Why does God speak in the plural in Genesis 1:26 and 3:22?

Verse 26 shows us that from the outset man was the subject of Divine consultation or counsel. That God should say, "Let US," is worthy of note. Elohim is, as we have said, a plural Name. In the Old Testament the three Persons in the Godhead are not revealed, but now that They are revealed we can see that, inspired of God, the language of our chapter is quite consistent therewith. There was present to the Divine mind all that man would turn out to be, and he was only brought into existence after this consultation within the Godhead Himself. In verse 26 it is "Our image:" in verse 27 it is "His image." There is no incongruity for it is the eternal "Three in One" who speaks.

Man was treated in both the image and the likeness of God. The former word seems to be used in Scripture for that which represents unseen realities. The images of the heathen world represented their gods, without necessarily being like them, for indeed they had never seen the demons they worshipped by means of the images that represented them to their eyes. Man was made, then, to represent God to the lower creation over which he was set. But he was also made after the likeness of God; that is, he was really like God in certain important respects. Not in all respects of course, for God is infinitely holy and man was merely innocent. Still man was God's "offspring" (Acts 17:28-29), a spirit being, though clothed in a body of flesh and blood, and hence with intelligence and moral sensibilities, which are a reflection of that which subsists on an infinite scale in God Himself.

Verse 22 bears further witness to the truth of the Trinity, the Lord God speaking of Himself as "Us." Since, as He says, the man had become "like one of Us" in knowing good and evil, He was concerned that the man might eat of the tree of life and live forever in the condition he had chosen for himself. For now he knew good and evil (and only in this way being like God), yet, unlike God, he had the inclination to choose the evil rather than the good. How tragic it would be to live forever in such a condition!

Amid the uncertainty as to the import of the word Elohim, as traceable from its real or supposed root (which is not found in scripture), it is well that this chapter, and the opening verses of the next, in which it alone is used as the divine name, afford us so satisfactory a sense, revealing Elohim as the Originator of all things, His eternal power and Godhead being made known by the creation of which He is the source. As to the plural form of the word, and its connection with singular verbs, would not it be near the truth to say that, while it cannot be regarded as a revelation of the Trinity, it is still such a mode of expression as evinces that He, the blessed Spirit, the third person therein, had it in mind, and used words, the full force of which could only be understood by us when that doctrine had been revealed?

ELOHIM is, as often remarked, the common name for God, viewed as the Divine Being with whom men as men have to do, and as the One to whom they are accountable. It is a plural word. The singular is Eloah, and this form is often used, especially in the book of Job. Heathen sometimes used the word for their deities, and doubtless from this fact arises the question in Psalm 18, "For who is God (Eloah) save the Lord (Jehovah)? or who is a rock save our Elohim?" That is, the true Eloah was Jehovah, and the only rock was Elohim. The reason for the use of the plural word (Elohim) is variously explained. There are those, as might be expected, who contend that it is simply, according to Hebrew usage, a plural of excellence, that the word in this form conveys the excellency or the perfections of the One spoken of; there are others who maintain that it is divinely intended to set forth the Trinity, the unity of the Godhead in the three Persons of the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. In support of this the devout reader will not fail to notice the language of Genesis 1:26, "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." Inasmuch, indeed, as the term expresses all that God is, all the persons of the Godhead must be included.

ELOHIM is, as often remarked, the common name for God, viewed as the Divine Being with whom men as men have to do, and as the One to whom they are accountable. It is a plural word. The singular is Eloah, and this form is. often used, especially in the book of Job. Heathen sometimes used the word for their deities, and doubtless from this fact arises the question in Psalm 18, "For who is God (Eloah) save the Lord (Jehovah)? or who is a rock save our Elohim?" That is, the true Eloah was Jehovah, and the only rock was Elohim. The reason for the use of the plural word (Elohim) is variously explained. There are those, as night be expected, who contend that it is simply, according to Hebrew usage, a plural of excellence, that the word in this form conveys the excellency or the perfections of the One spoken of; there are others who maintain that it is divinely intended to set forth the Trinity, the unity of the Godhead in the three Persons of the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. In support of this the devout reader will not fail to notice the language of Genesis 1:26, "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." Inasmuch, indeed, as the term expresses all that God is, all the persons of the Godhead must be included.

