Skip to main content
Bible Q

Is “Remember your creator” in Ecclesiastes 12:1 plural in Hebrew?

In Ecclesiastes 12:1, the Hebrew word for “your Creator” (bôrĕʾekhā, בוראיך) is grammatically in the masculine plural form, literally translating to “your creators”. There is some manuscript variance. Masoretic Hebrew texts render the word plural (borayikh), but a minority of ancient Hebrew manuscripts and versions record it in the singular (borakha),

In any case there is no verb to indicate that it really is plural. 

Augmentative plural

Most scholars and translators regard this as poetic use of a grammatical plural, what in older sources was called Plural of Majesty (Pluralis Majestatis), i.e. the use of  plural form noun ending as an honorific or majestic signal, rather than a true numerical plural. The example here is similar to the way the Hebrew word for God (Elohim) when used with singular verb, that is to say as false plural ending which highlights God’s supreme greatness, majesty, and dignity rather than a numerical plurality of gods. A true plural would require elohim to be used with a plural verb form. Again in Ecclesiastes 12:1 there is no verb, but the assumption from context is that this is about Elohim + singular verb, ‘Great God’, not plural verb gods.

Although there is no support in any major Bible translation for this, Trinitarian apologists may argue that the plural form as a hint or reflection of the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) participating in creation, similar to Genesis 1:26 (“Let us make man…”). The problem for them is that Genesis 1:26 is a volitional statement, yet the Hebrew verbs in Genesis are all singular, and Jesus confirms this with “God (singular noun) made (singular verb) them male and female” in Matthew 19:4 and Mark 10:6: where Jesus quotes from Genesis 1:27 and Genesis 2:24 when answering the Pharisees who were testing him about the laws and permissibility of divorce.

Other examples

Similar augmentative use of plural form is is also found in Job 35:10 and Psalm 149:

No Comments yet!