Anthropopatheia; or, Condescension The Ascribing of Human Attributes, etc., to God.
An-thrôp´-o-path-ei´-a . Greek, ἀνθρωποπάθεια, from ἄνθρωπος (anthropos), man, and πάθος (pathos), affections and feelings, etc. (from πάσχειν, paschein), to suffer).
This figure is used of the ascription of human passions, actions, or attributes to God.
The Hebrews had a name for this figure, and called it דֶרֶךְ בְנֵי אָדָם (Derech Benai Adam), the way of the sons of man .
The Greeks had another name for it: SYNCATABASIS (Syn´-cat-ab´-a-sis), from σύν (syn), together with, κατά (kata), down, and βαίνειν (bainein), to go: a going down together with: i.e., God, by using this figure, condescends to the ignorance and infirmity of man.
Hence, the Latin name for it was CONDESCENSIO, condescension .
The following are the divisions in which the various uses of this figure may be presented:-
I. Human and Rational Beings.
1. Parts and Members of Man.
2. The Feelings of Men.
3. The Actions of Men.
4. Circumstances:
a. Negative.
b. Positive.
c. Of Place.
d. Of Time.
e. Of Person.
II. Irrational Creatures.
1. Animals.
2. The Actions of certain Animals.
3. Parts or Members of certain Animals.
4. Plants:
a. Of Genus.
b. Of Species.
III. Inanimate Things.
1. Universals.
2. Particulars.
3. The Elements.
4. The Earth.
I. Human and Rational Beings
1. Parts and Members of Man; or, of the Human Body
A Soul is attributed to God
in condescension, so that we may understand His essence and will: i.e., God Himself.
Leviticus 26:11. -“And I will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you”: i.e., I myself (see under Idiom and Synecdoche).
So Psalms 11:5, Isaiah 1:14, Isaiah 42:1, Jeremiah 5:9, Jeremiah 5:29, Jeremiah 15:1 (rendered “mind”). Matthew 12:18 . Hebrews 10:38 .
Hence the expression “ to swear by one’s soul ,” Jeremiah 51:14 . (See A.V. [Note: The Authorized Version, or current Text of our English Bible, 1611.] marg. [Note: arg. Margin.TCTCT)C Amos 6:8, where it is rendered, “by himself.”
Lamentations 3:20. -“And thy soul will condescend to me.”
This was the primitive text, and we find here one of the eighteen emendations of the Sopherim, who altered it to, “My soul is humbled in me.” (See Appendix E).
Jerusalem, personified, speaks, and says (verses 19, 20) addressing God:
“Remember my misery and my forlorn state,
The wormwood and the gall.
Yea, verily, Thou wilt remember,
And Thy soul will mourn over me.
This I recall to my heart,
Therefore I have hope.”
A Body is used of Christ.
Colossians 2:17. -“Which are a shadow of things to come: but the body of Christ is the substance ”: i.e., Christ Himself, either personally (verse 9) or mystically. * [Note: See the Mystery, by the same author and publisher.]
See under Ellipsis, and compare 1 Timothy 3:16 . Ephesians 1:1-23, Ephesians 4:12, Ephesians 1:4-16 .
The Head is spoken of Christ.
1 Corinthians 11:3. -“The head of Christ is God.” This is in respect to His human nature, and is spoken of Christ as man. John 14:28 . Romans 8:29 .
So Christ is said to be head of the Body: i.e., the Mystical Body. Ephesians 1:22, Ephesians 4:15, Colossians 1:18 . See 1 Corinthians 1:12-31 . Hence ἀνακεφαλαιώσασθαι (anakephalaiôsasthai), to reduce to one head, or to head up in Ephesians 1:10 .
The Face, to signify presence.
It is used of the Divine presence in happiness and of Divine favour. Psalms 16:11 : “In thy face (i.e., presence) is fulness of joy.” So Psalms 17:15 .
Exodus 33:20 ; Exodus 33:23. -Compare 2 John 1:3, Psalms 51:11 (13).
Psalms 31:20 (21). -“Thou wilt hide therein the secret of thy face”: i.e., of thy presence, in Divine grace and favour.
Psalms 17:2. -“Let my sentence come forth from thy face”: i.e., Thy presence or Thyself, in righteousness and truth.
Psalms 89:15 (16). -“They will walk, O Lord, in the light of thy face”: i.e., in the light of Thy presence, enjoying Thy favour and blessing.
1 Chronicles 29:12. -“Riches and honour come from thy face”: A.V. [Note: The Authorized Version, or current Text of our English Bible, 1611.], “of Thee”: i.e., from Thy grace and favour.
So Numbers 1:6-26 . Psalms 4:6 (7); 31:16 (17); 80:3, 7, 19 (4, 8, 20). Daniel 9:17 .
Matthew 18:10. -“Their angels do always behold the face of my Father”: i.e., enjoy or stand in His presence, which is explained by 2 Kings 25:19 . Esther 1:14 .
Hence the hiding of God’s face meant the withholding of His grace and favour.
Psalms 13:1 (2): 27:9; 30:7 (8). Ezekiel 39:24 .
It is used of the Divine presence in anger and judgment.
Psalms 9:3 (4). -“They shall fall and perish from thy face” (i.e., at Thy presence manifested in judgment).
Psalms 21:9 (10). -“Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of Thy face” (i.e., Thy presence in judgment).
The A.V. [Note: The Authorized Version, or current Text of our English Bible, 1611.] actually renders this “anger”: but not in
Psalms 34:16. -“The face of the Lord is against them that do evil” (i.e., the anger of the Lord, as in 21:9 and Lamentations 4:16 . See A.V. [Note: The Authorized Version, or current Text of our English Bible, 1611.] marg. [Note: arg. Margin.TCTCT)C
2 Thessalonians 1:9. -“The face of the Lord.” Here, it is rendered “presence.” See under Ellipsis . So 1 Peter 3:12 .
It is used of Jehovah Himself, for emphasis.
Exodus 1:33-15, as is explained in verse 16, and Isaiah 63:9 . Exodus 23:20, etc., where doubtless Christ is meant by “the angel.”
So Exodus 23:15 : “None shall appear before my face (i.e., Me) empty.”
Leviticus 17:10. -“I will set my face (i.e., myself) against that soul.” So Jeremiah 21:10 .
Hence the shewbread was called the bread of the presence (lit., the bread of the faces), because it was in the holy place in the manifested presence of God.
Exodus 25:30. -“Thou shalt set upon the table the bread of the faces (פָּנִים, pahneem) before me (לְפָנַי, l’phahnai) alway.” Observe the Paronomasia (q.v. [Note: Which see.]).
Psalms 27:8. -“Seek ye my face”: i.e., seek me.
Psalms 100:2. -“Come before his face (i.e., before Him) with singing.”
Psalms 105:4. -“Seek his face (i.e., Himself) evermore.” So 2 Samuel 21:1 : “And David enquired of the Lord”: lit., sought the face of the Lord . (See A.V. [Note: The Authorized Version, or current Text of our English Bible, 1611.] marg. [Note: arg. Margin.TCTCT)C
Psalms 139:7. -“Whither shall I flee from thy face?” (A.V. [Note: The Authorized Version, or current Text of our English Bible, 1611.], presence): i.e., from Thee.
Hence “ Face to face ” means great intimacy. Deuteronomy 5:4, Deuteronomy 34:10 . Numbers 1:12-7, etc., which is explained by Exodus 1:20-21 . In Numbers 12:8 we have “ mouth to mouth ” for the first time. See below.
Eyes are attributed to God.
2 Samuel 16:22. -“The Lord will behold with his eye.” This was the primitive text; and is one of the eighteen passages altered by the Sopherim (see Appendix E) to “mine eye,” which has been taken (by Metonymy) to stand for tears or affliction.
