Bible: Old Testament: English Standard Version

God is the central figure of the Old Testament narrative, appearing in the texts from beginning to end, and all other figures are assessed in their relation to God. God is presented as a personal being, not a theological abstraction or a nebulous spiritual force, but a divine person characterized by his vast power, goodness, and wisdom, as well as by his relationality. In contrast to many divine figures in other ancient “Near Eastern” texts, God seeks to enter into relationships with human beings, there to pour out his love on them and draw them into ever greater holiness and truth. In one of the Old Testament’s most common refrains about the character of God, he is said to be “slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love” (Numbers 14:18; cf. Exodus 34:6; Nehemiah 9:17; and Psalms 86:15; 103:8; 145:8). In traditional Christian doctrine, as based in the text of the Old Testament, God is the uncreated creator, the sole cause of all that exists, and the summit of all virtues. He is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and omnibenevolent, a being so great in every respect that nothing greater can even be conceived.