Hope of Israel Ministries (Ecclesia of YEHOVAH):

Musing About Echad (One)

by John Lemley

Much has been written, as can be quickly seen by a search on the Internet, about the Hebrew word echad (one). Teachings arguing that echad and/or the noun it modifies/describes (LORD) can be "uni-plural" or "compound" or "complex" are common. I want now to investigate those claims in this article.

Echad is translated into English by the word "one" (over 900 times), "alone" (five times) and "only" (two times: 1 Kings 4:19: "the only officer" and Ezekiel 7:5: "an only evil"). An English-speaking reader who is unfamiliar with Hebrew and uncertain about the arguments for the supposed "uni-plurality" or "complexity" of echad might be tempted to think that echad is a technical, perhaps esoteric, difficult theological term. It is absolutely no such thing!

There is no mystery about the word echad. It simply means what we mean by our English word "one." "One" is the word every English-speaking child learns when learning to count. Children who are born into a Hebrew-speaking family learn the word "echad." Children who are born into a Greek-speaking family learn the word "heis." The word "heis" (one) occurs in Mark 12:29 quoted above. "One" in any language is a numerical adjective indicating a singular number of something. If the cardinal number "one" can be "uni-plural" or "complex," then the entire reliability of mathematics is confused and destroyed.

Genesis 2:24 is claimed to be an example of the "uni-plural" nature of echad: "A man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one (echad) flesh." In the first marriage in the Adamic line, Adam and Eve became one flesh. In 4^th grade grammar class I learned that "one" is an adjective because it answers the question "How many?" So Adam plus Eve equals one flesh.

For a modern example, my wife and I can be called "one flesh." In today's language we would say that we are one couple. If another husband and wife joined us in a room there would be two couples, or two fleshes, in the room. My easy point is that the word "one" always and invariably refers to one of something. Whether it is one person consisting of trillions of cells or one universe consisting of trillions of stars, the subject, a person or a universe, is one singular unit. The noun which the adjective "one" modifies (describes) can have many parts. But the adjective "one" itself never becomes "uniplural." Any noun in the universe can be described by the word "one," but it is entirely false to say that the word "one" means anything other than "one."

In spite of the above, it seems that some people continue to assert that echad is a "uni-plural" word. I hope that this study has shown that the adjective "one" is never "uni-plural." No recognized dictionary would offer you that definition. It always, without exception, means one of whatever noun is being modified (described). The modified noun can have many parts, such as one tripod, one cluster, one forest, one flock or one nation. But the quantity expressed by the adjective "one" is never plural. It always means "one" and not two or more.

So on to the corollary question: Let's look at the noun LORD, which the adjective "one" modifies (describes) in Deuteronomy 6:4. If echad is never a "uni-plural" word, does the "uni-plural" idea apply to the nouns "the LORD" or "God" in some other way? Is "the LORD" or "God" a category consisting of two or three or more individuals? Is "the LORD God" a collective noun like cluster or something akin to a corporate entity?

When the Messiah quoted Deuteronomy 6:4-5 he confirmed his belief that YEHOVAH God is one LORD. In case there is any confusion as to how many are included in the noun LORD, the Messiah said in prayer to his Father, "This is eternal life [the life of the age to come], that they may know You, the only true God..." (John 17:3). Since Yeshua said that the only true God is one LORD, I see no other option than to understand that the Messiah believed the one God was one single Individual (his and our heavenly Father), certainly not a "uni-plural" being.

The "Articles of Faith" section of our church website (www.hope-of-israel/p0000004.htm/articlesfaith.html) describes our church's belief in YEHOVAH God thus: "Beside Him THERE IS NO OTHER: from before the universe was formed and into eternity. He is the ONE LORD, KING, ROCK, REDEEMER and SAVIOR..." As far as I know, Hank Hanegraaff appears to be the first person to use the phrase "one what and three who's," cited in the book The Forgotten Trinity by James White (1998, p. 27).

Let's investigate the formulation "three 'whos' in one 'what,'" also sometimes referred to as "one what and three who's." By way of illustration, think of a board of directors. We could say it is "many 'whos' (members) in one 'what'" (board) or "one 'what' (board) and many 'whos' (members)." The fact that a board has many members is evident from how we sometimes use plural pronouns when referring to a board. For example, "The board decided that they would meet next Tuesday." While it should be "the board...it," we know that the common switch to the plural pronoun is due to acknowledgment of a board being comprised of many people. Similarly, in Genesis 2:25 the two members of the "one flesh" are referred to as "they," meaning the man and the woman. They will become one flesh.

In contrast, the Bible contains multiple hundreds of examples where YEHOVAH God is referred to by singular pronouns: I, Me, My, Mine, Myself; He, Him, His, Himself, You (singular), Your (singular), Yours (singular), Yourself (singular). Even those who adhere to a view of a multiple-Person Godhead do not say "the LORD/God...They really love you" but rather "the LORD/God...He really loves you." It is because their minds realize it is unthinkable to have a truly singular Deity and then use plural pronouns. It is thus unthinkable and unimaginable for them to do so when they speak of the one LORD God!

In other words, when we speak of YEHOVAH God as our Father or LORD, we are confessing that YEHOVAH God is a "who" (a Person), not a "what" (a thing). Surely, the Bible speaks of YEHOVAH God as one personal being, never as an ideal or abstract entity or category.

"God" knows if He is a "what" and three "whos" or if He is an individual, a solitary, divine, unique, personal being. In every Scripture I can find where YEHOVAH God speaks of His identity, YEHOVAH declares Himself to be "one 'who,'" not "one 'what.'" Indeed, the very fact that YEHOVAH God speaks demonstrates YEHOVAH God as one "who," not one "what."

Notice these three of multiple similar passages:

* Isaiah 45:5-6: "I am the LORD, and there is no other. Besides Me there is no God...There is no one beside Me. I am the LORD and there is no other."

* Deuteronomy 32:39: "See now that I, I am He, and there is no God besides Me."

* Exodus 20:3: "You are to have no other gods before Me."

Without question, the Messiah knows if YEHOVAH God is a "what," and if he, the Messiah, is the second "who" in that "what." Yet his statements refer to YEHOVAH God solely and very clearly as one individual, his (and our) Father, a single "who."

One more example, in addition to John 17:3 mentioned above, should suffice:

* John 20:17: "I ascend to my Father and your Father, and my God and your God."

The Messiah's statement that the Father is the only one who is true God (John 17:3) completely excludes a "three `whos' in one 'what' speculation. The Messiah always spoke of and prayed to his Father as though He were one separate, unique, individual entity or person. He never referred to YEHOVAH God as a category or plural being in any sense whatever.

I know of no Scripture describing YEHOVAH God as a group, such as a board or committee, or any other collective noun. On the contrary, Hebrews 1:3 says that Yeshua the Messiah is "the express image of his [YEHOVAH God's] person." The passage does not say the Messiah is a member of the God-group, but rather that YEHOVAH God is a Person and the Messiah (a separate individual from YEHOVAH God) is YEHOVAH's express image. The verse continues by saying that the Messiah sat down at the right hand of YEHOVAH God (cp. Psalm 110:1, where the second "Lord" should be "lord," adoni, my lord, which never refers to Deity).

Moses and others wrote much about YEHOVAH God. Their statements, like those of YEHOVAH God and the Messiah, refer to YEHOVAH God always as a "who":

* Deuteronomy 32:12: "The LORD alone guided him, and there was no foreign god with him."

* David -- Psalm 86:10: "You alone are God."

* Hezekiah -- 2 Kings 19:15: "You are God, You alone."

* Nehemiah -- Nehemiah 9:6: "You alone are the LORD."

* Paul -- I Corinthians 8:6: "To us there is one God, the Father..."

If YEHOVAH God was a "what," rather than a "who," then I wonder why, when the opportunity was perfect for setting people straight, that opportunity was missed.

In John 10:33-38 his Judean countrymen accuse the Messiah of making himself God. Instead of agreeing, the Messiah clarified by stating, "I said, 'I am the Son of God.'"

In Acts 17:22-31 the Apostle Paul is talking with pagan Greeks who were accustomed to the idea of many gods. Verse 18 says, "'He seems to be a proclaimer of strange gods' -- because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection." What a perfect opportunity! One might be tempted to say, perhaps, that Paul never described the Messiah as God to his Judean countrymen because they were not ready to receive it -- but these Greek philosophers, they were ready to hear about Paul's strange gods. But we don't see this happen. Rather, Paul spends the bulk of his sermon telling them who (not what) YEHOVAH God is. Then, at the very end, he introduces the Messiah as the one man through whom this one God has ordained to judge the world (v. 31).

As I think of all these things, I admit that claims that the clear unitarian words of the Shema contain proof for YEHOVAH God consisting of "a plurality of beings" baffle me. When Trinitarians try to explain, I become increasingly puzzled and alarmed. So, without exception, they try to win me over to their position by saying something like: "The Trinity is a great mystery, beyond human comprehension and transcending human reason. It defies logical explanation, yet absolutely must be believed in order to be a Christian." What this omits to say is that YEHOVAH God uses plain human language, grammar and logic to define who He is. YEHOVAH absolutely does not want to mystify or confuse us about His identity.

In my attempt to understand what people mean when they say that the number "one" can refer to a composite or integrated whole, thus allowing for the "uni-plural" nature of YEHOVAH God, I hope I have described their teaching accurately. I likewise hope that I accurately described the corresponding idea that "the LORD" or "God" of the Shema might be a corporate entity. In order for honest dialogue to occur there must be an accurate understanding of views other than one's own. From there honest, valuable and productive conversation can begin. I invite you to continue the conversation. What do you say?

We are dealing with the supremely great ideas of the universe. If life in the coming age is our desire, we should start with the Messiah's own definition of monotheism: "You, Father, are the only one who is true God" (John 17:1, 3). All other definitions are false, and truth is required for all of us to be saved (2 Thessalonians 2:10).