Jewish philosophy -- Early works to 1800; Judaism -- Works to 1900; Philosophy, Medieval -- Early works to 1800
figuratively applied to God, to express that a certain influence has
emanated from Him, as will be explained (chap. lxv. and chap. lxvi.).
The physical organs which are attributed to God in the writings of the
Prophets are either organs of locomotion, indicating life; organs of
sensation, indicating perception; organs of touch, indicating action;
or organs of speech, indicating the divine inspiration of the Prophets,
as will be explained.
The object of all these indications is to establish in our minds the
notion of the existence of a living being, the Maker of everything, who
also possesses a knowledge of the things which He has made. We shall
explain, when we come to speak of the inadmissibility of Divine
attributes, that all these various attributes convey but one notion,
viz., that of the essence of God. The sole object of this chapter is to
explain in what sense physical organs are ascribed to the Most Perfect
Being, namely, that they are mere indications of the actions generally
performed by means of these organs. Such actions being perfections
respecting ourselves, are predicated of God, because we wish to express
that He is most perfect in every respect, as we remarked above in
explaining the Rabbinical phrase, “The language of the Torah is like
the language of man.” Instances of organs of locomotion being applied
to the Creator occur as follows:—“My footstool” (Isa. lxvi. 1); “the
place of the soles of my feet” (Ezek. xliii. 7). For examples of organs
of touch applied to God, comp. “the hand of the Lord” (Exod. ix. 3);
“with the finger of God” (ib. xxxi. 18); “the work of thy fingers” (Ps.
viii. 4), “And thou hast laid thine hand upon me” (ib. cxxxix. 5); “The
arm of the Lord” (Isa. liii. 1); “Thy right hand, O Lord” (Exod. xv.
6). In instances like the following, organs of speech are attributed to
God: “The mouth of the Lord has spoken” (Isa. i. 20); “And He would
open His lips against thee” (Job xi. 5); “The voice of the Lord is
powerful” (Ps. xxix. 4); “And his tongue as a devouring fire” (Isa.
xxx. 27). Organs of sensation are attributed to God in instances like
the following: “His eyes behold, His eyelids try” (Ps. xi. 4); “The
eyes of the Lord which run to and fro” (Zech. iv. 10); “Bow down thine
ear unto me, and hear” (2 Kings xix. 16); “You have kindled a fire in
my nostril” (Jer. xvii. 5). Of the inner parts of the human body only
the heart is figuratively applied to God, because “heart” is a homonym,
and denotes also “intellect”; it is besides the source of animal life.
In phrases like “my bowels are troubled for him” (Jer. xxxi. 20); “The
sounding of thy bowels” (Isa. lxiii. 15), the term “bowels” is used in
the sense of “heart”; for the term “bowels” is used both in a general
and in a specific meaning; it denotes specifically “bowels,” but more
generally it can be used as the name of any inner organ, including
“heart.” The correctness of this argument can be proved by the phrase
“And thy law is within my bowels” (Ps. xl.
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