Elohim and Us in Gen 1

Discussion about the Hebrew Bible, Septuagint, pseudepigrapha, Philo, Josephus, Talmud, Dead Sea Scrolls, archaeology, etc.
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rgprice
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Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2018 11:57 pm

Elohim and Us in Gen 1

Post by rgprice »

So, Genesis 1:26 (MT) says, "And God said: 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness;"

Yet 1:27 states, "And God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him"

Is there a reasonable argument that the "us" in 1:26 is not referring to "other gods", but is instead referring to Elohim, given that Elohim itself is the plural of Eloah?

1:27 differs from the Septuagint, and is likely a later revision. If 1:26 uses Us in relation to the plural Elohim, then why doesn't 1:27 follow this same approach?

Is there a reasonable case that the us in 1:26 implies an original version of the text in which God was shown to be in conversation with other gods?
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