Balancing Analogies and the Incomprehensibility of God's Character
The character of God is often described through analogies in scripture, yet these analogies are consistently balanced by affirmations of divine incomprehensibility. This tension highlights both God's knowability and his transcendence.
Scripture frequently poses rhetorical questions that underscore God's uniqueness and the futility of comparing Him to anything created. Job 25:4 asks, "Can man be compared with God, even though he were of perfect knowledge?" [1]. Similarly, Job 9:2 states, "howe should man compared vnto God, be iustified?" [2]. These verses establish a fundamental distinction between the Creator and creation. The prophet Isaiah challenges, "To whom then will ye liken me?" [8, 13], emphasizing that no image or created thing can truly represent God's nature [11, 13]. The divine nature possesses infinite beauty that exists independently of any creature contemplating it [10].
The incomprehensibility of God is a recurring theme. Zophar, in Job 11:7, asks, "Can you fathom the deep things of God or discover the limits of the Almighty?" [3]. Matthew Henry notes that Zophar speaks "very good things concerning God and his greatness and glory, concerning man and his vanity and folly," concluding that God is an "incomprehensible Being, infinite and immense, whose nature and perfections our finite understandings cannot possibly form any adequate conceptions of" [6]. This means that human understanding cannot fully grasp God's nature, perfections, or actions [6]. John Gill, commenting on Psalm 73:16, describes the struggle to reconcile divine actions with human understanding as "too painful" and "too laborious and toilsome" for reason alone [7].
Despite this incomprehensibility, the Bible uses analogies to help humanity understand aspects of God's character and actions. For instance, God's foreknowledge is described as an attribute whose full import humans cannot comprehend, yet it is affirmed as infinite [4]. While God's power is infinite, holding all things in His "fist," the prophet Isaiah still uses this imagery to convey His might [13]. The Jamieson, Fausset & Brown commentary on Psalm 64:7 notes that God is sometimes represented as using "weapons like theirs" (human weapons) to heighten the contrast with human adversaries, even though God is not limited by such means [9].
The use of analogies is not meant to define God exhaustively but to reveal aspects of His character in terms understandable to humans. Calvin, in his commentary on Genesis, acknowledges that while human capacity is "too contracted to comprehend things of such magnitude," and human language "equally incapable of giving a full and substantial account of them," it is still praiseworthy to consider God's works with modesty and reverence [12]. He also discusses the concept of the "image of God" in humanity, noting that while there are analogies to the Trinity within human faculties, a definition of the image of God should rest on a firmer basis than mere subtleties [5].
Sources
- Job “Job 22:2 (DRC) — Can man be compared with God, even though he were of perfect knowledge?”
- Job “Job 9:2 (Geneva1599) — I knowe verily that it is so: for howe should man compared vnto God, be iustified?”
- Job “Job 11:7 (BSB) — Can you fathom the deep things of God or discover the limits of the Almighty?”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Foreknowledge of God — Acts 2:23; Rom. 8:29; 11:2; 1 Pet. 1:2), one of those high attributes essentially appertaining to him the full import of which we cannot comprehend. In the most absolute sense his knowledge is infinite (1 Sam. 23:9-13; Jer. 38:17-23; 42:9-22, Matt. 11:21, 23; Acts 15:18).”
- CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Genesis, Vol. 1 (Gen 1-23), section 5.31: and fourteenth books on the Trinity, also the eleventh book of the “City of God.” I acknowledge, indeed, that there is something in man which refers to the Father and the Son, and the Spirit: and I have no difficulty in admitting the above distinction of the faculties of the soul: although the simpler division into two parts, which is more used in Scripture, is better adapted to the sound doctrine of piety; but a definition of the image of God ought to rest on a firmer basis than such subtleties. As for myself, before I define the”
- Job (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Job 11:7: Zophar here speaks very good things concerning God and his greatness and glory, concerning man and his vanity and folly: these two compared together, and duly considered, will have a powerful influence upon our submission to all the dispensations of the divine Providence. I. See here what God is, and let him be adored. 1. He is an incomprehensible Being, infinite and immense, whose nature and perfections our finite understandings cannot possibly form any adequate conceptions of, and whose counsels and actings we cannot therefore, without the greatest presumption, pas”
- Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 73:16: When I thought to know this,.... How to reconcile the prosperity of the wicked, and the afflictions of the righteous, to the perfections of God, and his wise providence in the government of the world, by the mere dint of reason, without consulting the sacred oracles, or his own and others' experience: it was too painful for me: too laborious and toilsome, a work he was not equal to; "hic labor, hoc opus"; see Ecc 8:17.”
- Isaiah (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Isaiah 46:5: To whom will ye liken me?.... Was it lawful that any likeness might be made, which yet is forbidden, Exo 20:4 what likeness could be thought of? is there any creature in heaven or earth, among all the angels or sons of men, to whom God can be likened, who has done such works of power, and acts of grace, as to care and provide not only for the house of Israel, from the beginning of their state to the close of it, but for all his creatures from the beginning of life to the end thereof, yea, from the beginning of the world to the end of it, and has shown such special gra”
- Psalms (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Psalms 64:7: The contrast is heightened by representing God as using weapons like theirs.”
- Philippians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Philippians 2:6: Translate, "Who subsisting (or existing, namely, originally: the Greek is not the simple substantive verb, 'to be') in the form of God (the divine essence is not meant: but the external self-manifesting characteristics of God, the form shining forth from His glorious essence). The divine nature had infinite BEAUTY in itself, even without any creature contemplating that beauty: that beauty was 'the form of God'; as 'the form of a servant' (Phi 2:7), which is in contrasted opposition to it, takes for granted the existence of His human nature, so 'the”
- Isaiah (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Isaiah 40:18: 40:18 To whom . . . What image: Earlier in the book, idolatry was shown to be ridiculous (16:12; 37:16-19). Chapters 40–48 open up a much more extensive argument against idolatry. Idols are symbolic representations of gods and, at times, other religious concepts. Those who worship them don’t recognize the implication that they are man-made trinkets. Idols are powerless (41:7, 22-24; 48:14), give a false sense of security (42:17), delude people (44:20), and lead to severe disappointment (42:17; 45:16, 20). They cannot help those who care for them. In fact, they ar”
- CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Genesis, Vol. 1 (Gen 1-23), section 4.1: Argument. Since the infinite wisdom of God is displayed in the admirable structure of heaven and earth, it is absolutely impossible to unfold The History of the Creation of the World in terms equal to its dignity. For while the measure of our capacity is too contracted to comprehend things of such magnitude, our tongue is equally incapable of giving a full and substantial account of them. As he, however, deserves praise, who, with modesty and reverence, applies himself to the consideration of the works of God, although he attain le”
- CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Isaiah, Vol. 3, section 8.30: in guarding the Jews against distrust, at the same time condemns the superstitions of the Gentiles, and declares that it is inconsistent with the nature of God to be represented by painting or by any kind of likeness. This shews clearly that Paul’s doctrine fully agrees with it; for the Prophet, after having shewn that the power of God is infinite, since he holds all things in his fist, at length concludes, “To whom then will ye liken me? for no image that is formed will have any likeness or resemblance to me.” Or, what resemblance will you a”