Anthropomorphism and Divine Attributes

They were acting, and they were being destroyed together with the man, through whom he also came to fulfill his own needs, a life-spark being left behind with Noah and from them.

Likewise, men were also perishing as wickedness increased upon the earth, because they sinned by thinking with the evil, not casually but through careful use of sins. Let us carefully examine what was said from the beginning: 'The Lord God having seen,' he says, 'that the wickednesses of men had been multiplied upon the earth' (Gen 6:5). For did he not previously see their wickednesses? But it is evident that now he has seen them for the purpose of vengeance. For when he does not wish to send punishments to those sinning, it is said he does not see them, which is to say when he is sleeping, while others are watching. It is indeed said by someone: 'I awoke to my impieties,' and after having tested the patience of God through many impieties, after those who reproach had passed by, he says: 'I awoke to my impieties.' And another saint said: 'He arose like one sleeping, like a strong man having roared from wine'; for having been very patient, he comes excessively and unceasingly with punishments to those in such need, which is why the unceasingness and the multitude is called an awakening and a roaring from wine. For it is like a good physician to use the sufferings at the right time, which is made evident by 'The Lord God having seen.'

And if it is about to be that 'everyone thinks in his heart toward evil things' (Ps 32:9), even though Noah did not have it so, we should not be surprised; for it is said regarding the majority in this way, just as 'every brother betrays and every friend acts deceitfully' (Prov 27:6). And it is possible, since Noah was not at all a man—for he had ascended beyond the human condition—that this was said as not being applicable to him at all among men, but happening to a god, as it is said: 'He called those gods to whom the word of God came.' Similar to this is also 'I said in my ecstasy: every man is a liar' (Ps 53:6); for he was a god, as we have demonstrated, the one saying these things. For if a man were not thus, if he were a liar, then 'every man' would no longer be true.

Not a liar, but speaking the truth, yet he is not a man himself, who is called a man through excellence beyond human measure, as it is said: 'For where there is strife and jealousy, are you not men, as these also walk?' (James 3:16). For their malice was not practiced by them by chance, but with care and deliberation; for this reveals what is in the heart (Luke 6:45).

Likewise, 'from youth' can be understood in two ways: either being smeared with evil from a small age, or that no one among those described as a man is an elder, even if the nature is so, setting forward the novelties and the instabilities. 'For old age is not an honorable thing measured by long life or by the number of years; for much is wisdom to men, and old age is a life without a cloud' (Sirach 4:10). And it is not unlikely that the 'youth of sin' and 'remember not my ignorance' (Psalm 25:11) carry interpretations saying: 'Remember not whatever evil things I have done.'

Having said these things, it is worthy to consider what is revealed from 'God remembered that he made man upon the earth' (Psalm 8:4) and 'I was grieved that I made them' (Psalm 8:5), which is equivalent to 'I repented that I made Saul king' (1 Samuel 15:11). It must be said, however, that things are said about God in a human manner, and not in the way the words and the thought possess. For if hands, feet, eyes, and ears are transferred in the Scripture, one must not think that God is formed in a human way, but it is clear that we shall call each of these things regarding the active powers of God, such as hands and the unretreating eyes, and likewise his discerning eyes and his practical hands, even if through another understanding.

For indeed, regarding sensible things, each of the named things signifies only one thing, such as wood; but regarding God, they are called by many names, which are to be understood by the word as preceding the various things about him. For so God is called both Spirit and Source, and again hands and feet are said to belong to him; yet nowhere, even if he had something sensible, were his names so many; for neither light nor Spirit nor Source have hands.