I come to the final installment of my discussion: APPEARANCE OF THE TRINITY TO ABRAHAM AND DAVID PT. 2.

JEHOVAH AT JEHOVAH’S RIGHT HAND

The prophet David foresaw and spoke of Jehovah his Lord coming forth Jehovah’s right hand to slay wicked kings on the day of his wrath:  

“Of David. A melody. The utterance of Jehovah to my Lord (ladoni) is: ‘Sit at my right hand Until I place your enemies as a stool for your feet.’ The rod of your strength Jehovah will send out of Zion, [saying:] ‘Go subduing in the midst of your enemies.’ Your people will offer themselves willingly on the day of your military force. In the splendors of holiness, from the womb of the dawn, You have your company of young men just like dewdrops. Jehovah has sworn (and he will feel no regret): ‘You are a priest to time indefinite According to the manner of Mel·chizʹe·dek!’ Jehovah himself at your right hand Will certainly break kings to pieces on the day of his anger.” Psalm 110:1-5

Here is how other English versions render the texts in question:

“Adonai says to my Lord, ‘Sit at MY right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.’… Adonai at YOUR right hand will shatter kings on the day of his anger.” Psalm 110:1, 5 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

“Yahweh says to my Lord, ‘Sit at MY right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool for your feet.’… The Lord is at YOUR right hand. He will crush kings in the day of his wrath.” World English Bible (WEB)

As the readers can see, the majority of English translations go with the dominant reading found in the Masoretic text for v. 5, e.g., Adonay. It is the Jehovah’s Witness Bible that has adopted the term Jehovah on the basis of the information provided by Jewish tradition.

With that in mind, the fact that David’s Lord reigns at Jehovah’s right hand and ministers as a priest presupposes his humanity. I.e., David is prophesying that a specific Person of the Godhead will become one of David’s physical descendants for the express purpose of becoming the Davidic King who also serves as high priest for the Jehovah whose right hand David’s Lord sits at.

The humanity of David’s Lord is further corroborated by God’s irrevocable promise to his beloved servant that he shall possess Jehovah’s kingdom forever, which is why he shall never fail to have a physical descendant sitting upon the throne of Jehovah on his behalf and in his place:  

“For I have said: ‘Loving-kindness will stay built even to time indefinite; As for the heavens, you keep your faithfulness firmly established in them. I have concluded a covenant toward my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant, “Even to time indefinite I shall firmly establish your seed, And I will build your throne to generation after generation.”’ Seʹlah… At that time you spoke in a vision to your loyal ones, And you proceeded to say: ‘I have placed help upon a mighty one; I have exalted a chosen one from among the people. I have found David my servant; With my holy oil I have anointed him, With whom my own hand will be firm, Whom my own arm also will strengthen. No enemy will make exactions upon him, Neither will any son of unrighteousness afflict him. And from before him I crushed his adversaries to pieces, And to those intensely hating him I kept dealing out blows. And my faithfulness and my loving-kindness are with him, And in my name his horn is exalted. And on the sea I have put his hand And on the rivers his right hand. He himself calls out to me, “You are my Father, My God and the Rock of my salvation.” Also, I myself shall place him as firstborn, The most high of the kings of the earth. To time indefinite I shall preserve my loving-kindness toward him, And my covenant will be faithful to him. And I shall certainly set up his seed forever And his throne as the days of heaven. If his sons leave my law And in my judicial decisions they do not walk, If they profane my own statutes And they do not keep my own commandments, I must also turn my attention to their transgression even with a rod And to their error even with strokes. But my loving-kindness I shall not break off from him, Nor shall I prove false with regard to my faithfulness. I shall not profane my covenant, And the expression out of my lips I shall not change. Once I have sworn in my holiness, To David I will not tell lies. His seed itself will prove to be even to time indefinite, And his throne as the sun in front of me. As the moon it will be firmly established for time indefinite, And [as] a faithful witness in the skies.’ Seʹlah.” Psalm 89:2-4, 19-37 – Cf. 1 Chronicles 28:1-7; 17:10-14; 22:7-10; Isaiah 9:1-2, 6-7; 16:5; 55:1-7; Jeremiah 23:5-6; 30:8-9, 21; 33:15-16; Ezekiel 37:22-28; Hosea 3:4-5; Amos 9:11

Therefore, David’s Lord had to become one of his physical offspring, otherwise he would not be qualified to reign from Zion without God violating the oath he made to his beloved servant.  

And yet according to the “original” reading of Psalm 110:5, David’s Lord is actually Jehovah God who humbles himself to become a physical descendant of David!

Note the verses once again:

110:1: The utterance of Jehovah to my Lord is: “Sit at MY right hand Until I place your enemies as a stool for your feet.”

110:5: Jehovah himself at YOUR right hand Will certainly break kings to pieces on the day of his anger.

The same Lord who is at Jehovah’s right hand in v. 1 is the same Jehovah of v. 5 who will eventually come forth from Jehovah’s right hand to destroy rulers in his anger.

The immediate context provides additional corroboration that the Lord (adoni) of v. 1 is the same One whom the inspired prophet calls Jehovah:

“Jehovah himself at your right hand Will certainly break kings to pieces on the day of HIS anger. HE will execute judgment among the nations; HE will cause a fullness of dead bodies. HE will certainly break to pieces the head one over a populous land. From the torrent valley in the way HE will drink. That is why HE will raise high [his] head.” Psalm 110:5-7

Keep in mind that there is no change in the referent, since the pronouns all refer to the same subject.

As such, it is one and the same Person that is described as coming to judge the nations and destroy wicked kings in the day of his wrath. And it is this same Lord whom David describes as refreshing himself by drinking water from a torrent, which is clearly a human function!

Therefore, since this is a human action undertaken by Jehovah, this must be describing David’s Lord. There’s simply no way around this fact.

As the following Messianic Jewish author puts it:

“… Unlike v. 1, where the vowels used generally (although not exclusively) indicate a human master (’adoni) rather than God, in v. 5 the vowels indicate that it is certainly a Divine Master being described. This has led many commentators to assume that this is not the King at Yahweh’s right hand but instead Yahweh at the King’s right hand.⁵⁷

“Yet it is better to view this as the King at the right hand of God. First, grammatically, all the third-person singular pronouns in vv. 5-7 refer back to the Lord (’adonay).

The Lord [’adonay, the messianic king] is at Your right hand; 

He will crush kings on the day of His anger.

He will judge the nations, heaping up corpses;

He will crush leaders over the entire world.

He will drink from the brook by the road;

therefore, He will lift up His head.

