LAYOUT OF THOUGHTS ON DEUTERONOMY 6:4

               LAYOUT OF THOUGHTS ON DEUTERONOMY 6:4

Virgil Warren, PhD

יהוה אלהינו יהוה אהד

“Yahveh our God is one Yahveh.”

“Yahveh is our God, Yahveh alone.”

“Yahveh is our God, Yahveh is one.”

“Yahveh is our God; Yahveh is unique.”

   A Jewish                                         A  Jewish

Viewpoint             Response             Response                          Counter-response

Deuteronomy 6:4  “us”                    (a) majestic plural             Genesis   3:22*   “one   of   us”  

                                                                                                    does not mean majestic plural;  

                                                                                                    it is the clearest Old Testament

                                                                                                    text   on   plurality   associated   

                                                                                                    with trinitarian deity.

one = single          Genesis 1:26;     (b) angels + God = “us”   (1) Angels  not  yet   mentioned     

being                         *3:22; 11:7                                                     in   Genesis.  Genesis   3:24

                          (Isaiah 6:8)                                                       refers  to   them  later  (note   

                                                                                                   Job  38:7 and 1:6 however).

                                                                                             (2) Besides, in the statement of   

                                                                                                   fulfillment       after       the

                                                                                                   proposal  in  Genesis  1:26, 

                                                                                                   the  text  affirms that it is in

                                                                                                   the image of God.

                                                                                                         (3) It is in  his  image  (i.e.,  not

                                                                                                   plural as one would expect   

                                                                                                   if “us” in 1:26 meant God +

                                                                                                   angels).

Deuteronomy 6:4: (1)                                                                The  “Shema”  needs  to contri-                                                                                          bute   to our  loving  God com-                                           pletely.   That  he  is  a  single being  vs. a  trinity does  not  give  a reason for

                        loving him.  The point is rather  that one  means “unique,” or  “only one”  (no  

                        other  gods); both  ideas  can  contribute  to reasons for loving him.

                                                                    (2)  אֶהָד  (“one”) does not  eliminate  distinction  between  the  sub-units 

                                                                          of what is “one.” A good example is Genesis 2:24, where husband +

                                                                          wife = אֶהָד (“one”) flesh.

                              Note: The preferred translation of Deuteronomy 6:4 is “Yahveh is our God, Yahveh  alone.”

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