Does the Hebrew Word "Elohim" Prove that God is Three Persons?

Question

THE HEBREW WORD translated “God” throughout the Old Testament is the word Elohim. This word appears 2570 times. Some have said that because this word is a plural noun, it indicates that God is a plural being, that He is one God, yet simultaneously three distinct divine persons – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit...the trinity. But in Hebrew, plurality not only indicates more than one, it also indicate bigness or greatness or vastness. For example, the word mayim meaning “water” is also a plural form. So is shamayim meaning “heaven.” Heaven is big!
Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created....” The verb “created” is in the singular form, proving that Elohim is intended to be taken as a singular noun. When Elohim was first translated into Greek by Jewish scholars, they selected the word Theos, which is a singular noun. They never used Theoi, the plural form, which is translated “gods.”

To say that the fact that Elohim is plural proves that God is a plural being is to read into this word a meaning that simply isn’t there.

Galatians 3:20 says, “Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one [Theos eis esti]. James 2:19 says, “You believe that there is one God [Theos eis esti]. You do well. Even the demons believe; and tremble!” Even the demons know that God is ONE!

Answer 1

Sir, I admire your study of the divine nature of the One True God. However, it will only be trampled under the feet of swine this time of the night.
Duet. 6:4 proves that there is only One YHVH.
James 2:19 also proves in agreement.
Unbelievers and mockers, and drones (that is those who never study for themselves, only believing what they hear) of Trinity concept cannot ever understand the true oneness of the nature of God until it is given by revelation through much prayer and God seeing their motives, that is, if they can and will accept it.

Answer 2

The Old Testament describes God with singular pronouns over 11,000 times. Singular pronouns tell us that God is a single Individual.

Elo·him' means, not "persons," but "gods." So those who argue that this word implies a Trinity make themselves polytheists, worshipers of more than one God. Why? Because it would mean that there were three gods in the Trinity. But nearly all Trinity supporters reject the view that the Trinity is made up of three separate gods.

The Bible also uses the words ´elo·him' and ´elo·heh' when referring to a number of false idol gods. (Exodus 12:12; 20:23) But at other times it may refer to just a single false god, as when the Philistines referred to "Dagon their god [´elo·heh']." (Judges 16:23, 24) Baal is called "a god [´elo·him']." (1 Kings 18:27) In addition, the term is used for humans. (Psalm 82:1, 6) Moses was told that he was to serve as "God" [´elo·him'] to Aaron and to Pharaoh.—Exodus 4:16; 7:1.

Obviously, using the titles ´elo·him' and ´elo·heh' for false gods, and even humans, did not imply that each was a plurality of gods; neither does applying ´elo·him' or ´elo·heh' to Jehovah mean that he is more than one person, especially when we consider the testimony of the rest of the Bible on this subject.

Johnny Appleseed mentions 1 John 5:7 as proof that God is 3 persons. What he does not know is it is a spurious addition to the Bible. Most modern Bibles don't have that passage in them.

Answer 3

I would not agree that the word 'Elohim' proves the Trinity. It indicates plurality though. So the word by itself with the scripture that it is found in merely indicates a mystery about God; that He is more complex than saying, "God is One" will cover.

When I get into the Trinity, I must have verses in line that shows axiomatically that God is references as "The Father", and that Jesus is God, and that God is also Spirit. It's a lesson in axiomatic logic.

So since you allow the New Testament as fair grounds for exegesis, I can do this:
Genesis 1
2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

John 4
24God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."


Psalm 45
6 Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;
a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing you with the oil of joy.

John 10
30 "I and the Father are one."


John 10
33"We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God."

These are only a few of the many places where I can develop a theory discussed as being "The Trinity". Though I am not secure in thinking that the Trinity is definitive enough, I can embrace the concept of it enough to think that it is at least along the lines to understand the nature of God.

I am therefore adamant about not worshiping the Trinity, but I am adamant about worshiping God!

Answer 4

1. The term is called a "Plural of Majesty." The use is common among Semitic languages.

2. How do you get 2570 times? The word is found 2604 times in Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, the common edition of the Hebrew scriptures.

