LET US MAKE MAN IN OUR OWN IMAGE

HOW TO UNDERSTAND B’RESHIT 1 :26-27

Daniel ben Ya’acov Ysrael

Gen 1:26  And Elohim said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the livestock, and over all the earth and over all the creeping creatures that creep on the earth.”

Gen 1:27  And Elohim created the man in His image, in the image of Elohim He created him – male and female He created them.

Many discussion have, and still run internet trying to give proof that “Jesus” or even Yeshua was with YHWH during the creation. Others will say that YHWH created the world with the “angels” and many other fancy ideas
I am going to demonstrate that all these errors come from the poor English or even French, German, Italian………… text, and that Elohim was alone in the creation.

First of all the Hebrew word for Elohim is a plural form of Eloha.
Yob 19:25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: 26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see Eloah (singular):
The masculine plural is the ending with « im ».

In English we read b’reshit 1:26 as: Elohim said, “Let Us make man in Our image

Nothing is said from the verbal form.
Now let us look at the verse 27 before going deeper:

“And Elohim created the man in His image,”……….

The image of Elohim is plural because Elohim is the plural form of Eloha.
The plural need a plural verb to indicate the action as we see with the same verb “to say” in another place:
Taken from the creation of Babel:
B’reshit 11 :3 And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. 4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.

Now what does the Hebrew says concerning this verse?
Gen 11:3 וַיֹּאמְרוּ אִישׁ אֶל-רֵעֵהוּ הָבָה נִלְבְּנָה לְבֵנִים וְנִשְׂרְפָה לִשְׂרֵפָה וַתְּהִי לָהֶם הַלְּבֵנָה לְאָבֶן וְהַחֵמָר הָיָה לָהֶם לַחֹמֶר:

וַיֹּאמְרוּ : and they are saying/ v’iamaru

When using the word “Elohim” for pagans power or even mankind the plural verb is used:
Psalm 82: 6 I have said, Ye are elohim; and all of you are children of the most High. 7 But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.

« Ye are children » is the plural form of «he is”, the context in the psalm is plural “children”, and not “child”;
The Hebrew says:
Psa 82:6 אֲנִי-אָמַרְתִּי אֱלֹהִים אַתֶּם וּבְנֵי עֶלְיוֹן כֻּלְּכֶם:

« אָמַרְתִּי  I said (singular) » , referring to Elohim (verb in singular form)
« וּבְנֵי and sons of » referring to the children of Elohim

With that in mind let us look at b’reshit 1 :26-27

26 And Elohim said, Let us make man in our image,…………………………… 27 So Elohim created man in his own image, in the image of Elohim created he him; male and female created he them.

Verse 27 reflect the Hebrew:” Elohim created he (singular) him (Adam) ; male and female created he (Elohim) them (Adam).
 The Hebrew:
Gen 1:26 וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם בְּצַלְמֵנוּ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ וְיִרְדּוּ בִדְגַת הַיָּם וּבְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וּבַבְּהֵמָה וּבְכָל-הָאָרֶץ וּבְכָל-הָרֶמֶשׂ הָרֹמֵשׂ עַל-הָאָרֶץ:

Gen 1:27 וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת-הָאָדָם בְּצַלְמוֹ בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים בָּרָא אֹתוֹ זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה בָּרָא אֹתָם:

וַיֹּאמֶר he is saying (singular), pointing to the One making the action :Elohim.

נַעֲשֶׂה we shall make (plural pointing to Elohim plural)
« male and female ». Elohim is male AND female. When Elohim commanded Adam to multiply, he had need of a female counterpart  in order to procreate.
- The male nature of Elohim is Yehowah
- The female nature of Elohim is the Ruach (Spirit).

In Hebrew the word Ruach is feminine gender; and this is not by coincidence.
Man and woman reflect when united the perfect nature of Elohim: male AND female.

-Man role is  to command
-Woman role is to teach Torah and comfort the children in the family
Pro 6:20  My son, watch over your father’s command, And do not forsake the Torah of your mother.
 

Man need a woman in order to fulfill Yehowah commandment “to multiply”.
Now this is reflected in the nature of Elohim:

Gen 1:27  And Elohim created the man in His image, in the image of Elohim He created him – male and female He created them.
The image of Elohim is “male and female”, and Elohim is ONE (echad, singular).
Deu 6:4  “Hear, O Yisra’ĕl: יהוה our Elohim, יהוה is one!

The Hebrew word “echad” is not as some say a “compound unity” but simply means “one”:
Gen.1: 9 And Elohim said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one (echad) place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

Gen.4 : 19 And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one (echad) was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.

Gen.11 : 1 And the whole earth was of one (echad) language, and of one (echad) speech.

Ex.8 : 31 And YHWH did according to the word of Moses; and he removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; there remained not one (echad).

They are many others examples to see that « echad » is used as « one » and soi t is concerning :

Deu 6:4  “Hear, O Yisra’ĕl: יהוה our Elohim, יהוה is one (echad)!

Conclusion:

The nature of Elohim is male and female, although Elohim is singular and one.
B’reshit/Genesis 1:26 And Elohim said, “Let Us make man in Our image”, is used regarding the nature of Elohim “male and female” although Elohim is ONE (echad) indivisible and singular