The Issue: The identity of the group "US" and "OUR"
The Trinitarian Claim
Trinitarian apologists claim the words "us" and "our" in this passage are a direct reference to the three persons of the their Triune God.
What the Evidence will Show
The facts demonstrate that Trinitarians are simply resorting to the practice of eisegesis and imagining their three person God into the text without any justification whatsoever and with total disregard for the context. The facts show there is no reason at all to suppose a multi-personal being is even in view. The facts also show that Old Testament Jews did not see anything ususual about this verse which should lead them to believe a multi-personal being was in view but interpreted the verse to be a reference to God and his angels, and justifiably so. The facts also show that Trinitarian scholars themselves have interpreted this passage to mean something entirely different than this bogus interpretation promulgated by their apologists.
The facts will also uncover the true meaning of this passage. The facts will reveal that the image and likeness of God in which man was created was "male and female," something which does not fit Trinitarian doctrine.
Examination of the Facts
The Ancient Jews
We need to honestly ask ourselves why every Jew before Christ did not see anything unusual about this passage which would lead him to believe God is a multiplicity of persons. And are we really expected to believe that Jews were given a message from God they could not possibly understand? We know very well the Jews asked themselves why the words "our" and "us" appear in this passage. The fact is that Jews had an interpretation of Genesis 1:26 that did not perceive the "us" of this verse as one multi-personal God, or a Triune God, or anything of the like. Indeed, their interpretation is quite reasonable. They had a very justifiable interpretation of the passage.
Trinitarian Inconsistency.
Having insisted God is an "us" and "our", one wonders then why Trinitarians are not prepared to refer to God as "they," and "them." They don't seem to find it very appealing to refer to God as they and them. Why don't they like the third person plural but accept the first person plural in this passage? Perhaps "they" and "them" sounds just a bit too polytheistic for them and they know it? The Trinitarian apologist will jump up and down and claim God refers to himself in the first person plural, "us," and "our." So then one would expect Trinitarians to consistently refer to the Triune God as "They," and "Them." However, they refuse to do so. And when they are faced with the fact that God is overwhelming identified by the singular person pronouns "I," and "Me," and "He," and "Him," the Trinitarian response is very telling. They will say that since God is three persons, God is one being, and his characteristic behaviour is that of one person. Therefore, he should be referenced "as if" he were one person. Hence they claim God should be referenced as if he was one person when that problem is in view but contradict themselves here by insisting God does not reference himself as if he was one person. Such arguments illustrate the disturbing reality of Trinitarian apologetics. One position is taken on one occasion and a contradictory position on another, complete with one dose of denial in case somebody notices.
Resorting to the Erroneous Practice of Eisegesis
Eisegesis means to "put into." This erroneous practice is the opposite of "exegesis," "to take out." Exegesis is a term used by theologians to refer to the idea of extracting what was intended by the original author of a Scripture passage. Eisegesis is a term used by theologicans to refer to the practice of reading an extraneous concept into a Scripture passage. Trinitarians themselves will tell you that that eisegesis is a big no-no since you can get the Bible to say pretty well anything if you imagine your own ideas into the text rather than extract what the Bible writers actually intended to convey. And then they just go ahead and practice it anyway.
A cursory review of all their claims shows that Trinitarians have quite a habit of eisegetical interpretations. They habitually see only what they want to see in many passages and so when eisegetical interpretations suit their needs they just go right ahead and do it. They wishfully imagine their preconceived doctrine back into the text. Here they imagine a three person God into the words "us" and "our" where they suggestively imply these words refer exactly to three persons, no more, no less. They insist these words do not refer to two persons or ten thousand. It refers to three, no more, no less. Somehow they have inside information that it does not refer to two persons, or four persons or a thousand persons. And they go even further. Not only do they conjure up the numerical amount of persons in view, they pretend to know their identities and earnestly read the identities of these persons into the text without any qualms whatsoever. In other words, a foreign concept is foisted upon this passage without any regard for what was really intended by the writer. Trinitarian doctrine is imposed upon this verse to have it say what they would like it to say instead of trying to discover what was really intended when it was written. It is an example of wishful thinking. They wishfully desire this passage to refer to three persons and desire it to refer to the three persons of their Triune God. Yet, they can provide absolutely no justification for doing so.
