A Human God? A Comparative Analysis of Anthropomorphisms in the Hebrew and Greek Pentateuch

De Doncker, Ellen
(2026) ISBN: [9789004258013], submitted

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Abstract
This study focuses on anthropomorphisms (i.e., descriptions of God in human guise) in the Pentateuch and their translation in different textual traditions. It compares the Hebrew sources (Masoretic Text, Dead Sea Scrolls, Samaritan Pentateuch) with the Septuagint (LXX), the first Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. The central question is whether the translators of the LXX deliberately toned down the anthropomorphisms, revealing an anti-anthropomorphic tendency, or whether the differences can be explained by translation choices or textual variants. The study is structured in several key phases. First, it defines anthropomorphism and draws up an inventory of anthropomorphic descriptions in the Pentateuch. Next, it analyzes how these anthropomorphisms are translated in the Hebrew and Greek texts. In the case of discrepancies, it seeks to determine whether these are the result of translation choices, ideological changes or whether the differences are due to a different text that was the basis of the LXX (Vorlage). As such, this analysis is part of a broader framework of textual criticism, as well as the study of translation techniques. This thesis examines whether differences in the representation of God in the LXX reflect deliberate theological developments, linguistic adaptations or other contextual factors. The comparative analysis reveals no systematic tendency to avoid anthropomorphisms in the LXX. Some expressions appear to be softened, but this mainly reflects the adoption of Greek idioms, rather than a rejection of humanlike imagery of God. Thus, this research nuances the idea that the LXX-Pentateuch represents a distinct theological tradition, different from the MT. While some choices reflect theological concerns, many differences are better explained by linguistic and cultural factors. God remains anthropomorphic in the Greek translation: far from erasing God's humanity, the LXX-Pentateuch offers a diversified image of God, where he appears above all as a guide and interlocutor; a humanlike God for the sake of humans.
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De Doncker, E. (2026). A Human God? A Comparative Analysis of Anthropomorphisms in the Hebrew and Greek Pentateuch. Brill. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/274113