APPEARANCE OF THE TRINITY TO ABRAHAM AND DAVID

In this post I will provide some evidence that the Trinity appeared to Abraham as three distinct men, and that David identified both the Father and the Son as Jehovah God Almighty.

According to Jewish tradition, a group of scribes called the sopherim changed the divine name YHVH to Adonay in 134 places. Three of these places are relevant to my discussion. These scribes also made eighteen changes to the Hebrew manuscripts, which also have a direct bearing on my interpretation of the relevant passages.

The following is taken from E. W. Bullinger’s Companion Bible:

32. The 134 Places where the Sopherim altered “Jehovah” to “Adonai”

ALTERED “JEHOVAH” TO “ADONAI”.

Out of extreme (but mistaken) reverence for the Ineffable Name “Jehovah”, the ancient custodians of the Sacred Text substituted in many places “Adonai” (see Ap. 4. viii. 2).  These, in the A.V. and R.V., are all printed “Lord”.  In all these places we have printed it “LORD*”, marking the word with an asterisk in addition to the note in the margin, to inform the reader of the fact.

The official list given in the Massorah (§§ 107-15, Ginsburg’s edition) contains the 134.

Gen. 18:3, 27, 30, 32; 19:18; 20:4.

Ex. 4:10, 13; 5:22; 15:17; 34:9, 9.

Num. 14:17.

Josh. 7:8.

Judg. 6:15; 13:8.

1Kings 3:10, 15; 22:6.

2Kings 7:6; 19:23.

Isa. 3:17, 18; 4:4; 6:1, 8, 11; 7:14, 10; 8:7; 9:8, 17; 10:12; 11:11; 21:6, 8, 16; 28:2; 29:13; 30:20; 37:24; 38:14, 16; 49:14.

Ezek. 18:25, 29; 21:13; 33:17, 29.

Amos 5:16; 7:7, 8; 9:1.

Zech. 9:4.

Mic. 1:2.

Mal. 1:12, 14.

Ps. 2:4; 16:2; 22:19, 30; 30:8; 35:3, 17, 22; 37:12; 38:9, 15, 22; 39:7; 40:17; 44:23; 51:15; 54:4; 55:9; 57:9; 59:11; 62:12; 66:18; 68:11, 17, 19, 22, 26, 32; 73:20; 77:2, 7; 78:65; 79:12; 86:3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 15; 89:49, 50; 90:1, 17; 110:5; 130:2, 3, 6.

Dan. 1:2; 9:3, 4, 7, 9, 15, 16, 17, 19, 19, 19.

Lam. 1:14, 15, 15; 2:1, 2, 5, 7, 18, 19, 20; 3:31, 36, 37, 58.

Ezra 10:3.

Neh. 1:11; 4:14.

Job 28:28.

(See Ginsburg’s ed. of The Massorah, §§ 107-115.)

To these may be added the following, where “Elohim” was treated in the same way :–

Where the A.V. has “LORD.” —

2Sam. 5:19-25.

2Sam. 6:9-17.

Where in A.V. and R.V. it still appears as “God”.  It is printed “GOD*” in the Companion Bible.

1Chron. 13:12.

1Chron. 14:10, 11, 14, 16.

1Chron. 16:1.

Ps. 14:1, 2, 5.

Ps. 53:1, 2, 4, 5.

There’s more:

33. The Eighteen Emendations of the Sopherim

The Massorah (Ap. 30), i.e. the small writing in the margins of the standard Hebrew codices, as shown in the plate on p. 32, consists of a concordance of words and phrases, &c., safeguarding the Sacred Text.  A note in the Massorah against several passages in the manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible state:  “This is one of the Eighteen Emendations of the Sopherim,” or words to that effect.

Complete lists of these emendations are found in the Massorah of most of the model or standard codices of the Hebrew Bible, and these are not always identical; so that the total number exceeds eighteen :  from which it would appear that these examples are simply typical.

