(Continued-chapter II-The Plurality Of The Divine Personalities)

Since this word has the plural ending and is listed by all lexicographers and grammarians as a noun in the plural number, we must accept this connotation in every instance unless there are facts in the context showing a departure from the ordinary, usual literal meaning. In this connection let me call attention again to what I term the Golden Rule of Interpretation which is: "When the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense; therefore, take every word at its primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning unless the facts of the immediate context, studied in the light of related passages and axiomatic and fundamental truths, indicate clearly otherwise."

Every context must be consulted in order to get the full significance of a given term. For instance, in Exodus 21:5,6, the word הָאֱלֹהִים, ha'elohim, appears, but from the context we see that it refers to the judges, the representatives of God. Again, in Psalm 97:7 this same word occurs in the sentence: "Worship him, all ye אֱלֹהִים, gods." Here it refers to the angels who are called upon to worship the Supreme Being; but in Exodus 20:3, we have these words: "Thou shalt have no other אֱלֹהִים, gods, before me." Here our word signifies foreign gods or idols. This interpretation is demanded by the facts of the context. Such examples could be multiplied greatly, but these are sufficient to show that the word Elohim has various connotations and that each context must be examined closely to determine its meaning in a given case.

We are to assume, however, that it has its primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning in every case where the evidence does not point to a secondary or derived meaning. Whenever, therefore, there is no contrary evidence, we are to understand our word as referring to the plurality of persons subsisting in the one divine nature.

To clarify the matter further, let us look at Genesis, chapter 1. In this stately narration, we see Elohim occurring thirty-two times. When we glance at the ending, we know that this is a noun in the plural number, masculine gender, and that it refers to the Eternal Creator. When we notice, in verse 26, that אֱלֹהִים, 'elohim, said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness . . . ," we know that this word can have only a plural connotation. A conversation was held among the Elohim in regard to making man. Someone spoke, addressing others, and urged that they, the speaker and the ones addressed, should make man in their own image. The one talking and those addressed had only one image and one likeness. This fact precludes our understanding that this proposal was spoken to created beings. Angels cannot create anything. The word בָּרָא, bara' which means to create, that is, to bring into existence that which had neither form nor substance, occurs fifty-odd times in the Hebrew Scriptures. Every time it appears in the active voice, God is the subject, because He and He alone can perform the act of creating. In view of this fact we may be absolutely certain that the speaker in this instance was not talking to created beings, but to other divine personalities, who have the power to create. Furthermore, we know that the Almighty has one image, being uncreated; the angels, being created, have a nature and image essentially different from God. But those engaging in this conference are in the same image and likeness--in the absolute sense of the term. There is but one likeness and one image. They therefore are of the same nature and essence. Since this conversation was held prior to the creation of man, and since those engaged in the conference are of one nature and substance, we see that these facts corroborate the position that the word Elohim is in the plural number. No other construction can be placed upon it in this context.

But in certain other contexts this same word Elohim has a singular connotation. This fact, however, is not attributable to the form of the word, but to the facts of the context in which it appears. As an example of this usage, let us turn to Exodus 3:1-12:

3 Now Moses was keeping the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the back of the wilderness, and came to the mountain of God, unto Horeb. 2 And the angel of Jehovah appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. 3 And Moses said I will turn aside now, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. 4 And when Jehovah saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. 5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. 6 Moreover he said I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God; 7 And Jehovah said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people that are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; 8 and I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite. 9 And now, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: moreover I have seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. 10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt. 11 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? 12 And he said, Certainly I will be with thee: and this shall be the token unto thee, that I have sent thee; when thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.

According to verse 2, מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה, "the angel of Jehovah," appeared to Moses in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. As we shall see in Chapter IV, this "angel of Jehovah" is called יְהוָה, Jehovah, himself. Upon seeing this unusual sight, Moses approached the spot but was forbidden to draw any nearer. This prohibition was uttered by Jehovah. This Jehovah is none other than the angel of Jehovah of verse 2. In verse 4 we see that this angel of Jehovah who is here called אֱלֹהִים, 'elohim, Gods, spoke "out of the midst of the bush" to Moses. This same speaker declared, according to verse 6, "I am אֱלֹהֵי 'elohe, the Gods of thy father, the Gods of Abraham, the Gods of Isaac, and the Gods of Jacob." Moreover, Jehovah declared, according to verse 7, "I have surely seen the affliction of my people that are in Egypt . . . and I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians. . . ." In verse 10 this same angel of Jehovah, in His talking to Moses, declared that He would send him to Pharaoh. According to verse 12, He promised to be with him and bring forth the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage.

Moses inquired concerning the name of this angel, who is called both יְהוָה, Jehovah, and אֱלֹהִים, 'elohim. The divine answer was, אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה " I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you" (vs. 14). From all the facts of this passage, it becomes abundantly evident that one of the divine personalities appeared to Moses on this occasion. This one, as we have already seen, was called "the angel of Jehovah," Jehovah, and Elohim. Since there is but one divine personality mentioned in this passage, although three different names are applied to Him, one may come to the conclusion that אֱלֹהִים, 'elohim, though in the plural number, here has a singular connotation. Thus the facts of the immediate context show clearly that Elohim in this instance cannot have the plural signification, but is addressed to the one divine personality.

