more about it here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elohim

Instead of just saying "Then God said...." a more accurate Hebrew translation is: "And The Elohim/ Anunnaqi said amongst themselves..."

It's obviously plural as in referring to a trinity, not a royal figure of speech.

Answer 8

The editorial 'we', I guess. Unless he's speaking of his wife, Mrs., or Ms., God. Poor thing, she's putting on a little weight. But she has some good advice for atheists: "When you go to hell, don't drink the water."

Answer 9

He is referring to Him which is the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit that scripture proves the pre-existance of Jesus before He came to earth it is the Trinity!

Answer 10

Good stimulating question Jitterbug. Thank you.

It is speaking of Yahshua and the Father. God does not have to consult angels on how to create. Men were not created after the image of angels but after the image of God. God is not a megalomaniac and does not use the royal we.

Isaiah 12:1-3 In that day you will say: "I will praise you, O Lord. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. Surely El is my Yahshua; I will trust and not be afraid. Yah, Yahweh, is my strength and my song; he has become my Yahshua." With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

John 1:1-4 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men.

John 1:10-14 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:18 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.

Hebrews1:1-3 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

Col 1:15-20 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Edit: As too beating into Israel's head that there is only one God, well your out of context both biblically and texturally. The Shema is not a declaration of One God it is command to Worship only Yahweh. Yahweh in the old Testiment the only Yahweh they knew was Yahshua in his pre-incarnate form. Yahweh is our salvation or to use the hebrew Yahweh is our Yahshua. Learn this. The whole bible will start making a lot more sense to you.