Zechariah 2:8 (12). -“He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of my eye.” So the primitive Hebrew text read, but was altered by the Sopherim to “his eye.” See Appendix E.
Eyes are used of God’s observation.
Psalms 11:4. -“His eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men”: i.e., the Lord observeth and noteth and understandeth the acts and ways of men. See Job 34:21 : “His eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.” So Isaiah 1:16 . Hebrews 4:13 .
Hosea 13:14. -“Repentance shall be hid from mine eyes”: i.e., I will not repent. So Romans 11:29 .
Hence the phrase to “ hide from one’s eyes ” means not to look upon or regard. See Isaiah 65:16 . Amos 9:3 .
Eyes are used of God’s grace and favour.
Deuteronomy 11:12. -“The eyes of the Jehovah thy God, are always upon it”: i.e., regarding the Land with Divine benevolence. So 1 Kings 9:3 . 2 Chronicles 16:9 .
Psalms 32:8. -A.V. [Note: The Authorized Version, or current Text of our English Bible, 1611.] : “I will guide thee with mine eye.” R.V. [Note: The Revised Version, 1881.] : “I will counsel thee with mine eye upon thee.” Lit., I cause mine eye to take counsel concerning thee: i.e., I will cause My Spirit to graciously to inform thee and lead thee in the right way. (See A.V. [Note: The Authorized Version, or current Text of our English Bible, 1611.] marg. [Note: arg. Margin.TCTCT)C
So 1 Peter 3:12 . See above.
Hence the phrases, “Mine eye spared them” (Ezekiel 20:17): i.e., I was propitious toward them, and showed them My favour. So Ezekiel 5:11, Ezekiel 7:4 .
“I am cut off from before thine eyes” (Psalms 31:22): i.e., I have lost Thy favour.
“To keep as the apple of the eye” (Deuteronomy 32:10).
Ears are attributed to God.
Psalms 10:17. -“Thou wilt cause thine ear to hear.”
Psalms 31:2 (3). -“Bow down thine ear to me.”
Psalms 40:6 (7). -“Mine ears hast thou opened or bored”: i.e., Christ says, “A servant for ever hast thou made me.” See margin, and compare Exodus 21:6 and Deuteronomy 15:17, and see under Metonymy .
Psalms 55:1 (2). -“Give ear to my prayer, O God.”
Psalms 71:2. -“Incline thine ear unto me and save me.”
Psalms 130:2. -“Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.”
Ezekiel 8:18. -“Though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them.”
James 5:4. -“The cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.”
See also Isaiah 1:50-5, where Messiah speaks.
Nostrils are attributed to God.
Exodus 15:8. -“With the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together.”
Job 4:9. -“By the breath of his nostrils are they consumed.”
The A.V. [Note: The Authorized Version, or current Text of our English Bible, 1611.] margin says “That is, by his anger ,” as Isaiah 30:33 . See Exodus 15:8 .
Deuteronomy 33:10. -“They shall put (or let them put) incense to thy nose.” A.V. [Note: The Authorized Version, or current Text of our English Bible, 1611.] and R.V. [Note: The Revised Version, 1881.], “before thee.” (But see A.V. [Note: The Authorized Version, or current Text of our English Bible, 1611.] marg. [Note: arg. Margin.TCTCT)C
Psalms 18:15. -“At the blast of the breath of thy nostril.”
Ezekiel 8:17. -“Lo, they put the branch (the Asherah) to my nose.” So the Heb. Text originally read, but was altered by the Sopherim, “to their nose.” See Appendix E.
A Mouth and Lips and a Tongue are attributed to God, in connection with His will, His word, His commands, etc.
Numbers 12:8. -“With him (Moses) will I speak mouth to mouth”: i.e., familiarly, and with really audible words.
Deuteronomy 8:3. -“By every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of Jehovah doth man live.” So Matthew 4:4 .
