Contents
The question that changes everything. Can you even give an answer to does God exist? How can you prove God exists? Even try?
We’re in the Second Part of the book Mind-Body Problem Solved. Where there’s a belief in a Higher Power, God exists, which remains to be defined. We have narrowed the search for a book that can answer all the big questions in life down to the Bible.
(Mind-Body Problem Solved, chapter 9)
From the Bible, we’ve answered one of our big 11 questions regarding Genesis 2:7. Does man in Hebrew just refer to the masculine gender or something else? In the last episode, we saw it refers to persons, humans, including women. In so doing, we’ve identified one of the key characters of the Bible narration, all humans. Now, using UnlockBibleMeaning.com, let’s identify the other principal character.
And the LORD (H3068) God (H430) formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
This brings us to a further two questions in our list and the most fundamental one of all, does God exist? This is essential to understand the Creation of humans and the presence of consciousness and mind.
- Who is the Lord? What is the relation to the Higher Power?
- Why are Lord (Yahveh) singular and God (Elohim) plural?
I’m not going to prove God exists :), but I am going to explain some pertinent evidence. A few identifying signs from the book with the answers to see if God exists. The more pinpointing we do, the closer you’ll come to believe, or not, in a Higher Power.
Genesis 1:1 to 2:3, the end of the 7-days of Creation, refers to God, Elohim, plural, 35 times. Genesis 2:4 is the first time we’re presented LORD God, YAHVEH Elohim, referred to in the singular. Many Bible scholars see this as proof of editorial dysfunction. They conclude there are two contradictory narrations of the Creation story. Which, of course, the original author and editors would have seen and corrected IF there was an error. But there is NO anomaly, and I’ll put detractor complaints off to misunderstanding, big time.
The importance of this is the answer to does God exist? and His nature, singular and/or plural, are in the balance. These are vital subjects. We’re in the first five minutes of the Bible story, we’re establishing the characters and the plot that will play out over thousands of pages of the Book, and thousands of years of history. It behooves us to understand if God exists and His nature right from the start.
Elohim
A wee bit of grammar. The first point to note. Elohim is a plural noun. In Genesis, 2:4 and throughout this chapter, as well as Gen.1 and the rest of the Bible. Don’t take my word for it. Check it out. Here’s Strong’s.
אֱלֹהִים ʼĕlôhîym el-o-heem’; plural of H433 (אֱלוֹהַּ); gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative:
KJV – angels, ⨯ exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), ⨯ (very) great, judges, ⨯ mighty.
H433
אֱלוֹהַּ ʼĕlôwahh el-o’-ah; rarely (shortened) אֱלֹהַּ; probably prolonged (emphatic) from H410 (אֵל); a deity or the Deity:
KJV – God, god. See H430 (אֱלֹהִים).
H410
אֵל ʼêl ale; shortened from H352 (אַיִל); strength; as adjective, mighty; especially the Almighty (but used also of any deity):
KJV – God (god), ⨯ goodly, ⨯ great, idol, might(-y one), power, strong. Compare names in ‘-el.’
Elohim is plural in Hebrew, as we can see from H430. It means God, THE God, and gods.
The second grammatical point is the plural Elohim has a singular noun, El, as we see from H433 and especially H410, with which we are much more familiar. El is an integral part of many words, GaEL, IsraEL, BethEL, including my full name, SamuEL. These are personal, national, and city names, all related to God.
The third grammatical point to consider is the plural ELOHIM takes a SINGULAR verb. In English, that would be the equivalent of they does their homework. To my knowledge, we don’t have a word with these characteristics in English. We have a word like the animal moose. It is both singular and plural and can take a singular or a plural verb. But it doesn’t have separate singular and plural nouns. A reader pointed out that the name United States is a good example of a plural word (50 States) using a singular verb. I like that idea.
But the real question is this. How can ONE God be plural? The concept of only ONE God is the basis of monotheism; this can be a rather controversial issue because of the ambiguity of Elohim (plural) using a singular verb. What does the Bible say about this plurality?
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness … male and female created He them.
The Bible, in its first chapter, the curtain-raiser, is unequivocal. The Author confirms the plurality twice by using the plural us and our. We cannot simply ignore or overlook this evidence. Throughout the 7-Day Creation week, until Gen. 2:3 it is Elohim plural with us and our. From Genesis 2:4, we get a flashback to Creation week with much more details, specifically of the Sixth Day Creation of the male and female.
Who is YAHWEH?
Genesis 1 gives a global approach to Creation, whereas Gen. 2 and 3 concentrate on the personal, down-to-earth details. We learn the names of the male and female (Gen. 4:1), and we see their interaction with God, who now carries the name YAHWEH Elohim. Chapter 1 gives a synthesis of Creation. Chapters 2 and 3 give exhaustive details about their Creation and the intimate interpersonal relationships between YAHWEH and Adam and Eve. I’ll tell you right now, the spiritual implications of these two chapters will blow you away. You can read about it in Origin of Humankind and Origin of Woman.
