Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Steve Miller" <smille10 AT sbcglobal.net>]

> From: Danny
> Sent: Thursday, December 17, 2009 8:21 PM
> To: steve AT voiceinwilderness.info
> Cc: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
> Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] adonai "my Lord" or "the Lord"
> 
> Steve, perhaps I misunderstand this whole argument about the 'royal we',
> but
> I can think of several instances of the plural being used to show
> importance
> and stress. What do you make of 1 Kings 1:43 and later in 47 'Adoneinu
> ha'melekh David himlikh et sholomo' -- Our lord David has made Solomon
> King
> - adoneinu here is plural, surely?
> 
> Heb: אֲדֹנֵינוּ הַמֶּלֶךְ־דָּוִד הִמְלִיךְ אֶת־שְׁלֹמֹה
> 
> There are a few more instances of this intensive plural (nb the behemoth
> in
> Job 40) but here's a nice clean example of it used to describe a King.
> 
> Yours,
> 
> Danny Kessler
> Balliol College,
> Oxford
> 
[Steve Miller] Yes, the word adonai vowelled plural with a pronoun suffix
other than 1st person is used sometimes for a singular human lord. I don't
know why, but it is. I think that is a good argument that "adonai" is not
much evidence for the plurality of God's nature.

But Gen 1:26 is not that. You have God speaking of Himself with a plural
verb and plural pronouns. This is what Pere asserted was a royal we (by a
fancier name), but the Bible does not speak this way about any royalty.

Sincerely,
-Steve Miller
Detroit
www.voiceInWilderness.info
They shall come, and they shall declare
to a people to be born,
reveal His righteousness.
This deed which the Lord has done
they'll retell to everyone
that He may all peoples bless. (Psalm 22:31)