Traces of the Trinity in the Old Testament: From Individual Texts to the Nature of Revelation

Abstract

This article uncovers traces of the Trinity in the Old Testament. Different from traditional exegesis, it is argued that alleged allusions to God's plurality in specific texts, and examples of personified agents such as the Angel of the Lord, are less important and often inconclusive. The nature of Old Testament ‘monotheism’, however, supports trinitarian logic, and important traces of the Trinity are demonstrated in in-depth structures of Old Testament theology: the anthropomorphic character of revelation, the second commandment, God's name as narrative self-identification and the tendency of God's coming to his people.