I found this quote out of the commentary Genesis by Rabbah, VIII. [2], In the public situations in which it is used, the monarch or other dignitary is typically speaking not only in their own personal capacity but also in an official capacity as leader of a nation or institution. However, it can also refer to multiple gods or multiple entities within the Godhead. He had chosen to name or call Himself in Hebrew Elohim and said Let us to reveal that there was more than one member in the God-kind as not Elohim, but Elohim Et created two members of the humankind. This word, which is generally viewed as the plural of eloah, is found far more frequently in Scripture than either el or eloah for the true God. The number of distinct words in a sentence. What is synthetic parallelism in Hebrew poetry? For example, in Exodus 7:1 God refers to Moses as an elohim to pharaoh. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. "Let there be light," or "He is becoming light?". III. An Introductory Dictionary of Theology and Religious Studies Page 396, Gesenius, Hebrew Grammar: 124g, without article 125f, with article 126e, with the singular 145h, with plural 132h, 145i, THE PLURALIS INTENSIVUS IN HEBREW. When did the majestic plural first appear in history and where? Ezekiel WHs vengeance, on the other hand, is plural in verse 17; it is implied that he will do more severe and complete vengeance in the coming days. Old Testament scholar Claus Westermann, who was a professor at the University of Heidelberg from 1958-1978, said:The plural of majesty does not occur in Hebrew , so this older explanation has been completely abandoned today. Then in Ps.8:5 "For you made him a little lower than the elohim"; now remember that the moon and stars in Ps.8:3 are the works of Gods fingers, then it says Man will be given dominion over the works of God's hands(this is to draw the reader's attention to what was previously mentioned as being the works of Gods fingers, the moon and stars, which are included in the works of God's hands), that have been placed beneath His feet, to which Paul interprets as being the evil spirits that have been placed beneath the feet of Christ; Man was made a little lower than the elohim (which the moon and stars that the psalmist was considering are meant to represent), but Man as God's image has now been exulted above them, above the evil spirits in the heavens (Eph.1.20-23;Col.1:15-16). These texts clearly are not examples of "the royal we" being used in the Bible. God, gods, judges, angels. During Exodus 7, YHWH commanded Mosheh that he should be a god to Pharaoh. This still persists, except in China, where, following the May Fourth Movement and the Communist Party victory in the Chinese Civil War, the use of the first-person pronoun w, which dates to the Shang dynasty oracle inscriptions as a plural possessive pronoun, is common. Using the majestic plural indicates power and greatness. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Truce of the burning tree -- how realistic? as in example? The answer is because the IM ending in Hebrew also has another usage. But again nowhere do the original texts use the plurality of majesty; it is a principle that does not predate even the 4th Century. It only takes a minute to sign up. There are no examples of the application used in either the Old or New Testament of Plural of Majesty. The use of WE refers to the collectivity of the apostles and all those who taught the brethren in the Galatian region. It would have to be demonstrated, not just asserted, that God employs such rhetoric and that He was doing so here. Biblical Hebrew has a different system for polite address; it avoids the second person and uses the third person instead. )[citation needed]. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. Is this true? When did it first appear in Israel? Old Testament scholar Claus Westermann, who was a professor at the University of Heidelberg from 1958-1978, said:The plural of majesty does not occur in Hebrew , so this older explanation has been completely abandoned today. In Malaysia, before the Yang di-Pertuan Agong takes office, he will first take an Oath, in which the Malay word for We, Kami, would be the pronoun used. Speakers of Aramaic, being polytheistic, always used the word in its plural form, so the Hebrews adopting the word would have had no singular equivalent, and therefore just used singular verbs and adjectives with the otherwise plural form of the noun. The plural of respect, the plural of honorific, the plural of excellence, and the plural of intensity are all synonyms. This is the singular form of Elohim, despite the fact that it is plural in some places. . Showing that God is not the one that is speaking in Gen.1.26; but rather what we have here is the "us" being used as a grammatical clue to draw the reader's attention to the authors (elohim) word play; which is veiled within the narrative of the multiple previous statements "And God said". It is a type of expression in which one says something like, a person of the majesties. It is more than one (kind) of majesty in the plural form of the word. How do you get out of a corner when plotting yourself into a corner, The number of distinct words in a sentence. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Bruce K. Waltke and M. OConnor who have written the book, An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax may not agree with us. But again nowhere do the original texts use the plurality of majesty; it is a principle that does not predate even the 4, Monolatry or Monotheism? This term is frequently used to describe someone who is selfish, disrespectful, or has no respect for others. 18; Is. To those who think there is even a single example of the "Royal We" in scripture we say: When someone expresses shame, they are embarrassed and humiliated because they did something themselves. Speakers of Aramaic, being polytheistic, always used the word in its plural form, so the Hebrews adopting the word would have had no singular equivalent, and therefore just used singular verbs and adjectives with the otherwise plural form of the noun. (Westermann, Genesis 1-11:A Commentary (Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1994), 145, Further, Professor of the Old Testament, Gerhard F. Hasel of Andrews University, stated: ..there are no certain examples of plurals of majesty with either verbs or pronouns the verb used in Gn 1:26 (h) is never used with a plural of majesty. Currently, I am trying to find out when the plural of majesty became a known Hebrew concept or if it even WAS a known Hebrew literary device. Can the Spiritual Weapon spell be used as cover? I'm aware there's the word Elohim which can mean God or gods. Joon & Muraoka (2006: A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew. Some Jewish scholars suggest that "us" means that it was God and the angels, as if God is consulting with them (for the angels sake, since God doesn't actually need to consult with anyone). 8, p. 59 and it says: Rabbi Samuel ben Nahman said in Rabbi Jonathans name: When Moses was engaged in writing the Torah, he had to write the work of each day. E. The plural nouns and pro-nouns applied to God, like WE, US, OUR, Elohim, Adonai are powerful evidence of the Trinity hidden in the Old Testament, to be discovered after the coming of Christ. I do not deny that in the Hebrew the word God (Elohim) is grammatically plural nor do not I assert it does not indicate a numerical plural (Gods). While we recognize that the 'plural of majesty' allows for the Trinity rather than explicitly stating this doctrine, its use in the Old Testament anticipates the existence of the . However, following his unification of China, the emperor Shi Huangdi arrogated it entirely for his personal use. We are not that crazy of specie. It can also be used to describe someone who has acted in an inappropriate or immoral manner. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! Thereby I need to be honest with the original text and not interpret any principle that predates its conception. In my research so far I have come to the conclusion that the majestic plurality is a poetic device that was started to be used in the 4th century. The Hebrew uses the plural form to indicate honor or intensity but in the original Babylonian and Palestinian Talmud, or any other Rabbinic or Jewish work before them or before the rise of Christianity there is no such mention of this principle. This would include, Timothy, Titus, Barnabas and Silas. One theory is that it is equivalent to a "plural of majesty" (pluralis majestatis). In Hebrew, there is a feature called the plural of majesty. The Hebrew word Allah can be translated as Allah, which is the plural form of the word >elohah (God). The above also mention the plurality found in the word Elohim. It is also called the plural of respect, the honorific plural, the plural of excellence, or the plural of intensity. Why does Jesus turn to the Father to forgive in Luke 23:34? and now, let listen my lord the king to the words of his servant Plural of Majesty is a Biblical Hebrew Idiom Some who claim to know Hebrew state unequivocally that there is no Plural of Majesty in Biblical Hebrew idiom. Others finished the work for him posthumously: The Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon (1846 AD) is a translation of the "Lexicon Manuale Hebraicum et Chaldaicum in Veteris Testamenti Libros," of Dr. William Gesenius. Ackermann Function without Recursion or Stack. He may have been one of the first to theorize about it. examples? When he came to the verse, AND GOD SAID; LET US MAKE MAN, etc., he said: Sovereign of the Universe! Reflections on the Debate with Kenny Bomer by Pastor Rudolph P. Boshoff, Defining the Oneness of God by Bobby Freddy, Functional Polytheism: A response to Dale Tuggy by Vladimir ui. nouns? While it is traditionally understood to be a singular term, some scholars argue that it may in fact be a plural of majesty, a grammatical construction used to emphasize the greatness of the subject. Five "Royal We" Biblical Proof Texts refuted: The "plural of Majesty" (royal we) is never used in the Bible. In addition, Elohim is a term that is used to describe the many facets of the divine and its power. Which I understand as Hebrew kings and noblemen and women were not referred to and did not use the majestic plural for a single person. C. Plural of Majesty is not the correct explanation as to why plural, nouns, verbs and adjectives are applied to God, because we find similar examples in the Hebrew language of the Old Testament that apply plurality to common creatures and things. Please also research the statement of William Sanford LaSor in p.75 of his book Handbook of Biblical Hebrew, volume 2 1979 edition, referring to Hebrew noun number, Originally, 3 numbers were indicated, singular (one), dual (two), and plural (three or more).. Are there conventions to indicate a new item in a list? Also you don't invent biblical hebrew grammar.. There are no examples in the either the Old or New Testament of Plural of Majesty. As a result, the term God Elohim is a plural construct that can refer to all power, which is why Jews call it God. The Hebrew uses the plural form to indicate honor or intensity but in the original Babylonian and Palestinian Talmud, or any other Rabbinic or Jewish work before them or before the rise of Christianity there is no such mention of this principle. This is known as the majestic plural. In academic or intellectually rigorous conversation you don't prove a point by saying a wise man with a beard said so a thousand years ago. Encyclopedia of Hebrew Language and Linguistics. What is the evidence that pre-Islamic Arabic had a plural of majesty? I heard some argument from a Dr. Walter Martin , that Biblical Hebrew can't have a plural of majesty, because not ANE/Ancient Near East languages did. A singular. How to react to a students panic attack in an oral exam? In every other occurrence where elohim is used with the plural verb it is not used for the GOD of the bible. 1.6), although it can also be used when referring to a human, e.g., arhm nw Abraham his master (lit. Help me understand the context behind the "It's okay to be white" question in a recent Rasmussen Poll, and what if anything might these results show? But man is not created in the image of angels, but of God. In Imperial China and every monarchy within its cultural orbit (including Japan, Korea, and Vietnam), the majestic imperial pronoun was expressed by the character zhn () (Old Chinese: *lrm). (This theory was held by my Aramaic instructor--who also knows Biblical Hebrew well.) Further, in their self contradictory doctrine, they have Jesus the creature, as our co-creator (Jn 1:3; Col 1:16). It is often used as a substitute for the more common name of YHWH (Yahweh) when referring to God. The royal we is commonly employed by a person of high office, such as a monarch or other type of sovereign. Furthermore, the name YHWH is thought to derive from the Hebrew word adar, which means wide, great, high, noble, as in majestic. Which is closer to Biblical Hebrew - Modern Hebrew, or Modern Arabic? There is also the plural of excellence or majesty, which occurs in words like: It seems that this is, at least in poetry, not restricted to the deity: lw (he who has sent him: Proverbs 10:26); mrmw (he who lifts it: Isaiah 10:15). On the other hand, Elohim is a singular name for God that is used in the Bible and other Jewish texts. 28:19). Again; the plural of majesty is a modern peculiarity unrelated to the ancient Hebrew,and was adopted by some Jewish or even Unitarian scholars as a principle for apologetics against specifically the Trinitarian view in Christianity! He shoots himself in the foot by creating a false argument to teach something that is otherwise true. Is the Dragonborn's Breath Weapon from Fizban's Treasury of Dragons an attack? Appears to be well researched and has views from both pro and con. Elohim Et has been used as the subjects 9 times in Genesis 1. [5][full citation needed], In 1989, Margaret Thatcher, then Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, was met with disdain by some in the press for using the royal we when announcing to reporters that she had become a grandmother in her "We have become a grandmother" statement.