It is claimed by some that the plural usage of "us" in this scripture indicates several persons in the trinity or the plurality of God. It is claimed that when God said that man has become as one of us, this supposedly implies that there is more than one of "us" in God. Although trinitarian explanations of how this applies to the trinity are vague and confusing, if one does not reason too well their arguments sound plausible.

We will examine several different views of the expression "one of us" in Genesis 3:22, none of which give credence to the trinity doctrine.

One view is that by saying the man has become "like one of us", God is saying that man has joined the heavenly host who already possessed of knowledge of good and evil, and that now man has joined them, having a knowledge of good and evil. Adam before his sin only knew what was "good" as provided by God in the Garden of Eden. He did not know exactly what sin was, nor could fully have understood its results, having never had any experience with it.

We know that Yahweh did not "know" evil in the sense that He, Himself, had practiced what is morally wrong, but he did know what evil is in that he knew of such intuitively, seeing that he knows the end from the beginning. (Isaiah 46:10; Acts 15:18) We can assume that the Logos, also, knew what the dire results of sin would be, having been given such a knowledge by his father. To what extent or in what manner the angels possessed the knowledge of good and evil at this time is not revealed in the scriptures.

Thus we assume that the Heavenly Father and his beloved Son knew what the terrible results of disobedience to divine law would be; but Adam did not know, although he had been told that he would die as the result of sin. Yahweh and the Logos knew also that the human race could gain this information fully only by being permitted to experience it. So when Adam and Eve sinned, the Creator observed (Genesis 3:22) that they had “become as one of us, to know good and evil”; that is, they were destined to acquire this information because they had embarked upon a course whereby they would learn these lessons by experience.
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See also our study on Genesis 1:26

The second view is that the expression, "as one of us", refers to becoming like "one" person out of a group of two or more. This view argues that if God was referring to three persons of the alleged trinity, this would have been a very odd way to do so. In other words, if God had meant to say that he was three persons, we would expect that he would say that man has become "like us", rather than "one of us." If man became like "one" of the supposed trinity by disobeying, then which one of the trinity members did he become like so as to know good and evil? Did one of the trinity also disobey? Such an application would imply that only one of the members of the trinity had knowledge of good and evil by sin, and that Adam had become like that one.

Yet who did Adam become like in disobedience? We need to remember that at least one of the angelic host had at this time already rebelled against God, and made himself Satan the Devil. Satan was originally one of the angels of God until he was cast down from his angelic position (Isaiah 14:12, 18) because of his original lie through which he became the murderer of our race (John 8:44). He is now the prince or ruler of this world, proven worthy of eternal destruction (John 12:31; Hebrews 2:14) which will overtake him at the close of Christ’s mediatorial reign (Revelatoin 20:9, 10). During that thousand years Satan is to be bound, and will be loosed at the end of it, not for the purpose of discovering whether he is reformed but to test the human race which by that time will have attained perfection of human organism and be fully able to withstand Satan’s wiles.

In Isaiah 14:12-15, under the type as the King of Babylon, we have an account of how Satan did meditate a usurpation of Yahweh's honor and power, saying in his heart, "I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God.... I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High." Thus there was one of the heavenly host who knew both good and evil by experience through his rebellion against Yahweh. Thus we conclude that it is this one that is the "one of us" referred to in Genesis 3:22, who Adam became like in disobedience, knowing both good and evil by experience.

Whether others of the angels had followed Satan at this time is not clear in the scriptures, but it is possible. Certainly they had observed his course of action and therefore knew of this evil by observation. Regardless, it is but an assumption to think that when God said "one of us" that he meant a trinity.

Another view is that Genesis 3:22 is not translated correctly, thus leaving one with the wrong impression. Some argue that the verse should be rendered as: And Yahweh God said, "Behold the man, as one of us [originally made in our image and likeness], has come to know good and evil [how he has fallen!]."

This would place the man as being one of us in his original creation, and then that the man fell from the likeness of God and the obedient hosts. This could be what was meant, but we believe that more than likely the first viewpoint presented is what is being said.

(more to be added later, Yahweh willing ****)

Nevertheless, in conclusion, we can say that there is definitely nothing in Genesis 3:22 about three persons in one God; such would have to be read into the scripture.

Tags: three persons in God, plural usage of us, trinity in the Old Testament, is god three persons, Jesus in the Old Testament

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See also our studies:
Mankind's Course to the Day of Judgment
Why God Allows Suffering and Wickedness

We give some links below to other sites that contain some information on this scripture. We do not necessarily agree with all that is stated, nor do the authors of the pages linked to necessarily agree with all of our statements.

God's Foreknowledge in the Permission of Evil - Part 1
http://www.heraldmag.org/archives/1951_5.htm#_Toc36207032 Herald of Christ's Kingdom, May 1951

God's Foreknowledge in the Permission of Evil - Part 2
http://www.heraldmag.org/archives/1951_6.htm#_Toc36209248 Herald of Christ's Kingdom, June 1951

Genesis 3:22 - Bowman, the Bible, and Trinitarianism
http://members.aol.com/debatelog/Stafford_Bowman2.htm
Discusses mostly difference of methodology and concepts regarding word usage: God, Theos

Witnessing to Thoes who 'Witness to the Witnesses' Part 3
http://hector3000.future.easyspace.com/mark2.htm
This is a JW site; you will have to scroll down or use the search feature of your broswer to locate "Genesis 3:22".

Online Debate Between Greg Stafford and Rob Bowman: Part 2
http://jehovah.to/exegesis/logs/stafford_bowman_2.htm
Another JW site

Wrested Scriptures: The Trinity - Genesis 3:22
http://www.wrestedscriptures.com/b08trinity/genesis3v22.html
Christadelphian site.

Related Books
The following books are recommended for reference; our recommendation does not mean that we endorse everything presented in the books.