Introduction
Does Genesis describe the Trinity as most Christian apologists claim it to? There are two verses in Genesis that seem demonstrate that this is not the case:
Genesis 1:26
The Problem
Genesis 1:26: And God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and they shall rule over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the heaven and over the animals and over all the earth and over all the creeping things that creep upon the earth."
Christian apologists point out that the word "us" in this verse is a reference to the Trinity, or more specifically, to the Persons in the Trinity speaking among themselves.
The first proof that Genesis 1:26 is not referring to the Trinity is the following verse, Genesis 1:27, which says:
And God created man in His image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Note that although God says Let us make man in our image, when it comes to actually creating Man the Bible does not use the pronoun us, but He.
And God created man in His image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Note that although God says Let us make man in our image, when it comes to actually creating Man the Bible does not use the pronoun us, but He.
Ask yourself the following question; if us signifies the Trinity, why does Genesis 1:27 switch to using He? If Genesis 1:26 refers to the Trinity, then it is describing the Persons of the Trinity in the planning stages of creating Man. This also indicates that all three of them created Man as Man is created in the image of all three Persons.
This is confirmed by the following excerpt from the Christian website, Answers in Genesis, which says that "All three Persons are the Creator," as shown below:
"But now, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand." (Isaiah 64:8)
"He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist." (Colossians 1:15–17)
"The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life." (Job 33:4)
If so, then Genesis 1:27 should say "And God created man in Their image; in the image of God They created him; male and female They created them." In this context "They" would refer to all three Persons of the Trinity.
The Resolution
"Dominion and fear are with Him; He makes peace in His heights."
This is explained by Rashi as follows:
"When the constellations ascend, each one thinks, 'I will ascend first,' and because he does not see what is before him, he is not envious. So I heard. [Tanchuma Buber ad loc.] Another explanation: 'He makes peace in His heights' - Fire and water are mixed, and the water does not extinguish the fire; I did not hear this."
Genesis 3:5
The second proof can be seen by comparing the following two verses:
The Jewish commentators deal with it as a statement made to the administering angels, which can be seen as an act of humility and a model for us to build partnerships with others to embark on our missions, as opposed to "going it alone." God involved them in theory in order to maintain peace in the Heavens, as Job 25:2 says:
"Dominion and fear are with Him; He makes peace in His heights."
This is explained by Rashi as follows:
"When the constellations ascend, each one thinks, 'I will ascend first,' and because he does not see what is before him, he is not envious. So I heard. [Tanchuma Buber ad loc.] Another explanation: 'He makes peace in His heights' - Fire and water are mixed, and the water does not extinguish the fire; I did not hear this."
Genesis 3:5
The second proof can be seen by comparing the following two verses:
- Genesis 3:5 in which Satan says to Eve: For God knows that on the day that you eat thereof, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like angels, knowing good and evil.
- Genesis 3:22 in which : Now the Lord God said, "Behold man has become like one of us, having the ability of knowing good and evil, and now, lest he stretch forth his hand and take also from the Tree of Life and eat and live forever."
This may be the reason why Christian apologists say that 1:26 is a reference to the Trinity, but not 3:22.
See below for Jews for Judaism's Rabbi Michael Skobac's answer according to four traditional Jewish approaches:
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