The Hebrew word "'echâd" and its feminine version "'achâd" mean one, single, unique, first. All dictionaries confirm that it is to be understood as a cardinal number (1) or as an ordinal number (1.) (Genesis 1,5) and does not imply plurality. It appears 970 times in Scripture. It refers almost exclusively to a single person or thing rather than a group of elements. In the New Testament the Greek words "heis" and "monos" are used to signify the unity and uniqueness of GOD. Jesus also always spoke of the one GOD, whom he called (his and our) “Father”. There are only a handful of examples where "'echâd" indicates a plurality of a thing or person (Genesis 1,5 / Genesis 2,24 / Numbers 13,23). In these cases, the whole described is composed of individual parts, whereby each part does not describe the whole, but only a part of it; as in the case of a family. A family consists of several people. Everyone who belongs to the family is not “one person”, but different people. A family is a group of several people with different characteristics. According to the traditional teaching of the Church, however, Father, Son and Spirit are not only “GOD” in the same way, but also form “one GOD” (instead of three gods). The comparison with a family is therefore inappropriate. Basically, the context indicates whether it is a one or a majority. That 'echâd would imply plural rather than singular in the context of GOD is unfounded and biased.

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The claim that the Hebrew word "yâchîyd" should be used instead of "'echâd" to indicate the uniqueness of GOD is false. The word "yâchîyd" occurs less than ten times in the Old Testament. Even though it has the meaning of only, the word "'echâd" is also used in the same way in the sense of only in most places (1st Samuel 26,8 / 2nd Samuel 7,23 / 2nd Samuel 12,3 / Job 14,4 / Isaiah 30,17 / Daniel 10,21). In this respect, there is no reason not to use the word "'echâd" to make it clear that GOD is absolutely one. In other words, both "yâchîyd" and "'echâd" are both appropriate words to express the uniqueness of a person or thing. There is no evidence in the Hebrew Bible that any generation of Israelites understood the "Shema" (Deuteronomy 6,4) to indicate a composite unity in the Godhead. The word "'echâd" says that Yahweh is GOD alone and that there are no other gods but Him. In the context of Deuteronomy 6,4 the Hebrew word "'echâd" is used in the sense of only or alone. This is confirmed, among other things, in Mark 12,28-34. In this respect it is more suitable than the word "yâchîyd".

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Gen 1,9 / Gen 2,21 / Gen 41,11 / Ex 12,46 / 1st Sam 26,8 / Eze 37,24 / Zech 3,9 / Mk 12,24

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