Does the LORD have a womb?
It might seem like a silly or even offensive question, but it is not. This very fact is subliminally present in some powerful Old Testament pronouncements; it lies at the core of Old Testament theology; yes, it is woven into the very fabric of the Hebrew language. Many times when the Bible speaks about the LORD as “compassionate” it uses a Hebrew word directly derived from the word for “womb”. At the pivotal and formative moment of divine self-revelation to Moses on mount Sinai (Exo 34:6) The LORD passed before Moses, and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness...” The first adjective describing God as merciful is a word directly derived from Hebrew word for womb. Just as we can hear the verb “love” behind the adjective “lovely” so would biblical authors speak about “compassion” while clearly hearing reference to the physiological seat of motherly tender and loving care. And in their anatomical ignorance, or psychological wisdom and sophistication, they somehow knew that although it is most pronounced in mothers, this gentle/tender/womby feeling is not biologically gender exclusive. Even the patriarchal God of the Hebrew Bible can have a womb or at least womb-generated emotions of gentle loving-kindness. As we celebrate the Mothers’ Day this Sunday, we will learn how this womb-generated-compassion is essential for maintaining justice and the fostering of life in the most surprising and marvelous manner.
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And here is a slide from an earlier blog entry from one of the Lenten Lectures on biblical monotheism.
It might seem like a silly or even offensive question, but it is not. This very fact is subliminally present in some powerful Old Testament pronouncements; it lies at the core of Old Testament theology; yes, it is woven into the very fabric of the Hebrew language. Many times when the Bible speaks about the LORD as “compassionate” it uses a Hebrew word directly derived from the word for “womb”. At the pivotal and formative moment of divine self-revelation to Moses on mount Sinai (Exo 34:6) The LORD passed before Moses, and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness...” The first adjective describing God as merciful is a word directly derived from Hebrew word for womb. Just as we can hear the verb “love” behind the adjective “lovely” so would biblical authors speak about “compassion” while clearly hearing reference to the physiological seat of motherly tender and loving care. And in their anatomical ignorance, or psychological wisdom and sophistication, they somehow knew that although it is most pronounced in mothers, this gentle/tender/womby feeling is not biologically gender exclusive. Even the patriarchal God of the Hebrew Bible can have a womb or at least womb-generated emotions of gentle loving-kindness. As we celebrate the Mothers’ Day this Sunday, we will learn how this womb-generated-compassion is essential for maintaining justice and the fostering of life in the most surprising and marvelous manner.
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And here is a slide from an earlier blog entry from one of the Lenten Lectures on biblical monotheism.
Other biblical passages can be added, for instance from Isaiah 49:15
Can a woman forget her nursing child,
or show no compassion for the child of her womb?
Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you (says the LORD).
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