Answer 5

No.

"El" is the part that refers to God-

Elohim (אֱלוֹהִים , אלהים ) is a Hebrew word which expresses concepts of divinity. It is apparently related to the Hebrew word ēl, though morphologically it consists of the Hebrew word Eloah (אלוה) with a plural suffix. Elohim is the

- third-

word in the Hebrew text of Genesis and occurs frequently throughout the Hebrew Bible. Its exact significance is often disputed.



In some cases (e.g. Exodus 3:4, "... Elohim called unto him out of the midst of the bush ..."), it acts as a singular noun in Hebrew grammar (see next section), and is then generally understood to denote the single God of Israel.

In other cases, Elohim acts as an ordinary plural of the word Eloah (אלוה),

and refers
to the polytheistic notion of multiple gods (for example, Exodus 20:3, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me.").

This may reflect the use of the word "Elohim" found in the late Bronze Age texts of Canaanite Ugarit,

where Elohim ('lhm) was found to be a word denoting the entire Canaanite pantheon (the family of El אל, the patriarchal creator god).

In still other cases, the meaning is not clear from the text, but may refer to powerful beings, as in the Nephalim- (e.g. Genesis 6:2, "... the sons of Elohim saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them for wives... ,"

Exodus 4:16, "... and you [Moses] will be as Elohim to him [Aaron]... ,"

Exodus 22:28, "Thou shalt not revile Elohim, or curse a ruler of your people... ,"

where the parallelism suggests that Elohim may refer to human rulers.

Answer 6

The most basic proof that Elohim is referring to a SINGLE, INDIVISIBLE being, is the fact that every verb used to it is alway in the singular form. there is not a single case where a verb attached to the word is the plural form. In a more esoteric sense, the word is in the plural since God permeates all of existence. His essence is spread through out every single facet of his creation, each of our souls containing a spark of his divinity- thus the plurality- we are in his image and thus in his encompassing of us, he takes in all the myriad sparks of his divinity spread throughout his creation.

Answer 7

first the only time it is made into a plural was in gen 1,1. the rest of the time it was not plural. and that did not mean there are more then one God. the jews new this and believe in only one God. as you said hebrew it meant God was big. as well as God had many titles, almight, everlasting, alpha and omega, heavenly father, I Am, and many more. elijah in hebrew was also a plural form when said. did not mean there were many of him either.

also for the verse that talks about let us make. God had his angles with him as well. it does not say who he could have talked to them. for just after that it does not say and they made man in there image it said and God made man in his own image.

also for the there are three that bear record. it says these three are one. not agree as one. if they were trinity then they would agree in one. not are one. to me that is saying that the Father is the Son and the Son is the Holy Ghost. trinity does not support this. all 3 are seperate but make up God. that is trinity and all 3 agree as one. but it says they are one.

Answer 8

Like you said, "Elohim" doesn't mean "Gods". It is a form to show the majesty of GOD and also used for respect, I understand.

But lots of Christians like to say that God gave us a hint to the Trinity in this word. But even then, it would just mean "gods" and not "triplural god".

For example, if you had a dog that was part pit bull, part golden retriever, part lab, you would still call it "dog" not "dogs".

Answer 9

So you asked a question, answered it, and then gave further details.

What do you want from us?

The jews did not know that God was indeed three persons in one divine being. They did not know Jesus, the Christ, and it turns out they still do not! They do not know the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, sent by the Messiah, the Christ, at Pentecoste.

Answer 10

Even if it did mean that God is more than one, that wouldn't tell us how many. It could mean two, three, ten, fifty, or 347. Again and again, the Hebrew texts tell us, "The Lord thy God is ONE Lord." In the OT, God never declares himself to be three--that would be the same as three separate gods, something the Hebrews/Jews never allowed. The fact is that Christians derive their religion, not from the Jews, but from pagan sources--the Greco-Roman culture in which the earliest Christians lived. It is in these sources that you find references to triune deities, not in Judaism.