Quote from: NoMoreNoory on May 05, 2017, 09:18:22 AM
You're right that Elohim is accepted as a singular noun, but I've always read that it is basically a plural word and should be strictly read as 'the spirits' or 'gods', or even more accurately as 'the sons of El' or 'Bel', who was basically a fertility god in the early centuries of Judaism (takes me back to reading Exodus - the novel, not the Biblical book - as a boy) when the concept of multiple gods was not ludicrous but the accepted belief system, as in all religions prior to the emergence of Mosaic law and the rise of monotheism and the Rabbinical tradition. The problem of 'Elohim' was glossed over by ascribing it titles like 'God of gods', making it singular and plural simultaneously.
It underlines that Genesis, like most of the Old Testament is a strange mix of myth, tribal propaganda and history and is entirely unreliable as a witness to anything. There are two separate versions of the Creation story, for example, neither of which should be given any greater credence than the creation stories of the Navaho or the Aborigines of Australia or the Dogon of Africa.
Blasphemy is one thing, Gravity Sucks, but while it's a concept I don't recognise, I'd make a sharp distinction between blasphemy and utter drivel, which was what was spewing from Daugherty's mouth last night. The guest's phone cut out again last, sending Joorch into his usual tailspin and was once again speculating that this happens whenever they discuss something controversial. The only reason I could imagine why 'they' would want to have cut the guest off last night would be to protect the intelligence of the audience. He also, when Daugherty referenced some sexual reading of something or other, cut across him to say that this is 'Family Radio Hour'.?? Well after midnight where I was listening! Delusional moron.
-GNS
As for my original concern that Elohim did not mean gods in Genesis, here are a couple sources:
1. http://biblehub.com/lexicon/exodus/7-1.htm. This site explains the original language Exodus 7:1 says Moses (singular) will be like God (Elohim), to Pharoah. So that proves elohim can be singular.
2. https://outreachjudaism.org/elohim-plural/ (argument for elohim as a singular noun). This site is Jewish, and says there is no way that use of the word elohim was plural, otherwise the Jews would be polytheistic or Trinitarian. It also explains that in English, we say "created" whether it was One who created or Two who created but in Hebrew, the verb changes tenses if it is singular or multiple. "Created" in that Hebrew word in Gen 1 meant one single entity created something. Also, this short article explains that the Hebrew suffix "-im" can be singular because the Hebrew word "chayim" ("life") can be singular, as in "her life".
And the supposed creation contrafixtions are explained at
http://www.hope-of-israel.org/twocreationsaccts.html
Dont worry the author is not racist but DOES cover the neohelim, incest, and in effect the Chinese calendar.
There are other theories on Gen 1 and Gen 2. This website has a couple nice comparison charts so contradictions are clear to see.
