Scriptural Perspective on Drawing Faces or Caricatures
The biblical perspective on drawing faces or caricatures is rooted in the second commandment, which prohibits the creation of graven images for worship [5]. This commandment is understood to forbid not only the worship of idols but also the representation of God in any visible form, as God is a Spirit and cannot be depicted accurately [5].
In the Old Testament, the Israelites were commanded not to make any graven image or likeness of anything in heaven or on earth (Deuteronomy 4:16, 5:8) [1]. The prohibition was aimed at preventing idolatry and the corruption of true worship. The biblical account of the construction of the tabernacle and the temple includes detailed descriptions of the artistic work involved, such as engraving and carving, but these were strictly for the purposes of worshiping the true God, not for creating idols [4].
The Reformed tradition, as represented by John Calvin, interprets the second commandment as condemning not only idolatry but also the superstitions associated with the use of images in worship. Calvin argues that God's nature cannot be represented by any image or likeness [6].
In contrast, the Jewish Rabbinic tradition, as reflected in the Babylonian Talmud, permits the creation of images of creatures other than humans, but prohibits the creation of human images, as humans are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) [10]. The Talmud discusses the permissibility of creating images of the celestial chariot described in Ezekiel, concluding that while certain representations are allowed, creating a complete image of a human face is forbidden [7, 8].
The early Christian fathers also addressed the issue of images. Augustine, for example, criticized the practice of women painting their faces, seeing it as a form of deception [9].
The biblical text itself contains references to the artistic representation of faces and figures. Ezekiel's vision of the celestial chariot includes descriptions of creatures with multiple faces, including human faces (Ezekiel 10:14) [3]. The biblical account also mentions the practice of painting faces, as in the case of Jezebel (2 Kings 9:30) [2].
The scriptural perspective on drawing faces or caricatures is thus complex, involving both the prohibition of idolatry and the representation of God's nature. While the biblical text does not directly address the issue of artistic representation for its own sake, the traditions interpreting it have understood the second commandment to have implications for the creation and use of images in worship and daily life [5, 6, 10].
The historical development of this doctrine has been shaped by controversies over idolatry and the use of images in worship, with different traditions arriving at distinct understandings of what is permissible [5, 6, 7].
Sources
- Deuteronomy “lest you corrupt yourselves, and make yourself an engraved image in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female, -- Deuteronomy 4:16”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Paint — Jezebel "painted her face" (2 Kings 9:30); and the practice of painting the face and the eyes seems to have been common (Jer. 4:30; Ezek. 23:40). An allusion to this practice is found in the name of Job's daughter (42:14) Kerenhappuch (q.v.). Paintings in the modern sense of the word were unknown to the ancient Jews.”
- Ezekiel “Every one had four faces: the first face was the face of the cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third face the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle. -- Ezekiel 10:14”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Carve — The arts of engraving and carving were much practised among the Jews. They were practised in connection with the construction of the tabernacle and the temple (Ex. 31:2, 5; 35:33; 1 Kings 6:18, 35; Ps. 74:6), as well as in the ornamentation of the priestly dresses (Ex. 28:9-36; Zech. 3:9; 2 Chr. 2:7, 14). Isaiah (44:13-17) gives a minute description of the process of carving idols of wood.”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 44: § 6. The Second Commandment. The two fundamental principles of the religion of the Bible are first, that there is one only the living and true God, the maker of heaven and earth, who has revealed Himself under the name Jehovah; secondly, that this God is a Spirit, and, therefore, incapable of being conceived of or represented under a visible form. The first commandment, therefore, forbids the worship of any other being than Jehovah; and the second, the worship of any visible object whatever. This includes the prohibition, not only of inwa”
- 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”
- Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Avodah Zarah 153b.86:1: This does not include the sun and the moon, as the Torah prohibits the fashioning only of a figure of all four faces of the creatures of the Divine Chariot together (see Ezekiel 1:10). All other figures, which are not in the likeness of the ministering angels, are permitted.”
- Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Sukkah 5b.6: Abaye said to him: But if what you say is so, what is the meaning of that which is written about the faces of the celestial beasts drawing the celestial chariot: “The face of the first was the face of the cherub, and the face of the second was the face of a man” (Ezekiel 10:14)? According to your explanation, this face of the cherub is the same as that face of a man. The Gemara answers: Although two of the celestial beasts drawing that chariot had the face of a man, the difference between them is that one was a large face and one was a small face. In other words”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 2: Augustine — City of God, Christian Doctrine — CHAP. 21.--EXAMPLES OF THE VARIOUS STYLES, DRAWN FROM THE TEACHERS OF THE CHURCH, ESPECIALLY AMBROSE AND CYPRIAN. (part 5): their treatment of a subject which both of them have touched. Both have denounced the women who color, or rather discolor, their faces with paint. And the first, in dealing with this topic, says: "Suppose a painter should depict in colors that arrival nature's the features and form and complexion of some man, and that, when the portrait had been finished with consummate art, another painter should put his hand ove”
- Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Avodah Zarah 43b.3: Rav Yehuda, son of Rav Yehoshua, said: I heard in a lecture of Rabbi Yehoshua that there is a different reason why one may not fashion a figure of a human face; the verse states: “You shall not make with Me [ iti ]” (Exodus 20:20). This can be read as: You shall not make Me [ oti ]. Since the human being was created in the image of God (see Genesis 1:27), it is prohibited to fashion an image of a human being. But fashioning figures of other attendants of God is permitted.”