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Bible verses that some have distorted
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Visitor D.B. to the web site Wrote:I often have conversations on various Biblical topics with one of my professors. He asked me about two verses in Torah. The first is Genesis 1:26, "And G-d said, 'Let us make man in our image...' " He seemed to take that as evidence for polytheism. The second is Exodus 20:3, "You shall have no other gods before me." He wanted to know why G-d didn't just say, "There aren't any other gods," rather than the former statement, which might lead one to believe other gods exist.
(Based on Rashi.) Genesis 1:26 is not evidence for polytheism, although it is an opening which G-d provided for polytheists to be able to err in the sinful direction that they desire. The statement was said by G-d on the sixth day, after He created the angels on the second day. So G-d said this to the angels. The polytheists do not bother to read on to the VERY NEXT verse, Genesis 1:27, where it CLARIFIES that "G-d created man in his [man's] image, in the image of G-d He [SINGULAR] created him; male and female He [SINGULAR] created them." Thus any imagined hint of polytheism is dismissed.

Regarding Exodus 20:3 - the proper reading of the Hebrew is "There shall not be unto you the gods of others before Me." At that time (as it still is today), the whole world was rampant with idol worship (which the Torah refers to in Hebrew as "worship of false gods"). This commandment, which was said expressly for the Jews, warns that a Jew must not take upon himself the idols (i.e. "false gods") which others worship or believe in. Idols are correctly called false "gods," because the idolator himself makes the idol a "god" over him.
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Messages In This Thread
Judgment of Jezebel? - by ronaldwayne - 04-06-2009, 04:00 AM
RE: Judgement of Jezebel - by Director Michael - 04-09-2009, 03:16 AM
Evidence for polytheism? - by Director Michael - 01-09-2011, 05:21 PM
Book of Jasher? - by Director Michael - 01-09-2011, 05:31 PM
RE: Book of Jasher? - by Mattityahu ben Noach - 07-19-2011, 02:34 PM
Jeremiah 31:30-34 - by Director Michael - 01-09-2011, 07:57 PM
Authentic Torah translation - by rocnoahide - 12-29-2013, 10:19 AM

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