The Trinity in Creation in The O

The Trinity in Creation in The Old Testament

In the very first verse of the Book of Beginnings, Genesis, we read:

“In the beginning, God Created the heavens and the earth”

The Hebrew for “God”, is “˒ĕlōhı̂m”, which is masculine, plural. Some have argued that the plural is used for “plural of majesties”, as a king or queen would say “we”. There is no Biblical evidence to support this, which is used by those who oppose the Bible’s teaching of the Holy Trinity. It is clear from this verse, that, if God is "Unipersonal", then surely we would have expected either, “˒ēl”, or “˒ĕlōah”, to have been used, which are singular. It is equally clear from other Scriptures, that the plural is used because more than One Person is meant.

In Genesis 1:26-27, we read:

“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”. So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them”

Here we have “yehôvâh” as the Speaker, Who says, “na-‘ă-śeh” (let US make, plural), man, “bəṣaləmēnû” (in OUR Image, plural), “kiḏəmûṯēnû” (according to OUR Likeness).

In Job 35:10, it says, “But none says, ‘Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night”.

Here “God” is “˒ĕlōah”, masculine, singular; and “Maker”, “‘ō·śāy”, masculine, plural, literally, “God my Makers”. The singular “˒ĕlōah”, is used for the UNITY of the Godhead; and the plural MAKERS, for the PLURALITY of Persons in the Godhead. This verse is clear that God cannot be a "single Person".

Those who reject the Teaching of the Holy Trinity: One God, in Three distinct “Persons”, The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit, Who are completely equal, as Creators, have tried to explain this. We have the Palestinian Aramaic Targum, “ And the Lord said to the angels who ministered before Him, who had been created in the second day of the creation of the world, Let us make man in Our image, in Our likeness”. And, in the Jewish Study Bible, “The plural construction (Let us . . . ) most likely reflects a setting in the divine council (cf. 1 Kings 22.19-22; Isa. ch 6; Job chs 1-2): God the King announces the proposed course of action to His cabinet of subordinate deities, though He alone retains the power of decision”

The Targum says that God is speaking to His “angels”, when He uses the plural, “let US…OUR”. But, in the next verse, this same Targum reads, “And the Lord created man in His likeness: In the image of the Lord He Created him”, which contradicts what they read in verse 26, as it is clear that humans are created in the Image and Likeness of GOD, and not God, and His created angels! The Jewish Study Bible is interesting, as it says that God is speaking here to His, “divine council…to His cabinet of subordinate deities”, which shows that there is one God and there are other “gods”, which is not Monotheistic! The Jerusalem Targum is even more interesting in verse 27, “And the Word of the Lord created man in His likeness, in the likeness of the presence of the Lord He created him”. Creation of humans is by “the Word of the Lord”, which is what John 1:1-3 says!

In Isaiah 51:13, we read, “And forget Yahweh your Maker, that has stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth”. Here “Maker”, in the Hebrew is, “‘ō·śe·ḵā,”, which is masculine singular. However, in 54:5, we read, “For your Maker is your husband; Yahweh of hosts is His Name”. Here, “Maker” is the Hebrew, “‘ō·śa·yiḵ”, which is masculine, plural, “Makers”! And, in Ecclesiastes 12:1, where it reads, “Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth”, here also the Hebrew, “bō·wr·’e·ḵā”, is masculine, plural, literally, “your Creators”. Whereas, in Isaiah 40:28, and 43:15, we have, “bō·w·rê”, which is singular. Clearly, the use of the plural means more than One Person. It is not used in the sense of “majesties”, as if the singular does not speak of the “Majesty” of the Great God of the Bible!

Creation, in the Old Testament, is clearly the Work of The Three Persons of the Holy Trinity.