Upon what principle can we account for the use of this plural noun and its being applied to a single individual? The explanation probably is to be found in the expression of Genesis 1:27, which we have already studied in Section V. Those engaging in the conversation recognized that they had a single image and likeness. In other words, there was in each of these personalities all that which is connoted by the term, the Divine Being. Expressed differently, I would say that in each of these the fullness of deity dwelt.

Let us notice another passage in which the word Elohim, though plural in form, has the singular connotation. In Psalm 45 we see the fourfold portrait of King Messiah. In verse 2 He, by the psalmist who sees Him in vision, is recognized as a man and is addressed as such. But in verses 3-5 the same inspired writer, in vision beholding Messiah, sees Him as the Mighty One, who alone can cope with the world situation. Being transported to the end of this age--when wickedness and sin will prevail and those living righteous, true, godly, non-resisting lives will be persecuted--the psalmist urges this Mighty One to buckle on His armor and go into action against the forces and powers of wickedness. In verse 5 He is seen in action as He conquers the entire world. Then, in verses 6-8 the picture is changed. Here the psalmist beholds Messiah seated upon His throne of glory and wielding a scepter of equity and righteousness over the peoples of earth. Again, he addresses Him as he did while standing before the two former portraits mentioned above. This time he speaks to Him in this manner: כִּסְאֲךָ אֱלֹהִים עוֹלָם וָעֶד שֵׁבֶט מִישֹׁר שֵׁבֶט מַלְכוּתֶךָ׃ "Thy throne, 0 God, is for ever and ever: A sceptre of equity is the sceptre of thy kingdom." The suffix ךָ ֲ, aka (thy), attached to the word throne in the Hebrew is in the singular number. Nevertheless, King Messiah is here addressed as Elohim. Since this plural noun is applied to a single individual--King Messiah--it is evident that, though it is plural in form, in this connection it has a singular connotation.

In verse 7 the psalmist continues to address King Messiah, uttering these words: "Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated wickedness: Therefore, אֱלֹהִים אֱלֹהֶיךָ, O God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." Here again King Messiah is addressed by the use of the אֱלֹהִים, 'elohim, and is told that His God אֱלֹהֶיךָ, thy God (direct discourse), has anointed Him with the oil of gladness above His fellows. The term Elohim is applied to King Messiah who is told that His God had anointed Him. When one remembers that the psalmist, in vision, addresses King Messiah as the fairest of men--fairer than the children of men (vs. 2); when one also remembers that the psalmist again addresses the same one as the Mighty Warrior, from whose person there shine forth glory and majesty, who goes forth to conquer the world and becomes victor; and when one studies carefully verses 6-8, in which Messiah is twice addressed as אֱלֹהִים, 'elohim, one can see that Elohim, though plural in form, in this context has a singular connotation.

In view of the fact that אֱלֹהִים, 'elohim (Gods), has, as I have just shown, a singular connotation in certain contexts, one may ask if it may not have this same special meaning in every case. My answer is a most emphatic denial. In the preceding sections of this chapter I have presented eight classes of facts which prove conclusively that Elohim is a plural noun carrying a plural meaning. Moreover, I have shown that it connotes a plurality of the persons or beings that are under consideration in a given context. In its original, primary, usual meaning it refers to the divine personalities known in the Hebrew Scriptures as אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, 'elohe Yisrael, the Gods of Israel. We are to understand that it has this connotation in every place where it appears unless the facts of the context indicate otherwise. In certain contexts the facts show that it refers to angels; in others, to judges who officiate as God's representatives at the sanctuary; and in other connections it designates idols. The facts, and only the facts of a given context, can decide the specific meaning in any case.

But in certain contexts the facts prove, as I have shown above, that it has also a singular connotation. One cannot guess about a given case but must let the facts of each context indicate the meaning of the writer.

As I shall show in the next chapter, Israel's Great Confession disproves the supposition now under consideration. According to it Moses declared, שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה אֶחָד׃ "Hear, 0 Israel, Jehovah our Gods is Jehovah a unity" (Deut. 6:4, lit. trans.). אֱלֹהֵינוּ, 'elohenu, as we shall see, is plural and literally means "our Gods." But the statement affirms that, though there is a plurality of divine personalities constituting the Supreme Being, they are in a real and unique sense a unity. So long, therefore, as words have definite meanings and language a set syntax, this Great Confession of Israel cannot be twisted to mean anything different from what it states plainly in the accurate translation given above--if it is studied and analyzed in accordance with scientific principles. For this and other reasons, that time does not permit my giving, I assert that Elohim primarily and usually refers to the three divine personalities constituting the Supreme Being. One cannot therefore read a singular meaning into this word unless the facts of a certain context indicate a departure from the literal meaning and demand a secondary or a metaphorical definition.

