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. 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! F. To those who think there is even a single example of the "Royal We" in scripture we say: "We are not amused! So whomever the other individual(s) may be in Genesis 1:26, it is not at all clear that the verse establishes them on an equality with God. In other contexts, the term can be used to refer to objects of great importance, such as a museum or a monument. . Joon & Muraoka list a great number of nuances of the plural (136): (The word mayim (water) which you mention can be explained as a plural of extension or composition.). (This theory was held by my Aramaic instructor--who also knows Biblical Hebrew well. And now, my lord the king, please listen to my, your servant's, words. Also, note that Kings were introduced only much later in the Hebrew concept rather than specifically in Mosess time? A. Jehovah's Witnesses and other Unitarians argue that Elohim (Gods) and Adonai (Lords) are and example of "plural of unity" or "plural of majesty/intensity". Yet in Keil and Delitzsch's commentary on Genesis 1:26, we find, To read a later principle back into these passages of the Old Testament is anachronistic and unacceptable from the standpoint of sound hermeneutics. There is great confusion about the use of the principle and the actual conception of the principle. The majestic plural, also called the royal plural, is the use of a plural word (such as the pronoun we or us) to refer to a single person. Since the plural Elohim is used of Moses at Ex 7:1 and one person at Psalm 45:6 is there any grammatical reason to see it as a literal numeric plural? masters) (Mal. The majestic plural is a stylistic device used to give honors to nobility. Majesty is not pretentious in comparison to other regal names, and it does not draw much attention. The "Royal We" was made most famous by Queen Victoria when a vulgar joke was told in her presence. [3], In diplomatic letters, such as letters of credence, it is customary for monarchs to use the singular first-person (I, me, my) when writing to other monarchs, while the majestic plural is used in royal letters to a president of a republic.[4]. Glad it added some value have a blessed day! 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. Are there conventions to indicate a new item in a list? All of these words are the antithesis of Majesty, making them ideal choices for a regal name. 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". Copyright 2011-2023 Got Questions Ministries - All Rights Reserved. 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. 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).. Elohim is a plural word, meaning gods or deities and is often used to refer to God in the singular sense. See the majestic plural "lord" in Gen 24:9 and 42:30 and the majestic plural "elohim" in Exo 7:1 and Jdg 11:24. But again nowhere do the original texts use the plurality of majesty; it is a principle that does not predate even the 4th Century. "We are not amused!". How do you think "let Us make man in Our image" be understood? Now if the heavenly court is made in God's image, then it would still be weird, if the Sovereign included the heavenly court in the "in Our image" but I guess that might just be colloquial speech among friends ;-). This was in fact the former Chinese first-person singular pronoun (that is, 'I'). "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. But this violates Rom 1:25. Ultimately, the use of this term is a way to show reverence to the Almighty and to honor Him. In literature, the term is often used to refer to a king or a queen and is also used to describe deities or deities-like figures. This extensive pattern is hard to argue away as plural of majesty. 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. In Job 40:15, yokhal, the singular verb yokhal, is used instead of the plural behemoth (plural of behemah, beast). This is known as the majestic plural. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Thanks for contributing an answer to Linguistics Stack Exchange! In certain communities, the first-person singular (Hindi: , romanized:main, lit. Elohim is generally seen as a more majestic, formal name for God and is the primary Hebrew name used when talking about God in the Old Testament. The team would require a singular verb in Ancient Hebrew. Why did the Soviets not shoot down US spy satellites during the Cold War? Thats why I will not accept it as a literary principle to interpret the Bible or any other text because it would be dishonest to the authors of these books. In every other occurrence where elohim is used with the plural verb it is not used for the GOD of the bible. Why does Jesus turn to the Father to forgive in Luke 23:34? 1.6), although it can also be used when referring to a human, e.g., arhm nw Abraham his master (lit. (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. THough many(rabbis funnily enough), interpert that as plural for God and angels. Disgrace is the expression of dishonor and a lack of respect. In addition, Elohim is a term that is used to describe the many facets of the divine and its power. 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. In the Hebrew Bible such plural forms are most commonly used when referring to the God of Israel, e.g., nm n I am a master (lit. Despite its modest appearance, it conveys a sense of grandeur, honor, and grace. If a noun is dual, its accompanying adjective will be plural.Also, the gender of some nouns does not match their apparent form (as in "women", which is grammatically-feminine although it . Formally they could be interpreted as. Can the Spiritual Weapon spell be used as cover? 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. What is the significance of the right hand of God? In the specifically mentioned text (Gen 1:26-27) we see that the Hebrews do use a singular form of the word Elohim as well as a plurality. Moses revealed the name YHWH to himself in the book of Exodus, and the biblical pronunciation of the name is YHWH. This name is revered by Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike, and it is widely regarded as one of their holy names. 48:16; Matt. (Robert Morey, The Trinity, p95). David describes our Lord as a magnificent, majestic figure in the Bible. It only takes a minute to sign up. The one true God subsists in three Persons, Persons who are able to confer with one another and carry their plans into action togetherwithout ceasing to be one God. (Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties, Gleason Archer, p.359, commenting on whether Gen 1:26 is a plural of majesty). In Deuteronomy 10:17, are both and plural or singular? Thereby I need to be honest with the original text and not interpret any principle that predates its conception. 41; Dan. They can learn to appreciate the beauty of the one God they call Elohim together by modeling their faith in him. Also, what is ANEC? 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. There are no examples in the either the Old or New Testament of Plural of Majesty. Judaism is a religion that has been around for thousands of years. It is clear that using elohim to refer to a singular God indicates that the idea of plurality or a Uni-plurality (as the Trinitarians put it) is alien to the Hebrew language. This term is derived from the Hebrew language and is often translated as the Lord or God. Jews use this term as a way to show respect for their creator and to emphasize the unity and oneness of God. Why must a product of symmetric random variables be symmetric? Many Christian scholars, including the post-apostolic leaders and Augustine of Hippo, have seen the use of the plural and grammatically singular verb forms as support for the doctrine of the Trinity. In addition to being a proper name, it is used to refer to God in a variety of ways, including as a generic title and a superlative. Does Biblical Hebrew have a plural of majesty? Some people are confused about this because the terms are not kept separated correctly. 'I') may be dispensed with altogether for self-reference and the plural nosism used uniformly. Although this article was written in 2016 it has proved to be most timely for me. They wanted man to rule over earth in their image (instead of God's image), as they (the elohim) ruled in the heavens, they wanted the glory and worship (Deut.4.19). To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. Hebrew distinguishes between a numerical plural and a majestic plural by the verbs, adjectives, and pronouns that accompany the noun. So what is taking place in Gen.1:26, are the rebellious elohim of the divine counsel, that are making the wicked suggestion that man be made in their image and likeness (1King.22:19-22; Ps.82;86.8); that's why the serpent later tempts them with the temptation, "you will be like the elohim (the gods)". "And if I am a master [plural adonai], where is My respect? The sentence following the preamble of the award begins as follows:[1]. The Hebrew term used for God, Elohim, can be singular or plural. Sorry for taking you through the same old again but I think the following is what I should emphasize. Proponents of this theory believe the plural form magnifies the greatness of God, and is akin to the usage of the ancient kings who referred to their singular persons by the plural "we." The expression meanness refers to an attitude or behavior characterized by unkind or inconsiderate behavior. I suggest that this two word name, along with Ruah Elohim in Genesis 1:3 with verb in singular form are personal proper names of two other ever-living beings. Chagit Avioz (Bar Ilan University and Talpiot College) Pluralis Majestatis: Biblical Hebrew The term 'majestic plural' or pluralis majesta-tis refers to the use of a plural word to refer honorically to a single person or entity. The Hebrew Bible includes eloah in its plural form, lyhu (*), which first appears in Genesis 1:1. .mw-parser-output div.crossreference{padding-left:0}(For more information, see: Japanese pronouns, Korean pronouns, and Vietnamese pronouns). Originally used by monarchs or high ranking individuals in socially-stratified cultures, this usage has not taken root in Hebrew. The word "nosism" derives from the Latin route word "nos," meaning "we." This would include, Timothy, Titus, Barnabas and Silas. Please try to see if you can bundle your edits together, or avoid making trivial ones. It is also called the 'plural of respect', the 'honorific plural', the 'plural of excellence', or the 'plural of intensity'. In Ps.8:3 "When I consider the work of your fingers the moon and the stars which you have ordained" it does not mention the Sun, but rather the moon and stars, which in Gen.1.14-18 where given dominion over the night (the rulers of darkness, Eph.6:12; Col.1:13). Rome: Gregorian & Biblical Press) state plainly (114eN): The we of majesty does not exist in Hebrew. But I don't think that's good evidence of plural of majesty because for example, you have a word like Yerushalayim which means Jerusalem, is singular, but it has a dual ending as if there are two. It would have to be demonstrated, not just asserted, that God employs such rhetoric and that He was doing so here. Rudolph B. Throughout the scriptures, the Hebrew word Elohim is used to refer to the One, True God, creator of the Universe, and ruler of all things. Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. If plural, how come they do not have at the end? Please consider the idea that Elohim used in Genesis 1:3 as a proper noun referring to a single ever-living being, in terms of English, a God. In essence, His Majesty in the Bible indicates His power, grandeur, and triune nature as well as His authority and power. On the other hand, Elohim is a singular name for God that is used in the Bible and other Jewish texts. A name that represents Gods infinite mercy and divine power. It is a common grammatical styling of ancient cultures. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. This use of the plural expresses intensification rather than number and has been called the plural of majesty, or of potentiality. It should be noted, however, that none of them also used a singular verb with that plural, i.e. Why does the impeller of torque converter sit behind the turbine? " Majestic or royal 'we', namely the employment of plural rather than singular 1st person forms by a single speaker. Write, replied He; whoever wishes to err may err.12 And again, Rabbi Simlai said: Wherever you find a point supporting the heretics [e.g., Trinitarians], you find the refutation at its side. They asked him again: What is meant by, AND GOD SAID: LET US MAKE MAN? Read what follows, replied he: Not, and gods created man is written here, but And God created (Gen. 7)., Another Professor of Semitic languages Dr. Gleason Archer wrote: This first-person plural can hardly be a mere editorial or royal plural that refers to the speaker alone, for no such usage is demonstrable anywhere else in biblical Hebrew. Recent important papal documents still use the majestic plural in the original Latin but are given with the singular I in their official English translations. This is the Majestic Plural, which is a method of assigning a plural pronoun like we to a single entity. The we of majesty does not exist in Hebrew. I can think of "naaseh" "let us make.." though interesting it's translated wtih "us", not we. Story Identification: Nanomachines Building Cities. To suggest that Paul uses the "Royal We" here, is as wrong as it is unwarranted. The Hebrew 'honorific plural' [im] was never used . As a result, the majesty of YHWH emerges, as well as perfect unity and triune nature. (Trinity, A Catholic Dictionary, William E. Addis & Thomas Arnold, 1960, p 822-830). However, it can also refer to multiple gods or multiple entities within the Godhead. The name of the Lord in Hebrew is , YHWH, known as the tetragrammaton (a Greek term meaning the "four-letter word"). [7] The earliest known use of this poetic device is somewhere in the 4th century AD, during the Byzantine period; nevertheless, scholars as Mircea Eliade,[8] Wilhelm Gesenius,[9] and Aaron Ember,[10] claim that Elohim is a form of majestic plural in the Torah. Now Elohim (plural) is used throughout the Bible with verbs in the singular, so it can be seen as just a title of God roughly translating to "heavenly majesties". 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. It is also called the 'plural of respect', the 'honoric The majestic plural is an excuse used by unitarism. According to YHWH in Ezekiel 25, the Philistines were taken to court in order to gain vengeance (verse 15) and he will punish them for doing so. The Greek language does not have a plural of splendor or excellence. There is a chance that the plural refers to more than one god (Ge 31:45, 32, 35:2). All rights reserved. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. Further evidence is clearly seen in Ps.8; which quotes Gen.1.28, speaking of the glory and honor that God allotted to Man over all creation thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; Thou has put all things under his feet; all sheep and oxenPs.8:6-8. It is a useful shorthand that we will use here. We need to be careful. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. 4 The exhaustive 10-volume commentary by Keil and Delitzsch is considered by many to be the most influential exposition on the "Old Testament" in evangelical circles. 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). This usage is called the " Plural of Majesty ". To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. At the end of this document, we refute 5 texts that anti-Trinitarian say contain Plural of Majesty. For example (1 Samuel 26:19): 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. I believe that religious education is important for everyone, and I hope that this website can be a useful resource for anyone who is interested in learning more about religion. masters) (Mal. While this practice did not affect the non-Chinese countries as much since their variants of zhn () and other terms were generally imported loanwords, the practice of polite avoidance of pronouns nevertheless spread throughout East Asia. Subscribe to the CompellingTruth.org Newsletter: The majestic plural What is it? 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. When he came to the verse, AND GOD SAID; LET US MAKE MAN, etc., he said: Sovereign of the Universe! Is there a proper earth ground point in this switch box? Also you don't invent biblical hebrew grammar.. The passages are numerous, in which, instead of a grammatical agreement between the subject and predicate, we meet with construction, which some modern grammarians, who possess more of the so-called philosophical than of the real knowledge of the Oriental languages, call a pluralism excellentiae. they did not say "we is"--which is the Hebrew form. Well where does it mention in Ps.8, that evil heavenly ruling spirits would be included in these "all things" that are to be placed under Mans feet? and now, let listen my lord the king to the words of his servant What is the evidence that pre-Islamic Arabic had a plural of majesty? The royal we is related to the T-V distinction in languages like French, which can use the second person plural pronoun (vous) as a polite / honorific form to address singular persons, instead of the singular form (tu). This is a concept that I have been dealing with in a discussion board. 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". 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 . 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). Allah is the only name of God in Islam; it is said to represent the one, all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-loving God. It is also used in certain formal contexts by bishops and university rectors. Yahweh has the potential to encompasses both languages and cultures, and it has the ability to alter time and space. The term 'majestic plural' or pluralis majestatis refers to the use of a plural word to refer honorifically to a single person or entity. A royal we would be a pronoun. In Islam, several plural word forms are used to refer to Allah.[11]. The plural pronoun "Us" is most likely a majestic plural from the standpoint of Hebrew grammar and syntax. What principles are used in biblical exegesis. If the Holy Spirit intended to use these plural references of God as "singular of intensity", then why does He intensify both creator and creation alike? Using the majestic plural indicates power and greatness. The obvious and natural meaning of "we may answer this people" is the King and his buddies, who collectively would formulate an answer together. The easiest way to dismiss the argument that the plural pronouns applied to God can be explained as "Plural of Majesty" is to observe that the Hebrew has many examples of plural pronouns also being applied to single human individuals. In Hindustani and other Indo-Aryan languages, the majestic plural is a common way for elder speakers to refer to themselves, and also for persons of higher social rank to refer to themselves. His Majesty the Kings recognition of the plurality of this identity will have no effect on Moroccos homogeneity. William Gesenius couldn't be guilty of such a hoax, motivated by "a strategy of war", when the plural of majesty dates back to the 4th century! Plural of Majesty fails because we find plural references to both God and individual men. 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