Why is God referred to as “He” in Scripture?
Question 2022
This question matters more today than perhaps ever before, as our culture wrestles with issues of gender and identity. But rather than approaching this through the lens of modern debates, let’s go straight to Scripture and see what God Himself has chosen to reveal about how we should refer to Him.
God’s Self-Revelation
The foundation of our answer is this: God has chosen to reveal Himself using masculine language and imagery. This isn’t something the biblical writers imposed on God—it’s how God chose to make Himself known.
Throughout Scripture, God is consistently referred to with masculine pronouns and titles. He reveals Himself as Father, never as Mother. The Hebrew word for God, אֱלֹהִים (Elohim), while technically a plural noun, takes masculine verb forms and pronouns. When God appears in human form in the Old Testament (theophanies), He appears as male. Jesus, the fullest revelation of God, came as a man and taught us to pray to “Our Father in heaven” (Matthew 6:9).
This pattern runs through the entire Bible without exception. In the New Testament, the Greek word for God, θεός (theos), is masculine, and pronouns referring to God are consistently masculine throughout both Testaments.
Jesus’s Teaching
Jesus Himself used exclusively masculine language for God. He spoke of God as Father over 150 times in the Gospels. In John 14:9, He said, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” Jesus never once referred to God with feminine pronouns or imagery in a way that would suggest God should be understood as feminine or gender-neutral.
Think about it practically: Jesus had every opportunity to correct or expand our understanding of God’s gender if that was needed. He challenged cultural norms on many things—eating with tax collectors, healing on the Sabbath, speaking with Samaritan women. If referring to God as “He” was merely a cultural accommodation that needed updating, Jesus would have said so. Instead, He reinforced it.
The Fatherhood of God
God’s self-revelation as Father is theologically significant, not culturally incidental. The father-child relationship illustrates specific aspects of God’s character and our relationship with Him.
In the ancient world, fathers were providers, protectors, and sources of inheritance. When God reveals Himself as Father, He’s telling us something about His nature—He provides for His children (Matthew 6:25-34), He protects them, and He has prepared an inheritance for them (1 Peter 1:3-5). The Father-Son relationship within the Trinity is eternal and essential to understanding God’s nature—it’s not a human construct imposed on divine reality.
Paul writes in Ephesians 3:14-15: “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named.” The Greek word for family here is πατριά (patria), which comes from πατήρ (pater), meaning father. In other words, all fatherhood derives its meaning from God the Father, not the other way around. God didn’t borrow the concept from human fathers—human fatherhood is a reflection of His eternal fatherhood.
Does This Mean God is Male?
Here’s where we need to be careful and precise. God is spirit (John 4:24) and doesn’t have a physical body (apart from the incarnation of Jesus). Being spirit, God transcends human biological gender. So when we say God is “He,” we’re not saying God is biologically male in the way humans are male.
However, God has chosen masculine language and imagery to reveal Himself. This is deliberate and meaningful. The Bible never describes God with feminine pronouns, even though it occasionally uses feminine imagery (like a mother bird sheltering her young in Psalm 91:4, or a woman in labour in Isaiah 42:14). These are similes—comparisons to help us understand aspects of God’s care and passion—not descriptions of God’s fundamental nature or how we should address Him.
There’s a massive difference between saying “God is like a mother hen protecting her chicks” (a simile showing His care) and saying “God is Mother” or referring to God as “She.” Scripture does the former but never the latter.
The Trinity and Gender
Within the Godhead, we have clear masculine references: God the Father, God the Son. The Holy Spirit’s grammatical gender varies between Hebrew (רוּחַ, ruach, which is feminine) and Greek (πνεῦμα, pneuma, which is neuter), but the Holy Spirit is consistently referred to with masculine pronouns in Greek when personal pronouns are used (see John 14:26, 16:13-14, where ἐκεῖνος, ekeinos, “He” is used despite πνεῦμα being neuter).
Jesus’s maleness was not incidental to the incarnation. He came as the Son, not the Daughter. He came as the Second Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45-49), not the Second Eve. His maleness matters theologically, particularly in His role as bridegroom to the Church, His bride (Ephesians 5:25-32, Revelation 19:7-9).
Cultural Context and Patriarchy
Some argue that masculine language for God simply reflects the patriarchal culture of biblical times and should be updated for our more enlightened age. But this argument falls apart when you consider several factors.
First, the ancient Near East had plenty of goddesses. Israel’s neighbours worshipped female deities—Asherah, Astarte, Ishtar. If the biblical writers were simply reflecting their culture, we’d expect to see feminine language for God mixed in, especially given the constant temptation towards idolatry Israel faced. Instead, God’s masculinity stands in stark contrast to surrounding cultures that had both gods and goddesses.
Second, Scripture already challenges cultural norms when they conflict with God’s character. The prophets railed against injustice, Jesus elevated women’s status, Paul declared that in Jesus “there is neither male nor female” regarding salvation (Galatians 3:28). If masculine language for God was merely cultural accommodation, Scripture would have challenged it just as it challenged other cultural elements.
Third, God could have revealed Himself differently. He’s not limited by human culture. The fact that He consistently chose masculine self-revelation across different cultures, languages, and time periods (Hebrew Old Testament, Aramaic portions, Greek New Testament) suggests this is intentional, not incidental.
Responding to Modern Objections
Today, some churches use “Mother-Father God” or gender-neutral language like “Creator” instead of “Father.” Others alternate between masculine and feminine pronouns. This is presented as more inclusive and less offensive to those who’ve experienced abuse from earthly fathers.
But here’s the thing: we don’t get to decide how to address God based on what makes us comfortable. God has revealed how He wants to be known and addressed. Changing this is effectively saying we know better than God how He should be described. That’s a dangerous position to take.
For those hurt by earthly fathers, the answer isn’t to abandon the language of God as Father—it’s to discover that God is the perfect Father who never fails, never abuses, never abandons. He’s the Father from whom all true fatherhood derives its meaning. Changing the language robs people of the opportunity to have their understanding of fatherhood redeemed and restored through knowing God.
Theological Implications
Why does this matter so much? Because how we refer to God affects how we think about God, which affects our entire theology.
Calling God “Mother” or “She” subtly changes our understanding of the Trinity, the incarnation, the Church as bride of Jesus, and biblical authority. If we can revise how God has revealed Himself based on cultural preferences, what else can we revise? If this generation can change God’s pronouns, the next generation can change God’s moral standards. It’s a slippery slope that undermines Scripture’s authority.
Moreover, God’s self-revelation as Father isn’t arbitrary—it communicates specific truths about His relationship with Jesus, His relationship with us, and the order of creation. Changing this language doesn’t just update outdated terminology; it alters meaning.
What About Women?
Some worry that masculine language for God devalues women. But this misunderstands the issue entirely. Both men and women are equally made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27). Both are equally saved by grace through faith (Galatians 3:28). Both are equally precious to God (1 Peter 3:7 describes wives as “heirs with you of the grace of life”).
The fact that God chose to reveal Himself with masculine language doesn’t make men more valuable or more like God. God transcends gender while choosing masculine self-revelation. This should humble men, not inflate them, because it means they’re called to reflect God’s fatherhood in their own fatherhood—a high and often unmet calling.
Similarly, women aren’t less valuable because God is “He” rather than “She.” Their worth comes from being image-bearers, redeemed daughters of God, co-heirs with Jesus. Language doesn’t determine value; God’s creative and redemptive work does.
Conclusion
God refers to Himself as “He” because that’s how He has chosen to reveal Himself to humanity. This isn’t cultural accommodation, patriarchal prejudice, or outdated language. It’s divine self-revelation that communicates theological truth about who God is and how we relate to Him.
We don’t have the authority to update or revise how God has made Himself known. Our task is to receive His revelation with humility, trust that He knows best how to communicate who He is, and conform our language to His rather than demanding He conform to our cultural preferences.
Let that sink in. The God who created language, who spoke the universe into existence, who inspired Scripture in multiple languages across thousands of years—this God chose masculine language for Himself. Rather than question His choice, we should ask what He’s teaching us through it.
“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named.” Ephesians 3:14-15