Joshua 9:14. -“And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord.”
Job 11:5. -“Oh that God would speak and open his lips against thee.”
Isaiah 11:4. -“He shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.”
This is quoted of Christ in 2 Thessalonians 2:8 .
Isaiah 30:27. -“His lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire.”
Isaiah 55:11. -“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth.”
A Voice is attributed to God.
Isaiah 30:30. -“Jehovah shall cause the glory of His voice to be heard”: i.e., as in A.V. [Note: The Authorized Version, or current Text of our English Bible, 1611.] and R.V. [Note: The Revised Version, 1881.], “his glorious voice,” thus interpreting and rendering the Hypallage (q.v. [Note: Which see.]). See Psalms 1:29-11
Arms are attributed to God, to indicate His strength and power, which in men lies so largely in the arms.
Exodus 15:16 . Job 40:9. -“Hast thou an arm like God?”
Psalms 77:15 (16). -“Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people.” (So Exodus 6:6 . Deuteronomy 9:29 . Psalms 136:12).
Psalms 79:11. -“According to the greatness of thine arm.” Here, the A.V. [Note: The Authorized Version, or current Text of our English Bible, 1611.] and R.V. [Note: The Revised Version, 1881.] both actually render it “thy power” (marg. [Note: arg. Margin.] thine arm).
Psalms 89:10 (11). -“Thou hast scattered thine enemies with the arm of thy strength.” So R.V. [Note: The Revised Version, 1881.] but A.V. [Note: The Authorized Version, or current Text of our English Bible, 1611.], “with thy strong arm” (see margin).
Isaiah 51:9. -“Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord.” See also under Epizeuxis .
Isaiah 59:16. -“Therefore his arm brought salvation.” So Isaiah 63:5 .
Isaiah 62:8. -“Jehovah hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength”: i.e., by His strong arm, or, His strength.
Luke 1:51. -“He hath shewed strength with his arm.”
Psalms 89:13 (14). -“Thou hast an arm with might” (see A.V. [Note: The Authorized Version, or current Text of our English Bible, 1611.] and R.V. [Note: The Revised Version, 1881.] margin).
Here A.V. [Note: The Authorized Version, or current Text of our English Bible, 1611.] and R.V. [Note: The Revised Version, 1881.] both render it “a mighty arm.”
Isaiah 30:30. -Jehovah “shall shew the lighting down of his arm.” Here His voice is used of thunder, and His arm denotes His lightning.
The Arm of the Lord not only denotes power, but power executed in judgment.
See Psalms 136:12 .
The Arm of the Lord is also used of the making known of His grace in wondrous power.
Isaiah 52:10. -“Jehovah hath made bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations.” Verses 7, 8 clearly show that this was His power manifested in grace to Israel.
Isaiah 53:1. -“Who hath believed our report (see Metonymy of Adjunct)? and to whom is the arm of Jehovah revealed?”
Compare John 12:38 and Romans 1:16 .
A Hand is attributed to God, by which various powers and actions are indicated Power and Miraculous Operation.
Numbers 11:23. -“Is Jehovah’s hand waxed short?” i.e., has His power got less? So Isaiah 59:1 .
Job 10:8. -“Thine hands have made me and fashioned me.”
Job 12:9. -“The hand of Jehovah hath wrought this.”
Job 12:10. -“In whose hand is the life of every living thing.”
Psalms 8:6 (7). -“Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands.”
Psalms 95:5. -“His hands formed the dry land.”
Isaiah 11:11. -“The Lord (Adonai) shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His People.”
Purpose.
Acts 4:28. -“To do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.”
Protection, gracious deliverance, and security.
Psalms 31:5 (6). -“Into thine hand I commit my spirit.”
Psalms 144:7. -“Send thine hand from above: rid me, and deliver me out of great waters.” See under Heterosis .
John 10:28. -“Neither shall any pluck them out of my hand.”