God The Father:

“Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am” (Isaiah 41:4)

“Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth” (Isaiah 42:5)

“Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God” (Isaiah 44:6)

“For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else” (Isaiah 45:18)

As we shall see, what is said of the Father, is also said of Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

God The Son:

Isaiah 48:1-17

The words in this verse are like those found in verse 3, “I have declared the former things from the beginning”, and verse 5, “I have even from the beginning declared it to you”. In verse 12 and 13 the Speaker says, “Listen to Me, O Jacob and Israel, My called; I am He, I am the First, I also am the Last. My hand has also laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand spread out the heavens”. In verse 15 we read, “I, even I have spoken, yes, and I have called him”. In the very next verse, we read, “Thus says YHWH, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: “I am YHWH your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go”.

Then, in verse 16, The Speaker, Who is Yahweh, says:

“Draw near to Me, hearken to this; in the beginning I did not speak in secret, from the time it was, there was I, and now, the Lord God has sent Me, and His Spirit” (This is the order of words in the Hebrew, Greek and Latin Old Testament)

The Hebrew verb “šə·lā·ḥa·nî” is masculine, singular, 3rd person, “He has sent Me”, and not "they"

The Speaker can only be The Eternal, Creator God. Making the Speaker in chapter 48, verses 1-17, a distinct “Person/Individual”, Who is also Yahweh. He is “sent” by “'Adônây YHWH”, and therefore cannot be the same “Person/Individual”, as the Sender. We have TWO Who are equally Yahweh, BOTH Creators.

God The Holy Spirit:

Job 33:4

“The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” (ESV, Hebrew-English Old Testament)

“The spirit of God hath made me, And the breath of the Almighty given me life.” (The Holy Scriptures According to the Masoretic Text, A New Translation. The Jewish Publication Society of America. 5677-1917)

In the Hebrew we have “wə·niš·maṯ”, which is in the feminine gender, and cannot refer to "’êl (God)", which is masculine; but to "rū·aḥ (Spirit)", which is also feminine.

"And the Breath...gives me life (wə·niš·maṯ...tə·ḥay·yê·nî)", this is also in the feminine, which is The Holy Spirit, as the Life-Giver.

“made”, from the Hebrew verb, “‛âśâh”, used for the Creation of the universe, as in Genesis chapter 1, “God made (‛âśâh) the expanse” (ver.7); "And God made (‛âśâh) two great lights" (16); "And God made (‛âśâh) the beast of the earth after his kind" (25); "And God said, Let Us make (‛âśâh) man in Our Image, after Our Likeness" (26), etc.

Note in this verse from Job, that “rū·aḥ” (Spirit) is distinct from "neshâmâh" (breath), which is seen in Genesis 2:7, “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath (neshâmâh) of life; and man became a living soul”. Job 33:4, is a clear reference to Genesis 2:7, which shows that the Holy Spirit Himself is “the LORD God”.

Job 26:13

“By His Spirit He adorned the heavens; His hand pierced the fleeing serpent” (NKJV)

"šip̄·rāh (He adorned), is in the feminine, singular, and refers to “rū·aḥ”, which makes the Holy Spirit the Creator. The Hebrew lexicon by Gesenius reads: “by his (God’s) Spirit the heavens were made brightness,” i.e. splendid, most splendid”

“By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens ; his hand hath pierced the fleeing serpent” (Dr A Benisch; Jewish School and Family Bible, Vol. IV)

And, the Latin and Syriac, made from the Hebrew, read:

“His spirit has adorned the heavens, and his birthing hand has brought forth the winding serpent” (Latin Vulgate)

“By his spirit he manages the heavens; his hand slew the fleeing serpent” (Syriac Peshetta)

Isaiah 51:13 tells us, "And you forget Yahweh your Maker, Who stretched out the heavens And laid the foundations of the earth"

While "you Maker" here is "‘ō·śe·ḵā", in the singular; in Job 35:10, it is the plural "Makers (‘ō·śāy), as is Isaiah 54:5 "‘ō·śa·yiḵ"

Here we have Old Testament evidence for The Holy Trinity in Creation. The “distinction” of the “Persons”, is clear from Isaiah 48:16, where the Sender, Who is Yahweh, Sends another, Who is also Yahweh, and the Holy Spirit.