From Book: A New Literal Translation From the Original Greek of All the Apostolical Epistles, Essay VIII,
"Concerning The Right Interpretation of the Writings in which the Revelations of God are Contained", p. 702, 1841.

Wherefore, they injure the Hebrews who affirm, that they believed the Deity to have a body, consisting of members of the like form and use with the members of the human body, because, in their sacred writings, the eyes, the ears, the hands, and the feet of God, are spoken of; and because he is represented as acting with these members after the manner of man. Gen. iii. 8, ' They heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day.' Gen. ir. 16, ' And the bow shall be in the cloud, and I will look upon it.' Exod. xv. 3, ' The Lord is a man of war:' Ver. 6, 'Thy right hand, О Lord, hath dashed in pieces the enemy :' Ver. 8, ' With the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together.' Psal, xviii. 8, ' There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his month devoured ; coals were kindled by it.'  Ver. 9, ' He bowed his heavens also and came down, and darkness was under his feet:'  Ver. 10, ' And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly upon the wings of the wind.'  Psal. ii. 7, ' Thou art my Son, this day I have begotten thee.'

In like manner they injure the Hebrews who affirm, that they thought God was moved by anger, jealousy, hatred, revenge, grief, and other human passions, because in their scriptures it is said, Gen. vi. 6, '  It repented the Lord that he made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.'  Exod. xv. 7, ' Thou sendest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble.'  Exod. xx. 6, ' I the Lord thy God am a jealous God.'  Numb. xi. 83, ' The wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people.'  Prov. viii. 13, 'The evil way and froward mouth do I hate.'  Isa. xxxiv. 2, ' The indignation of the Lord is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies.'  Nah. i. 2, ' God is jealous, and the Lord revengeth and is furious. The Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies.'

They also injure the Hebrews who affirm, that they believed the Deity subject to human infirmity, because it is said, Gen. ii. 2, ' God rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.'  Gen. viii. 21, 'The Lord smelled a sweet savour.' Gen. xviii. 20, ' Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrha is great, and because their sin is very grievous, 20, I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it which is come up to me : And if not, I will know.'  Psal. ii. 4, ' He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh ; the Lord shall have them in derision.' Psal. Ixxviii. 65, ' Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.'

These and the like expressions are highly metaphorical, and imply nothing more but that in the divine mind and conduct there is somewhat analogous to, and resembling the sensible objects and the human affections on which these metaphorical expressions are founded. For if any one contends, that the Hebrews themselves understood these expressions literally when applied to the Deity, and meant that they should be so understood by those who read their scriptures, he must likewise contend, that the following expressions were understood by them in their literal meaning : — Psal. xvii. 8, ' Hide me under the shadow of .thy wings ."  Psal. Ivii. 1, 'In the shadow of thy wings I will make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.'  Psal. Ixi. 4, ' I will trust in the covert of thy wings.'  Psal. xci. 1 , ' He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty .'  Ver. 4, ' He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust.' — I say, if from the passages of scripture in which the members of the human body are ascribed to the Deity, it is inferred that the ancient Hebrews believed the Deity hath a body of the same form with the human body, we must, from the last mentioned passages of the same scriptures, conclude, that they believed the Deity to be a tree, with spreading branches and leaves which afforded an agreeable shade ; and a great fowl, with feathers and wings ; and even a rock, because he is so called: Deut. xxxii. 15. Psal. xviii. 2. 31.

Such are the bold metaphors by which the ancient Hebrews expressed their conceptions of the attributes and operations of God. To prevent, however, those who are acquainted only with modern languages from being shocked with the boldness of these figures, modern critics have distinguished them by the appellation of Anthropopathia; concerning which Lowth on Isa. i. 24, 'Aha, I will be eased of mine adversaries, I will be avenged of mine enemies,' thus writeth : " This is a strong instance of the metaphor called Anthropopathy ; by which, throughout the scriptures, as well the historical as the poetical parts, the sentiments, sensations, and affections — the bodily faculties, qualities, and members of men, and even of brute animals, are attributed to God, and that with the utmost liberty and latitude of application. The foundation of this is obvious, it arises from necessity : We have no idea of the natural attributes of God, of his pure essence, of his manner of existence, of his manner of acting : when therefore we would treat on these subjects, we find ourselves forced to express them by sensible images. But necessity leads to beauty : This is true of metaphor in general, and in particular of this kind of metaphor ; which is used with great elegance and sublimity in the sacred poetry : and, what is very remarkable, in the grossest instances of the application of it, it is generally the most striking and the most sublime. The reason seems to be this : When the images are taken from the superior faculties of the human nature, from the purer and more generous affections, and applied to God, we are apt to acquiesce in the notion ; we overlook the metaphor, and take it as a proper attribute : but when the idea is gross and offensive, as in this passage of Isaiah, where the impatience of anger and the pleasure of revenge is attributed to God, we are immediately shocked at the application, the impropriety strikes us at once ; and the mind, casting about for something in the divine nature analogous to the image, lays hold on some great, obscure, vague idea, which she endeavours in vain to comprehend, and is lost in immensity and astonishment. See De S. Poesi Hebr. Prel. xvi. sub. fin. where this matter is treated and illustrated by examples."

From the above ingenious remarks it appears, that notwithstanding metaphors and other figures derive their origin from the poverty of language, they infuse both strength and beauty into any discourse where they are judiciously used. By exhibiting sensible pictures of our conceptions accompanied with pleasant images, they make a strong impression on the mind of the hearers : for which reason they have found a place, not in the ancient languages only, but in all the modern tongues also ; not excepting those which are the most copious and the most refined : in so much that it hath become the business of the poets and orators to ransack the whole compass of nature in search of resemblances between sensible and intellectual objects, on which to graft metaphors; and, not satisfied with natural and apparent likenesses, the most remote and disparent resemblances, nay resemblances founded merely on popular opinions, local prejudices, and national customs, have been made the foundation of metaphors. Hence that diversity of figurative expressions observable in the languages of nations living at a distance from each other : hence, also, the figures which to one nation appear natural and expressive, to others appear unnatural, tumid, and ridiculous.

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