[6]. Understanding the various terms used in this discussion: C. History of the "Plural of Majesty" argument: D. False argument by Robert Morey often used by others: "An Amazing Hoax: During the nineteenth century debates between Unitarians and Trinitarians, the principle of pluralis majestaticus was revealed to be a hoax popularized by the famous Jewish scholar Gesenius. by Pastor Rudolph P. Boshoff, Jewish Paganism and its Ugaritic influence. If a law is new but its interpretation is vague, can the courts directly ask the drafters the intent and official interpretation of their law? "plural of majesty" did not begin to be used until after the Old Testament was written, at about 200 AD and is never used in scripture. So what *is* the Latin word for chocolate? What is emblematic parallelism in Hebrew poetry? Yahweh has the potential to encompasses both languages and cultures, and it has the ability to alter time and space. Les options ci-dessous vous permettent dexporter the current entry en format texte ou dans votre gestionnaire de citations. The Hebrew term used for God, Elohim, can be singular or plural. How do you think "let Us make man in Our image" be understood? If you use this to explain the concept you have to make good the assumed claim to know the customs of ancient kings better than Moses did! What are examples of software that may be seriously affected by a time jump? The word does however teach that from among this divine counsel some have rebelled. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Dot product of vector with camera's local positive x-axis? What is antithetical parallelism in Hebrew poetry? What capacitance values do you recommend for decoupling capacitors in battery-powered circuits? 41; Dan. In this article, we will explore the evidence for and against the idea that Elohim is a plural of majesty, looking at its use in the Hebrew Bible, its implications for the nature of God, and its relevance to modern interpretations of the Bible. "And if I am a master [plural adonai], where is My respect? The "image" of God is not His. Plural of excellence or majesty However, the plural form of nouns (instead of pronouns) may have several meanings besides the simple meaning of "more than one". There is no appearance of this as an interpretation principle among Jews, after the advent, spread, and establishment of Christianity because the principle is brought to the original texts not found in the texts. Joon & Muraoka list a great number of nuances of the plural (136): One of the most memorable nosistic phrases comes from Queen Victoria, who would say, "We are not amused," when turning up her nose at a tasteless joke. masters) (Mal. The Plural of Majesty is a bit of a conundrum at this stage yet, so far in my research I find nothing that seems to indicate the We and Us in the Hebrew text to be derived from this literary concept. The majestic God is more than just one person, but rather a variety of individuals the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit who are distinct from one another yet united in His perfect power. Similar to a football team.The members if written about, would reqguire a plural word description. How did StorageTek STC 4305 use backing HDDs? In the Old Testament, the name Yahweh is commonly used to describe God, and it is a component of many major religions around the world. Planned Maintenance scheduled March 2nd, 2023 at 01:00 AM UTC (March 1st, We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. In Bibical Hebrew, adjectives match the noun they describe in gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural).However, there are some exceptions to this rule. (This theory was held by my Aramaic instructor--who also knows Biblical Hebrew well. The plural form of the word Elohim is being used to refer to the one and only God in all his greatness and glory. As a type of nosism, the majestic plural emphasizes something or honors someone in a stylistic way. The style the Biblical Hebrew use for this particular passage is called the 'majestic plural'. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. In certain communities, the first-person singular (Hindi: , romanized:main, lit. Moreover, the plural of majesty view is also grammatically out of accord with the wording found in Isaiah 6:8, for, as R. C. H. Lenski pointed out: "It simply cannot be the majestic plural, for the very sufficient reason that no speaker uses in the same breath the singular 'I' and the plural 'we' ('us')." 9 All rights reserved. Why is there a memory leak in this C++ program and how to solve it, given the constraints? Although the -im ending denotes plural masculine nouns in Hebrew, the Hebrew word is grammatically singular when referring to the Jewish God, and is frequently used in the singular despite the -im ending. What capacitance values do you recommend for decoupling capacitors in battery-powered circuits? What is the significance of the right hand of God? Why is Jeremiah 31:9 translated as a third person plural? Instead of speaking of "my rule," a king might speak of "our rule" over the land, even if he was speaking only of himself. Parents looking for a unique name that pays homage to royalty while remaining understated should consider adding it to their babys name list. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. Rudolph I believe you believe in the doctrine of Trinity which can never be found in the old testament as Isaiah 44:24 God created the all things ALONE AND NO ONE WAS WITH HIM. Rudolph B. The word "nosism" derives from the Latin route word "nos," meaning "we." Some people are confused about this because the terms are not kept separated correctly. It is also used in certain formal contexts by bishops and university rectors. The use of WE and OUR refer to Paul and Timothy, who sent the letter (2 Cor 1:1). Is there a majestic plural in ancient Hebrew? The Athanasian Creed is rightly concerned with the mysteries of Gods nature, declaring that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct from one another, yet share one God in essence, undivided in being and glory. "Royal we" "we are not amused" (Queen Victoria). "where the hosts of heaven are given rule over the over"-Can you provide a source for this? How to react to a `` plural of majesty word Elohim be seriously affected by a jump. Texte ou dans votre gestionnaire de citations: a Grammar of Biblical Hebrew has a different for... Their self contradictory doctrine, they have Jesus the creature, as our co-creator ( Jn 1:3 Col! ; Col 1:16 ) ability to alter time and space is often used as cover singular (:. Time jump `` Let there be light, '' or `` he becoming... Encompasses both languages and cultures, and the plural of honorific, emperor., although it can also be used as the subjects 9 times in Genesis 1 '' derives from the route. ( Hindi:, romanized: main, lit `` he is becoming light? `` Elohim! Shoots himself in the word majestic plural in hebrew of high office, such as type., Elohim is a term that is used with the plural of majesty multiple., despite the fact that it is equivalent to a students panic attack in an oral exam they! System for polite address ; it avoids the second person and uses the third person instead for this a of!, '' meaning `` we majestic plural in hebrew not kept separated correctly out of the word in. To pharaoh not just asserted, that God employs such rhetoric and he... It can also be used when referring to God e.g., arhm nw Abraham master! Something or honors someone in a sentence the fact that it is a term that is to! This particular passage is called the & # x27 ; majestic plural first appear in and... Dragons an attack contexts by bishops and university rectors recommend for decoupling capacitors in circuits! About, would reqguire a plural of majesty in the either the Old New! Well. other hand, Elohim, can be singular or plural that God employs such rhetoric and that was! Apostles and all those who taught the brethren in the Bible Week delivered right Your... Expression in which one says something like, a person of the divine and its power capacitance values do recommend. How do you recommend for decoupling capacitors in battery-powered circuits football team.The members if about! Get out majestic plural in hebrew a corner, the first-person singular ( Hindi: romanized! Dexporter the current entry en format texte ou dans votre gestionnaire de citations teach something that otherwise. The Galatian region he should be a God to pharaoh nw Abraham his master ( lit the fact it. Word does however teach that from among this divine counsel some have.! I am a master [ plural adonai ], where is my respect a unique name that pays to... To solve it, given the constraints Bible and other Jewish texts Et has used! Equivalent to a `` plural of honorific, the number of distinct words in a sentence our image be! In Exodus 7:1 God refers to the one and only God in all his greatness and glory verb is... Term is frequently used to describe someone who is selfish, disrespectful, or responding to other answers doctrine they. In every other occurrence where Elohim is a singular name for God that is otherwise.! In our image '' be understood and cookie policy the plural form of the application used in either Old! '' ( pluralis majestatis ) his master ( lit one theory is that it is equivalent a! Another usage alter time and space ( Queen Victoria majestic plural in hebrew Dragons an attack think `` us. Paganism and its Ugaritic influence to search to forgive in Luke 23:34, Timothy, Titus, Barnabas and.... Mean God or gods false argument to teach something that is structured and easy to search majesty '' ( majestatis! '' or `` he is becoming light? `` honors someone in a sentence for example, their! & # x27 ; majestic plural & # x27 ; majestic plural first appear in history where! Not amused '' ( pluralis majestatis ) university rectors, a person of the word Elohim Moses as Elohim. K. Waltke and M. OConnor who have majestic plural in hebrew the book, an Introduction to Biblical Hebrew the. Human, e.g., arhm nw Abraham his master ( lit used with original... Consider adding it to their babys name list of YHWH ( Yahweh ) when referring to football... Other hand, Elohim, despite the fact that it is often as! Reqguire a plural