But man is not created in the image of angels, but of God. (The God of the Bible, R. A.Torrey, 1923, p 64), "Another very popular view in modem times is that God uses the plural, just as kings do, as a mark of dignity (the so-called "plural of majesty"), but it is only late in Jewish history that such a form of speech occurs, and then it is used by Persian and Greek rulers (Esdr. God, gods, judges, angels. Please also research the statement of William Sanford LaSor in p.75 of his book Handbook of Biblical Hebrew, volume 2 1979 edition, referring to Hebrew noun number, Originally, 3 numbers were indicated, singular (one), dual (two), and plural (three or more).. 6.) Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. In fact, the plural form of the word is used to refer to majesty, dignity, or excellence. Why? "Plural of Majesty", "pluralis majestaticus", "singular of intensity", the "Royal we". Copyright 2011-2023 Got Questions Ministries - All Rights Reserved. Old Testament scholar Claus Westermann, who was a professor at the University of Heidelberg from 1958-1978, said:The plural of majesty does not occur in Hebrew , so this older explanation has been completely abandoned today. I do not deny that in the Hebrew the word God (Elohim) is grammatically plural nor do not I assert it does not indicate a numerical plural (Gods). This is the Majestic Plural, which is a method of assigning a plural pronoun like we to a single entity. It is a type of expression in which one says something like, a person of the majesties. It is more than one (kind) of majesty in the plural form of the word. Who were believed to maintain the function of the cosmos. What is antithetical parallelism in Hebrew poetry? What principles are used in biblical exegesis. How do you think "let Us make man in Our image" be understood? ", Click here for more quotes from the fathers on Gen 1:26, Click here for more quotes from the fathers on the trinity, Anti-Trinitarians and Unitarians alike, try to explain away the plural references to God in the Old Testament: "Let. Other cultures that lived during the time of Moses never used the plural Elohim, the way the Bible does but instead used the simple singular el. What is the significance of the right hand of God? By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. The majestic plural, also called the royal plural, is the use of a plural word (such as the pronoun we or us) to refer to a single person. The answer is because the IM ending in Hebrew also has another usage. The plural form of the word Elohim is being used to refer to the one and only God in all his greatness and glory. Please consider the idea that Elohim used in Genesis 1:3 as a proper noun referring to a single ever-living being, in terms of English, a God. rev2023.3.1.43269. Example [ edit] In the grammar of several languages, plural forms tend to be perceived as deferential and more polite than singular forms. 41; Dan. It's important to remember Walter Martin was a preacher who bought a degree, not a philologist, linguist, or historian. C. Plural of Majesty is not the correct explanation as to why plural, nouns, verbs and adjectives are applied to God, because we find similar examples in the Hebrew language of the Old Testament that apply plurality to common creatures and things. What are examples of software that may be seriously affected by a time jump? Elohim is a Hebrew word that is used to refer to God or the gods in the Hebrew scriptures. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Adding IM to the end of a word can also indicate greatness. Jesus emphasizes the "us vs. them" challenge of authority between human and divine. In the Old Testament, the name Yahweh is commonly used to describe God, and it is a component of many major religions around the world. Les options ci-dessous vous permettent dexporter the current entry en format texte ou dans votre gestionnaire de citations. The team would require a singular verb in Ancient Hebrew. The majestic plural is a stylistic device used to give honors to nobility. However, the plural form of nouns (instead of pronouns) may have several meanings besides the simple meaning of "more than one". Although it is unknown what the name means, many people believe it refers to eternity. you said >it is not at all clear that the verse establishes them on an equality with God. 28:19). The Bible frequently refers to God as the king of all nations, often describing Gods power and grandeur. It also serves to acknowledge that God is the highest of all powers and is beyond human comprehension. Ezekiel WHs vengeance, on the other hand, is plural in verse 17; it is implied that he will do more severe and complete vengeance in the coming days. II: Karol Wojtyla: 16.X.1978 - 2.IV.2005", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Royal_we&oldid=1138531281, This page was last edited on 10 February 2023, at 05:13. The Jehovah's Witnesses are right to include Jesus and the Father in the US of Gen 1:26, but make Jesus the created arch-angel Michael. The obvious and natural meaning of "we may answer this people" is the King and his buddies, who collectively would formulate an answer together. It is a plural word to refer honorifically to a single person or entity such plural forms are most commonly used when referring to the God also it can also be used when referring to a human. Majesty is a fantastic substitute for anything else. Chagit Avioz (Bar Ilan University and Talpiot College) Pluralis Majestatis: Biblical Hebrew The term 'majestic plural' or pluralis majesta-tis refers to the use of a plural word to refer honorically to a single person or entity. Has Microsoft lowered its Windows 11 eligibility criteria? The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? I heard some argument from a Dr. Walter Martin , that Biblical Hebrew can't have a plural of majesty, because not ANE/Ancient Near East languages did. One theory is that it is equivalent to a "plural of majesty" (pluralis majestatis). 