plural, we have the singular 'he' and the plural 'they'.  It is also natural

that the verb should be construed with the noun, and change when the singular

changes to the plural.  So we say, in English, 'God Sees' but 'Gods See'.

This is all so natural and straightforward that the above comments may seem a

trifling waste of time.  We find, however, that not only is the word 'God' in

Genesis 1:1 the plural Elohim, but it is followed by the verb in the

singular, and that this is the general rule.

Had there been no overwhelming necessity, Moses would never have

introduced so disturbing a word into the opening verse of revealed truth as

the plural form Elohim.  The word El was known to him (Gen. 14:18; Deut. 7:9,

etc.).  He knew also the word Eloah (Deut. 32:15), a title used by Job over

forty times.  To every believer in the inspired Scriptures, it must be

evident, that the plural form was a necessity, and its choice Divinely

dictated.  The strange fact that the plural Elohim is construed with a

singular verb must be a necessity also, for no one would perpetrate 'by

inspiration of God' a grammatical error.  We are immediately confronted with

a revelation, which indicates that the subject matter lies outside the

ordinary experiences of mankind.  The mystery is not solved in Genesis 1:1,

but is recognized, and if we will but acknowledge its presence, we shall have

made the first step towards its solution, at least, in part.  The employment

of the plural Elohim in Genesis 1:1 is not an isolated instance of this

peculiar fact, for the use of the plural 'God' with the singular verb is the

rule throughout the Old Testament.  Isaiah, who so insists upon the unique

Person of the Creator, says:

'Thus saith God the Lord, He that created the heavens, and stretched

them out' (Isa. 42:5).

Dr. John Lightfoot draws attention to the need for care in translating this

verse, and reads, 'He that created ... and they that stretched them out'

which is confirmed by the note in The Companion Bible on this verse.  Who are

intended by 'they'?  Again in Ecclesiastes where we read, 'Remember now thy

Creator' (Eccles. 12:1), the word Creator is plural 'Creators'.  At the

confusion of tongues the Lord said, 'Let Us go down' (Gen. 11:7) where

the grammatical construction is the same as that used in Genesis 11:3, 'Let

us make brick'.  What was grammatically true of many when speaking of man, is

grammatically true of One when speaking of God.  At the creation of man, this

use of the plural is marked, 'Let Us make man in Our image, after Our

likeness'.  Yet this is followed by the words, 'so God created man in His own

image' (Gen. 1:26,27).  With whom did God take counsel?  The Scriptures make

it clear that He does not stoop to take counsel with any creature (Isa.

It is easy to submit the holiest and most solemn of mysteries of

Scripture to ridicule, and those who object to the teaching of Scripture here

brought forward, dismiss the idea as absurd that God, Who is One, should hold

a consultation with Himself.  It may transcend anything that comes within our

own experience, but is that to us the final word?  However, there still

awaits us one passage that cannot be thus set aside.

We are told in Genesis 18:1 that the Lord appeared unto Abraham in the

plains of Mamre, and the title used here is 'Jehovah'.  Abraham saw three

men, two of them, 'the two' literally, being subsequently called 'angels' in

Genesis 19:1.  At the confusion of tongues, the plural is used, 'Let Us go

down' but now the singular is used, 'I will go down now', 'To Me', 'I will

know' (Gen. 18:21).  The 'men' turned their faces toward Sodom, as we find in