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The plural (for example, in Genesis 1:26) has been the source of wonder for most of the commenators. The following are some of the explanations:
G-d wanted to teach a personality trait to man. Therefore, even though He didn't require their input into the decision, G-d turned to the angels and asked them if they would participate. This act of respect thereby became a fundamental feature of human composition.
Some scholars view the use of Elohim as a plural that expresses an abstract idea (e.g., zekunim, "old age"; neurim, "time of youth"), so that Elohim would really mean "the Divinity."
It might come from historical usage in the language at the time. It may be derived from Canaanite usage, and the early Israelites would have taken over elohim as a singular noun just as they made their own the rest of the Canaanite language. In the Tell-el-Amarna Letters Pharaoh is often addressed as "my gods [ilaniya] the sun-god." In the ancient Near East of the second half of the second millennium B.C.E. there was a certain trend toward quasi-monotheism, and any god could be given the attributes of any other god, so that an individual god could be addressed as elohai, "my gods" or adonai, "my lords." The early Israelites felt no inconsistency in referring to their sole God in these terms.
The FAQ is a collection of documents that is an attempt to answer questions that are continually asked on the soc.culture.jewish family of newsgroups. It was written by cooperating laypeople from the various Judaic movements. You should not make any assumption as to accuracy and/or authoritativeness of the answers provided herein. In all cases, it is always best to consult a competent authority--your local rabbi is a good place to start.
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© (c) 1993-2004 Daniel P. Faigin <maintainer@scjfaq.org>