Here’s the Biblical Hebrew root and meaning of YHVH, YAHWEH, or YAHVEH.
יְהֹוָה Yᵉhôvâh yeh-ho-vaw’; from H1961 (הָיָה); (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God:
KJV – Jehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).
H1961
הָיָה hâyâh haw-yaw; a primitive root (compare H1933 (הָוָא)); to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary):
KJV – beacon, ⨯ altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, + follow, happen, ⨯ have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, ⨯ use.
YAHWEH, translated in English by the term LORD, derives from the verb to be. The translation LORD has no relation to the Hebrew meaning. God is the Lord, but that has nothing to do with this name, YAHWEH. In Biblical Hebrew, names have one or multiple meanings, just like any other word. A name describes and defines the person who carries that name.
The pronunciation is generally YAHVEH (the first letter, the ‘יְ’ (yod) is pronounced ‘y’ and the fourth letter ‘וָ’ (vav) is pronounced ‘v’). Over time and geographical location, the pronunciation can differ. UK and USA English have the same vocabulary but different pronunciations. However, the utmost importance is the meaning.
Designated by this name YAHVEH / YAHWEH, the critical characteristic is His Eternity. The name is based on the verb to be. He WAS in the past; He IS in the present; He WILL BE in the future. He has always BEEN in the past. He is BEING in the present. He will BE in the future.
God Himself, in discussion with Moses, gives us the certitude that YAHVEH is one of the NAMES of the GOD. Look at this confirmation in Exodus.
13 And Moses said to God, Behold, when I come to the children of Israel, and shall say to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say to them?
14 And God said to Moses, I AM (H1961) THAT I AM (H1961): and he said, Thus shall you say to the children of Israel, I AM (H1961) has sent me to you.
15 And God said moreover to Moses, Thus shall you say to the children of Israel, The LORD (H3068) God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you: this is my name for ever (H5769, everlasting), and this is my memorial (H2143, remembrance) to all generations (H1755, age, posterity).
The LORD God of Creation, the LORD who specifically creates Adam and Eve and interrelates with them, carries the name I AM or more simply AM; the added descriptions confirm this in verse 15. I AM their father, I AM forever, I AM the memorial, I AM with all generations. I know that verse 15 does not say that. However, the ideas and word pictures tell us exactly that story.
I AM is הָיָה hâyâh (H1961) in verse 14, which is the root of LORD (H3068) in verse 15. It is clear the I AM, and the LORD God are the same; this is the ETERNAL God. AM refers to God ETERNAL, no beginning, no end. The key is Step 4 to master Biblical Hebrew. All the meanings tell one story, that of Yahveh, God Eternal.
Plural and Singular
How do we make sense out of a plural God exists and a singular Yahveh, I AM? Bible corroboration. Where else does the Bible refer to God’s existence, Creation, Who was involved, and if it’s plural, their relationship? Furthermore, since Genesis 2:7 refers specifically to the Creation of humans, we’d like a corroborative context for that as well.
1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past to the fathers by the prophets,
2 Has in these last days spoken to us by his Son, whom he has appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
In three verses you have every single element of the LORD God formed man…
- Plural: God exists with His Son Who sits on the right hand of His Majesty.
Clearly confirmed by verse 5, “You are my Son, this day have I begotten you? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?” We have the relationship of two God Beings. Two singulars making one plural.
- Singular: …spoken unto us by his Son, … by whom also he made the worlds…
Specifically pointing to Jesus Christ Who has the function of Creator through making worlds (plural). We’re not talking about parallel worlds, 🙂 Check the Greek, this refers to worlds and ages. There was an angelic age before our present human age, and there will be the millennial age after Christ’s Return followed by a Godly age when we will have a new Earth and heavens, Revelation 21-22. The singular Son is the Creator of all these ages, including the world during the 7 days of Gen 1, and the Creation of humans on Day 6 mentioned in Genesis 2:7.
Plural and singular together
The Father and Christ are one.
21 That they all may be one; as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that you have sent me.
22 And the glory which you gave me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
During His ultimate prayer prior to His Crucifixion, the Son refers to the Father, two singulars. He says the Father is in Him and He is the Father. Christ expresses this entwining, meshing between the two, with we are one.
Does this prove God exists? Absolutely not. Does this reveal the relationship between a Father and a Son, singular Entities of Elohim, a plural God? Yes. Does it reveal the relationship of a Creator Son (Who made the worlds) with His Creation, humankind? Yes. It gives you a theological perspective of WHO God is (Father and Son) regarding humans. God formed man… We’ll see what formed means in relation to consciousness and mind.
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