Genesis We and US

[praying]

Who are we and us in these verses was there more than one God?

From Genesis:

NIV
26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, [2] and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

22Then the LORD God said, "The people have become as we are, knowing everything, both good and evil. What if they eat the fruit of the tree of life?


KJV
26And 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.

22And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil:

NLT
26Then God said, "Let us make people[2] in our image, to be like ourselves. They will be masters over all life--the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the livestock, wild animals,[3] and small animals."

22Then the LORD God said, "The people have become as we are, knowing everything, both good and evil. What if they eat the fruit of the tree of life?

 

[Smoky]

Who are we and us in these verses was there more than one God?

One interpretation is that "we" refers to the members of the Trinity. Another is that plurality emphasises the majesty of God.

 

[PaladinValer]

The idea of it meaning the Holy Trinity makes no sense, since it was the Jews who wrote it. Since they have no belief in that doctrine, that idea unfortunately gets tossed out.

Majesty makes a better case, but history and theology gives us a better picture:

1. Its a fact that the Hebrew people at one time were polytheistic. No doubt about it. They worshipped many gods, including YHVH. Since Elohim means "many gods," it would refer to all the deities in existance.
2. However, the Hebrews accepted YHVH as the only True God later, becoming henotheistic and later completely monotheistic. They only worshipped one deity, the True God YHVH. However, they did believe also in a court of God's ministers and divine beings; the angels. Today, Jews and many Chrisitians (if not most) term "elohim" to mean both YHVH and His Celestial Court.

To me, option 2 makes the most sense.

 

[muffler dragon]

Some take it as a form of sovereign council between G-d and the angels.

Just learned that a couple weeks ago.

 

[Symes]

One interpretation is that "we" refers to the members of the Trinity

You are spot on here. In John 1:1 and Paul in Colossians says that Jesus is the Creator. In Genesis 1:2 it says the Spirit is involved in Creation. So it stand to reason that "us" is the Trinity.

 

[prodromos]

The idea of it meaning the Holy Trinity makes no sense, since it was the Jews who wrote it. Since they have no belief in that doctrine, that idea unfortunately gets tossed out.

The Pharasees and the Sadducees in the time of Christ didn't get it, but that by no means precludes the understanding of the Trinity to many other Jews. I suspect the prophets would have had a pretty good idea. The Trinity is found within the pages of the Old Testament. It certainly doesn't seem to have been such an alien concept to the thousands of Jews who were added to the church in the days after Pentecost (which happens to be coming up real soon now )

John.

 

[St. Worm2]

King David seemed to understand it, yes? Psalm 110, "The LORD (YHVH) said to my Lord (Adonai)..."