Thursday, February 28, 2019

Andreas Wagner's Comparison of Bodily Forms of God and Man


The following useful table comes from:

Andreas Wagner, God's Body: The Anthropomorphic God in the Old Testament (trans. Marion Salzmann; London: T&T Clark, 2019), 20-22

Matching of exemplary biblical references for the comparison of bodily forms of God and man, respectively

Body part
Bodily form – external verbal ‘image’ of God
Bodily form – external verbal ‘image’ of man
ro’š
head
Isa. 59.17 He [Yhwh] put on righteousness as his breastplate and set the helmet of salvation on his head and put on the garments of revenge and attired himself with zeal as with a cloak.
Num 6.5 As long as his vow lasts no razor shall be used on his head. He is holy until the time he has vowed himself to Yhwh has passed and he ust allow the hair on his head to grow long.

Ps. 60.9 [God has spoken in his sanctuary: . . . ] Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine, Ephraim is the safeguard on my head, Judah is my sceptre (par. Ps. 108.9).
Zech. 6.11 Take silver and gold from them and make crowns and crown the head of Joshua, the high priest, the son of Jehozadak,

Dan. 7.9 I saw thrones were set in place, and one who was ancient sat down. His clothing was white as snow and the hair on his head pure as wool . . .

nîm
face,
countenance
Gen. 33.10 Jacob answered: NO, please! If I have found favour in your eyes, accept the gift from my hands; for I saw your face as if I saw God’s countenance, and you were gracious to me.
Gen. 43.31 And after he [Joseph] had cried, had washed his face, he went out and controlled himself and said: Serve the food!

Job 2.7 So Satan went out from the countenance of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
2 Sam. 19.5 But the King covered his face and cried aloud: O my son Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!
‘ayin
eye
Amos 9.3 And though they hide themselves on the Mount of Carmel, I will search for them and bring them down; and though they conceal themselves before my eyes at the bottom of the sea I will command the serpent to bite them there.
Deut 19.21 Life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Gen. 6.8 But Noah found favour in the eyes of Yhwh.
Ps. 6.8 My eyes grow weak and sorrow and fail because I have so many foes.
‘ozean
ear
2 Kgs 19.16 [Hezekiah says] Yhwh, give ear and hear, open your eyes, and see and hear the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God.
Exod. 32.2 Aaron spoke to them: Take off the golden ear-rings on the ears of your wives, your sons and your daughters, and bring them to me.

2. Chron. 7.15 [the speaker is Yhwh] Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place.
Ezek. 23.25 I will direct my jealousy against you [Oholiha], and they will deal furiously with you. They will cut off your nose and your ears, and what is left shall fall by the sword. They shall take your sons and your daughters, and what remains of you shall be consumed by fire.
‘ap
nose
2 Sam. 22.9 Smoke rose from his nostrils/nose and consuming fire from his mouth, flames came from him.
Gen. 2.7 And Yhwh God formed man out of earth from the field and blew the breath of life into his nostrils/nose. And man became a living soul.

Isa. 65.5 [Yhwh talks about the disobedient] They are smoke in my nostrils/nose, a fire that burns the whole day.
Prov. 30.33 For when one churns milk it produces butter, and when one blows his nose hard, he forces out blood, and when one stirs up anger he produces strife.
paeh
mouth
Lev. 23.12 And took him [a blaspheming Israelite] prisoner, until they received a clear answer from the mouth of Yhwh.
Judg. 7.6 The number of men who lapped was three hundred. All the rest of the people drank kneeling, from the hand to the mouth.

Ps. 33.6 The heavens were made by the word of Yhwh and his host by the breath of his mouth.
Song. 1.2 He kissed me with the kisses of his mouth; for your love is more delightful than wine.
naepaeš
throat,
neck
Jer. 6.8 Mend your ways, Jerusalem, before I turn my naepaeš (neck?) from you and make you a desolate country, in which no-one lives!
Ps. 69.2 God, help me! For the water has come up to my neck.

Ezek. 23.18 When she carried out her prostitution openly and exposed her nakedness, I turned my naepaeš (neck?) . . .
Prov. 25.25 Good news from a distant land is like cool water for a parched throat.
zeac
arm
Exod. 15.16 Terror and dread fell upon them; they froze like stones in the face of your powerful arm, until your people, Yhwh, passed by, until the people passed by who you purchased.
Ps. 18.35 He teaches my hands to fight and my arm to bend the bronze bow.

Ps. 89.11 You beat Rahab to death and scattered your enemies with your strong arm.
Song 8.6 Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal over your arm . . .
yāmîn
right hand
Isa. 62.8 Yhwh has sworn by his right hand and by his mighty arm . . .
Gen. 48.13 Then Joseph took them both, Ephraim on his right hand towards Israel’s left hand and Manasseh by his left hand towards Israel’s right hand, and brought them to him.

Ps 48.11 Like your name, O God, your glory reaches to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is filled with righteousness.
Judg. 16.29 And he [Samson] encompassed the two central pillars on which the house stood, one with his right and the other with his left hand, and braced himself against them.
yād
hand
Jer. 18.6 Can I not treat you, you from the house of Israel, as this potter does? Yhweh declares, Look, like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in by hand, O house of Israel.
Prov. 26.15 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish, and he is too lazy to bring it to his mouth.

Ps. 75.9 For Yhwh has a cup in his hand, filled to the brim with spiced wine.
Song 5.4 My friend thirst his hand through the latch hole, and my heart began to pound for him.
raegael
foot (leg)
2. Sam. 22.10 He [Yhwh] bowed the heavens and came down, and darkens was under his feet.
Gen. 18.4 Let a little water be brought to wash your feet, and take a seat under this tree.

Isa. 66.1 This is what Yhwh says: Heaven is my throne and the earth is the footstool under my feet! . . .
Jos. 5.15 And the commander of Yhwh’s army said to Joshua: Take your shoes off your feet; for the place where you are standing is holy. And Joshua did so.