The Siphri (*1) adduces seven passages; the Yalkut (*2), ten; the Mechiltha (*3), eleven; the Tanchuma (*4), seventeen; while the St. Petersburg Codex gives two passages not included in any other list (Mal. 1:12; 3:9; see below).

These emendations were made at a period long before Christ, before the Hebrew text had obtained its present settled form, and these emendations affect the Figure called Anthropopatheia.  See. Ap. 6.

The following is a list of the eighteen “Emendations,” together with eight others not included in the official lists.  Particulars will be found on consulting the notes on the respective passages.

Gen. 18:22.

Num. 11:15.

Num. 12:12.

1Sam. 3:13.

2Sam. 12:14.

2Sam. 16:12.

1Kings 12:16.

1Kings 21:10.

1Kings 21:13.

2Chron. 10:16.

Job 1:5.

Job 1:11.

Job 2:5.

Job 2:9.

Job 7:20.

Job 32:3.

Ps. 10:3.

Ps. 106:20.

Ecc. 3:21.

Jer. 2:11.

Lam. 3:20.

Ezek. 8:17.

Hos. 4:7.

Hab. 1:12.

Zech. 2:8 (12).

Mal. 1:13.

Mal. 3:9.

(*1) An ancient commentary on Leviticus (circa A.D. 219-47).

(*2) A catena of the whole Hebrew Scriptures, composed in the eleventh century, for ancient sources by Rabbi Simeon.

(*3) An ancient commentary on Exodus, compiled about A.D. 90 by Rabbi Ishmael ben Elisa.

(*4) A commentary on the Pentateuch, compiled from ancient sources by Rabbi Tanchuma ben Abba, about A.D. 380.

Ironically, the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Watchtower Bible and Tract Society produce a nearly identical list in the appendices to their 1984 New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures—With References.

1B Scribal Changes Involving the Divine Name

The 134 Changes

In 134 places the Jewish Sopherim (scribes) altered the original Hebrew text from YHWH to ʼAdho·naiʹ. Gins.Mas, Vol. IV, p. 28, § 115, says: “We have seen that in many of these one hundred and thirty-four instances in which the present received text reads Adonaī in accordance with this Massorah, some of the best MSS. and early editions read the Tetragrammaton, and the question arises how did this variation obtain? The explanation is not far to seek. From time immemorial the Jewish canons decreed that the incommunicable name is to be pronounced Adonaī as if it were written אדני [ʼAdho·naiʹ] instead of יהוה [YHWH]. Nothing was, therefore, more natural for the copyists than to substitute the expression which exhibited the pronunciation for the Tetragrammaton which they were forbiden to pronounce.”

Following is a list of these 134 places, according to Gins.Mas, Vol. I, pp. 25, 26, § 115:

Ge 18:3, 27, 30, 31, 32; Ge 19:18; Ge 20:4; Ex 4:10, 13; Ex 5:22; Ex 15:17; Ex 34:9, 9; Nu 14:17; Jos 7:8; Jg 6:15; Jg 13:8; 1Ki 3:10, 15; 1Ki 22:6; 2Ki 7:6; 2Ki 19:23; Ezr 10:3; Ne 1:11; Ne 4:14; Job 28:28; Ps 2:4; Ps 16:2; Ps 22:30; Ps 30:8; Ps 35:17, 22, 23; Ps 37:13; Ps 38:9, 15, 22; Ps 39:7; Ps 40:17; Ps 44:23; Ps 51:15; Ps 54:4; Ps 55:9; Ps 57:9; Ps 59:11; Ps 62:12; Ps 66:18; Ps 68:11, 17, 19, 22, 26, 32; Ps 73:20; Ps 77:2, 7; Ps 78:65; Ps 79:12; Ps 86:3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 15; Ps 89:49, 50; Ps 90:1, 17; Ps 110:5; Ps 130:2, 3, 6; Isa 3:17, 18; Isa 4:4; Isa 6:1, 8, 11; Isa 7:14, 20; Isa 8:7; Isa 9:8, 17; Isa 10:12; Isa 11:11; Isa 21:6, 8, 16; Isa 28:2; Isa 29:13; Isa 30:20; Isa 37:24; Isa 38:14, 16; Isa 49:14; La 1:14, 15, 15; La 2:1, 2, 5, 7, 18, 19, 20; La 3:31, 36, 37, 58; Eze 18:25, 29; Eze 21:9; Eze 33:17, 20; Da 1:2; Da 9:3, 4, 7, 9, 15, 16, 17, 19, 19, 19; Am 5:16; Am 7:7, 8; Am 9:1; Mic 1:2; Zec 9:4; Mal 1:12, 14.

