Sing. pronoun, Josh. xxiv. 19. "He (sing.) is an Holy GOD" (pl.). See also Jer. x. 10. Sing. adject. 2 Kings xix. 4, 16; Ps. vii. 10, lvii. 3, lxxviii. 56. 6. This plural appellative is sometimes used with plural verbs, nouns, and adjectives. Plur. verb, Gen. xx. Plur. adject. Deut. v. 7. This plural appellative oftentimes has a singular noun coupled with it. JEHOVAH (Eloheem) occurs more than one hundred times in the Law. (2) The usage of pronouns in the plural number suggests a plurality of Persons in the GODHEAD. Gen. i. 26. "Let us make man in our image and after our likeness.8" Comp. ver. 27. Gen. iii. 22. "And the LORD GOD said, Behold, the man is become as one of us." Gen. xi. 7. "Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language." Isa. vi. 8." And I heard the voice of the LORD, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" (3) Certain other nouns, when used of the Deity, are also put in the plural number. Prov. ix. 10. "Holy ones": which is used in apposition with Jehovah in the former half of the distich. Prov. xxx. 3. Hos. xii. 1. These words were not addressed to angels, for they had no share in the work of creation. See Isa. xlii. 5; xliv. 24; xlv. 12. They are not to be understood as expressing the majesty of God. The Scriptures do not introduce earthly sovereigns using the plural number: Gen. xli. 41, 44: Ezra vi. 8. In Esther i. 15, the king clearly appeals to his councillors. Iren. adv. Hæres. lib. IV. xx. 1, p. 253, lib. II. XXX. 9, lib. IV. vii. 4, lib. IV. xx. 4, lib. v. vi. 1, lib. v. xxviii. 4. Epiphan. Hæres. 23, n. 2, "This is the language of God to His Word and Only-Begotten, as all the faithful believe." 46, n. 3, "Adam was formed by the hand of the FATHER, and of the Son, and of the HOLY GHOST." Author of the Epist. of Barnabas, c. v. p. 60, vI.; of the Shepherd of Hermas, 3, 9, 14, p. 116; Just. Mart. Dial. c. Tryph. c. lxii. p. 159, B.; Tertull. Adv. Prax. c. xii.; Novat. de Trin. cxxi.; Creed drawn up by an Arian Council at Sirmium, A.D. 351; Belgic Confess. Art. IX. "The expression, Let us make, manifests a plurality: the expression, as one of us, is put to signify not one, but many."-Philo-Jud. vol. 1. pp. 430, 1, ed. Mangey. The Jews of the middle ages evidently felt the suggestive force of the words, "Let us make man." Rabbi Samuel bar Nachman said that Moses, when in writing the Law he was come to the place where he was by divine dictation to write, Let us make man, paused, and replied to GOD, LORD of the world, why dost Thou afford an occasion for error, with respect to Thy most simple unity but that the LORD answered, Moses, write thou so; and he that desires to err, let him err."-BERESHITH RABBA, In Gen. qu. vI. ap. Man, ben Israel. Conciliatorem. Eccles. xii. 1. "Creators." Isa. liv. 5. "Thy Creator is thy Job xxxv. 10. "Where is GOD (4) Certain passages also intimate a plu- the GODHEAD. Gen. xviii. 1, 2. "And the LORD (JEHOVAH) appeared unto him Gen. xix. 24. "Then the LORD LORD said unto Moses, How See Lightfoot, Works, vol. 1. p. 13; Just. Mart. Dial. c. Tryph. cap. cxxvi, &c. 1 See Targ. of Jonathan and Jerusalem, ad 2; Just. Mart. Dial. c. Tryph. cc. exxvii. cxxix. Exod. xxiv. 1. "And He said unto Moses, Come up unto the LORD." Levit. x. 8-11. "And the Lord spake unto Aaron, saying, Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations: and that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean; and that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses." Ps. cx. 1. "And the LORD (JE HOVAH) said unto my Lord, Isa. lxi. 1. "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me; because the LORD hath anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent Me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound." Zech. ii. 8-11. "For thus saith the LORD of hosts, After the glory hath He sent Me." Zech. iii. 1, 2. "And he shewed me Joshua the high priest, standing before the angel of the LORD (JEHOVAH), and Satan 2 See Tertull. Adv. Prax, c. xii. standing at his right hand to resist him. And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan." Zech. x. 12. "I will strengthen them in the LORD." Zech. xii. 10. "And I will pour out upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and supplications, and they shall look upon ME, whom they have pierced." Zech. xiii. 7. "Awake, O sword, against my Shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow (equal) saith the LORD of hosts." b. These certain peculiarities (a) in the original language of the Old Testament, considered. in connexion with the fact that the Unity of GOD is the grand doctrine of the Old Testament, as clearly imply a plurality of Persons in the GODHEAD, as other passages, namely those which follow, limit such plurality to a Trinity. a. The threefold repetition of LORD in Numb. vi. 24–27. 3. The threefold repetition of the epithet "Holy," Isa. vi. 3. "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory." 3 See Kimch. ad loc. as translated by Dr. M'Caul, the learned Professor of Hebrew, at King's College, London. Rabbi Simeon, son of Johai, thus expounds, "Holy, this is the FATHER; Holy, this is the SON; Holy, this is the HOLY GHOST.' Jonathan, the son of Uzziel, in his Paraphrase thus renders, "Holy, FATHER; Holy, SON; Holy, HOLY SPIRIT." Galatine affirms that the latter of these two passages was in the ancient copies of the Targum of Jonathan, and that its erasure is the work of the Jews. According to his testimony, he saw these words in an ancient copy at that time when the Jews were expelled from Naples. See Kidder, Clarke, Pearson, on Just. Mart. Dial. c. Tryph. ed. Thirlby, |