John 10:29. -“None can pluck them out of my Father’s hand.”
Acts 4:30. -“By stretching forth thine hand to heal.”
Providence.
Psalms 104:28. -“Thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good.”
Psalms 145:16. -“Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.”
Prospering.
Nehemiah 2:8. -“The king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.”
Nehemiah 2:18. -“Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me.”
So Ezra 7:6, Ezra 7:9, Ezra 7:28, Ezra 8:18 .
Preservation.
John 10:28. -“Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” And verse 29: “No man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.”
Punishment.
Exodus 9:3. -“Behold the hand of the Lord is upon thy cattle,” etc.
Job 19:21. -“The hand of God (Eloah) hath touched me.” (See under Tapeinosis).
Psalms 21:8 (9). -“Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies,” etc.
Psalms 17:14. -“From men which are thy hand, O Jehovah” (marg. [Note: arg. Margin.], from men by thine hand . Compare R.V. [Note: The Revised Version, 1881.TCTCT)C: i.e., “from the men who are instruments in Thy hand, O Jehovah.”
Psalms 38:2 (3). -“Thy hand presseth me sore.”
Acts 13:11. -“And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee.”
Ezekiel 39:21. -“All the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them.”
So Job (23:2) uses the word “hand,” by Metonymy, for his punishment. “My hand (i.e., punishment) is heavier than my groaning.” (See A.V. [Note: The Authorized Version, or current Text of our English Bible, 1611.] marg. [Note: arg. Margin.TCTCT)C.
See 27:11. Hence the
Idiomatic Expressions.
“ To stretch forth the hand ”: i.e., to send judgments upon. Exodus 7:5, Psalms 138:7 . Isaiah 5:25, Isaiah 9:12, Isaiah 9:17, Isaiah 9:21, Isaiah 10:4, Isaiah 14:27, Isaiah 31:3, Jeremiah 6:12, Ezekiel 16:27, Ezekiel 25:7 . Zephaniah 1:4, Zephaniah 2:13 .
“ To put forth the hand ”: i.e., to inflict punishment. Job 1:11, Job 2:5 .
“ To shake the hand .” Isaiah 19:16 .
“ To make the hand heavy ”: i.e., to make the chastisement severe. Psalms 32:4 .
“ To make the hand light ”: i.e., to reduce the chastisement. 1 Samuel 6:5 .
“ To withdraw the hand ”: i.e., to take away the punishment. Ezekiel 20:22 .
“ To turn the hand upon ”: i.e., to repeat the punishment. Isaiah 1:25 .
Jehovah asks why this should be in verse 5.
“ To lift up or spread out the hand ”: i.e., to call for the receiving of mercy, or invite to receive. Proverbs 1:24, Isaiah 49:22, Isaiah 65:2 .
“ To open the hand ”: i.e., to bestow or give bountifully. See Psalms 104:28, Psalms 145:16 above.
“ To clap or smite the hands together ” : i.e., to express derision or disdainful anger Ezekiel 21:17, Ezekiel 22:13 .
“ To lift up the hand ”: i.e., to swear solemnly.
Exodus 6:8 (margin). Deuteronomy 32:40 . Ezekiel 1:20-6, Ezekiel 36:7, etc. (See also Genesis 14:22). This explains the difficult verse Exodus 17:16 . See the Text and margins of A.V. [Note: The Authorized Version, or current Text of our English Bible, 1611.] and R.V. [Note: The Revised Version, 1881.] There is the Ellipsis of the verb which is clearly understood from the idiom, thus “Surely the hand is [lifted up] on the banner of Jehovah.” So that the A.V. [Note: The Authorized Version, or current Text of our English Bible, 1611.] is quite correct in sense: “The Lord hath sworn.” (See Ginsburg’s Introduction to the Hebrew Bible, page 382, 383).
“ The hand of the Lord upon ” a man denoted also the power of the prophetic spirit.
