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The Nature of God in the Old Testament

The Old Testament presents God as the singular Divine Being, whose existence is assumed rather than argued for [1]. This foundational understanding is conveyed through various Hebrew terms, primarily 'El, 'Eloah, and 'Elohim, with 'Elohim (a plural form) being the most common, and Jehovah (rendered "LORD" in English translations) also frequently employed [1]. The names themselves often reflect aspects of God's nature, such as "God of antiquity" (Kadmiel) or "the knowledge of God" (Deuel) [2, 3].

A core aspect of God's nature in the Old Testament is His uniqueness. There is no one and nothing else like Him [10]. This is emphasized in passages like Micah 7:18-20, which summarizes Old Testament theology by highlighting God's unparalleled character and actions among the gods of the nations [10]. John Gill, in his commentary on Ephesians, further elaborates on this singularity, noting that the concept of one God is supported by both nature and revelation, as there can only be one eternal, infinite, omnipotent, and independent Being [9]. This monotheistic understanding stands in contrast to the "teraphim" or household deities mentioned in the Old Testament, which represent a group of other deities [5].

God is portrayed as omnipotent, capable of doing the impossible and the miraculous. Passages such as Genesis 18:14, Jeremiah 32:17, and 32:27 affirm that nothing is too hard for the God who created the heavens and the earth [6]. This power is often linked to His role as Creator.

Another significant attribute is God's personal and passionate nature. He is not an abstract force but a deity with emotions and zeal [13]. This "passion" or "jealousy" is a fundamental element of the Old Testament concept of God, driving Him to punish sin, restore the repentant, and reward righteousness [13]. This personal involvement is further seen in anthropomorphic and anthropopathic descriptions of God, where human characteristics and feelings are attributed to Him to help human minds grasp His ways, though these descriptions do not limit God's true nature [7]. For example, God is described as wanting to "know what is in your heart" in Deuteronomy 8:2, even though He already knows innermost thoughts, indicating a desire for character to manifest in actions [7].

God's character is also defined by His grace, unfailing love (khesed), and faithfulness [11]. Exodus 34:6 describes God as compassionate and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness [11]. These qualities are presented as the basis for His covenant relationship with His people. Were God merely just, the narrative of the Old Testament would have ended differently, but His unique character, marked by love and faithfulness, ensures the preservation and restoration of His people [11]. This commitment is so strong that it assures the survival of His people, often through the concept of a "remnant" [12].

The Old Testament also contains instances where God manifests Himself in a visible form, often referred to as the "Angel of the Lord" [4]. This special manifestation is understood by some as a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ [4]. While "no man has seen God at any time," referring to God the Father, the second person of the Trinity frequently appeared to Old Testament saints in human form [8]. This distinction highlights the complexity of divine manifestation within the Old Testament narrative.

Sources

  1. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: God — (A.S. and Dutch God; Dan. Gud; Ger. Gott), the name of the Divine Being. It is the rendering (1) of the Hebrew 'El, from a word meaning to be strong; (2) of 'Eloah_, plural _'Elohim. The singular form, Eloah, is used only in poetry. The plural form is more commonly used in all parts of the Bible, The Hebrew word Jehovah (q.v.), the only other word generally employed to denote the Supreme Being, is uniformly rendered in the Authorized Version by "LORD," printed in small capitals. The existence of God is taken for granted in the Bible. There is nowhere any argume”
  2. Hitchcock's Bible Names “Hitchcock's Bible Names: Kadmiel — God of antiquity; God of rising”
  3. Hitchcock's Bible Names “Hitchcock's Bible Names: Deuel — the knowledge of God”
  4. Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Angel Of The Lord — (Genesis 16:7) etc. (The special form in which God manifested himself to man, and hence Christ's visible form before the incarnation. Compare (Acts 7:30-38) with the corresponding Old-Testament history; and (Genesis 18:1,13,14,33) and Genesis 19:1)”
  5. STEPBible TIPNR “Biblical proper name: [email protected]=H8655 — Group of deities in the Old Testament (refs: #Group of deities in the Old Testament; <br>called <s trong="H8655">Teraphim </strong>or "household )”
  6. Zechariah (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Zechariah 8:6: 8:6 The Old Testament portrays God as able to do the impossible and the miraculous—nothing is too hard for the God who made the heavens and the earth (Gen 18:14; Jer 32:17, 27; see also Matt 19:26).”
  7. Deuteronomy (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Deuteronomy 8:2: 8:2 to prove your character (literally to know what is in your heart): God already knew the Israelites’ innermost thoughts (Pss 51:6; 139:1, 4, 23); he wanted their character to come out in their actions. • to find out whether: The Old Testament often describes God in human terms, even in ways that appear to limit God. Anthropomorphism (assigning human characteristics to God) and anthropopathism (assigning human feelings or emotions to God) are ways of representing God on a human level so the human mind can better grasp his ways, but God is not limited in his ”
  8. John (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on John 1:18: No man hath seen God at any time,.... That is, God the Father, whose voice was never heard, nor his shape seen by angels or men; for though Jacob, Moses, the elders of Israel, Manoah, and his wife, are said to see God, and Job expected to see him with his bodily eyes, and the saints will see him as he is, in which will lie their great happiness; yet all seems to be understood of the second person, who frequently appeared to the Old Testament saints, in an human form, and will be seen by the saints in heaven, in his real human nature; or of God in and by him: for the ess”
  9. Ephesians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Ephesians 4:6: One God and Father of all,.... That there is but one God is the voice of nature and of revelation; and may be concluded from the perfections of deity, for there can be but one eternal, infinite, immense, omnipotent, all-sufficient, perfect, and independent Being; and from one first cause of all things, and the relations he stands in to his creatures: there is but one God, who is truly, and really, and properly God, in opposition to all nominal and figurative deities, and which are not gods by nature, and to the fictitious deities and idols of the nations; and there ”
  10. Micah (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Micah 7:18: 7:18-20 These verses provide a fine brief summary of Old Testament theology. God is unique; there is no one and nothing else like him. Because of his unfailing love (Hebrew khesed), he does not destroy his people whom he judges but instead restores them (see Exod 36:6-7). His faithfulness means that he can be trusted to do good regardless of the cost to himself (see Ps 89:1-2). • Where is another God like you: This question probably plays off of Micah’s name (“Who is like the Lord?”). God’s character is unequaled among the gods of the nations. His actions and words”
  11. Exodus (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Exodus 34:6: 34:6 compassion and mercy (see 20:5-6; 33:19 and study notes): The Creator who was revealing himself to the Israelites, and through them to the world, is a God of grace. Neither his justice nor his sovereignty are underlined here, as true as those attributes are. If God were merely just, the Old Testament would have ended at this point, or it would have picked up and started again with an entirely new family. This did not happen because God, in his unique character, is slow to anger and full of unfailing love and faithfulness. These qualities were the basis for hi”
  12. 2 Kings (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 2 Kings 19:31: 19:31 The theme of the remnant occurs frequently in the Old Testament. God’s preservation of his people often serves as a promise of his care for them in the distant future (see Isa 4:2-6; 9:1-7; Zeph 3:8-20; cp. Rev 7:1-12). God’s people can be assured of their survival, for the commitment of the Lord . . . will make this happen.”
  13. Zechariah (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Zechariah 8:2: 8:2 Passion (or jealousy, zeal) is a basic element of the Old Testament concept of God (see also 1:14). God’s passion identifies him as a personal deity, not an abstract natural force. God is passionate for his word and for the people of his covenant. His passion results in punishment for sin, restoration for repentance, and reward for the pursuit of righteousness.”
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