SavedByGrace
Well-Known Member
Deuteronomy 6:4
“שׁמע ישׂראל יהוה אלהינו יהוה אחד"
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD” (King James Bible)
This is a favourite verse used by those, like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, are others, who deny, that the Holy Bible Teaches, that God is “Multi-Personal”. It is argued from this verse, and some others, that God is only One, and not a Trinity. No one who believes in the Trinity, will say that there is more than One God in the Holy Bible.
The Hebrew for Deuteronomy 6:4, can also mean;
“Hear, O Israel: Yahweh our God Yahweh is Unique”
“Hear, O Israel: Yahweh our God Yahweh is the Only One”
This verse, does not Teach, that the God of the Holy Bible, is “One Person”, which, as we shall see, is not the case. Neither does it Teach, that Yahweh is “One Person”. There are more than “One Person”, in the Old Testament, Who is called “אֱלֹהִים ('ĕlôhı̂ym)" and “יהוה (yehôvâh)”, Who are distinct from One Another.
That The God of the Bible is ALONE God, and there are no others. This is what the very First Commandment that God gave Moses: “God spoke all these words, saying, “I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. “You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:1-3).
Verse 3 literally translated into English, reads: “not he shall be to you gods other before presence of Me”. Or, “you shall not have any others gods in addition to Me”. Verses 4 and 5 go on to say, ““You shall not make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: you shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me.”. And in verse 23, “You shall most certainly not make gods of silver or gods of gold for yourselves to be alongside me”. It is clear that the God of the Bible is Unique, and He demands that He has a Unique place in the lives of His children.
Song of Solomon, chapter 6, verse 9, shows the use of the Hebrew “אֶחָד", meaning “unique”;
“But my dove, my perfect one, is unique (אֶחָד): She is her mother’s only (אֶחָד) daughter” (NASB)
This is exactly what is meant in Deuteronomy 6:4, that the God of the Holy Bible is UNIQUE, as there is no other.
The first verse of the Old Testament says: “In beginning He Created God the heavens and the earth”. Our English word “God”, in the Hebrew, is “אֱלֹהִים ('ĕlôhı̂ym)", which is masculine in gender, and plural in number. The Jewish Encyclopedia, says of the plural, “This is, most probably, to be explained as the plural of majesty or excellence, expressing high dignity or greatness”. In the Hebrew Bible, the Names “אֱלוֹהַּ ('ĕlôahh)”, “אֵל ('êl)”, are also used for God, which are in the singular number. Does this mean that these do not mean, “majesty or excellence, expressing high dignity or greatness”? Of course not! A good example can be found in Psalm 18:31, “For who is God, except the LORD? And who is a Rock, except our God?”. Here we have “God” used twice, and “Lord”, once. In the first use, the Hebrew is “אֱלוֹהַּ ('ĕlôahh)”, which is the singular. The second is “אֱלֹהִים ('ĕlôhı̂ym)", which is plural, And we also have “יהוה (yehôvâh)”. Both the singular and plural forms are used for “יהוה (yehôvâh)”, one use of “God” is no “greater” than the other.
It is because those like to Jews, who cannot accept the fact, that the God of the Bible is not One Person, that they provide these lame reasons. Much like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, who reject that Jesus Christ is God, so they pervert what John writes in 1:1 of His Gospel, to, “and the Logos was a god”. Nothing to do with the actual grammar of the passage, but, to reflect their demonic view that Jesus Christ is a created being.
It is clear from the Bible, that the plural is used, when the singular could have been, because the God of the Bible is not uni-personal.
In Genesis 1:26, we can see why the plural “אֱלֹהִים" is used:
“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness”
Here we have four plurals “אֱלֹהִים" (God), “נַעֲשֶׂה" (let Us Make), “בְּצַלְמֵנוּ" (in Our Image), “כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ" (after Our Likeness)
There are those, who cannot accept that the Bible clearly Teaches that GOD is not “One Person”, argue, that in this verse, God is Speaking of His angels! Verse 27 goes on to say, “And God created man in His own Image (בְּצַלְמוֹ, is the masculine singular), in the Image of (בְּצֶלֶם, masculine singular) God created He him; male and female created He them”. Cannot include any created beings, like “angels”!. There is not even ONE verse in the Bible that says that humans are Created in “the image of angels”!