1 Kings 18:46 . 2 Kings 3:15, Ezekiel 1:3, Ezekiel 8:1, Ezekiel 33:22 .
A Right Hand is attributed to God; to denote the highest power, and most Divine authority.
Exodus 15:6, Exodus 15:12, Psalms 77:10 (11); 118:15, 16; 139:10. Isaiah 48:13 .
It denotes also His grace and mercy in delivering and saving His people.
Psalms 18:35 (36); 20:6 (7) (margin); 44:3 (4); 63:8 (9); 80:15, 17 (16, 18).
It is used also of the place accorded to Christ in His human nature as now exalted.
Psalms 110:1, Matthew 26:64, Mark 16:19 . Acts 1:2-34, Acts 1:7-56 . Romans 8:34, Colossians 3:1, etc. Ephesians 1:1-22, Hebrews 1:1-4, Hebrews 8:1 .
So Christ’s dignity is further described by the figure THEOPREPÔS, worthy of a god . 1 Corinthians 15:25, Ephesians 4:10, etc.
A Finger is attributed to God, to denote the putting forth of His formative power, and the direct and immediate act of God.
Exodus 8:19, Exodus 31:18 . Psalms 8:3 (4). So Luke 11:20, by which, according to Matthew 12:28, the Spirit of God is meant.
Isaiah 40:12 (a span of the fingers). See 48:13.
A Heart is attributed to God.
Genesis 6:6; Genesis 8:21, Jeremiah 19:5 (6). 1 Samuel 13:14 : “A man after his own heart”: i.e., His own Divine and eternal purpose; having regard, not to David’s worthiness or unworthiness, but to God’s own will. So Acts 13:22 . See also Jeremiah 32:41 .
Bowels are attributed to God; to denote His mercies and His pity.
All these figures of Anthropopatheia are figures of Metonomy, by which one thing is put for another. Here, because, when a person is much moved by deep feeling, there is a movement of the bowels, so they are put, by Metonymy, for the feeling itself.
Isaiah 63:15. -“Where is thy zeal and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies towards me?” So Jeremiah 31:20 .
Luke 1:78 .-“Through the bowels of the mercy of our God.” (See A.V. [Note: The Authorized Version, or current Text of our English Bible, 1611.] margin). Here it is translated, “through the tender mercy of our God.”
Matthew 9:36. -“He was moved with compassion”: lit., his bowels moved. So Matthew 14:14, Matthew 15:32, Mark 1:41, Mark 6:34, etc. (See also Genesis 43:30 . 1 Kings 3:26 . And compare this as attributed to God, Psalms 51:1 (3): “The multitude of thy tender mercies.”) So Isaiah 63:7 .
A Bosom is attributed to God; to denote comfort and rest.
Psalms 74:11 (the hand in the bosom denoting ease, according to Proverbs 19:24, Proverbs 26:15).
Isaiah 40:11 . Joh 1:18 (“In the bosom of the Father”). Numbers 11:12 .
Feet are attributed to God; to denote His presence in the earth, in power, in universal dominion.
Isaiah 66:1, Psalms 74:3, Psalms 110:1, Isaiah 60:13 . In this respect the earth is spoken of as His “footstool.”
Footsteps are also attributed to God.
Psalms 77:19 (20); 89:51 (52).
2. Human Affections and Feelings are attributed to God
Human affections and feelings are attributed to God: not that He has such feelings; but, in infinite condescension, He is thus spoken of in order to enable us to comprehend Him.
Rejoicing is attributed to God.
Psalms 104:31. -“The Lord shall rejoice in his works.” So Isaiah 62:5, Deuteronomy 28:63, Deuteronomy 30:9 . Jeremiah 32:41, etc.
Sorrow and Grief are attributed to God.
Genesis 6:6. -“It grieved him at his heart.”
Judges 10:16. -“His soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.”
Psalms 78:40. -“How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve Him in the desert!”
Isaiah 63:10. -“They rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit.” So Ephesians 4:30 .
See Zechariah 11:8 . Ezekiel 6:9 .
Repentance is attributed to God.
Genesis 6:6. -“It repented Jehovah that he had made man on the earth.”
So Exodus 32:12, Exodus 32:14 . 2 Samuel 24:16 . Psalms 106:45, Jeremiah 18:8, Jeremiah 26:3, Hosea 11:8 . Amos 7:3, Amos 7:6 . Joel 1:2-14 .
Anger, Vengeance, and Hatred are attributed to God.
Exodus 15:7. -“Thou sentest forth thy wrath.”
Psalms 5:5 (6). -“Thou hatest all workers of iniquity.”
Isaiah 1:14. -“Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth.”
Isaiah 1:24. -“I will … avenge me of mine enemies.”
Jeremiah 9:9. -“Shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?”
Nahum 1:2. -“God (El) is jealous, and Jehovah revengeth; the Lord revengeth, and is furious: the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies.”
So Ezekiel 5:13, Psalms 2:12, Psalms 85:5 (6). Deuteronomy 1:37, Deu 32:16 . 1 Kings 11:9 .
Comfort is spoken of God.
Isaiah 57:6. -“Should I receive comfort in these?”
Ezekiel 5:13. -“And I will be comforted.”
Jealousy.
Exodus 20:5. -“For I the Lord thy God am a jealous * [Note: It is noteworthy that קַבָּא (kabah) out of its six occurrences, is, in five, connected with אֵל (El), God .] God (El).”
Numbers 25:11. -“That I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy.”
Deuteronomy 32:16. -“They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods.” So in verse 21, and in 1 Kings 14:22, Isaiah 9:7 (6). Ezekiel 8:3, Joel 2:18 .
Zechariah 1:14. -“I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.” See also under Polyptoton .
Zeal.
Isaiah 9:7 (6). -“The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”
Displeasure.
Zechariah 1:15. -“I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.”
Pity.
Joel 2:18. -“Then will Jehovah … pity His People.”
3. Human Actions are attributed to God.
Knowing. Not actual knowledge as such, but the acquiring of knowledge as though before ignorant.
Genesis 18:21. -“I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, † [Note: The Severus Codex reads ם for ה : i.e., their cry, instead of “the cry of it.” See Ginsburg’s Introduction to the Hebrew Bible, page 412.] which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.”
Genesis 22:12. -“Now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.”
God, of course, knew it already; but, in wondrous condescension, He stoops to make Abraham understand.
Deuteronomy 8:2. -“The Lord thy God led thee, etc. … to know what was in thine heart.” So Deuteronomy 13:3 (4). The Lord knew already: “For He knoweth the way of the righteous” (Psalms 1:6, Psalms 31:7 (8). 2 Timothy 2:19).
Psalms 14:2. -“The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see (i.e., to know) if there were any that did understand,” etc.
So Psalms 53:2 (3). (See also this verse under Epanadiplosis).
The very action of our prayer to God involves an Anthropopatheia . God knows all our petitions before we pray. And yet we have to pray as though we were making them known to Him. Philippians 4:6 .
Not Knowing, the opposite of knowledge, is attributed to God.
Genesis 3:9. -“The Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?” This implies ignorance. The Lord knew; but the question is put to make Adam know and realise his changed condition.
Genesis 4:9. -“Where is Abel thy brother?”
These first two Divine questions in the Bible are very significant. See under Erotesis .
Numbers 22:9. -“What men are these with thee?”
1 Kings 19:9 ; 1 Kings 19:13. -“What doest thou here, Elijah?”
So 2 Kings 1:20-15, Isaiah 1:39-4 .
To this figure must be referred the passages which represent God as doubting, or having to wait to see certain results.
Also when God tries, or proves, or searches, it is not that He does not know, but that He may make others know.
Psalms 7:9 (10). -“The righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.” (See Metonymy of subject).