We restored the original reading in 133 places and rendered it as “Jehovah.” The only exception is Ps 68:26, where BHK and BHS already have the Tetragrammaton.—See Ps 68:26 ftn, “Jehovah.”

Eight Other Changes

According to Gins.Int, pp. 368, 369, in some instances the Jewish Sopherim substituted ʼElo·himʹ for the Tetragrammaton. We restored the original reading in eight places and rendered it as “Jehovah,” namely, in Ps 14:1, 2, 5; Ps 53:1, 2, 4, 5, 6.

Thus we restored the Tetragrammaton in the above 141 places and rendered it as “Jehovah.”

2B Emendations (Corrections) of the Sopherim—“Tiqqune Sopherim”

Eighteen Emendations of the Sopherim

In the margin of certain Hebrew manuscripts of the Masoretic text there are notations that read: “This is one of the eighteen emendations of the Sopherim,” or similar expressions. These emendations (corrections) were made with good intentions because the original passage appeared to show either irreverence for God or disrespect for his earthly representatives. Following is a list of the Eighteen Emendations of the Sopherim, according to Gins.Int, pp. 347-363: Ge 18:22; Nu 11:15; 12:12; 1Sa 3:13; 2Sa 16:12; 20:1; 1Ki 12:16; 2Ch 10:16; Job 7:20; 32:3; Ps 106:20; Jer 2:11; La 3:20; Eze 8:17; Ho 4:7; Hab 1:12; Zec 2:8; Mal 1:13.

Other Emendations of the Sopherim

According to Gins.Int, pp. 362, 363, the St. Petersburg Codex of 916 C.E. registers two more alterations made by the Sopherim, namely, in Mal 1:12; 3:9. In those two places we have restored the text to the original reading. Our footnotes indicate the original reading as well as the actual reading in M.

Emendations in the Text but Not Recorded in the Masoretic Notes

According to Gins.Int, p. 363, there are “a few passages into which changes have been introduced by the authorised redactors of the text, but which are not expressly mentioned in the official Lists. Foremost amongst these are instances in which the original reading described blasphemy or cursing God. Such profane phrases were deemed offensive to the ears of the devote[d] worshippers when the Scriptures were read publicly before the congregation.” We have restored the text to the original reading in the following seven places: 2Sa 12:14; 1Ki 21:10, 13; Job 1:5, 11; 2:5, 9. Our footnotes indicate the original reading as well as the actual reading in M.

Pay close attention to the fact that the aforementioned lists include Genesis 18:3, 22, 19:18 and Psalms 110:5 as some of the places which were affected by changes made by the sopherim.

Genesis 18:3, 19:18 and Psalm 110:5 are important since these texts originally contained the divine name, which the Jewish scribes changed to Adonay.

In the next segment I will seek to demonstrate how the foregoing data provides strong evidence that Abraham saw all three divine Persons of the Godhead appearing as men, and that David knew by inspiration from the Holy Spirit that Jehovah eternally exists as at least two distinct divine Persons: APPEARANCE OF THE TRINITY TO ABRAHAM AND DAVID PT. 2.