When God said "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness", who does he mean by "our"?

Answer 1

Actually, translators did us a horrible disservice by translating not translating this verse, "I will make man in my image, in my own likeness."

In many languages there are instances in which using the plural form is grammatically correct when talking about the singular.

For example, in French it would be very rude to ask your teachter, "Could help me?" is the singular word for "you." The proper question would be "Could help me?" The word is the plural word for "you." Think "you all," or the Old English, "ye."

A lot of people who read the verse you quoted in English have asked the very question you are asking. However, no Hebrew speaking Jew has ever asked this question. It doesn't even occur to them to ask, because they understand that the question is actually singular, not plural.

This verse should never be used to try to prove the Trinity.

Answer 2

I would say that God the Father is speaking to the Holy Ghost and the Son since nothing other than God can create. That's my Christian take on the subject. I have no idea what Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses think. Edit: Kerry good point on John 1:1 as it show Jesus clearly present at the time of creation, but you really should finish John 1:1... and the Word was God.

Answer 3

Beyond the fact that the God Head is made up of three separate, individual personages, We as Father's children had features and personalities in the spirit world before we came here to earth, What we look like in the flesh, is in the image and likeness of our spirits before we were created in the flesh.

Answer 4

The Elohim, the Ruling class in Heaven who did lots of jobs for God. For example, when He said "Let there be Light", He was issung an order to them to set all that was required for the Light to be into motion. He then checked that they had done a good job; "and He saw that it was good".

Basically you don't keep dogs and bark yourself. God does all the design of things and that type of Creation and lets his millions of lower Beings do all the work. That seems to be as it should be, just like Presidents and Kings down here.

Answer 5

This was Jesus talking and He was speaking to God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. I see this in the gospel of John, where it says, in the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God....and there was nothing made that He didn't make (paraphrasing mine). 'In our own image' means that God is a triune God, composed of Body (Jesus) Soul (the Holy Spirit) and Spirit (God the Father). So Jesus decided to make man in His own image with a body, a soul and a spirit.

Answer 6

The Trinity. There is a very cool ICON where the Trinity is all around a table for some kind of a meal or something, I can't really remember, but, all three of the figures are exactly the same except they have on different colored garments. They are all in the form of Jesus. This is a very "old" ICON.

Answer 7

Two possibilities:

1. He was telling the angels of His intention to create.
2.. Majestic plural.
It does NOT mean He was talking to other Gods, as there is only ONE God.

Answer 8

The Gods of course. El is Hebrew for God. Elohim is plural.

Answer 9

Semantics. It's the king's "our," the royal prerogative, as in King James, i.e. the highest form/case of English was chosen for the King of Kings. English speaking monarchs have used it when referring to themselves officially, though I don't know if Elizabeth II still does these days.

As to being made in the image of God: God is spiritual; humans likewise are primarily spiritual beings learning what it means to be human.

Answer 10

God likes to use the 3rd person plural. Kind of like Gollum in Lord of the Rings.