It is well to notice that God takes counsel "let us," etc. If you make the distinction of the persons of the Godhead, I am not aware that creation is personally attributed to any but Christ and the Spirit. Every operation is the direct work of the Spirit, not that He is an independent Spirit, but God. The three are united in scripture. The Son was working, and He says, "the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works," and again, "if I by the Spirit of God cast out devils." But you do not find stated in scripture that the Father created; it says God; and this is Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. It is so far important to see that we have the divine agency. The particular operation of miracles was by the Spirit. "If I by the Spirit cast out"; by "his Spirit garnished the heavens"; and when Christ was raised, He was "quickened by the Spirit." I can allow nothing, therefore, that attempts to lower our thoughts of the Son and of the Spirit.

We are thus prepared for what we find on the very first page of our Bible. The name for God, "Elohim," is invariably a plural here, as it is the chief word for the divine Being through Scripture. There can be no question that this word is a plural. Various explanations have been given of this. It is called "the plural of majesty and pre-eminence," much in the way in which a king would speak of himself as we." Such a use, however, seems unworthy of Him who is above all need of exalting Himself, who could not multiply His greatness for it is infinite already. His majesty needs no such expedient to set it forth. There must be something more than this. A plurality of persons is here suggested. As we see a little later on, in connection with the work of creation: "And God said, Let Us make man." Evidently, there is a counsel here, a plan which, while a single one, is the expression of a perfect concurrence of divine Persons.

C.C. — Now, if we turn to Genesis 1, and are able to read it in the Hebrew, we are struck with the very simple fact that the word for God, “Elohim,” is in the plural. The Hebrew has singular, dual and plural. In the plural there must be at least three, and so is this word for God; yet it is constantly used as the subject of a singular verb.

B.C.G. — I think it is used 45 times in the first two chapters of the Bible, and over and over again we find this plural noun used with a singular verb. This would seem ungrammatical in English, yet it is the divine way of expressing the fact.

The unity of the Godhead is declared repeatedly in Scripture. "Hear, O Israel, Jehovah our God is one Jehovah" (Deut. 6: 4, J. N. D. Trans.). "One Jehovah, and His name one" (Zech. 14: 9, J. N. D. Trans.). "I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside Me," "I am God and there is none else" (Isa. 45: 5; Isa. 46: 9). Yet that there is plurality in this divine unity of the Godhead is equally revealed from the first verse of the Bible on. In the Hebrew the Name for God is in the plural and the verb in the singular. "In the beginning God (plural) created (singular)" thus showing plurality in unity. And in Gen. 1: 26 we read, "And God said, Let us make man in our image." Here clearly plurality is revealed, each distinct in personality so that they can address one another, "Let us make man," and yet having one likeness and working together in concert to carry out one purpose, neither acting without the other.

In Genesis 1:26 we read, “And God said, Let Us make man.” What divine prescience and wisdom are revealed in those two words, “GOD SAID.” The words are more remarkable than appears on the surface. They must have sorely puzzled the pious scribe in Old Testament times. The words occur nine times in the first account of creation in Genesis 1. We are told that a Hebrew scribe was accustomed to wipe his pen every time he wrote down the most blessed and most awful word we know—GOD. How sorely puzzled he must have been to have found the word in the plural—not in the singular, which means one, nor the dual, which means two, but the plural, which means three or more in the Hebrew language. And this followed by the verb—said—in the singular! A plural noun governing a singular verb. And yet such was the scribe’s reverence for the Scriptures that not a jot, the smallest letter in the Hebrew language, or a tittle, its smallest sign—would he alter. And here was an error in grammar apparently nine times repeated in the early verses of Genesis.

The plural noun governing a singular verb shows that the word God is a PLURAL UNITY, if one may so describe it. It is obvious that the Trinity—God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost—is here indicated. Three Persons—one God: and thus acting.