I've heard a few different views of this verse over the years. On being God speaking on behalf of Himself and the angels. Another being He(God) was speaking like a regular person could speak (even while alone), "Let's see ......", short for "let me see", or "let us see". (in a DKB debate)
Here is a short article I pulled up on it, along with a few other verses. Any hardcore trinitarian has knowledge of these...
There are several verses in the Old Testament where God speaks as a plurality. Many trinitarians quote these verses to help support the Trinity doctrine because they strongly suggest that there is more than one person in the godhead.
"Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth,” (Gen. 1:26, NASB).
"Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, lest he stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever," (Gen. 3:22, NASB).
“Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech,” (Gen. 11:7, NASB).
"Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8, NASB)
Those opposed to the doctrine of the Trinity say that God is speaking of Himself in a "royal" sense, in a "plural of majesty." They can say this, but biblically there is never any account of a king or a ruler speaking of himself in a plural sense or in the third person. So, there is no biblical support for God using it of Himself in this way.
In regards to Gen. 1:26, those who deny the Trinity say that when God says, "Let Us make..." He is speaking with the angels in mind. The problem with this is that angels do not create. There is absolutely no biblical evidence that angels created anything at all. We see in Isaiah 44:24, "Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb, “I, the Lord, am the maker of all things, Stretching out the heavens by Myself, And spreading out the earth all alone." God made all things alone. Therefore, the "us" in "Let Us make man in our image" cannot be the angels. Furthermore, people are not created in the image of angels, but of God.
The three verses in Genesis do not prove that the Trinity is true. However, they cannot be dismissed by the assumption that God is speaking of himself in a type of third person way.
Furthermore, notice in the fourth verse above, Isaiah 6:8, that God is speaking in the singular and then switches to the plural. He says, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" This on the unusual construction: the singular speaker refers to himself in the plural.
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Please share some views in explanation of theses verses in the pluralty, especially the US in "Let us" make man....
__________________ If you would win a man to your cause, first convince him that you are his sincere friend. Therein is a drop of honey that catches his heart...
Abraham Lincoln
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. - Eph. 4:29
One thing that has always stood out to me is how many people totally ignore the very next scripture:
27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
I have heard many different views on the linguistics, but I think that if you read the entire account, it tends to leave the impression of 1 God and 1 image.
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Either the United States will destroy ignorance, or ignorance will destroy the United States. – W.E.B. DuBois
One thing that has always stood out to me is how many people totally ignore the very next scripture:
27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
I have heard many different views on the linguistics, but I think that if you read the entire account, it tends to leave the impression of 1 God and 1 image.
I'm thinking, if I was to ask a jewish rabbi, he would probably answer with something similiar, at the least.
__________________ If you would win a man to your cause, first convince him that you are his sincere friend. Therein is a drop of honey that catches his heart...
Abraham Lincoln
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. - Eph. 4:29
You speak of the few times God speaks in the plural. What of the many times God speaks in the singular? Just God the Father speaking I suppose? It seems strange to me that in Exodus 20:5 "Thou shalt not bow thyself down to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, ..." Was it only God the father who was jealous in this passage? The singular is used so it has to be just one of them. It can't be referring to all 3 persons of the godhead since we know they say us when they mean all 3 of them right? So, since only one of the persons of the godhead is speaking in exodus 20:5, is he also going to be jealous of our worship of the other 2 persons?
One thing that has always stood out to me is how many people totally ignore the very next scripture:
27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
I have heard many different views on the linguistics, but I think that if you read the entire account, it tends to leave the impression of 1 God and 1 image.
I like your answer better than mine... not that mine is wrong, it's just that yours is just much simpler.
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.
27: So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. Gen. 1:26-27
It is not as hard as it seems. The main thing we need to know is this.
Who was God? The Hebrew for God is ELOHIM.
So who was Elohim who said let us make man in our image and likeness?
We will allow the Patriarch Jacob also known as Israel to answer the question for us.
15: And he blessed Joseph, and said, Elohim, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the Elohim which fed me all my life long unto this day,
16: The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth. Gen. 48:15-16
In verse 15 the word God is used two times as Jacob blesses his Grandsons. He describes the very God (Elohim) who was Abraham and Issacs God.
In verse 16 he says THE ANGEL is his God. The Angel then is Elohim HIMSELF.
So The Angel Of Elohim is Elohim.
So when Elohim (the Angel) says let us make Man after our likeness he is addressing the Angels.
They themselves are made in his image. The image of Elohim.
Men will have a likeness after that of Angels.
Angels are referred to as MEN various times in scripture.
For example in Daniel:
15: And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man.
16: And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision. Dan. 8:15-16
21: Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. Dan. 9:21
Gabriel one of the greatest Angels is called A MAN!
Angels look like MEN. Why? Because we are made in their image.
So after Elohim said let us make man after OUR IMAGE then we read:
27: So Elohim created man in his own image, in the image of Elohim created he him; male and female created he them.
Elohim alone then makes man proving he was speaking to the Angels OUT OF COURTESY when he says "let us make man".
They dont make man he does. The verse also proves Elohim had an image and likeness. The angels and ourselves are made after it!
When the Jewish people were carried to Babylon for 70 years, they picked up lots of customs, habits, and beliefs there. They also lost a lot of understanding of their language. When they returned years later they brought with them a language called Syriac or Aramaic. When the Hebrew Scriptures were read, there was not much understanding of what was said, so it became customary for the Scriptures to be paraphrased in Aramaic as they were read in Hebrew. These paraphrases at first were oral only but were later put into writing. They are called Targums or Targumim. Two well known targumim are the Jerusalem and the Jonathan Targum. Below is how the passage in question was paraphrased in Aramaic. This is not Scripture but a paraphrase (like our Living Bible or NIV) that showed Jewish understanding at the time.
And the Lord said to the angels who ministered before Him, who had been created in the second day of the creation of the world, Let us make man in Our image, in Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl which are in the atmosphere of heaven, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every reptile creeping upon the earth. And the Lord created man in His Likeness: [JERUSALEM. And the Word of the Lord created man in His likeness, in the likeness of the presence of the Lord He created him, the male and his yoke-fellow He created them.] In the image of the Lord He created him, with two hundred and forty and eight members, with three hundred and sixty and five nerves, and overlaid them with skin, and filled it with flesh and blood. Male and female in their bodies He created them. And He blessed them, and the Lord said to them, Increase and multiply, and fill the earth with sons and daughters, and prevail over it, in its possessions; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the heavens, and over every creeping animal that creepeth upon the earth. And the Lord said, Behold, I have given you every herb whose seed seedeth upon the face of all the earth, and every unfruitful tree for the need of building and for burning; and the tree in which is fruit seeding after its kind, to you it shall be for food. But to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the heavens, and to every reptile upon the earth in which is the living soul, (I have given) all green herbs. And it was so. And the Lord beheld every thing He had made, and it was very good. And it was evening, and it was morning, the Sixth Day.
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Sam also known as Jim Ellis
Apostolic in doctrine
Pentecostal in experience
Charismatic in practice
Non-denominational in affiliation
Inter-denominational in fellowship
Agreed, that's why when angels of God or when God Himself appeared as the Angel of YHWH, He often looked just like another human. Exceptions would be when He appeared in a burning bush or in the cloud by day and pillar of fire by night.
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Sam also known as Jim Ellis
Apostolic in doctrine
Pentecostal in experience
Charismatic in practice
Non-denominational in affiliation
Inter-denominational in fellowship
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