Why Does the Bible Describe God in Human Terms?

Since "God is a Spirit," we cannot see him with our physical eyes.  (John 4:24) The Bible therefore uses figures of speech, such as smiles, metaphors, and Anthropomorphisms to help  us  comprehend God's  might, majesty, and activities. Anthropomorphism (Greek,  "manform") is the attributing of human characteristics to a nonhuman subject.  So even though we do not know what  God's spirit body looks like, the Bible speaks of God as having eyes, ears, hands, arms, fingers, feet, and a heart. -Genesis 8:21; Exodus 3:20; 31:18; Job 40:9; Psalm 18:9; 34:15.  

Such descriptive language does not mean that God's spirit body has the same kind of members that human bodies have. Anthropomorphisms are not to be taken literally.  They merely help humans to have a better understanding of God.  Without such figures of speech, it would be difficult, if not impossible, for any description of God to be comprehensible to mere humans.  However, that does not mean that Jehovah God's personality has been fabricated by humans.  The Bible clearly explains that man was created in God's image (Genesis 1:27) Because Bible writers were "inspired by God" their depiction of God's personality is in reality his own description of his personal qualities-the very qualities that he has implanted to varying degrees in the human creation.  (2 Timothy 3:16, 17) Rather than being man's qualities in God, they are really God's qualities in man.  

(note: providing man uses those good qualities, which from some people, I have seen no  evidence of) 

Next time: THE SPLENDOR OF JEHOVAH'S CREATION-"Let the Rivers Themselves Clap Their Hands"


From the Watchtower magazine, 2004