“Plainly, it is the King who battles and drinks. Since there is no change in subject, it is the King who is called the Divine Lord (‘adonay) in v. 5. Edward J. Kissane notes the error of understanding ’adonay as Yahweh while taking the third singular pronouns that follow as referring to the King: ‘This introduces a change in subject of which there is no indication in the text. If the Messiah is the subject of v. 7, he must also be the subject of the preceding verses.’⁵⁸

“Secondly, just as it is the Lord (’adoni) who is seated at the right hand of God in v. 1, so He is once again described in v. 5 as the one who is on the right hand of God. As Perowne says, ‘It is hardly probable that in so short a Psalm the King should first be said (ver. 1) to be at the right hand of Jehovah, and then that in ver. 5 Jehovah, on the contrary, should be said to be at the right hand of the King.’⁵⁹ The logical conclusion is that the King is called ‘the Lord’ (’adonay), A TITLE RESERVED FOR GOD ALONE. While it is possible to object that the King would not have been granted a divine title, there are implications of the King’s deity throughout the psalm. In light of Ps 45:6 saying to the King, ‘Your throne, God, is forever and ever,’ therein calling Him ‘God’ (’elohim), why is it so objectionable, apart from dogmatic presupposition, for Him to be called ‘Lord’ (’adonay) in this one?

“Thus, in 110:5-6 the victorious Divine Messiah is graphically depicted defeating all who have rebelled against God. He crushes kings and rulers, judges the people (nations), and heaps up corpses, indicating that no rebels will escape. The violence of the imagery recalls Isa 63:1-6, where the messianic King tramples through the winepress of the nations, staining His garments with blood and crushing nations in His anger.⁶⁰ The psalmist says all this will occur on ‘the day of His anger,’ with the pronoun ‘His’ referring to the King. Since the phrase ‘day of anger’ (yom ’ap) occurs in only six verses in Scripture⁶¹ AND IN EACH CASE IT REFERS TO GOD’S WRATH, this would imply that the triumphant King IS INDEED A DIVINE KING.⁶²” (Michael Rydelnik,Messianic Hope: Is the Hebrew Bible Really Messianic? [B&H Publishing Group, Nashville, TN 2010], pp. 178-179 https://books.google.com/books?id=3hm6YdykoKUC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false; bold and capital emphasis mine)

57 VanGemeren, “Psalms,” EBC 5:699; Kidner, Psalms 73-150, 396; Kraus, Psalm 60-150, 351-52; Mitchell, The Message of the Psalter, 262.

58 E. J. Kissane, The Book of Psalms (Dublin: Browne and Nolan, 1954), 2:194.

59 Perowne, The Book of Psalms, 2:309.

60 Perowne has objected to the messianic interpretation of this section, wondering how it can describe the Messiah as “literally reigning from Zion” and engaging “in fierce and bloody war with his enemies” (The Book of Psalms, 2:296). This sort of objection stems from a false image of Jesus as the meek and mild one. Although at present “He will not break a bruised reed” (Isa 42:3), in the Hebrew Bible there are many wrathful images of the Messiah executing justice against the nations, such as Psalm 2 and Isaiah 63. There will one day be a literal battle in which the Messiah will crush all rebellion against the true God. D. Sayer’s observation is helpful: “We have very efficiently pared the claws of the Lion of Judah, certified him ‘meek and mild,’ and recommended Him as a fitting household pet for pale curates and pious old ladies” (The Whimsical Christian: Eighteen Essays [New York: Macmillian, 1978], 14).

61 Job 20:28; Lam 2:1, 21-22; Zeph 2:2-3.

62 Davis, “Is Psalm 110 a Messianic Psalm?” 166. (Ibid.)

NEW TESTAMENT APPLICATION

According to the inspired Christian writings, both Jesus himself and his Spirit-filled emissaries ascribed Psalm 110 to God’s uniquely begotten and beloved Son:  

“However, when making a reply, Jesus began to say as he taught in the temple: ‘How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is David’s son? By the holy spirit David himself said, “Jehovah said to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies beneath your feet.’” David himself calls him “Lord,” but how does it come that he is his son?’” Mark 12:35-37

“This Jesus God resurrected, of which fact we are all witnesses. Therefore because he was exalted to the right hand of God and received the promised holy spirit from the Father, he has poured out this which YOU see and hear. Actually David did not ascend to the heavens, but he himself says, ‘Jehovah said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I place your enemies as a stool for your feet.”’ Therefore let all the house of Israel know for a certainty that God made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom YOU impaled.” Acts 2:32-36

“He is the reflection of [his] glory and the exact representation of his very being, and he sustains all things by the word of his power; and after he had made a purification for our sins he sat down on the right hand of the Majesty in lofty places… But with reference to which one of the angels has he ever said: ‘Sit at my right hand, until I place your enemies as a stool for your feet’? Hebrews 1:3, 13 – Cf. 10:12-13; 12:2

“So too the Christ did not glorify himself by becoming a high priest, but [was glorified by him] who spoke with reference to him: ‘You are my son; I, today, I have become your father.’ Just as he says also in another place: ‘You are a priest forever according to the manner of Mel·chizʹe·dek.’” Hebrews 5:5-6

“For it is quite plain that our Lord has sprung up out of Judah, a tribe about which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests. And it is still more abundantly clear that with a similarity to Mel·chizʹe·dek there arises another priest, who has become such, not according to the law of a commandment depending upon the flesh, but according to the power of an indestructible life, for in witness it is said: ‘You are a priest forever according to the manner of Mel·chizʹe·dek.’” Hebrews 7:14-17

Jesus is further described as doing the very things that Psalm 110 states that David’s divine Lord shall do, namely, judge the nations,

“For the Father judges no one at all, but he has committed all the judging to the Son,” John 5:22

“He sent out the word to the sons of Israel to declare to them the good news of peace+ through Jesus Christ: this One is Lord of all [others]… Also, he ordered us to preach to the people and to give a thorough witness that this is the One decreed by God to be judge of the living and the dead.” Acts 10:36, 42

“When the Son of man arrives in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit down on his glorious throne. And all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will put the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on his left.” Matthew 25:31-33

And destroy the kings of the earth and their armies that oppose him in his divine wrath on the day when he returns to the earth to unleash the wrath of God Almighty upon the wicked:

“And the kings of the earth and the top-ranking ones and the military commanders and the rich and the strong ones and every slave and [every] free person hid themselves in the caves and in the rock-masses of the mountains. And they keep saying to the mountains and to the rock-masses: ‘Fall over us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, because the great day of THEIR wrath has come, and who is able to stand?’” Revelation 6:15-17

“And the ten horns that you saw mean ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom, but they do receive authority as kings one hour with the wild beast. These have one thought, and so they give their power and authority to the wild beast. These will battle with the Lamb, but, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings, the Lamb will conquer them. Also, those called and chosen and faithful with him [will do so].” Revelation 17:12-14

“And I saw the heaven opened, and, look! a white horse. And the one seated upon it is called Faithful and True, and he judges and carries on war in righteousness. His eyes are a fiery flame, and upon his head are many diadems. He has a name written that no one knows but he himself, and he is arrayed with an outer garment sprinkled with blood, and the name he is called is The Word of God. Also, the armies that were in heaven were following him on white horses, and they were clothed in white, clean, fine linen. And out of his mouth there protrudes a sharp long sword, that he may strike the nations with it, and he will shepherd them with a rod of iron. He treads too the winepress of the anger of the wrath of God the Almighty. And upon his outer garment, even upon his thigh, he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. I saw also an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice and said to all the birds that fly in midheaven: ‘Come here, be gathered together to the great evening meal of God, that YOU may eat the fleshy parts of kings and the fleshy parts of military commanders and the fleshy parts of strong men and the fleshy parts of horses and of those seated upon them, and the fleshy parts of all, of freemen as well as of slaves and of small ones and great.’ And I saw the wild beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage the war with the one seated on the horse and with HIS army. And the wild beast was caught, and along with it the false prophet that performed in front of it the signs with which he misled those who received the mark of the wild beast and those who render worship to its image. While still alive, they both were hurled into the fiery lake that burns with sulphur. But the rest were killed off with the long sword of the one seated on the horse, which [sword] proceeded out of his mouth. And all the birds were filled from the fleshy parts of them.” Revelation 19:11-21

It is, therefore, clear from the inspired NT that Jesus is that very Jehovah whom David prophesied would come forth from Jehovah’s right hand to judge the living and the dead:

“For the Son of man is destined to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will recompense each one according to his behavior. Truly I say to YOU that there are some of those standing here that will not taste death at all until first they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.” Matthew 16:27-28

“True, God has overlooked the times of such ignorance, yet now he is telling mankind that they should all everywhere repent. Because he has set a day in which he purposes to judge the inhabited earth in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and he has furnished a guarantee to all men in that he has resurrected him from the dead.” Acts 17:30-31

“This will be in the day when God through Christ Jesus judges the secret things of mankind, according to the good news I declare.” Romans 2:16

“For to this end Christ died and came to life again, that he might be Lord over both the dead and the living. But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you also look down on your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written: ‘“As I live,” says Jehovah, “to me every knee will bend down, and every tongue will make open acknowledgment to God.”’ So, then, each of us will render an account for himself to God.” Romans 14:9-12

“For we must all be made manifest before the judgment seat of the Christ, that each one may get his award for the things done through the body, according to the things he has practiced, whether it is good or vile. Knowing, therefore, the fear of the Lord, we keep persuading men, but we have been made manifest to God. However, I hope that we have been made manifest also to YOUR consciences.” 2 Corinthians 5:10-11

“For they themselves keep reporting about the way we first entered in among YOU and how YOU turned to God from [YOUR] idols to slave for a living and true God, and to wait for his Son from the heavens, whom he raised up from the dead, namely, Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath which is coming.” 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10

“Now as for the times and the seasons, brothers, YOU need nothing to be written to YOU. For YOU yourselves know quite well that Jehovah’s day is coming exactly as a thief in the night… because God assigned us, not to wrath, but to the acquiring of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us, that, whether we stay awake or are asleep, we should live together with him.” 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2, 9-10

“This is a proof of the righteous judgment of God, leading to YOUR being counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which YOU are indeed suffering. This takes into account that it is righteous on God’s part to repay tribulation to those who make tribulation for YOU, but, to YOU who suffer tribulation, relief along with us at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his powerful angels in a flaming fire, as he brings vengeance upon those who do not know God and those who do not obey the good news about our Lord Jesus. These very ones will undergo the judicial punishment of everlasting destruction from before the Lord and from the glory of his strength, at the time he comes to be glorified in connection with his holy ones and to be regarded in that day with wonder in connection with all those who exercised faith, because the witness we gave met with faith among YOU. To that very end indeed we always pray for YOU, that our God may count YOU worthy of [his] calling and perform completely all he pleases of goodness and the work of faith with power; in order that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in YOU, and YOU in union with him, in accord with the undeserved kindness of our God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Thessalonians 1:5-12

“I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is destined to JUDGE the living and the dead, and by HIS manifestation and HIS kingdom… From this time on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous JUDGE, will give me as a reward in that day, yet not only to me, but also to all those who have loved HIS manifestation… In my first defense no one came to my side, but they all proceeded to forsake me—may it not be put to their account—but the Lord stood near me and infused power into me, that through me the preaching might be fully accomplished and all the nations might hear it; and I was delivered from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will deliver me from every wicked work and will save [me] for HIS heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” 2 Timothy 4:1, 8, 18

“‘Look! I am coming quickly, and the reward I give is with me, to render to each one as his work is. I am the Alʹpha and the O·meʹga, the first and the last, the beginning and the end… I, Jesus, sent my angel to bear witness to YOU people of these things for the congregations. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright morning star.’… He that bears witness of these things says, ‘Yes; I am coming quickly.’ Amen! Come, Lord Jesus.” Revelation 22:12-13, 16, 20

What all this means is that the Holy Spirit enabled David to foresee and speak of God the Father addressing God the Son as the Jehovah that becomes flesh to perfectly fulfill the Davidic covenant and who eventually returns to the earth to judge and unleash God’s wrath on God’s enemies!

CONCLUSION

In this series of posts, we have seen evidence suggesting that Genesis 18:3, 19:18 and Psalm 110:5 initially read YHVH, which was then changed by certain Jewish scribes to Adonay. I proceeded to show how this reading supports the view that the inspired authors of the Hebrew Bible were made aware that the God of Israel was an infinite multi-Personal Being, in fact Tri-Personal, who could and often did appear to individuals in visible form.

Some of these divine manifestations included human appearances such as the three men whom Abraham saw and worshiped as Jehovah, with two of them appearing to Lot who eventually came to realize that he was actually beholding Jehovah his God that had come to save him from God’s destruction upon Sodom (Cf. Isaiah 13:17-19; Jeremiah 50:40; Amos 4:11).