In Isaiah 51:13, we read, “And forget Yahweh your Maker, that has stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth”. Here “your Maker”, in the Hebrew is, “עֹשֶׂ֗ךָ”, which is masculine singular. However, in 54:5, we read, “For your Maker is your husband; Yahweh of hosts is His Name”. Here, “your Maker” is the Hebrew, “עֹשַׂיִךְ”, which is masculine, plural, “Makers”! And, in Ecclesiastes 12:1, where it reads, “Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth”, here also the Hebrew, “אֶת־בּוֹרְאֶיךָ”, is masculine, plural, literally, “your Creators”. Whereas, in Isaiah 43:15, we have, “בּוֹרֵא” (the Creator of), which is singular. It is clear that the use of the plural, has nothing to do with, “plural of “majesties”, which is suggested by some, for the plural, “אֱלֹהִים ('ĕlôhı̂ym)". Genesis 1:26 is clear that more than One Person Created.
It is also clear form the Old Testament, that there is not One Person Who is God. In Isaiah 9:6, which is a Prophecy for the Birth of Jesus Christ, we read, “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His Name (שְׁמוֹ, masculine, singular) shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God (אֵל גִּבּוֹר,’êl Gibbôr), Everlasting Father (אֲבִי־עַד, Possessor of Eternity), Prince of Peace”. In the next chapter we read, “but shall lean upon Yhaweh, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. A remnant shall return, [even] the remnant of Jacob, unto the Mighty God (אֵל גִּבּוֹר,’êl Gibbôr)” (verses 20-21). Here we have two distinct Persons Who are equally called “אֵל גִּבּוֹר,’êl Gibbôr”. Some have tried to have one meaning of the Hebrew for 9:6, “God-like Hero”, and “Mighty God”, in 10:21. This is done for theological purposes, as they cannot accept that Jesus Christ is GOD. It has the SAME meaning in both places.
In the majority of uses, of either, “אֱלֹהִים ('ĕlôhı̂ym)", and “אֱלוֹהַּ ('ĕlôahh)”, and “אֵל ('êl)”, are used to denote the God of the Bible, without reference to any of the “Persons”, as in Genesis 1:1. Yet, it is also clear from the Bible, that God is also used for distinct Persons, as in Isaiah 9:6, and 10:21, and Genesis 1:26-27.
“שׁמע ישׂראל יהוה אלהינו יהוה אחד"
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD” (King James Bible)
This is a favourite verse used by those, like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, are others, who deny, that the Holy Bible Teaches, that God is “Multi-Personal”. It is argued from this verse, and some others, that God is only One, and not a Trinity. No one who believes in the Trinity, will say that there is more than One God in the Holy Bible.
The Hebrew for Deuteronomy 6:4, can also mean;
“Hear, O Israel: Yahweh our God Yahweh is Unique”
“Hear, O Israel: Yahweh our God Yahweh is the Only One”
This verse, does not Teach, that the God of the Holy Bible, is “One Person”, which, as we shall see, is not the case. Neither does it Teach, that Yahweh is “One Person”. There are more than “One Person”, in the Old Testament, Who is called “אֱלֹהִים ('ĕlôhı̂ym)" and “יהוה (yehôvâh)”, Who are distinct from One Another.
That The God of the Bible is ALONE God, and there are no others. This is what the very First Commandment that God gave Moses: “God spoke all these words, saying, “I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. “You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:1-3).
Verse 3 literally translated into English, reads: “not he shall be to you gods other before presence of Me”. Or, “you shall not have any others gods in addition to Me”. Verses 4 and 5 go on to say, ““You shall not make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: you shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me.”. And in verse 23, “You shall most certainly not make gods of silver or gods of gold for yourselves to be alongside me”. It is clear that the God of the Bible is Unique, and He demands that He has a Unique place in the lives of His children.
Song of Solomon, chapter 6, verse 9, shows the use of the Hebrew “אֶחָד", meaning “unique”;
“But my dove, my perfect one, is unique (אֶחָד): She is her mother’s only (אֶחָד) daughter” (NASB)
This is exactly what is meant in Deuteronomy 6:4, that the God of the Holy Bible is UNIQUE, as there is no other.