The Cohartive Mood - the speaker of a group
Trinitarians insist that if God is talking and using the word "us" then all the members in the group "us" are to be categorically identified as "God." This is a complete farce. It means no more than God is the speaker on behalf of a group in which he includes himself. There is nothing unusual about doing such a thing. We humans do it everday. When the President speaks to Americans and uses the words "we," "us" and "our" it does not mean that all the "us" and "our" Americans are the President. It means the President is identifying himself with the group of American citizens and is speaking on their behalf. It does not necessarily follow that all the members of the group belong to the identity of the speaker but it does follow that the speaker must belong to the identifying category of the group to which he belongs and which allows him to use the word "we" and "us." The Trinitarian is using completely fallacious logic.
The subjects of the group "us" do not necessarily need to be "God" but "God" does necessarily need to belong to the group "us." So here in Genesis 1:26 all we can say is that God belongs to a group of two or more identities, including himself, and is speaking on behalf of the group. The passage does indicate that God is identifying with a group but it does not indicate that all members of the group are "God."
This is further proven by the singular personal pronouns used in the text. The verse does not say that "They" created man in "their" image but that "He" created man in "His" image. But let us remember that man was to be created in "our" image. Quite simply, if God created man in his own image, and God belongs to a group of identities with that image, then creating man in his own image results in God creating man in the image of all those in the "us" and "our" group. Neither does the passage go on to say, "We have given you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth," nor does it say, "And They saw everything that they had made and behold it was very good." It is violently inconsistent to argue the words "us" and "our" were intentionally used to convey that three persons created man when the same passage uses the words "he" and "his" to refer to who created man. It leads to the confusion that "HE" is also "US", an absurdity.
What then is intended in this passage?
The question at hand is to demonstrate what the passage actually says without adding external concepts from outside the passage. So the passage says at first glance:
False: "Let us [three persons of the Triune God] make man in our image."
True: "Let us [undefined number of identities] make man in our image."
So the question at hand is to determine how many are in view, if possible, and to determine who they are. We simply cannot imagine whatever we like into the text.
Key Facts of the Context
1. The US vs. THEM interplay
Carefully observe the interplay between singular and plural in this passage with respect to God and with respect to man. Carefully notice that man is both singular and plural as well. Are we then to conclude man is a multipersonal being too?
And God said, 'Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the beasts and over all the earth, and over every moving thing that moves upon the earth.' And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them. And God blessed them and God said, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue itand rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the heavens and over all life that moves upon the earth.... And I give to you every green thing...
There is an obvious parallel between US and THEM. Do Trinitarians take this into consideration when they interpret this verse? No, they completely ignore this conspicuous fact. Interestingly, we also find that God called both Adam and Eve by the name "adam," the Hebrew word for "man", "human."
So God created adam in his own image... male and female he created them.
Male and female He created them, and He blessed them and named them adam when they were created (5:2).
Yes, God created them in His own image and named them "adam." All humanity is called "adam" in God's eyes. This word "adam" simply means "human" or "humanity." There are many humans but one humanity. Are we then to conclude that humanity is one being? No, but this is precisely what Trinitarians do with similar facts concerning God.
2. The Image in which they were created
Now also carefully observe that man is created in the image of US and OUR. What is this image and likeness exactly? We are told explicitly right here in this very passage and Trinitarians also ignore this plain fact.
And God said, 'Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the beasts and over all the earth, and over every moving thing that moves upon the earth.' And Elohim created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them. And God blessed them and god said, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue itand rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the heavens and over all life that moves upon the earth.
Carefully note the parallelism between the following two statements. This type of parallelism is very common in the Hebrew Scriptures:
in the image of God He created him
male and female He created them.
It is quite plain the image in question is "male and female."
