Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Yosef Shalom <yossiyeshua AT yahoo.com>]

Greetings,
   
  This is my first post to this group.
   
  I have a question about the few instances in the Hebrew Bible where Elohim 
is modified by plural adjectives and/or verbs. Trinitarians point to this as 
evidence from the Hebrew of plural persons within the Godhead. But I came 
across an explanation from Nehemiah Gordon that seemed to be fairly 
convincing. It is located here...
   
  
http://www.karaites-usa.org/Studies_On/elohim_plurality_and_attraction_(3).htm
   
  An example is Joshue 24:19, where the plural 'kedoshim' modifies Elohim.
   
  He cites the linguistic phenomenon called "attraction" which doesn't occur 
only in Hebrew but also in our own language.
   
  He cites an example from the American Heritage Book of English Usage which 
demonstrates how attraction works...
   
  Consider the statement -
   
  "When you get to the stop light, there is a gas station on the left and a 
grocery store on the right."
   
  Gordon states:
  "Strictly speaking this sentence should read "there are a gas station on 
the left and a grocery store on the right" since gas station and grocery 
store are two items and therefore require the plural verb "are". The American 
Heritage Book of English Usage explains: "Although this usage would seem to 
violate the rules of subject and verb agreement, the attraction of the verb 
to the singular noun phrase following it is so strong that it is hard to 
avoid the construction entirely.""
   
  In other words, because a singular noun follows the verb, there was a 
linguistic compulsion, hard to avoid, to make the verb singular, as 
demonstrated by the fact that if you were to use the technically correct 
plural "are," it reads awkward.
   
  Gordon goes on to show how this is exactly what we see in reference to 
Elohim. Since Elohim is plural, occasionally linguistic attraction takes 
place and the writer or speaker associates the verb or adjective in plural 
form, as the plural elohim attracts that rendering.
  I was just wondering if anyone here with expertise in Hebrew might be able 
to give an intelligent opinion on Gordon's explanation. For those who are 
trinitarians, try not to speak from that bias but consider the linguistic 
phenomenon of attraction in itself, and whether it at least potentially 
offers an explanation.
   
  Thanks,
Joe

       
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From: Yosef Shalom <yossiyeshua AT yahoo.com>
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Subject: [b-hebrew] Plural Verbs/Adjectives Modifying Elohim
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I don't really want to get into an evaluation of the merits of The American 
Heritage Book of English Usage per se, but here is the full context of what 
Gordon quoted from...
   
  "“There once was a man from …” “There was an old woman who lived in a shoe …
” Lovers of limericks and nursery rhymes are familiar with the anticipatory 
there that functions as a “dummy subject,” delaying the real subject until 
the end of the clause. In this use there is usually classified as a pronoun 
and is distinguished from its use as an adverb indicating location, as in 
There’s the glove I’ve been looking for.     5 
  According to the standard rule, when the pronoun there precedes a verb such 
as be, seem, or appear, the verb agrees in number with the following 
grammatical subject: There is a great Italian deli across the street. There 
are fabulous wildflowers in the hills. There seems to be a blueberry pie 
cooking in the kitchen. There seem to be a few trees between the green and 
me. But people often disregard this rule and use a singular verb with a 
plural subject, especially when speaking or when using the contraction 
there’s. The Usage Panel dislikes this construction, however. Seventy-nine 
percent reject the sentence There’s only three things you need to know about 
this book. But when there’s is followed by a compound subject whose first 
element is singular, the panel feels differently. Fifty-six percent of the 
Usage Panel accepts the sentence In each of us there’s a dreamer and a 
realist, and 32 percent more accept it in informal usage. The panel is even 
more accepting of the
 sentence When you get to the stop light, there’s a gas station on the left 
and a grocery store on the right; 58 percent accept it in formal usage, while 
37 percent more accept it in informal usage. Although this usage would seem 
to violate the rules of subject and verb agreement, the attraction of the 
verb to the singular noun phrase following it is so strong that it is hard to 
avoid the construction entirely."
  
My question is whether this can serve as a good rational hypothesis of how 
sometimes in speech the ancient Hebrew when speaking of Elohim might have not 
resisted the temptation to modify it with a plural adjective, especially when 
that was the normal way to speak of the "elohim" in the surrounding paganisms 
that they interacted with on a daily basis.
   
  If this is a rational and convincing possibility, the attempts to derive 
some trinitarian significance from the appearance of the plurals is a bit 
"cheezy." imho

       
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Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Plural Verbs/Adjectives Modifying Elohim
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I think the conclusion of there being or not being a Trinity from the Hebrew
linguistic evidence is not possible solely on linguistic grounds.  To
acknowledge that attraction occurs in all languages is not the same as
proving it occurs in any particular instance.  I would also hesitate to call
using a plural verb or adjective in reference to a plural noun a case of 
attraction".  What is a linguistic question is whether the ancient Hebrew
writers did or did not consider 'Elohim to be a plural form.  Assuming they
did [and the evidence is not clear], it still would not prove anything in
regards to the Trinity.
 
Part of explaining the English examples may be to see that there is/can be a
repetition of "there is/are" when two singular subjects are joined by "and",
and this second "there is" is subsequently deleted.  In that case, no rule
is broken.  
 
You will find most theological arguments appear "cheezy" when you personally
accept a different conclusion.  Saying so on a list containing different
varieties of more than one faith is a sure way of offending people and
approaches closely to bad manners.
 
Kevin Riley
 
-------Original Message------- 
 
From: Yosef Shalom 
Date: 5/12/2007 8:17:00 AM 
 
I don't really want to get into an evaluation of the merits of The American
Heritage Book of English Usage per se, but here is the full context of what
Gordon quoted from... 
 
"“There once was a man from …” “There was an old woman who lived in a shoe
…” Lovers of limericks and nursery rhymes are familiar with the anticipatory
there that functions as a “dummy subject,” delaying the real subject until
the end of the clause. In this use there is usually classified as a pronoun
and is distinguished from its use as an adverb indicating location, as in
There’s the glove I’ve been looking for. 5 
According to the standard rule, when the pronoun there precedes a verb such
as be, seem, or appear, the verb agrees in number with the following
grammatical subject: There is a great Italian deli across the street. There
are fabulous wildflowers in the hills. There seems to be a blueberry pie
cooking in the kitchen. There seem to be a few trees between the green and
me. But people often disregard this rule and use a singular verb with a
plural subject, especially when speaking or when using the contraction
there’s. The Usage Panel dislikes this construction, however. Seventy-nine
percent reject the sentence There’s only three things you need to know about
this book. But when there’s is followed by a compound subject whose first
element is singular, the panel feels differently. Fifty-six percent of the
Usage Panel accepts the sentence In each of us there’s a dreamer and a
realist, and 32 percent more accept it in informal usage. The panel is even
more accepting of the 
Sentence When you get to the stop light, there’s a gas station on the left
and a grocery store on the right; 58 percent accept it in formal usage,
while 37 percent more accept it in informal usage. Although this usage would
seem to violate the rules of subject and verb agreement, the attraction of
the verb to the singular noun phrase following it is so strong that it is
hard to avoid the construction entirely." 
 
My question is whether this can serve as a good rational hypothesis of how
sometimes in speech the ancient Hebrew when speaking of Elohim might have
not resisted the temptation to modify it with a plural adjective, especially
when that was the normal way to speak of the "elohim" in the surrounding
paganisms that they interacted with on a daily basis. 
 
If this is a rational and convincing possibility, the attempts to derive
some Trinitarian significance from the appearance of the plurals is a bit 
cheezy." imho