The first verse of the Old Testament says: “In beginning He Created God the heavens and the earth”. Our English word “God”, in the Hebrew, is “אֱלֹהִים ('ĕlôhı̂ym)", which is masculine in gender, and plural in number. The Jewish Encyclopedia, says of the plural, “This is, most probably, to be explained as the plural of majesty or excellence, expressing high dignity or greatness”. In the Hebrew Bible, the Names “אֱלוֹהַּ ('ĕlôahh)”, “אֵל ('êl)”, are also used for God, which are in the singular number. Does this mean that these do not mean, “majesty or excellence, expressing high dignity or greatness”? Of course not! A good example can be found in Psalm 18:31, “For who is God, except the LORD? And who is a Rock, except our God?”. Here we have “God” used twice, and “Lord”, once. In the first use, the Hebrew is “אֱלוֹהַּ ('ĕlôahh)”, which is the singular. The second is “אֱלֹהִים ('ĕlôhı̂ym)", which is plural, And we also have “יהוה (yehôvâh)”. Both the singular and plural forms are used for “יהוה (yehôvâh)”, one use of “God” is no “greater” than the other.
It is because those like to Jews, who cannot accept the fact, that the God of the Bible is not One Person, that they provide these lame reasons. Much like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, who reject that Jesus Christ is God, so they pervert what John writes in 1:1 of His Gospel, to, “and the Logos was a god”. Nothing to do with the actual grammar of the passage, but, to reflect their demonic view that Jesus Christ is a created being.
It is clear from the Bible, that the plural is used, when the singular could have been, because the God of the Bible is not uni-personal.
In Genesis 1:26, we can see why the plural “אֱלֹהִים" is used:
“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness”
Here we have four plurals “אֱלֹהִים" (God), “נַעֲשֶׂה" (let Us Make), “בְּצַלְמֵנוּ" (in Our Image), “כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ" (after Our Likeness)
There are those, who cannot accept that the Bible clearly Teaches that GOD is not “One Person”, argue, that in this verse, God is Speaking of His angels! Verse 27 goes on to say, “And God created man in His own Image (בְּצַלְמוֹ, is the masculine singular), in the Image of (בְּצֶלֶם, masculine singular) God created He him; male and female created He them”. Cannot include any created beings, like “angels”!. There is not even ONE verse in the Bible that says that humans are Created in “the image of angels”!
In Isaiah 51:13, we read, “And forget Yahweh your Maker, that has stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth”. Here “your Maker”, in the Hebrew is, “עֹשֶׂ֗ךָ”, which is masculine singular. However, in 54:5, we read, “For your Maker is your husband; Yahweh of hosts is His Name”. Here, “your Maker” is the Hebrew, “עֹשַׂיִךְ”, which is masculine, plural, “Makers”! And, in Ecclesiastes 12:1, where it reads, “Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth”, here also the Hebrew, “אֶת־בּוֹרְאֶיךָ”, is masculine, plural, literally, “your Creators”. Whereas, in Isaiah 43:15, we have, “בּוֹרֵא” (the Creator of), which is singular. It is clear that the use of the plural, has nothing to do with, “plural of “majesties”, which is suggested by some, for the plural, “אֱלֹהִים ('ĕlôhı̂ym)". Genesis 1:26 is clear that more than One Person Created.
It is also clear form the Old Testament, that there is not One Person Who is God. In Isaiah 9:6, which is a Prophecy for the Birth of Jesus Christ, we read, “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His Name (שְׁמוֹ, masculine, singular) shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God (אֵל גִּבּוֹר,’êl Gibbôr), Everlasting Father (אֲבִי־עַד, Possessor of Eternity), Prince of Peace”. In the next chapter we read, “but shall lean upon Yhaweh, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. A remnant shall return, [even] the remnant of Jacob, unto the Mighty God (אֵל גִּבּוֹר,’êl Gibbôr)” (verses 20-21). Here we have two distinct Persons Who are equally called “אֵל גִּבּוֹר,’êl Gibbôr”. Some have tried to have one meaning of the Hebrew for 9:6, “God-like Hero”, and “Mighty God”, in 10:21. This is done for theological purposes, as they cannot accept that Jesus Christ is GOD. It has the SAME meaning in both places.
In the majority of uses, of either, “אֱלֹהִים ('ĕlôhı̂ym)", and “אֱלוֹהַּ ('ĕlôahh)”, and “אֵל ('êl)”, are used to denote the God of the Bible, without reference to any of the “Persons”, as in Genesis 1:1. Yet, it is also clear from the Bible, that God is also used for distinct Persons, as in Isaiah 9:6, and 10:21, and Genesis 1:26-27.
