Faith
Why Is Hashem Referred to in the Plural?
Question
Shalom, I was asked a question and I would appreciate it if you could answer: Why is the first time one of Hashem's names appears in the Torah the name Elohim, which is in the plural, rather than El, for example?
Thank you.
Answer
Greetings and blessings
1. It should be understood that the essential, so to speak, name of the Creator is Y-H-V-H. The name Elohim means Master of all powers, and therefore it is mentioned in the plural.
2. Ibn Ezra explains that this is an expression of honor, and this is his wording in Genesis 1:1
Elohim: After we have found El, we know that Elohim is a plural term, and this root follows the manner of language, for every language has a form of honor. In French, honor is expressed when the smaller person addresses the greater in the plural. And in the language of Ishmael, the manner of honor is that the greater speaks, like a king, in the plural. And in the holy tongue, the manner of honor is to speak of the greater in the plural, such as adonim and baalim, as in the phrase adonim is difficult (Isaiah 19:4), and its owner took it (Exodus 22:10). Likewise the words alav, elav, adav. Therefore Scripture says bara, and not berau.
Good luck,
Binyamin Shmueli
