Similitude
What Is a Similitude?
In biblical usage, "similitude" refers to a likeness, resemblance, or comparison. The word appears in older English translations to translate several Hebrew and Greek terms that convey the idea of form, image, or analogy. While modern translations often replace it with "likeness" or "form," the concept behind similitude remains central to understanding how God communicates with humanity.
God's Form and the Prohibition of Images
One of the most significant uses of similitude relates to the appearance or form of God. When Moses recounted the events at Sinai, he reminded Israel that they heard God's voice but saw no form (Deuteronomy 4:12, 15-16). The Hebrew word used here conveys the idea of a perceived shape or outline. Because the people saw no visible similitude, they were forbidden from making any carved image to represent God. This passage forms a foundational argument against idolatry: since God revealed Himself through words rather than a visible form at Sinai, any attempt to depict Him in physical form misrepresents His nature.
Yet Moses himself was granted a unique privilege. God declared that He spoke to Moses face to face, clearly and not in riddles, and that Moses beheld the form of the LORD (Numbers 12:8). This exceptional encounter distinguished Moses from all other prophets and underscored the intimacy of his relationship with God.
Similitude in Prophetic Communication
The prophet Hosea uses the concept of similitude to describe how God communicates through the prophets: "I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets" (Hosea 12:10, KJV). Here, similitudes refer to parables, analogies, and symbolic actions that the prophets employed to convey divine truth. God accommodated human understanding by using comparisons drawn from everyday life.
This prophetic use of similitude encompasses the rich tradition of biblical metaphor and parable. When prophets compared Israel to a vineyard, a wayward wife, or a flock of sheep, they were employing similitudes to make spiritual realities vivid and accessible.
Similitude and the Image of God
The psalmist uses the concept when lamenting Israel's idolatry at Horeb: "They exchanged their glory for the image of an ox that eats grass" (Psalm 106:20). The people traded the glory of the invisible God for a similitude, a mere likeness of a created animal. This exchange represents the fundamental error of idolatry: reducing the infinite to the finite.
Similitude in the New Testament
Paul employs the concept when discussing Adam's relationship to Christ. Death reigned from Adam to Moses even over those who had not sinned "in the likeness of Adam's transgression" (Romans 5:14). Here the similitude creates a typological comparison between Adam and Christ, showing how one man's disobedience brought death while another's obedience brought life.
The book of Hebrews extends this pattern by presenting Melchizedek as one "made like" the Son of God (Hebrews 7:3), using similitude to establish the superiority of Christ's priesthood over the Levitical order.
Biblical Context
Similitude appears in the Pentateuch in connection with God's self-revelation at Sinai (Deuteronomy 4:12, 15-16) and Moses' unique access to God's form (Numbers 12:8). In the Prophets, Hosea 12:10 describes God's use of similitudes through prophetic ministry. In the Writings, Psalm 106:20 uses it in the context of idolatry. Paul employs the concept typologically in Romans 5:14.
Theological Significance
Similitude addresses the fundamental theological question of how the infinite God makes Himself known to finite creatures. It upholds the tension between God's transcendence (no visible form at Sinai) and His desire for relationship (speaking through prophetic comparisons). The concept also undergirds the biblical prohibition against idolatry and supports the use of typology in understanding Christ's work.
Historical Background
The concept of divine likeness and representation was central to ancient Near Eastern religion, where images of gods were believed to contain the deity's presence. Israel's prohibition against making any similitude of God stood in sharp contrast to surrounding cultures. The Hebrew word temunah (form, likeness) appears in contexts that distinguish Israel's aniconism from the image-rich worship practices of Egypt, Canaan, and Mesopotamia.