God and His Royal Council of Angels
There are several reasonable possibilities for a proper understanding of this passage and Trinitarian apoligists are completely aware of this fact. One interpretation is to understand that God is speaking in terms of the plurality of his royal majesty. It was much more common in ancient times, and also in languages other than modern English, to use plural pronouns when speaking from yourself, especially if you are nobility. The idea is that the sovereign power is speaking on behalf of his subjects. It is similar to the idea of the President speaking on behalf of all Americans when he uses the words "we, "us" and "our."
This interpretation seems insufficient in and of itself. Other interpreters, including the Jews, feel this passage refers to God and his council of angels. However, if we look closer, this interpretation is really one and the same and the plural of majesty interpretation. God's royal court is his angelic court and so to speak in terms of the plurality of his majestic nobility is to speak in terms inclusively of his angels. When God says, "Let us make man in our image," he is speaking in terms of plurality because he is understood as speaking in terms of his royal court of He Himself and his angels. The "us" then in this passage is God and his angels and the "us" is the group of heavenly beings.
Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind: Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up your loins like a man, I will question you, and you shall instruct me! "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you know! Who determined its measurements. Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
(Job 38:1-7).
And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O LORD. Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones. For who in the heavens can be compared unto LORD? Who among the sons of God is like LORD, a God to be feared in the council of the holy ones, And to be revered above all them that are round about him? (Psalm 89:5-7).
Now the interpretation which says God is speaking in terms of his royal majesty on behalf of his royal court of angels has much force. Indeed, we often find that angels represent God himself in the Scriptures and it is quite difficult to even determine if we are to understand that God himself or an angelic representative of God is appearing to men. We also find that angels are often described as "men" many times in the Bible which adds more force to the interpretation when we remember that Genesis 1:26 is discussing "making man in our image." This passage then can easily be understood as a reference to God speaking in terms of himself and his royal court of angels.
This is enforced even further by a simple exploration of the word Elohim. This word is a plural form of Eloah or El. In fact, angels are called elohim in the Scriptures and so is Moses, and the dead man Samuel. In the Old Testament, we see that God reveals himself to mankind through the manifestation of angels who appear as men. We are taught plainly by Jesus that no one has ever seen God or can see God. Some theologians feel the term elohim refers to the muliplicity of God's character. This is precisely the ancient concept of angelic beings. Angels were thought to be those beings who defined certain cosmic boundaries. In this sense also, they were thought to be those beings who reflected various distinct characteristics of reality. Angels are spirits. The Bible says that God is spirit and is the Father of all spirits. For this reason, angels are sons of God. In this respect, it may very well be that we are to think of the plural word Elohim as "the Most High God EL and all his angels," or, "the Most High God EL who reveals himself by the plurality of his angelic spirits." Indeed, this parallels a similar term in Scripture, "LORD of Hosts" where it is often quite obvious that the Hosts in question are angels. This is also similar to the term "the Anakim," that is, King Anak and all his sons, his descendants, who are perceived as a unitary whole with King Anak at the head of all of them. There are many Hebrew terms of a similar nature.
God and his Wisdom, Male and Female
However, a more likely interpretation is to understand "us" as (1) God and (2) His Wisdom personified in the feminine. In this passage we are told God made man in his image, male and female He created them. In Proverbs, we are told that Wisdom was the first thing acquired by God and "she" was with God at the beginning of creation helping God create everything.
Does not Wisdom call, Does not understanding raise her voice?.... she cries aloud, 'To you, O men, I call, and my cry is to the sons of men'.... The Lord acquired (qanah) me in the beginning (re'shiyth), at the dawn of his work. I was poured out from eternity at the dawn of the earth. When there was no deep I was brought forth. Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills was I brought forth. While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the beginning of the dust of the world. When He established the heavens, I was there....Then I was by Him... my delights with the sons of men." (Proverbs 8; cf. 1:20).
"O LORD, how many are Your works! In Wisdom You have made them all; The earth is full of Your possessions" (Psalm 104:24).
"By Wisdom the LORD founded the earth, By understanding He established the heavens" (Prov 3:19).
