Biblical Hebrew Forum

[George Athas <George.Athas AT moore.edu.au>]

Ted,

The anthropomorphic issue is a bigger philosophical discussion that does not 
actually take place in the texts. I think Ezekiel's visions are the only ones 
where God's appearance is seen as 'like' something, but even then Ezekiel is 
describing a shape or form. To my knowledge, there is no specific biblical 
text that discusses the bodylessness of YHWH — only warnings against trying 
to mimic him with manufactured statues. Evidently, though, he has a voice 
that could be literally heard.

From the perspective of the writers, it seems they honestly believed that 
YHWH had a particular form or shape that was quite human-like. For example, 
the elders of Israel could have a meal with YHWH and observe his feet and 
what was under them (Ex 24.10). Interestingly, what is under his feet in that 
story is a solid pavement that is כעצם השׁמים לטהר ("like the substance of 
the sky for purity"). Evidently we have here a comparison between what YHWH 
stands on — a מעשׂה לבנת הספיר ("a work of sapphire bricks") — with the עצם 
השׁמים ("the substance of the sky").  In other words, during this meal, YHWH 
was observed standing on a dazzling blue pavement that resembled what the sky 
was made of. The sky evidently was perceived to have had a עצם (a 
"substance").

In terms of the astral luminaries, they are seen to be ברקיע (in the 
ceiling/dome). Whether this means that they are fixed in the ceiling (like 
our modern light fittings) or floating close to it like, perhaps, a helium 
balloon, is a little hard to figure out. The context doesn't expressly make 
that clear. Qohelet seems to view the sun as an independent orb that moves on 
its own. Ptolemaic cosmology saw the stars and planets and being located 
within the surface of moving spheres. But whether the writer of Gen 1 had the 
same understanding is not clear. I'm happy for others to shed some light on 
that one. <boom boom!>


GEORGE ATHAS
Dean of Research,
Moore Theological College (moore.edu.au)
Sydney, Australia