In order to illustrate the fact that one cannot employ a secondary or a metaphorical use of a word indiscriminately wherever it occurs but must consult the facts of the context, let me call attention to the Greek word psall-o, which primarily, according to Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, means to pluck off, pull out. Out of this idea came the following: to cause to vibrate by touching, to twang. The next step in the evolution of the word was to touch or strike the cord, to twang the strings of a musical instrument so that they gently vibrate. Soon it came to mean to play on a stringed instrument, to play the harp. In the course of time it came to express the idea to sing to the music of the harp. Finally, in the New Testament it signified to sing a hymn, to celebrate the praises of God in song.

According to this lexicon the primary meaning of our word is to pluck off, or pull out. The fundamental idea of plucking or twitching a string runs through the history of the term. Even under the metaphorical meaning of the word--to sing God's praises--lies the fundamental idea of plucking a string or cord. In this case the vocal cords are the ones that are twitched and caused to vibrate in praising the Lord.

For one to ignore the context of a given passage and to force the metaphorical meaning of singing praises to God upon the term everywhere it occurs is to violate the fundamental principles of grammar, logic, and exegesis. The facts of each context must guide one in ascertaining which of the several shades of meaning is intended in each case. In the same manner one cannot take the metaphorical meaning of the word 'elohim when it is applied to one of the divine personalities in a given context and force this meaning on it regardless of the context.

As another illustration of the principle under discussion I wish to call attention to the word messiah, which is a good Hebrew term.

If one will look at Leviticus 4:3,5,16, one will see that the word messiah, or "anointed," modifies the word priest. This fact shows that the priest was called the anointed of God--or messiah.

The same term is applied to the prophets, some of whom at least were inducted into office by the anointing ceremony. In Psalm 105:15 we have this language:

"... Touch not mine anointed ones,
And do my prophets no harm."

Here the appellation "anointed ones" corresponds to "my prophets" in this parallel structure. This fact shows that the prophet were likewise called anointed ones.

Saul, the first king of Israel, was called God's "anointed." He was a "messiah" because he was inducted into office by the anointing ceremony. When the Lord wanted David anointed as king to supersede Saul, He had Jesse to bring his sons to Samuel the prophet. When the first one appeared before this man of God, he looking at the outward appearance, said, "Surely Jehovah's anointed is before him" (I Sam. 16:6). God informed the prophet that Eliab, who was then before him, was not the one. After Jesse had caused all his sons to pass before Samuel except the youngest, Samuel revealed the fact that none of those could be the anointed of the Lord. Finally, when David was brought, the Lord spoke to Samuel saying, "Arise, anoint him; for this is he." When the ceremony was performed, the Spirit of God came mightily upon David and from that time onward he was known as the Lord's "anointed."

Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, is likewise called the Lord's messiah, as we see in Lamentations 4:20. Cyrus, the heathen king of the Medo-Persian empire, also is called the Lord's messiah.

In I Samuel 2:10 we see a reference in Hannah's prophetic message concerning the Lord's anointed or messiah. An examination of the context shows that this statement refers to Israel's Messiah of the future. The same interpretation is to be placed upon Psalm 2:2. An examination of Daniel 9:25,26 makes clear the position that the Messiah mentioned in this prophecy is none other than Israel's future Redeemer, for whose coming the nation has looked through the centuries.

From the facts just stated, one can see that the word messiah (anointed) has various shades of meaning. Its significance in a given case must be determined entirely by the facts of the immediate context and whatever information can be gathered from related passages. It would therefore be illogical for a person to take any one special meaning of the word messiah and force it on every passage where the term occurs. Usually whenever we speak of the Messiah we are thinking of Israel's Redeemer and the Saviour of the world. But we must not force this meaning upon every occurrence of the word. The facts of each context are, as stated repeatedly, to determine the special meaning which any word has in a given context. The same principle is true with reference to our understanding of the word Elohim, since it has, as we have seen, a number of meanings. Whenever the data of a given context show that this plural noun is used with a singular connotation, we must recognize this fact and interpret the passage accordingly.

In submitting the facts of this chapter, may I say that it is impossible to impress too strongly upon the mind of the reader that Elohim (Gods), like words in all languages, has various connotations. In order to determine its particular meaning in a given case, one must examine all the data of the connection and must let facts and facts alone--not speculation and not tradition--point the index finger to the exact meaning. Whenever a person follows this rule with one desire in mind, namely, to know what is truth, he will arrive at the correct idea as to what was meant by the sacred writer.

A final caution, which I must reiterate, is that the reader must get all the facts of a given context before arriving at the conclusion as to the meaning of the Hebrew term אֱלֹהִים , 'elohim, or any other word in a given language.

Summarizing what we have learned in this chapter regarding Elohim, may I say that its primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning is Gods. In certain contexts, as indicated by the facts of the text, it refers sometimes to angels; at others, to judges; and in still other connections it signifies idols. Whenever there are no facts in a given context indicating a derived or secondary meaning, one must understand this word to be used in the usual, primary, literal sense of Gods, a plurality of personalities.

Moreover, we have learned that, although its primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning is Gods--the plural number--there are certain contexts where the facts show that it is not used in this original, literal sense, but that it is employed to refer to only one of the divine personalities, who, as we shall presently see, constitute the supreme Being.

But we must continue in the next chapter our investigation of this most important subject in order to learn the scriptural teaching concerning the unity of these divine personalities.