So Jeremiah 11:20 . Revelation 2:23 . 1 Corinthians 2:10 .
So Christ declares that He will say:
Matthew 7:23 : “I never knew you”; 25:12: “I know you not.” Luke 13:25, Luke 13:27 .
The questions of Christ in the New Testament are to be referred to the same Figure.
Matthew 22:20. -“Whose is this image and superscription?”
Also verse 45: “If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?”
Luke 8:45. -“Who touched me?”
Remembering.
Genesis 8:1. -“And God remembered Noah.” Genesis 30:22 . 1Sa 1:11; 1 Samuel 1:19 .
Genesis 1:9-16 , and Exodus 6:5 , where God speaks of remembering His covenant. So Psalms 105:8, Psalms 105:42 * [Note: See the Structure of this Psalm in A Key to the Psalms, by the same author and publisher.]; 106:45: “He remembered for them His covenant,” though “they (verse 13) soon forgat His works,” and (verse 21) “they forgat God their saviour.”
It denotes specially a remembrance for good. As in Psalms 1:25-7, Psalms 78:39, Psalms 115:12, Psalms 119:49, Psalms 136:13, Isaiah 43:25, Revelation 18:5 .
Exodus 2:24. -“And God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.” See this passage under the figures Synonymia, Anaphora, Polysyndeton, and Metonymy (of the Cause).
1 Samuel 1:11. -“If thou wilt … remember me and not forget thine handmaid.” See under Pleonasm .
1 Samuel 1:19. -“And the Lord remembered her.” There is Hypocatastasis here; for it is implied that He heard Hannah’s prayer (verse 9), and did according to her request.
Psalms 78:39. -“He remembered that they were but flesh.” This stands in solemn contrast with verse 42: “They remembered not His hand.”
Psalms 103:14. -“He knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.” This is the one thing that man will not do: he will not remember our infirmities . Man will remember our sins; but these are the very things that God will not remember (Isaiah 43:25). Infinite in power, He remembers our weakness. Perfect in holiness, He will not remember our sins.
This remembrance, though in mercy to His people, involves the punishment of their enemies.
See Psalms 137:7 . Revelation 18:5 .
Forgetting and Not Forgetting is also attributed to God.
Psalms 9:18 (19). -“For the needy shall not alway be forgotten.”
Psalms 13:1 (2). -“How long wilt thou forget me, O Jehovah.”
Psalms 42:9 (10). -“I will say unto God (El) my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me?”
Isaiah 49:15. -“Yet will I not forget thee.”
Jeremiah 23:39. -“I, even I, will utterly forget you, and I will forsake you”: i.e., the false prophets, who would say “the burden of the Lord.”
Hosea 4:6. -“I will also forget thy children.” (See under Metonymy of Cause.)
Luke 12:6. -“Not one of them is forgotten before God.”
When God says He will not forget His enemies, it means that their punishment is certain, and will not be indefinitely deferred.
Job 11:6. -“Know therefore that God causeth to be forgotten for thee of thine iniquity.”
The A.V. [Note: The Authorized Version, or current Text of our English Bible, 1611.] and R.V. [Note: The Revised Version, 1881.] both render this “God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth ”: where two words have to be supplied through not seeing the Figure, which denotes that “God (Eloah) causeth the punishment of thine iniquity to be deferred.” The Heb. is: “He constantly lendeth to thee”: i.e., crediteth thee like a lenient creditor.
Psalms 74:23. -“Forget not the voice of thine enemies”: i.e., do not defer their punishment.
Amos 8:7. -“I will never forget any of their works”: i.e., I will surely remember them and punish them for them.
Thinking.
Genesis 50:20. -“Ye thought (i.e., devised) evil against me: but God thought it for good.”
Psalms 40:5 (6). -“The thoughts which are to usward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee.”
Psalms 92:5 (6). -“O Lord, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep.”
Psalms 139:17. -“How precious also