In the case of David, I demonstrated how this Spirit-filled king and prophet was given revelation that the coming anointed Ruler wasn’t merely a physical descendant of his. Rather, the Holy Spirit had revealed to him that the Messianic King was both personally distinct from and identical with Jehovah God Almighty.

David knew that the Messiah not only sits enthroned at Jehovah’s right hand but that he himself is Jehovah God, and therefore David’s very own Lord, who humbles himself to become one of his physical descendants for the express purpose of fulfilling the promises that God had made to Jesse’s son (Cf. Matthew 1:1; 4:12-17; Luke 1:26-35; 2:1-11; Acts 4:23-31; 13:22-37; Romans 1:3-4; 2 Timothy 2:8).  

FURTHER READING

How the theology of the Psalms proves that Muhammad was a false prophet

Psalm 110:1 – Another Clear Testimony to Christ’s Deity Pt. 3

Did Christ’s Sacrifice Appease the Father or the entire Godhead? [Part B]

I continue from where I left off: APPEARANCE OF THE TRINITY TO ABRAHAM AND DAVID.

I will be quoting the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ 1984 New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures—With References , due to the Society “restoring” the divine name YHVH in all the places which the sopherim changed to Adonay.

JEHOVAH APPEARS AS THREE MEN

According to Genesis 18 Jehovah appeared to Abraham and that the latter then looked up and saw three men standing before him. Abraham brought water for the men to wash their feet and cooked food for them to eat, which the three men ate.

The narrative further states that Jehovah disclosed to Abraham that Sarah would conceive a son for him in the following year and that he was going down to Sodom to inspect the city to see if it had become evil enough for him to destroy.

The passage also goes on to say that the men headed towards Sodom while Jehovah stood there before Abraham, who then interceded with God to spare the city from destruction for the sake of the righteous within it. Jehovah proceeded to leave after finishing his conversation with the patriarch:

“Afterward Jehovah appeared to him among the big trees of Mamʹre, while he was sitting at the entrance of the tent about the heat of the day. When he raised his eyes, then he looked and there THREE MEN were standing some distance from him. When he caught sight of them he began running to meet them from the entrance of the tent and proceeded to bow down to the earth. Then he said: ‘Jehovah, if, now, I have found favor in your eyes, please do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be taken, please, and YOU must have YOUR feet washed. Then recline under the tree. And let me get a piece of bread, and refresh YOUR hearts. Following that, YOU can pass on, because that is why YOU have passed this way to YOUR servant.’ At this THEY said: ‘All right. You may do just as you have spoken.’ So Abraham went hurrying to the tent to Sarah and said: ‘Hurry! Get three seah measures of fine flour, knead the dough and make round cakes.’ Next Abraham ran to the herd and proceeded to get a tender and good young bull and to give it to the attendant, and he went hurrying to get it ready. He then took butter and milk and the young bull that he had got ready and set it before them. Then he himself kept standing by them under the tree as they were eating.

“THEY now said to him: ‘Where is Sarah your wife?’ To this HE said: ‘Here in the tent!’ So HE continued: ‘I am surely going to return to you next year at this time, and, look! Sarah your wife will have a son.’ Now Sarah was listening at the tent entrance, and it was behind the man. And Abraham and Sarah were old, being advanced in years. Sarah had stopped having menstruation. Hence Sarah began to laugh inside herself, saying: ‘After I am worn out, shall I really have pleasure, my lord being old besides?’ Then Jehovah said to Abraham: ‘Why was it that Sarah laughed, saying, “Shall I really and truly give birth although I have become old?” Is anything too extraordinary for Jehovah? At the appointed time I shall return to you, next year at this time, and Sarah will have a son.’ But Sarah began to deny it, saying: ‘I did not laugh!’ For she was afraid. At this HE said: ‘No! but you did laugh.’

“Later the men got up from there and looked down toward Sodʹom, and Abraham was walking with them to escort them. And Jehovah said: ‘Am I keeping covered from Abraham what I am doing? Why, Abraham is surely going to become a nation great and mighty, and all the nations of the earth must bless themselves by means of him. For I have become acquainted with him in order that he may command his sons and his household after him so that they shall keep Jehovah’s way to do righteousness and judgment; in order that Jehovah may certainly bring upon Abraham what he has spoken about him.’ Consequently Jehovah said: ‘The cry of complaint about Sodʹom and Go·morʹrah, yes, it is loud, and their sin, yes, it is very heavy. I am quite determined to go down that I may see whether they act altogether according to the outcry over it that has come to me, and, if not, I can get to know it.’

“At this point the men turned from there and got on their way to Sodʹom; but as for Jehovah, he was still standing before Abraham. Then Abraham approached and began to say: ‘Will you really sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous men in the midst of the city. Will you, then, sweep them away and not pardon the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are inside it? It is unthinkable of you that you are acting in this manner to put to death the righteous man with the wicked one so that it has to occur with the righteous man as it does with the wicked! It is unthinkable of you. Is the Judge of all the earth not going to do what is right?’ Then Jehovah said: ‘If I shall find in Sodʹom fifty righteous men in the midst of the city I will pardon the whole place on their account.’ But Abraham went on to answer and say: ‘Please, here I have taken upon myself to speak to Jehovah, whereas I am dust and ashes. Suppose the fifty righteous should be lacking five. Will you for the five bring the whole city to ruin?’ To this he said: ‘I shall not bring it to ruin if I find there forty-five.’

“But yet again he spoke further to him and said: “Suppose forty are found there.” In turn he said: “I shall not do it on account of the forty.’ But he continued: ‘May Jehovah, please, not grow hot with anger, but let me go on speaking: Suppose thirty are found there.’ In turn he said: ‘I shall not do it if I find thirty there.’ But he continued on: ‘Please, here I have taken upon myself to speak to Jehovah: Suppose twenty are found there.’ In turn he said: ‘I shall not bring it to ruin on account of the twenty.’ Finally he said: ‘May Jehovah, please, not grow hot with anger, but let me speak just this once: Suppose ten are found there.’ In turn he said: ‘I shall not bring it to ruin on account of the ten.’ Then Jehovah went his way when HE had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.” Genesis 18:1-33

This is where it gets interesting.

The next chapter indicates that two angels showed up to Sodom, who were two of the three men that Abraham saw, and that they were greeted by Lot who insisted that they stay at his house for the night. Lot soon realized these were not ordinary men, but had been sent to destroy Sodom for its evil, which would occur right after Lot and his family leave the city.