"It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his Wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens" (Jeremiah 10:12).
Man has become like one of US
Here again we find God referring to this US group. And what is even more interesting is that we are told that man did become like ONE of the identities in the US group, "man has become like one of us knowing good and evil." Now it is also imperative that we consider the context in which this statement was made.
"Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman... For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one WISE, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked.... Then the the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:1-22).
God and His Wisdom: Male and Female
In Genesis 1:26, God said, "Let us make man in our image and likeness" and he made man in his image and likeness, male and female. In Genesis 2, we discover how God made Adam and then he made Eve out of Adam. This is how God made THEM. Then we discover they ate the fruit to become WISE. Then at Genesis 3:22, we find God saying, "man has become like one of us." They became like "one of us" when they became WISE as a result of eating the fruit. Who is that "One"? God did not say man had become like "us." Nor did God say man had become like "me." Rather, he said man had become like "one of us." Obviously, the "one" in question is Wisdom. Proverbs 8 tells us it was Wisdom who was with God in the beginning. Eve ate of the fruit to gain WISDOM and gave it to her husband Adam and he ate. In this way, they became like "one of" us. Thus, we can see at Genesis 1:26 that "us" refers to God and his Wisdom.
Can the Trinitarian identify the "one" of the "us" group in a way that fits his doctrine? No, he cannot. The Bible never actually says man became like God. The devil made that claim. The Bible says that man became like "one of us." God did not say man became like "me." Can the Trinitarian explain how being made male and female is being made in the image of a three person God? No, he cannot. Plainly, the answer is that "us" and "our" refer to God and His Wisdom.
Summation of the Facts
- The Jews never once supposed this verse suggested their God was a multipersonal being.
- If Moses, who wrote these words, did indeed understand God was a multipersonal being, he apparently forgot to pass on this information to the Israelites who were supposed to read it.
- The Jews have always understood this passage to refer to God and his angels
- Trinitarians imagine the number of persons into the text without any justification.
- Trinitarians imagine the identity of the persons into the text without any justification.
- Trinitarians refuse to be consistent with their claim here and henceforth refer to God as "they" and "them".
- The passage clearly indicates the image of God in which man was created is "male and female"
- Wisdom is personified in the Bible as female. Wisdom also says in Proverbs 8 that she was there in the beginning with God creating the universe.
- Adam and Eve ate the fruit to become wise. We are then immediately told they did indeed become wise when they ate the fruit and God says they therefore had become like "one of us." God did not say they had become like "me." They had not become like God, as the lying serpent suggested. And neither did God say they had become like "us." They had become like "one of us." Clearly, Wisdom is the other "one" besides God in the "us" group.
NOTE: It is well beyond our scope here to get into the details of explaining how the two arguments, the God and His Wisdom argument, and the God and his angels argument, are not incompatible but complementary. God and His Wisdom are reflected in God and all his angels. These are not exclusive concepts but inclusive of one larger overall concept which understands that God and His Wisdom is reflected in God and his angels. This note is simply here for your awareness and not to form any part of the argument on this page.
Call for Discernment
The bottom line here is that the Trinitarian does not have anything here to support his doctrine except his own wishful imagination and desire to have the text say something it simply does not. We do not even need to show what the passage does mean to illustrate their is no justification for the eisegetical interpretation of Trinitarian apologists. Even if the words "us" and "our" did refer to three persons it would still remain to be proven that the three in question are the three persons of their doctrine. But the reality is there is absolutely nothing to even indicate the numerical value of the "us" and "our" group is three persons. And we have also seen that there is nothing unusual about God identifying with a group and speaking on behalf of that group. Although they may not harmonize or promote the Trintiarian's favorite doctrine, there are numerous and more plausible and reasonable interpretations of this passage that are much more harmonious with Scripture than imposing a Triune God into the words "us" and "our." And indeed, the facts demonstrate the words "US" and "OUR" are a reference to God and His Wisdom - Wisdom who was beside him at the dawn of creation.
