tt no angel is the Messiah. Expl. Loc. p. 23. The reply to the objections is obvious. (1.) The writer of the Ep. to the Frews manifestly does not intend an exclusive assertion on e.er side: for, under the O. T. the messages of authority from G were frequently communicated in other ways than by propts, and under the N. T. prophets are mentioned among the astles, and other inspired servants of Christ: but the design ohe verse evidently is to shew to the Jews, who were immediely addressed, that the Christian dispensation proceeded frn the same authority as the Mosaic. (2.) The fallacy of the oer argument lies in a change, perhaps inadvertent, of the acceation of the term angel. In the apostle's reasoning, and in th major of Enjedin's argument, it is used as the name of a superio order of beings; but, in its application to the Messiah, it has its eneric signification of messenger. All acknowledge that, in this ense as descriptive of office, the term is applicable to the Messiah.

SECT. XXXIII.

ON THE REMARKABLE USE OF PLURAL NOUNS AND ATTRIBUTIVES IN APPLICATION TO THE DIVINE BEING.

THE attention of scripture critics in both ancient and modern times has been drawn to a remarkable peculiarity in the Hebrew language and its dialect the Chaldee; a peculiarity which, so far as I have been able to learn, has not its parallel in any other known language. A little explanation will make it intelligible to those who have never paid attention to these studies.

The most usual appellation of the Deity in the original Scriptures of the Old Testament is be Elohim (or, as commonly read by those who reject the points, Aleim), which is constantly translated GOD: but it is the regular plural of me or

* Eloah, which also occurs, though much less frequently than in the plural form, and is always translated in the same manner.†

This plural appellative is generally put in agreement with singular verbs, pronouns, and adjec

*See Note [A] at the end of this Section. + See Note [B] at the end of this Section.

tives: as in the first sentence of the Pentateuch, Elohim created;—creavit Dii ;—les Dieux créa. This is the ordinary construction through the whole Hebrew Bible.

But sometimes the apposition is made with verbs, pronouns, and adjectives in the plural number likewise; and sometimes singulars and plurals are put together in the same agreement. The following are all the instances of these kinds, so far as I can ascertain.

Gen. xx. 13. л God [Elohim] "caused me to wander;-vagari me fecerunt Dii;-les Dieux m'ont fait égarer.”

Gen. xxxv. 7. Oban "bow there " the Elohim were revealed to him." Onkelos understands this of angelic beings.

אשר שמע קול אלהים חיים .26 .Deut v

"that hath heard the voice of the Living God [Elohim haiim];qui audivit vocem Deorum Viventium;—qui a entendu la voix des Dieux Vivans." Onkelos renders it," the voice of the Memra of Jah our God."

66

to * לעבד את יהוה כי אלהים קדשים הוא .19 .Josh. xxiv

serve Jehovah, for he is the Holy God [Elohim kedoshim];-servire Jehovæ, quia Di Sancti ipse;-servir à l'Eternel, parceque il est les Dieux Saints.

1 Sam. xvii. 26.

лo the ranks "of

the Living God [Elohim haiim];-acies instructæ Deorum Viventium ;—les rangs des Dieux Vivans.*

"whom

2 Sam. vii. 23. b b w God hath gone [holku Elohim] to redeem unto himself;-quem Dii progressi sunt ad redimendum sibi;-lequel les Dieux s'en sont allés racheter à soi. The Targum of Jonathan paraphrases this passage by understanding the plural words of divine messengers: "-whom the [messengers] sent from the presence of Jah went to redeem for a people, and to place to himself a name."—

אך יש אלהים שפטים בארץ .12 .Ps. lviii

Surely

there is a God, a Judge, [Elohim shofetim] in the earth;- utique esse Deos Judices in terrâ ;--assurément il y a des Dieux, des Juges, dans la terre."

To these may be added, as presenting the same form of expression, though without the very word Elohim,

Ps. cxlix. 2. wa bw now, “Israel shall rejoice in his Maker [pl.] ;-lætabitur Israël in Creatoribus suis; Israël se rejouira de ses Créateurs."

קרשים]

Prov. ix. 10. “The beginning of wisdom is the fear of Jehovah, and the knowledge of the Holy [wp kedoshim ;-Sanctorum ;--des Saints;] is understanding." According to the usual construction of Hebrew poetry, the plural epithet * See Note [C] at the end of this Section.

The Holy must be understood in apposition with Jehovah in the former half of the distich. The same phrase recurs ch. xxx. 3.

For thy כי בעליך עשיך .5 .Is. liv

"Creator is thy

Husband [both pl.]; nam Mariti tui Creatores tui; -car tes Créateurs sont tes Maris."

יהוה אלהים אמת הוא אלהים חיים .10 .Jer. x

<< Jehovah is the God of truth, he is the Living God [Elohim haiim]; ipse Dii Viventes;-lui, il est les Dieux Vivans." The same expression occurs in ch. xxiii. 36.

Dan. vii. 18, 22, 25, 27. In each of these verses is the expression, "the saints of the Most High," the adjective being plural, [Elionin] Altissi

morum; des Très Hauts. The Septuagint and Vulgate versions, and the most eminent biblical critics, refer it to the Deity.

Hos. xii. 1. "But Judah still reigneth with God, and with the Holy [pl. cum Sanctis;-avec les Saints;-] is faithful." The parallelism of the Hebrew poetical style, as above remarked, most properly requires The Holy, to correspond with God.

Elohim is generally supposed to be the only one of the divine names which appears in the plural number: but Drusius, Buxtorf, Heeser, Eichhorn, and other distinguished scholars have maintained that Adonai ( Sovereign) and Shaddai (w the