The passage records Lot calling these two men Jehovah, beseeching them to send him off to a nearby place for safe haven. The text then states that the Jehovah who were on earth destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah by summoning the Jehovah who was in heaven to rain down sulfur and brimstone upon the city:

“Now the two angels arrived at Sodʹom by evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodʹom. When Lot caught sight of them, then he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the earth. And he proceeded to say: ‘Please, now, my lords (adonay), turn aside, please, into the house of YOUR servant and stay overnight and have YOUR feet washed. Then YOU must get up early and travel on YOUR way.’ To this they said: ‘No, but in the public square is where we shall stay overnight.’ But he was very insistent with them, so that they turned aside to him and came into his house. Then he made a feast for them, and he baked unfermented cakes, and they went to eating… When he kept lingering, then in the compassion of Jehovah upon him, the men seized hold of his hand and of the hand of his wife and of the hands of his two daughters and they proceeded to bring him out and to station him outside the city. And it came about that, as soon as they had brought them forth to the outskirts, he began to say: ‘Escape for your soul! Do not look behind you and do not stand still in all the District! Escape to the mountainous region for fear you may be swept away!’

“Then Lot said to them: ‘Not that, please, Jehovah!’ Please, now, your servant has found favor in your eyes so that you are magnifying your loving-kindness, which you have exercised with me to preserve my soul alive, but I—I am not able to escape to the mountainous region for fear calamity may keep close to me and I certainly die. Please, now, this city is nearby to flee there and it is a small thing. May I, please, escape there—is it not a small thing?—and my soul will live on.’ So he said to him: ‘Here I do show you consideration to this extent also, by my not overthrowing the city of which you have spoken. Hurry! Escape there, because I am not able to do a thing until your arriving there!’ That is why he called the name of the city Zoʹar. The sun had gone forth over the land when Lot arrived at Zoʹar.

“Then Jehovah made it rain sulphur and fire from Jehovah, from the heavens, upon Sodʹom and upon Go·morʹrah. So he went ahead overthrowing these cities, even the entire District and all the inhabitants of the cities and the plants of the ground. And his wife began to look around from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. Now Abraham made his way early in the morning to the place where he had stood before Jehovah. Then he looked down toward Sodʹom and Go·morʹrah and toward all the land of the District and saw a sight. Why, here thick smoke ascended from the land like the thick smoke of a kiln! And it came about that when God brought the cities of the District to ruin God kept Abraham in mind in that he took steps to send Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when overthrowing the cities among which Lot had been dwelling.” Genesis 19:1-3, 16-29

Once it is kept it mind that the word angels (Heb. malachim) simply means messengers, then it is not hard to fathom that the two angels were actually the Son and the Holy Spirit. After all, the Holy Bible does indicate that the Son and the Spirit are the Father’s Messengers sent forth to relay God’s messages to mankind, and to accomplish God’s will on the earth. The Spirit is further identified as the Son’s Angel/Messenger since the latter sends the Spirit from the Father to guide his disciples into all truth, and to convict the world of their sin and need of Christ as Savior:

“And your good spirit you gave to make them prudent, and your manna you did not hold back from their mouth, and water you gave them for their thirst… But you were indulgent with them for many years and kept bearing witness against them by your spirit by means of your prophets, and they did not give ear. Finally you gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.” Nehemiah 9:20, 30

“If you conceal your face, they get disturbed. If you take away their spirit, they expire, And back to their dust they go. If you send forth your spirit, they are created; And you make the face of the ground new.” Psalm 104:29-30

“‘Come near to me, YOU people. Hear this. From the start I have spoken in no place of concealment at all. From the time of its occurring I have been there.’ And now the Sovereign Lord Jehovah himself has sent me, even his spirit.” Isaiah 48:16

“But they themselves rebelled and made his holy spirit feel hurt. He now was changed into an enemy of theirs; he himself warred against them. And one began to remember the days of long ago, Moses his servant: ‘Where is the One that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of his flock? Where is the One that put within him His own holy spirit?… Just as when a beast itself goes down into the valley plain, the very spirit of Jehovah proceeded to make them rest.’ Thus you led your people in order to make a beautiful name for your own self.” Isaiah 63:10-11, 14

“And their heart they set as an emery stone to keep from obeying the law and the words that Jehovah of armies sent by his spirit, by means of the former prophets; so that there occurred great indignation on the part of Jehovah of armies.” Zechariah 7:12

“Everything the Father gives me will come to me, and the one that comes to me I will by no means drive away; because I have come down from heaven to do, not my will, but the will of him that sent me. This is the will of him that sent me, that I should lose nothing out of all that he has given me but that I should resurrect it at the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone that beholds the Son and exercises faith in him should have everlasting life, and I will resurrect him at the last day.” John 6:37-40

“But if anyone hears my sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I came, not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that disregards me and does not receive my sayings has one to judge him. The word that I have spoken is what will judge him in the last day;  because I have not spoken out of my own impulse, but the Father himself who sent me has given me a commandment as to what to tell and what to speak. Also, I know that his commandment means everlasting life. Therefore the things I speak, just as the Father has told me [them], so I speak [them].” John 12:47-50

“and I will request the Father and he will give YOU another helper to be with YOU forever, the spirit of the truth, which the world cannot receive, because it neither beholds it nor knows it. YOU know it, because it remains with YOU and is in YOU… But the helper, the holy spirit, which the Father will send in my name, that one will teach YOU all things and bring back to YOUR minds all the things I told YOU.” John 14:16-17, 26

“When the helper arrives that I will send YOU from the Father, the spirit of the truth, which proceeds from the Father, that one will bear witness about me; and YOU, in turn, are to bear witness, because YOU have been with me from when I began.” John 15:26-27

“Nevertheless, I am telling YOU the truth, It is for YOUR benefit I am going away. For if I do not go away, the helper will by no means come to YOU; but if I do go my way, I will send him to YOU.  And when that one arrives he will give the world convincing evidence concerning sin and concerning righteousness and concerning judgment: in the first place, concerning sin, because they are not exercising faith in me; then concerning righteousness, because I am going to the Father and YOU will behold me no longer; then concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. I have many things yet to say to YOU, but YOU are not able to bear them at present. However, when that one arrives, the spirit of the truth, he will guide YOU into all the truth, for he will not speak of his own impulse, but what things he hears he will speak, and he will declare to YOU the things coming. That one will glorify me, because he will receive from what is mine and will declare it to YOU. All the things that the Father has are mine. That is why I said he receives from what is mine and declares [it] to YOU.” John 16:7-15

“And while he was meeting with them he gave them the orders: ‘Do not withdraw from Jerusalem, but keep waiting for what the Father has promised, about which YOU heard from me; because John, indeed, baptized with water, but YOU will be baptized in holy spirit not many days after this.’ When, now, they had assembled, they went asking him: ‘Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?’ He said to them: “It does not belong to YOU to get knowledge of the times or seasons which the Father has placed in his own jurisdiction; but YOU will receive power when the holy spirit arrives upon YOU, and YOU will be witnesses of me both in Jerusalem+ and in all Ju·deʹa and Sa·marʹi·a and to the most distant part of the earth.’” Acts 1:4-8

“However, Jehovah’s angel spoke to Philip, saying: ‘Rise and go to the south to the road that runs down from Jerusalem to Gaʹza.’ (This is a desert road.) With that he rose and went, and, look! an E·thi·oʹpi·an eunuch, a man in power under Can·daʹce queen of the E·thi·oʹpi·ans, and who was over all her treasure. He had gone to Jerusalem to worship, but he was returning and was sitting in his chariot and reading aloud the prophet Isaiah. So the spirit said to Philip: ‘Approach and join yourself to this chariot.’” Acts 8:26-29

“For, there being an incapability on the part of the Law, while it was weak through the flesh, God, by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and concerning sin, condemned sin in the flesh,” Romans 8:3

“But when the full limit of the time arrived, God sent forth his Son, who came to be out of a woman and who came to be under law, that he might release by purchase those under law, that we, in turn, might receive the adoption as sons. Now because YOU are sons, God has sent forth the spirit of his Son into our hearts and it cries out: ‘Abba, Father!’” Galatians 4:4-6

In light of the above, the evidence seems to suggest that these two Angels were not spirit creatures that accompanied Jehovah. Rather, they were the uncreated Son and Spirit of God who appeared with the Father as three human beings for the express purpose of accomplishing the Father’s will to destroy the wicked cities.

ST. AUGUSTINE ON THE TRINITY IN GENESIS 18

Interestingly, the view that Abraham saw the Trinity manifest as three men was held by several early church fathers and writers, including Augustine!

Hers’s what this African father wrote in his treatise on the Trinity:

Chapter 10— Whether God the Trinity Indiscriminately Appeared to the Fathers, or Any One Person of the Trinity. The Appearing of God to Adam. Of the Same Appearance. The Vision to Abraham.

17. And first, in that which is written in Genesis, viz., that God spoke with man whom He had formed out of the dust; if we set apart the figurative meaning, and treat it so as to place faith in the narrative even in the letter, it should appear that God then spoke with man in the appearance of a man. This is not indeed expressly laid down in the book, but the general tenor of its reading sounds in this sense, especially in that which is written, that Adam heard the voice of the Lord God, walking in the garden in the cool of the evening, and hid himself among the trees of the garden; and when God said, Adam, where are you? replied, I heard Your voice, and I was afraid because I was naked, and I hid myself from Your face. For I do not see how such a walking and conversation of God can be understood literally, except He appeared as a man. For it can neither be said that a voice only of God was framed, when God is said to have walked, or that He who was walking in a place was not visible; while Adam, too, says that he hid himself from the face of God. Who then was He? Whether the Father, or the Son, or the Holy Spirit? Whether altogether indiscriminately did God the Trinity Himself speak to man in the form of man? The context, indeed, itself of the Scripture nowhere, it should seem, indicates a change from person to person; but He seems still to speak to the first man, who said, Let there be light, and, Let there be a firmament, and so on through each of those days; whom we usually take to be God the Father, making by a word whatever He willed to make. For He made all things by His word, which Word we know, by the right rule of faith, to be His only Son. If, therefore, God the Father spoke to the first man, and Himself was walking in the garden in the cool of the evening, and if it was from His face that the sinner hid himself among the trees of the garden, why are we not to go on to understand that it was He also who appeared to Abraham and to Moses, and to whom He would, and how He would, through the changeable and visible creature, subjected to Himself, while He Himself remains in Himself and in His own substance, in which He is unchangeable and invisible? But, possibly, it might be that the Scripture passed over in a hidden way from person to person, and while it had related that the Father said Let there be light, and the rest which it mentioned Him to have done by the Word, went on to indicate the Son as speaking to the first man; not unfolding this openly, but intimating it to be understood by those who could understand it.

18. Let him, then, who has the strength whereby he can penetrate this secret with his mind’s eye, so that to him it appears clearly, either that the Father also is able, or that only the Son and Holy Spirit are able, to appear to human eyes through a visible creature; let him, I say, proceed to examine these things if he can, or even to express and handle them in words; but the thing itself, so far as concerns this testimony of Scripture, where God spoke with man, is, in my judgment, not discoverable, because it does not evidently appear even whether Adam usually saw God with the eyes of his body; especially as it is a great question what manner of eyes it was that were opened when they tasted the forbidden fruit; for before they had tasted, these eyes were closed. Yet I would not rashly assert, even if that scripture implies Paradise to have been a material place, that God could not have walked there in any way except in some bodily form. For it might be said, that only words were framed for the man to hear, without seeing any form. Neither, because it is written, Adam hid himself from the face of God, does it follow immediately that he usually saw His face. For what if he himself indeed could not see, but feared to be himself seen by Him whose voice he had heard, and had felt His presence as he walked? For Cain, too, said to God, From Your face I will hide myself; yet we are not therefore compelled to admit that he was wont to behold the face of God with his bodily eyes in any visible form, although he had heard the voice of God questioning and speaking with him of his sin. But what manner of speech it was that God then uttered to the outward ears of men, especially in speaking to the first man, it is both difficult to discover, and we have not undertaken to say in this discourse. But if words alone and sounds were wrought, by which to bring about some sensible presence of God to those first men, I do not know why I should not there understand the person of God the Father, seeing that His person is manifested also in that voice, when Jesus appeared in glory on the mount before the three disciples; and in that when the dove descended upon Him at His baptism; and in that where He cried to the Father concerning His own glorification and it was answered Him, I have both glorified, and will glorify again. Not that the voice could be wrought without the work of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (since the Trinity works indivisibly), but that such a voice was wrought as to manifest the person of the Father only; just as the Trinity wrought that human form from the Virgin Mary, yet it is the person of the Son alone; for the invisible Trinity wrought the visible person of the Son alone. Neither does anything forbid us, not only to understand those words spoken to Adam as spoken by the Trinity, but also to take them as manifesting the person of that Trinity. For we are compelled to understand of the Father only, that which is said, This is my beloved Son. For Jesus can neither be believed nor understood to be the Son of the Holy Spirit, or even His own Son. And where the voice uttered, I have both glorified, and will glorify again, we confess it was only the person of the Father; since it is the answer to that word of the Lord, in which He had said, Father, glorify your Son, which He could not say except to God the Father only, and not also to the Holy Spirit, whose Son He was not. But here, where it is written, And the Lord God said to Adam, no reason can be given why the Trinity itself should not be understood.

19. Likewise, also, in that which is written, Now the Lord had said to Abraham, Get you out of your country, and from your kindred, and your father’s house, it is not clear whether a voice alone came to the ears of Abraham, or whether anything also appeared to his eyes. But a little while after, it is somewhat more clearly said, And the Lord appeared unto Abraham, and said, Unto your seed will I give this land. But neither there is it expressly said in what form God appeared to him, or whether the Father, or the Son, or the Holy Spirit appeared to him. Unless, perhaps, they think that it was the Son who appeared to Abraham, because it is not written, God appeared to him, but the Lord appeared to him. For the Son seems to be called the Lord as though the name was appropriated to Him; as e.g. the apostle says, For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many and lords many,) but to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by Him. But since it is found that God the Father also is called Lord in many places — for instance, The Lord has said to me, You are my Son; this day have I begotten You; and again, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand; since also the Holy Spirit is found to be called Lord, as where the apostle says, Now the Lord is that Spirit; and then, lest any one should think the Son to be signified, and to be called the Spirit on account of His incorporeal substance, has gone on to say, And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty; and no one ever doubted the Spirit of the Lord to be the Holy Spirit: therefore, neither here does it appear plainly whether it was any person of the Trinity that appeared to Abraham, or God Himself the Trinity, of which one God it is said, You shall fear the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve. But under the oak at Mamre he saw three men, whom he invited, and hospitably received, and ministered to them as they feasted. Yet Scripture at the beginning of that narrative does not say, three men appeared to him, but, The Lord appeared to him. And then, setting forth in due order after what manner the Lord appeared to him, it has added the account of the three men, whom Abraham invites to his hospitality in the plural number, and afterwards speaks to them in the singular number as one; and as one He promises him a son by Sara, viz. the one whom the Scripture calls Lord, as in the beginning of the same narrative, The Lord, it says, appeared to Abraham. He invites them then, and washes their feet, and leads them forth at their departure, as though they were men; but he speaks as with the Lord God, whether when a son is promised to him, or when the destruction is shown to him that was impending over Sodom. (On the Trinity, Book 2; emphasis mine)

In the final installment I will show how the Spirit inspired David to confess both God and the Messiah as Jehovah Almighty: APPEARANCE OF THE TRINITY TO ABRAHAM AND DAVID PT. 3.

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.

In this post I will provide further evidence that saving faith according to the Holy Bible is defined as faithfulness to the Lord Jesus. I will use Christ’s own faithfulness as an example.

For instance, note how the following versions rendering a key text that is often employed in discussions on justification:

“namely, the righteousness of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ (pisteos Iesou Christou) for all who believe. For there is no distinction,” Romans 3:22 New English Translation (NET)

“God’s righteousness comes through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ for all who have faith in him. There’s no distinction.” Common English Bible (CEB)

Here’s what the NET textual note states concerning this particular Greek construction:

tn Or “faith in Christ.” A decision is difficult here. Though traditionally translated “faith in Jesus Christ,” an increasing number of NT scholars are arguing that πίστις Χριστοῦ (pistis Christou) and similar phrases in Paul (here and in v. 26; Gal 2:16, 20; 3:22; Eph 3:12; Phil 3:9) involve a subjective genitive and mean “Christ’s faith” or “Christ’s faithfulness” (cf., e.g., G. Howard, “The ‘Faith of Christ’,” ExpTim 85 [1974]: 212-15; R. B. Hays, The Faith of Jesus Christ [SBLDS]; Morna D. Hooker, “Πίστις Χριστοῦ,” NTS 35 [1989]: 321-42). Noteworthy among the arguments for the subjective genitive view is that when πίστις takes a personal genitive it is almost never an objective genitive (cf. Matt 9:2, 22, 29; Mark 2:5; 5:34; 10:52; Luke 5:20; 7:50; 8:25, 48; 17:19; 18:42; 22:32; Rom 1:8; 12; 3:3; 4:5, 12, 16; 1 Cor 2:5; 15:14, 17; 2 Cor 10:15; Phil 2:17; Col 1:4; 2:5; 1 Thess 1:8; 3:2, 5, 10; 2 Thess 1:3; Titus 1:1; Phlm 6; 1 Pet 1:9, 21; 2 Pet 1:5). On the other hand, the objective genitive view has its adherents: A. Hultgren, “The Pistis Christou Formulations in Paul,” NovT 22 (1980): 248-63; J. D. G. Dunn, “Once More, ΠΙΣΤΙΣ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ,” SBL Seminar Papers, 1991, 730-44. Most commentaries on Romans and Galatians usually side with the objective view.sn ExSyn 116, which notes that the grammar is not decisive, nevertheless suggests that “the faith/faithfulness of Christ is not a denial of faith in Christ as a Pauline concept (for the idea is expressed in many of the same contexts, only with the verb πιστεύω rather than the noun), but implies that the object of faith is a worthy object, for he himself is faithful.” Though Paul elsewhere teaches justification by faith, this presupposes that the object of our faith is reliable and worthy of such faith. (NET Bible https://netbible.org/bible/Romans+3)

The assertion that pistis Christou and its related expressions should be taken as a subjective genitive referring to Christ’s own faithfulness to God is striking since this establishes that it is faithfulness which justifies and saves.

With the foregoing in mind, I will list all the verses which refer to Christ’s faithfulness, as well as to the faithfulness of God, being the ground and basis of/for a believer’s salvation and justification:

“yet we know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ (pisteos Christou). And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by the faithfulness of Christ (pisteos Christou) and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.” Galatians 2:16 NET

“However, we know that a person isn’t made righteous by the works of the Law but rather through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. We ourselves believed in Christ Jesus so that we could be made righteous by the faithfulness of Christ and not by the works of the Law—because no one will be made righteous by the works of the Law.” CEB

I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God (pistei … tou Hyiou tou Theou), who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20 NET

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. And the life that I now live in my body, I live by faith, indeed, by the faithfulness of God’s Son, who loved me and gave himself for me.” CEB

“But the scripture imprisoned everything under sin so that the promise could be given—because of the faithfulness of Jesus Christ (pisteos ‘Iesou Christou)—to those who believe.” Galatians 3:22 NET

“But scripture locked up all things under sin, so that the promise based on the faithfulness of Jesus Christ might be given to those who have faith.” CEB

