IS ELOHIM PLURAL?
by Nahshon Israel

Now we have another issue at hand in Israel and that is the position of the Godhead entity.

Many arguments have been made concerning the plural tense of the Hebrew word אלוהים Elohim, what is it? if it's a plural word then who's in it? is it a trinity (father, son and holy ghost)? is it a duality as in The Father and The Son? what is the Godhead and what does it consist of?

First let's look at what's written in the book of Romans,
• Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
• Rom 1:19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
• Rom 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen,  being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:                                                                   

So we see that the disobedient is without excuse once he comes into the knowledge of God, even the creation bears witness to the power of the GODHEAD so they are without excuse!

So now we see that the creation bears witness to the nature of the Godhead let's look at that nature.

• Gen 1:26 And 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 fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
• Gen 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
• Gen 1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful,  and multiply,  and replenish the earth, and subdue it:  and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. 

Now man being created in God's image and likeness if you notice are a pair (two), a reflection of the Godhead that created them.
Now let's look at the manner of the union in which Man was established.

• Gen 2:21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept:  and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
• Gen 2:22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
• Gen 2:23 And Adam said,  This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
• Gen 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Now the TWO becomes ONE flesh! Though we can visibly see the man and the woman as TWO distinct individuals yet they are now ONE, what is this saying? Let's examine;

The word ONE here in this text in the Strongs Hebrew lexicon is;
Hebrew 259
אחד

Pronunciation
'echad

A numeral from 258; properly united, that is, one; or (as an ordinal) first:--a, alike, alone, altogether, and, any (-thing), apiece, a certain [dai-] ly, each (one), + eleven, every, few, first, + highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together.

Notice the first word here is UNITED. They are ONE because they are UNITED in their UNION, and that UNION is the image and likeness of The Godhead!

This is why Yshua made this understanding clear when he was asked of a man putting his wife away written in the Gospels.

Mat 19:3 The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
Mat 19:4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
Mat 19:5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
Mat 19:6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

Yshua refers back to the creation and points out the fact that they were created male and female, again TWO which are considered ONE!

And as God created man in a Godly nature before mans disobedience, man is required to be as one (husband and wife) and bring forth godly seed. This is why it is important to work together in love which is mere reflection of UNITY!. This point is illustrated in the book of Malachi,

• Mal 2:15 And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.

Now let us continue to reason on man and the woman being made in the image of God, let's go into Paul's letter to the Ephesians

• Eph 5:28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
• Eph 5:29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
• Eph 5:30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
• Eph 5:31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
• Eph 5:32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

This mystery that is being revealed here is the allegory between the Messiah and the church and husband and wife, which in both cases are comprised of plural bodies compelled to be ONE!

So it should be OBVIOUS that the GODHEAD is indeed a UNION which consist of TWO members working as ONE office!

Now if we speak of that same office being ONE with TWO members then we really need to take a look at what the Messiah was saying in his prayers the night before his crucifixion,

• Jhn 17:1 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:
• Jhn 17:4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
• Jhn 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
• Jhn 17:9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
• Jhn 17:10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.
• Jhn 17:11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
• Jhn 17:19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
• Jhn 17:20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
• Jhn 17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
• Jhn 17:22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

So now we can objectively say that the word ONE is defined by context, which is the flawless concept of understanding and interpreting the Bible on a whole!

So in conclusion the word Elohim is PLURAL without a shadow of any doubt, and now the question remains who and what are the members?

Be sure to check out part 2!!!

SHALOM!!!!