When people refer to God....Why do they say he?

Question

How do you know the gender...Is that in the bible too?

Answer 1

Actually, it IS in the Bible. Jews say "He" because that is the gender by which the Creator is referred to in our scriptures. He is also referred to as "Father" and "King." But it is worth noting that Hebrew doesn't have a neuter gender. Not being confined by physical form, G-d isn't really a "He" or a "She," but there is no "it" in Hebrew, and "He" became the default. To refer to G-d as "It" in any other language may come across as disrespectful.

There are some instances where G-d is referred to in the feminine. The "Shechinah," a Hebrew word referring to the Divine Presence, is a feminine noun.

I hope you find this information helpful.

Answer 2

There are over 200 references to the Father God, but none for mother god

Answer 3

My friend you are confusing gender with masculinity and femninity. They are different things in kind. After all men and women are not only defined by their genitalia. When we refer to God as "He" it is expressing His masculine role and this does not necessisarily mean His sex. However, we can borrow from our own nature or understanding of gender to flesh out its meaning. In nature man is the generator of life. It is his seed that generates life within the womb of a woman. A woman's egg would not and could not divide and grow without the generative seed of man. It is the nature of a man to be generative and the nature of a woman to be receptive as we can see in the act of reproduction.
Now, do not misunderstand me. When I express the nature of men and women this way I always have to deal with a feminist agenda and I am falsely accused of being a Male Chauvanist. This is not what I am expressing. Just because man's nature is generative and woman's nature is receptive does not mean men are superior to women. The generative and receptive natures of man and woman expresses compatibility and not dominance over inferiority. But I digress.
So, when we say "He" it is referring to God's role as the sole generator of reality, He is the Creator. It also expresses other masculine qualities such as protector and provider (such qualities are still socially accepted as masculine). And this is why God is commonly referred to as "He".
Yet, let us go one step further. God also has a feminine role or qualities as well. In the scriptures when it says God is moved with pity or love, in the Hebrew understanding this movement is akin to birth contractions of a woman. It expresses the depth of God's love and concern for humanity. Also, such feminine role or quality in God expresses Her fruitfulness or fecundity, and Her tenderness. I have no qualms when people say God is either He or She. The Godhead itself is both masculine and feminine and they are harmonious and unified in God. This is attested to in the psalms and wisdom literature.
The only problem I have is when people equate the Divine Persons in the Holy Trinity as feminine. They are masculine. Jesus was and is a man. He called the Divine person who generated Him as Father. This was revealed by Christ Himself as truth and should be abided by in our language. But mind you we are speaking of the persons of the Trinity and not the nature of God.
I hope this has been helpful to you. May the Lord bless and keep you. May the light of His face shine upon you.

God's and your beast of burden
Fr. john

Answer 4

I think it makes it easier to relate to abeing or man, rather than saying "it"
I guess no one believes in an "it".
Plus it dates back a long time ago and in those days, every leader was a man. Its just flowed on throught the years.

Answer 5

Actually in the Hebrew Bible G-d is refer to as "She" or "He" but the translations in other languages may be different.

Answer 6

There is only One true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob whose Son is Jesus the Christ. Jesus called God, Father.

Answer 7

it's sort of like when you are with a group of people and you say, "where do you guys want to go?" or how some people call a ship a "she"... it's just a term and has nothing to do with the actual sex of said being or thing..

Answer 8

because it says Our Father, Jesus was the son, and thats the way it is. Mary is the mother, if your lucky enough to be catholic!!

Answer 9

Because calling God an "It" would be highly disrespectful?

Answer 10

Which god? Isis? She's actually a girl, I'm not sure why people would dispute that.