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101G

Well-Known Member
So my question is: why does "God" refer to himself in plural? (Let us create...)

I did some research, and the Trinity isn't even mentioned in the Bible (at least not as "Trinity", there are hints of it). Why would a "God" that claims to be only God refer to what looks like others like him (as if he was one of many; "our likeness")?

*I'm an atheist (just in case)
God is a plural in the ECHAD of himself, as FIRST/LORD/FATHER, and LAST/Lord/Son, in TIME, PLACE, ORDER, or RANK. one person, one Spirit/God in Diversity.

101G.
 

rosends

Well-Known Member
God is a plural in the ECHAD of himself, as FIRST/LORD/FATHER, and LAST/Lord/Son, in TIME, PLACE, ORDER, or RANK. one person, one Spirit/God in Diversity.

101G.
No, echad is singular in the way that it always is.
 

IndigoChild5559

Loving God and my neighbor as myself.
God is a plural in the ECHAD of himself, as FIRST/LORD/FATHER, and LAST/Lord/Son, in TIME, PLACE, ORDER, or RANK. one person, one Spirit/God in Diversity.

101G.
Again, just in case you forgot, in the shema, echad is not a unity of plurals. It simply means one. NOT three in one.
 

101G

Well-Known Member
Again, just in case you forgot, in the shema, echad is not a unity of plurals. It simply means one. NOT three in one.
we must disagree. according to the Mickelson's Enhanced Strong's Dictionaries of the Greek and Hebrew Testaments, H259 אֶחָד 'echad (ech-awd') adj.
1. (properly) united, i.e. one.
2. (as an ordinal) first.
[a numeral from H258]
KJV: 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.
Root(s): H258.

note definition #2.

101G,
 

rosends

Well-Known Member
ARE you sure? are ordinal numbers plural in an Equal Share of ONE?

101G
What does that even mean?
An ordinal number places the number in a series but does not provide a cardinal number value to the object necessarily. A horse can come in first and be one horse. Some single thing can be both first and third in different contexts. Something can also be first and last if it is the only item. Ordinal numbers are therefore not plural (the third house IS mine).

Echad, as I have stated elsewhere, is a cardinal number except when it refers to some dates. It is a singular noun when used as a noun and it refers to singular nouns when used as an adjective.

The ordinal is "rishon" in almost all cases.

-----additional note------
in most cases that the echad word is used as an ardinal word, it is either in the form of HA echad (though not even all of those are ordinal) or it is in a phrase indicating that it is "one to a particular series" when it introduces a prepositional phrase including a time or series that can be counted ("of the month").

in the case of the Sh'ma, neither of these is true.
 
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IndigoChild5559

Loving God and my neighbor as myself.
we must disagree. according to the Mickelson's Enhanced Strong's Dictionaries of the Greek and Hebrew Testaments, H259 אֶחָד 'echad (ech-awd') adj.
1. (properly) united, i.e. one.
2. (as an ordinal) first.
[a numeral from H258]
KJV: 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.
Root(s): H258.

note definition #2.

101G,
you have highlighted "first." are you maintaining that no one is translating Deut 6:4 correctly, that it should be "The LORD is God, the LORD is first"???
 

rosends

Well-Known Member
I certainly do not believe in a trinity. But elohim refers also to a plurality. Not a trinity either.
No, it is a noun that is sometimes singular and sometimes plural. When in doubt, check the verb. If it is in the singular, the noun is in the singular.
 

IndigoChild5559

Loving God and my neighbor as myself.
I certainly do not believe in a trinity. But elohim refers also to a plurality. Not a trinity either.
elohim means powers and is used to refer to quite a few things: human judges, angels, pagan pantheons, and the One True God. Sometimes it is plural and sometimes it is singular. You have to look at the context to know whether it is singular or plural. For example if it uses a verb in the singular tense, then it is singular. Let me give you an example:

Exodus 7:1
The Lord said to Moses, "See! I have made you a lord over Pharaoh, and Aaron, your brother, will be your speaker. אוַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־משֶׁ֔ה רְאֵ֛ה נְתַתִּ֥יךָ אֱלֹהִ֖ים לְפַרְעֹ֑ה וְאַֽהֲרֹ֥ן אָחִ֖יךָ יִֽהְיֶ֥ה נְבִיאֶֽךָ

That is the Stone translation, a well loved Jewish translation. You can see that the word "lord" is a translation of elohim (אֱלֹהִ֖ים). It is singular because Moses is singular.
 

YoursTrue

Faith-confidence in what we hope for (Hebrews 11)
No, it is a noun that is sometimes singular and sometimes plural. When in doubt, check the verb. If it is in the singular, the noun is in the singular.
The title elohim was given because HE, the Almighty, being the God of Gods, not a multiple, but the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Please note the following, Maimonides said: "I must premise that every Hebrew [now] knows that the term Elohim is a homonym, and denotes God, angels, judges, and the rulers of countries, ..."
 

YoursTrue

Faith-confidence in what we hope for (Hebrews 11)
elohim means powers and is used to refer to quite a few things: human judges, angels, pagan pantheons, and the One True God. Sometimes it is plural and sometimes it is singular. You have to look at the context to know whether it is singular or plural. For example if it uses a verb in the singular tense, then it is singular. Let me give you an example:

Exodus 7:1
The Lord said to Moses, "See! I have made you a lord over Pharaoh, and Aaron, your brother, will be your speaker. אוַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־משֶׁ֔ה רְאֵ֛ה נְתַתִּ֥יךָ אֱלֹהִ֖ים לְפַרְעֹ֑ה וְאַֽהֲרֹ֥ן אָחִ֖יךָ יִֽהְיֶ֥ה נְבִיאֶֽךָ

That is the Stone translation, a well loved Jewish translation. You can see that the word "lord" is a translation of elohim (אֱלֹהִ֖ים). It is singular because Moses is singular.
I see the Chabad translation of Psalm 110:1 which just is off the beam. Sorry.
 

YoursTrue

Faith-confidence in what we hope for (Hebrews 11)
No, it is a noun that is sometimes singular and sometimes plural. When in doubt, check the verb. If it is in the singular, the noun is in the singular.
Psalm 110:1 is completely off center when it comes to proper translation at chabad.org. I'm a bit taken aback at the improper translation, surprised if you will, nevertheless that's the way it is.
 
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