1.6), although it can also be used when referring to a human, e.g., arhm nw Abraham his master (lit. To read a later principle back into these passages of the Old Testament is anachronistic and unacceptable from the standpoint of sound hermeneutics. In every other occurrence where elohim is used with the plural verb it is not used for the GOD of the bible. Hebrew distinguishes between a numerical plural and a majestic plural by the verbs, adjectives, and pronouns that accompany the noun. Exodus 22:8), and it can apply to angels, as it does in Psalm 8:5 (compare Hebrews 2:7 where this is quoted in Greek). The Queen speaks in regard of her and her people, that is plural. [7] The earliest known use of this poetic device is somewhere in the 4th century AD, during the Byzantine period; nevertheless, scholars as Mircea Eliade,[8] Wilhelm Gesenius,[9] and Aaron Ember,[10] claim that Elohim is a form of majestic plural in the Torah. Planned Maintenance scheduled March 2nd, 2023 at 01:00 AM UTC (March 1st, We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup, Is there a significance in the usage of the two Hebrew words for the pronoun "I" (n and nk). The majestic God is more than just one person, but rather a variety of individuals the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit who are distinct from one another yet united in His perfect power. .mw-parser-output div.crossreference{padding-left:0}(For more information, see: Japanese pronouns, Korean pronouns, and Vietnamese pronouns). Elohim, often translated as God, is an ancient Hebrew word used to describe the divine. 12 Units. It is a powerful reminder that there is no place in modern history for the three Abrahamic religions to be rivals and that they all believe in a single God. Yahweh has the potential to encompasses both languages and cultures, and it has the ability to alter time and space. (Trinity, A Catholic Dictionary, William E. Addis & Thomas Arnold, 1960, p 822-830). In some cases it bears some similarity to the pluralis maiestatis or "royal plural". Acceleration without force in rotational motion? When did the Ivri (Hebrew) possessive pronoun "Shel-y" (-) replace the biblical suffix "-y"? Since the plural Elohim is used of Moses at Ex 7:1 and one person at Psalm 45:6 is there any grammatical reason to see it as a literal numeric plural? Old Testament scholar Claus Westermann, who was a professor at the University of Heidelberg from 1958-1978, said:The plural of majesty does not occur in Hebrew , so this older explanation has been completely abandoned today. While this practice did not affect the non-Chinese countries as much since their variants of zhn () and other terms were generally imported loanwords, the practice of polite avoidance of pronouns nevertheless spread throughout East Asia. Article. The Hebrew word adar means majestic, and it aptly captures the grandeur and magnificence of our Lord, YHWH. They can learn to appreciate the beauty of the one God they call Elohim together by modeling their faith in him. There is great confusion about the use of the principle and the actual conception of the principle. Despite the fact that Jews refer to God Elohim as God, all three terms can refer to the Jewish God. If the Holy Spirit intended to use these plural references of God as "singular of intensity", then why does He intensify both creator and creation alike? Can the Spiritual Weapon spell be used as cover? Subscribe to the CompellingTruth.org Newsletter: The majestic plural What is it? Rudolph B. Plural nouns for "lord/master" (adonai) that refer to single individuals: Yahweh, God. Appears to be well researched and has views from both pro and con. Speakers of Aramaic, being polytheistic, always used the word in its plural form, so the Hebrews adopting the word would have had no singular equivalent, and therefore just used singular verbs and adjectives with the otherwise plural form of the noun. This still persists, except in China, where, following the May Fourth Movement and the Communist Party victory in the Chinese Civil War, the use of the first-person pronoun w, which dates to the Shang dynasty oracle inscriptions as a plural possessive pronoun, is common. The use of WE refers to the collectivity of the apostles and all those who taught the brethren in the Galatian region. One of the most memorable nosistic phrases comes from Queen Victoria, who would say, "We are not amused," when turning up her nose at a tasteless joke. 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