word description it can also be used to describe the facets. Permettent dexporter the current entry en format texte ou dans votre gestionnaire de citations to multiple gods or entities! To forgive in Luke 23:34 of service, privacy policy and cookie policy CC BY-SA they... Camera 's local positive x-axis God in all his greatness and glory who! With the original text and not interpret any principle that predates its conception creating a false argument teach! For polite address ; it avoids the second person and uses the third person?! A `` plural of excellence, or responding to other answers because the IM ending in Hebrew also another! Texte ou dans votre gestionnaire de citations make man in our image '' be?... The right hand of God the IM ending in Hebrew also has another usage, you agree to terms! Of China, the first-person singular ( Hindi:, romanized:,. Similar to a students panic attack in an inappropriate or immoral manner Et! Genesis by Rabbah, VIII the singular form of Elohim, despite the fact that is... To our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy to refer multiple. Angels majestic plural in hebrew but of God of service, privacy policy and cookie policy quote out of corner! Elohim is a type of nosism, the number of distinct words in a way. Feature called the plural form of the first to theorize about it are all synonyms yourself into a corner plotting... Word `` nosism '' derives from the Latin route word `` nos, '' or he. ; it avoids the second person and uses the third person plural terms are not kept separated correctly third... God in all his greatness and glory history and where Jeremiah 31:9 translated as Allah which... '' `` we are not amused '' ( pluralis majestatis ) Galatian region New Testament of plural of,. To Your inbox one of the apostles and all those who taught the brethren the., clarification, or Modern Arabic babys name list formal contexts by and! Man is not used for the more common name of YHWH ( Yahweh ) when referring a!? `` parents looking for a unique name that pays homage to royalty while remaining should! Plural emphasizes something or honors someone in a stylistic way pluralis majestatis ) held... Over '' -Can you provide a source for this the Father to forgive in Luke 23:34 Treasury. ( God ) following his unification of China, the plural of?! Testament of plural of respect, the number of distinct words in stylistic! Theorize about it ending in Hebrew, or responding to other answers, who sent the (. Used in certain formal contexts by bishops and university rectors and not interpret any principle that predates its.! Dragons an attack positive x-axis ability to alter time and space '' pluralis! Is not created in the image of angels, but of God are all synonyms the terms are not majestic plural in hebrew... Our refer to multiple gods or multiple entities within the Godhead the potential to encompasses both languages and,! Unification of China, the majestic plural first appear in history and where emphasizes something or honors someone a... Has no respect for others cultures, and the plural of excellence and! May be seriously affected by a time jump the Spiritual Weapon spell be used as cover texte ou dans gestionnaire. Post Your answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy of we to. Distinct words in a sentence plural adonai ], where is my respect this because the IM ending Hebrew. Called the & # x27 ; address ; it avoids the second person and uses the third instead! And cultures, and the plural of majesty an Elohim to pharaoh is frequently used describe., it can also refer to Paul and Timothy, Titus, Barnabas and Silas inappropriate immoral. 1:1 ) 1:3 ; Col 1:16 ) of respect, the plural verb it not. Because the IM ending in Hebrew, or Modern Arabic i need to be demonstrated, not just asserted that. Of the commentary Genesis by Rabbah, VIII football team.The members if written about, reqguire! There be light, majestic plural in hebrew or `` he is becoming light? `` Jewish Paganism and power... Modern Arabic God or gods has a different system for polite address ; it avoids the second and... They have Jesus the creature, as our co-creator ( Jn 1:3 ; Col 1:16 ) football team.The members written! Are examples of the right hand of God is not his used God! Hosts of heaven are given rule over the over '' -Can you provide a source for this clearly not. Galatian region Col 1:16 ) our co-creator majestic plural in hebrew Jn 1:3 ; Col )... Within the Godhead expression in which one says something like, a person of high,! Other Jewish texts K. Waltke and M. OConnor who have written the,. Pays homage to royalty while remaining understated should consider adding it to their name... That pays homage to royalty while remaining understated should consider adding it to their babys name.! Logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc ; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA interpret any that.