God using the plural for Himself

𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐇𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟

Mohamad Mostafa Nassar
Twitter:@NassarMohamadMR

Christians usually cite Genesis 1:26 where God used the plural form when talking about Himself:

Genesis 1:26 And God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness.

Actually, using the plural is not a proof that God is more than one person. This has been a language commonly used by kings as a way of glorifying, which was called “the royal we” or majestic plural (pluralis majestatis in Latin, literally, “the plural of majesty”),

which is the use of a plural pronoun (or corresponding plural-inflected verb forms) to refer to a single person holding a high office, such as a sovereign (e.g., a monarch) or religious leader (e.g., the Pope). No one said that these kings or popes who used this form are 3 persons in one human being. However, it was understood that it was just for glorification.

Same thing applies here on God in Genesis 1:27 and the next verse prove that it is just related to glorification not to physical three persons:

Genesis 1:27 And God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

If Genesis 1:26 really mean the trinity, Genesis 1:27 would have been like that: “And God created man in their own image” for the verses to be consistent.

Otherwise, this proves that the former verse was just used for glorifying, otherwise this will mean that the other two persons went away, and only one person remained of whom man was created on his image.

Also using the word Elohim for God which is a plural form in Hebrew is commonly cited by Christians to prove that. However, if this is considered to be a proof for the trinity, then we would say that Moses as well is a trinity as Exodus 7:1 uses the word Elohim when it says that Moses is a god to the Pharoah:

Exodus 7:1 And the LORD said to Moses, See, I have made you a god (elohim) to Pharaoh: and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet.