A Question on Genesis 3:5 and the Translation of ‘Elohiym

Question: There are 12 versions of the bible in which I read Genesis chapter 3:5. Only the Kings James Bible, American King James version and Bible in Basic English that are saying that the Serpent told Eve that she shall be like ‘gods’ knowing good and evil; notice here the small ‘g’ and not a capital ‘G’ to imply the true God of heaven and earth. On the other hand the other versions are saying “you shall be like ‘God’” with the capital ‘G.’  Another interesting fact is that the Douay-Rheims Bible version is saying “You shall be like Gods” in this sense God has an ’s’ for plurality which I can only think may be imply to more than one true God. What is the true wording that should be used in Genesis 3:5, ‘Like God,’ ‘as gods,’ or ‘as Gods?’

Answer:  Your question highlights one of the biggest difficulties surrounding Biblical interpretation; namely the transfer of an ancient Semitic into modern English.  While a Hebrew-English lexicon can tell you the range of meanings of a particular word, the context in which that word is used will always determine which meaning is to be understood.  There are several factors which make Genesis 3:5 daunting.  Before going into these factors, let’s quote the verse in both the KJV and the ESV:

For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. (KJV)

For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. (ESV)

The first difficulty comes in the word ‘God.’  The Hebrew word translated ‘God’ is ‘elohiym, and lexically speaking, it is in the plural form.  It can literally be translated as ‘rulers, judges, divine ones, angels, or gods.’  This word can also be used in the ‘plural intensive’ form, in which case it is translated as singular-e.g., ‘god, goddess, godlike one, or the one true God.’  Traditionally, the word ‘elohiym has always been translated as ‘God’ when referring to the one, true God Jehovah.  That is why both the KJV and the ESV translate the first occurrence of ‘elohiym in Genesis 3:5 as ‘God’ because the referent is clearly Jehovah.

The second difficulty comes in translating the word ‘knowing’ in the phrase “knowing good and evil.”  The Hebrew word is yada’, which means ‘to know,’ and in the context of Genesis 3:5 it is being used as a plural participle.  The problem translators have faced is to what does yada’ refer?  Does it refer to ‘God’ (the first occurrence in Genesis 3:5) or to the plural ‘you’ (referring to Adam and Eve)?  The answer to this question will determine how the second occurrence of ‘elohiym is translated.  If yada’ is referring to the first occurrence of ‘God,’ then the rendering of the ESV is correct (”and you [Adam and Eve] will be like God [the one, true God, Jehovah]“).  However, if yada’ is referring to Adam and Eve (the plural ‘you’), then the KJV translation is more accurate (”and ye shall be as gods”).

Of the major English translations that I have at my disposal, only the KJV, the NAB (New American Bible, the translation of the Roman Catholic Church) and the NET (The NET Bible, a new translation which can be downloaded for free at www.bible.org) use the plural form, ‘gods’ (or ‘divine beings in the NET Bible) for the second occurrence of ‘elohiym in Genesis 3:5.  All the other major English translations (NIV, NASB, ESV, etc.) use the singular form, ‘God.’  It is interesting to note that even the NKJV, a modern update of the KJV, uses ‘God’ for the second occurrence of ‘elohiym.

What’s the upshot of all this?  Personally speaking, I don’t think it really makes that much of a difference.  While the majority of Biblical scholars seem to support the use of ‘God’ over ‘gods,’ we don’t want to fall in to the logical fallacy of ‘majority rules.’  I think the fact that a majority of scholars do favor one rendering over the other lends credence to that rendering, but it is also possible for the majority to be mistaken.  I think regardless of which translation one prefers, I don’t think this in anyway does damage to the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity.  I don’t think anyone could seriously claim that the KJV translators were anti-Trinitarian.  The KJV translators upheld orthodox Christian teaching.  Remember that the KJV was the only English translation of the Bible for hundreds of years, and commentators and scholars used it to support Trinitarian teaching for all that time.  So while I would side with the majority and favor ‘God’ as the preferred rendering of Genesis 3:5, I don’t think either rendering endangers the doctrine of the Trinity or any other major Christian doctrine.