“This was according to the eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access to God by way of Christ’s faithfulness (pisteos autou).” Ephesians 3:11-12 NET

“In keeping with the eternal purpose that God carried out through the Messiah Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through his faithfulness.” International Standard Version (ISV)

“and be found in him, not because I have my own righteousness derived from the law, but because I have the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness (pisteos Christou)—a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ’s faithfulness (te pistei).” Philippians 3:9 NET

“and be found in him. In Christ I have a righteousness that is not my own and that does not come from the Law but rather from the faithfulness of Christ. It is the righteousness of God that is based on faith.” CEB

It should be further noted that the NT writers (particularly Paul) make it clear when they are referring to a person’s own faith in Christ. They do this by employing a prepositional phrase, either the preposition eis or en, just as we find in the following examples:

“nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith IN Christ (hemeis eis Christon episteusamen) and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.” Galatians 2:16 Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

“For you are all sons of God through faith IN Christ Jesus (dia tes pisteos en Christo ‘Iesou).” Galatians 3:26 LSB

These examples simply reinforce the fact that pistis Christou should be taken as a subjective genitive referring to Jesus’ own faithfulness.

With that in mind, I now present the verses that are mentioned as examples where pistis is used as an objective genitive, referring to the faithfulness of an individual in bringing about healing and/or salvation. All the references will be from the NET.

“What then? If some were unfaithful, their unfaithfulness will not nullify God’s faithfulness (ten pistin tou Theou), will it?” Romans 3:3

“Just then some people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher. When Jesus saw their faith (ten pistin auton), he said to the paralytic, ‘Have courage, son! Your sins are forgiven.’… But when Jesus turned and saw her he said, ‘Have courage, daughter! Your faith (he pistis sou) has made you well.’ And the woman was healed from that hour… Then he touched their eyes saying, ‘Let it be done for you according to your faith (ten pistin hymon).” Matthew 9:2, 22, 29

“When Jesus saw their faith (ten pistin auton), he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’” Mark 2:5

“He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith (he pistis sou) has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your disease.’” Mark 5:34

“Jesus said to him, ‘Go, your faith (he pistis sou) has healed you.’ Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the road.” Mark 10:52

“When Jesus saw their faith (ten pistin auton) he said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven.’” Luke 5:20

“He said to the woman, ‘Your faith (he pistis sou) has saved you; go in peace.’” Luke 7:50

“Then he said to them, ‘Where is your faith (he pistis hymon)?’ But they were afraid and amazed, saying to one another, ‘Who then is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him!’… Then he said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith (he pistis sou) has made you well. Go in peace.’” Luke 8:25, 48

“Then he said to the man, ‘Get up and go your way. Your faith (he pistis sou) has made you well.’” Luke 17:19

“Jesus said to him, ‘Receive your sight; your faith (he pistis sou) has healed you.’” Luke 18:42

“but I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith (he pistis sou) may not fail. When you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” Luke 22:32

“First of all, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith (he pistis hymon) is proclaimed throughout the whole world… that is, that we may be mutually comforted by one another’s faith (tes en allelois pisteos), both yours and mine.” Romans 1:8, 12

“But to the one who does not work, but believes in the one who declares the ungodly righteous, his faith (he pistis autou) is credited as righteousness… And he is also the father of the circumcised, who are not only circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham possessed (pisteos tou patros hemon, ‘Abraam) when he was still uncircumcised… For this reason it is by faith so that it may be by grace, with the result that the promise may be certain to all the descendants—not only to those who are under the law, but also to those who have the faith of Abraham (pisteos ‘Abraam), who is the father of us all.” Romans 4:5, 12, 16

“so that your faith (he pistis hymon) would not be based on human wisdom but on the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:5

“And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is futile and your faith (he pistis hymon) is empty… And if Christ has not been raised, your faith (he pistis hymon) is useless; you are still in your sins.” 1 Corinthians 15:14, 17

“Nor do we boast beyond certain limits in the work done by others, but we hope that as your faith (he pisteos hymon) continues to grow, our work may be greatly expanded among you according to our limits,” 2 Corinthians 10:15

“But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith (tes pisteos hymon), I am glad and rejoice together with all of you.” Philippians 2:17

“since we heard about your faith (pistin hymon) in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints.” Colossians 1:4

“For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your morale and the firmness of your faith (tes pisteos hymon) in Christ.” Colossians 2:5

“For from you the message of the Lord has echoed forth not just in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place reports of your faith (he pistis hymon) in God have spread, so that we do not need to say anything.” 1 Thessalonians 1:8

“We sent Timothy, our brother and fellow worker for God in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen you and encourage you about your faith (tes pisteos hymon)… So when I could bear it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith (ten pistin hymon), for fear that the tempter somehow tempted you and our toil had proven useless… We pray earnestly night and day to see you in person and make up what may be lacking in your faith (tes pisteos hymon).” 1 Thessalonians 3:2, 5, 10

“We ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith (he pistis hymon) flourishes more and more and the love of each one of you all for one another is ever greater.” 2 Thessalonians 1:3

“I pray that the faith you (tes pisteous sou) share with us may deepen your understanding of every blessing that belongs to you in Christ.” Philemon 1:6

“From Paul, a slave of God and apostle of Jesus Christ, to further the faith of God’s chosen ones (pistin eklekton Theou) and the knowledge of the truth that is in keeping with godliness,” Titus 1:1

“because you are attaining the goal of your faith (tes pisteos hymon)—the salvation of your souls… Through him you now trust in God (pistous eis Theon), who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith (ten pistin hymon) and hope are in God.” 1 Peter 1:9, 21

“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith (te pistei hymon) excellence, to excellence, knowledge;” 2 Peter 1:5

The aforementioned texts help us appreciate why the God-breathed Scriptures describe true faith as an action done in loving service towards others,

“For through the Spirit, by faith (ek pisteos), we wait expectantly for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision carries any weight—the only thing that matters is faith WORKING through love (pistis di’ agapes energoumene)… But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness (pistis), gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:5-6, 22

And why eternal life is said to be the recompense/reward for those who reap unto the Holy Spirit, e.g., doing good works in union with and by the power of the Spirit:

“Do not be deceived. God will not be made a fool. For a person will reap what he sows, because the person who sows to his own flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.So we must not grow weary in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:7-9

In other words, saving faith is to be faithful to do all that Christ commands in the power of the Holy Spirit (Cf. James 2:14-26).

FURTHER READING

BIBLICAL VERSES ON FAITHFULNESS/OBEDIENCE