Anthropomorphisms in the Bible refer to the attribution of human characteristics, emotions, or intentions to God, who is inherently spirit and transcendent. These figures of speech are employed throughout Scripture to make the divine nature more comprehensible to human understanding. By using human terms, the Bible communicates God's actions, emotions, and attributes in a relatable manner, while maintaining the mystery and majesty of His divine essence.

God's Body Parts and Physical Actions

The Bible frequently uses anthropomorphic language to describe God's body parts and physical actions. For instance, the "hand of God" is a common metaphor for His power and intervention in the world. In Exodus 15:6, it is written, "Your right hand, O LORD, is majestic in power; Your right hand, O LORD, has shattered the enemy." Here, God's "right hand" symbolizes His strength and ability to deliver His people.

Similarly, God's "eyes" and "ears" are used to convey His omniscience and attentiveness. In 2 Chronicles 16:9, it states, "For the eyes of the LORD roam to and fro over all the earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are fully devoted to Him." This imagery assures believers of God's constant watchfulness and readiness to support the faithful.

God's Emotions

Anthropomorphisms also express God's emotions, allowing believers to relate to Him on a personal level. For example, God's love and compassion are depicted in human terms. In Hosea 11:8, God expresses His deep affection for Israel: "How could I give you up, O Ephraim? How could I hand you over, O Israel? ... My heart is turned within Me; all My compassion is aroused." This passage uses the metaphor of a parent's love to illustrate God's enduring commitment to His people.

Conversely, God's wrath and jealousy are also described in human terms. In Deuteronomy 4:24, it is written, "For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God." Such language communicates the seriousness of God's holiness and His intolerance of idolatry and unfaithfulness.

God's Actions and Reactions

The Bible often describes God's actions and reactions in ways that reflect human behavior. For instance, God is depicted as "walking" in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3:8: "Then the man and his wife heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the breeze of the day." This imagery conveys God's presence and relational nature with humanity.

Moreover, God's decision-making is sometimes portrayed in a manner akin to human deliberation. In Genesis 6:6, it is said, "The LORD regretted that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart." This anthropomorphic expression communicates God's sorrow over human sinfulness, emphasizing His moral nature and the gravity of human rebellion.

God's Relational Attributes

Anthropomorphisms also highlight God's relational attributes, portraying Him as a Father, King, Shepherd, and Judge. These roles are familiar to human experience and help convey the multifaceted relationship God has with His creation. For instance, Psalm 23:1 declares, "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want." This metaphor of God as a shepherd illustrates His guidance, provision, and care for His people.

In Isaiah 33:22, God is depicted as a judge and lawgiver: "For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; He will save us." These roles emphasize God's authority, justice, and sovereignty, reassuring believers of His ultimate control and righteous governance.

Conclusion

Anthropomorphisms in the Bible serve as a bridge between the divine and human realms, providing insight into God's character and actions in a way that is accessible and meaningful to human understanding. Through these figures of speech, Scripture reveals the depth of God's involvement in the world and His desire for a personal relationship with His creation.Genesis 2:2,3,19
And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
Nave's Topical Index

Genesis 6:6
And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
Nave's Topical Index

Genesis 9:16
And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look on it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.
Nave's Topical Index

Genesis 11:5,7
And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built.
Nave's Topical Index

Genesis 18:17-19,21,33
And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;
Nave's Topical Index

Genesis 19:29
And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the middle of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelled.
Nave's Topical Index

Genesis 22:12
And he said, Lay not your hand on the lad, neither do you any thing to him: for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son from me.
Nave's Topical Index

Genesis 28:13
And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac: the land where on you lie, to you will I give it, and to your seed;
Nave's Topical Index

Genesis 35:13
And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him.
Nave's Topical Index

Exodus 2:24
And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
Nave's Topical Index

Exodus 3:8
And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good land and a large, to a land flowing with milk and honey; to the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
Nave's Topical Index

Exodus 14:24
And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked to the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians,
Nave's Topical Index

Exodus 20:5
You shall not bow down yourself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
Nave's Topical Index

Exodus 31:17
It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
Nave's Topical Index

Exodus 32:14
And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do to his people.
Nave's Topical Index

Numbers 11:25
And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the spirit that was on him, and gave it to the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested on them, they prophesied, and did not cease.
Nave's Topical Index

Judges 2:18
And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the LORD because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.
Nave's Topical Index

1 Samuel 15:35
And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the LORD repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.
Nave's Topical Index

2 Samuel 24:16
And when the angel stretched out his hand on Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now your hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing place of Araunah the Jebusite.
Nave's Topical Index

1 Chronicles 21:15
And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and he repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now your hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
Nave's Topical Index

Psalm 31:2
Bow down your ear to me; deliver me speedily: be you my strong rock, for an house of defense to save me.
Nave's Topical Index

Psalm 33:6
By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.
Nave's Topical Index

Psalm 35:1-3
Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.
Nave's Topical Index

Psalm 36:7
How excellent is your loving kindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of your wings.
Nave's Topical Index

Psalm 57:1
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me: for my soul trusts in you: yes, in the shadow of your wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be over.
Nave's Topical Index

Psalm 68:17
The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place.
Nave's Topical Index

Psalm 94:9
He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see?
Nave's Topical Index

Psalm 121:4
Behold, he that keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
Nave's Topical Index

Isaiah 1:15
And when you spread forth your hands, I will hide my eyes from you: yes, when you make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
Nave's Topical Index

Ezekiel 1:24,28
And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings.
Nave's Topical Index

Habakkuk 1:13
You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, and can not look on iniquity: why look you on them that deal treacherously, and hold your tongue when the wicked devours the man that is more righteous than he?
Nave's Topical Index

1 Peter 3:12
For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
Nave's Topical Index

How can we express our doubt to God without offending Him (Malachi 2:17; 3:14-15)? | GotQuestions.org

Questions about God ' Theme Index | GotQuestions.org

Questions about God (All) | GotQuestions.org

Anthropomorphism: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus