“Whether derived from Akkadian or Egyptian, the God with breasts is a natural interpretation of the fertility deity in Genesis” (Biale, p.249)
Biale, David – “The God with Breasts: El-Shaddai in the Bible” History of Religions 21: 3 (Feb. 1982) 240-56
“This metaphor of God as the Mother who feeds can thus be described as a living metaphor…Some people may be shocked by this metaphor, as they are not used to thinking about God in this way. This may exactly be where the power of this metaphor lies…thereby moving them toward a new understanding concerning God and their relationship with God” (Claassens, p.22).
Claassens, L. J. M. – The God Who Provides: Biblical Images of Divine Nourishment (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2004)
(11) And God said to him,
“I am El Shaddai.
Be fertile and increase;
A nation, yea an assembly of nations,
Shall descend from you.
Kings shall issue from your loins.
This shall be My name forever,
This My appellation for all eternity. (16) “Go and assemble the elders of Israel and say to them: יהוה, the God of your fathers’ [house]—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—has appeared to me and said, ‘I have taken note of you and of what is being done to you in Egypt,
(ב) וַיְדַבֵּר אֱלֹהִים אֶל מֹשֶׁה וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אֲנִי יְהוָה. (ג) וָאֵרָא אֶל אַבְרָהָם אֶל יִצְחָק וְאֶל יַעֲקֹב בְּאֵל שַׁדָּי וּשְׁמִי יְהוָה לֹא נוֹדַעְתִּי לָהֶם.
(2) And God spoke unto Moses, and said unto him: ‘I am Yahweh; (3) and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, as El Shaddai, but I did not make Myself known to them by the name Yahweh.
(ה) וַיֵּ֤רֶד יְהֹוָה֙ בֶּֽעָנָ֔ן וַיִּתְיַצֵּ֥ב עִמּ֖וֹ שָׁ֑ם וַיִּקְרָ֥א בְשֵׁ֖ם יְהֹוָֽה׃ (ו) וַיַּעֲבֹ֨ר יְהֹוָ֥ה ׀ עַל־פָּנָיו֮ וַיִּקְרָא֒ יְהֹוָ֣ה ׀ יְהֹוָ֔ה אֵ֥ל רַח֖וּם וְחַנּ֑וּן אֶ֥רֶךְ אַפַּ֖יִם וְרַב־חֶ֥סֶד וֶאֱמֶֽת׃ (ז) נֹצֵ֥ר חֶ֙סֶד֙ לָאֲלָפִ֔ים נֹשֵׂ֥א עָוֺ֛ן וָפֶ֖שַׁע וְחַטָּאָ֑ה וְנַקֵּה֙ לֹ֣א יְנַקֶּ֔ה פֹּקֵ֣ד ׀ עֲוֺ֣ן אָב֗וֹת עַל־בָּנִים֙ וְעַל־בְּנֵ֣י בָנִ֔ים עַל־שִׁלֵּשִׁ֖ים וְעַל־רִבֵּעִֽים׃
(5) יהוה came down in a cloud—and stood with him there, proclaiming the name יהוה. (6) יהוה passed before him and proclaimed: “יהוה ! יהוה ! a God compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in kindness and faithfulness, (7) extending kindness to the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin—yet not remitting all punishment, but visiting the iniquity of parents upon children and children’s children, upon the third and fourth generations.”
(טז) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹוָ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה אֶסְפָה־לִּ֞י שִׁבְעִ֣ים אִישׁ֮ מִזִּקְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יָדַ֔עְתָּ כִּי־הֵ֛ם זִקְנֵ֥י הָעָ֖ם וְשֹׁטְרָ֑יו וְלָקַחְתָּ֤ אֹתָם֙ אֶל־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֔ד וְהִֽתְיַצְּב֥וּ שָׁ֖ם עִמָּֽךְ׃ (יז) וְיָרַדְתִּ֗י וְדִבַּרְתִּ֣י עִמְּךָ֮ שָׁם֒ וְאָצַלְתִּ֗י מִן־הָר֛וּחַ אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָלֶ֖יךָ וְשַׂמְתִּ֣י עֲלֵיהֶ֑ם וְנָשְׂא֤וּ אִתְּךָ֙ בְּמַשָּׂ֣א הָעָ֔ם וְלֹא־תִשָּׂ֥א אַתָּ֖ה לְבַדֶּֽךָ׃
(10) Moses heard the people weeping, every clan apart, at the entrance of each tent. יהוה was very angry, and Moses was distressed. (11) And Moses said to יהוה, “Why have You dealt ill with Your servant, and why have I not enjoyed Your favor, that You have laid the burden of all this people upon me? (12) Did I produce all this people, did I engender them, that You should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom as a caregiver carries an infant,’ to the land that You have promised on oath to their fathers? (13) Where am I to get meat to give to all this people, when they whine before me and say, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ (14) I cannot carry all this people by myself, for it is too much for me. (15) If You would deal thus with me, kill me rather, I beg You, and let me see no more of my wretchedness!” (16) Then יהוה said to Moses, “Gather for Me seventy of Israel’s elders of whom you have experience as elders and officers of the people, and bring them to the Tent of Meeting and let them take their place there with you. (17) I will come down and speak with you there, and I will draw upon the spirit that is on you and put it upon them; they shall share the burden of the people with you, and you shall not bear it alone.
(ב) "אנכי ה' אלהיך", למה נאמר? לפי שנגלה על הים כגבור עושה מלחמות, שנאמר (שמות טו ג) "ה' איש מלחמה", נגלה על הר סיני כזקן מלא רחמים שנאמר (שמות כד י) "ויראו את אלהי ישראל", וכשנגאלו מה הוא אומר (שם)? – "וכעצם השמים", ואומר (דניאל ז ט) "חזה הוית עד די כרסוון רמיו" ואומר (דניאל ז י) "נהר דינור נגד ונפק מן קדמוהי" וגו', שלא יתן פתחון פה לאומות העולם, לומר שתי רשויות הן, אלא: "אנכי ה' אלהיך": אני על הים – אני על היבשה. אני לשעבר – אני לעתיד לבא. אני לעולם הזה – אני לעולם הבא! שנא' (דברים לב לט) "ראו עתה כי אני אני הוא", (ישעיה מו ד) "עד זקנה אני הוא", (ישעיה מד ו) "כה אמר ה' מלך ישראל וגואלו ה' צבאות אני ראשון ואני אחרון", ואומר (ישעיה מא ד) "מי פעל ועשה קורא הדורות מראש אני ה' אני ראשון וגו'". ר' נתן אומר: מכאן תשובה למינין שאומרים שתי רשויות הן, שכשעמד הקב"ה ואמר "אנכי ה' אלהיך", מי עמד ומיחה כנגדו? אם תאמר במטמניות היה הדבר, והלא כבר נאמר (ישעיה מה יט) "לא בסתר דברתי וגו'" לאלו אני נותנה! אלא "לא אמרתי להם תוהו בקשוני", ולא נתתיה פנגס! וכן הוא אומר "ה' דובר צדק מגיד מישרים".
(2) "I am the L rd your G d who took you out of the land of Egypt." What is the intent of this? Because He appeared at the Red Sea as a hero waging war, viz. (Exodus 15:3) "The L rd is a Man of war," and at Mount Sinai, as an elder full of mercy, so as not to provide an opening for the nations of the world to say that there are two Deities, (He said) "I am the L rd your G d." It was I at the Red Sea, and it is I on the dry land. It was I in the past and it will be I in time to come. I in this world and I in the world to come. As it is written (Devarim 32:29) "See, now, that I, I am He," (Isaiah 46:4) "And until you grow old, it is I," (Ibid. 44:6) "Thus said the L rd, the King of Israel, and its Redeemer, the L rd of hosts: I am first and I am last," and (Ibid. 41:4) "Who wrought and did, the caller of the generations from the beginning? I, the L rd, am first, and with the last it will be I." R. Nathan says: This is the retort to those heretics who would contend that there are two Deities. When the Holy One Blessed be He stood (at Mount Sinai) and said "I am the L rd your G d," who stood up and contended with Him? If you would say that this took place in concealment, is it not written (Ibid. 45:19) "Not in secret did I speak, etc." I did not reserve it (the Torah) for them alone. And thus is it written (Ibid.) "I, the L rd, speak righteously; I tell what is true."