If God Is Both Masculine and Feminine, Why Does Everyone Say “He”? Looking Beyond Pronouns to the Nature of God
Overview
One of the questions I hear surprisingly often is this:
If God created both men and women… why is God almost always called “He”?
It’s a thoughtful question.
Because if humanity reflects God’s image, and humanity includes both male and female, it naturally leads to another question.
Can the infinite Creator really be limited to a human gender?
For me, the answer is no.
I don’t believe God is male in the biological sense any more than I believe God has human DNA, human hormones, or a physical body.
I believe the language we use about God is symbolic, relational, and limited by human vocabulary.
God is far greater than any pronoun.
Created in the Image of God
One of the most fascinating verses in Genesis says:
“So God created mankind in His own image… male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:27)
Christians have interpreted this passage in different ways throughout history, but one observation has always stood out to me.
If both man and woman are created in the image of God, then neither can fully represent God’s nature by themselves.
Together they reflect something more complete.
That suggests to me that the qualities we often describe as masculine and feminine both find their ultimate source in God.
Not because God is divided into genders.
But because every good quality ultimately comes from the Creator.
Why Does the Bible Usually Say “He”?
The Bible was written over many centuries in cultures where masculine language was the normal way to refer to God.
Jesus also taught His disciples to pray, “Our Father…”
That language became deeply rooted within Christianity and continues to be used by most churches today.
For many believers, calling God “Father” expresses relationship, care, authority, and covenant rather than biological maleness.
At the same time, Scripture also uses imagery that many readers describe as maternal.
God is compared to a mother comforting her child (Isaiah 66:13).
Jesus speaks of longing to gather people together as a hen gathers her chicks beneath her wings (Matthew 23:37).
The Bible contains a rich variety of images that point beyond simple categories.
Beyond Human Categories
One of the greatest challenges in talking about God is that language was created to describe finite things.
God is not finite.
We use words because they are all we have.
But every word eventually reaches its limit.
When we say God is a Father…
That tells us something.
When we say God is love…
That tells us something.
When we say God is light…
That tells us something.
None of those descriptions completely define God.
They point toward a reality greater than themselves.
The Divine Algorithm
One of the central ideas in my work is what I call The Divine Algorithm.
I see creation as reflecting the wisdom of its Creator.
Throughout nature we observe complementary relationships.
Strength and gentleness.
Justice and mercy.
Power and compassion.
Order and creativity.
Reason and intuition.
We often associate these qualities with masculinity or femininity, yet they are not owned by either.
I believe they all find their fullness in God.
Human beings express aspects of those qualities.
God is their source.
Jesus Revealed God’s Character
For Christians, Jesus is central to understanding God.
He spoke of God as Father, yet His life consistently demonstrated qualities many cultures have described as both masculine and feminine.
He showed courage.
Compassion.
Strength.
Tenderness.
Justice.
Mercy.
Authority.
Humility.
He wept.
He forgave.
He confronted injustice.
He welcomed children.
He served others.
Rather than fitting neatly into cultural stereotypes, Jesus revealed a fullness of character that transcended them.
The Risk of Making God Too Small
Sometimes we unintentionally create God in our own image.
We imagine God as an older man sitting somewhere in the sky because that’s the picture we’ve inherited.
But if God is truly the Creator of space, time, matter, consciousness, and life itself…
Then God cannot be confined to human categories.
Gender is part of creation.
God is the Creator.
The Creator is always greater than the categories within creation.
What Matters Most
I’ve come to believe that the deeper question isn’t whether we say “He.”
The deeper question is whether we understand what we mean when we say it.
If calling God “Father” reminds you of perfect love, wisdom, faithfulness, and care, then the language has served its purpose.
If someone else recognizes God’s compassion through other biblical imagery, that too can deepen appreciation for God’s character.
The danger isn’t using one biblical image.
The danger is believing that one image completely describes the infinite.
The Kingdom of God Is Within
Jesus consistently directed people beyond external labels toward inward transformation.
He spoke about the Kingdom of God being within—or, according to some translations, among—you (Luke 17:21).
That teaching reminds me that our relationship with God is not ultimately built upon perfect terminology.
It is built upon knowing God.
Living in love.
Walking in truth.
Growing in wisdom.
Becoming more like Christ.
Those realities matter far more than winning arguments about pronouns.
Final Thoughts
If God is both the source of everything we call masculine and everything we call feminine, why do so many people say “He”?
Partly because Scripture most often uses masculine language such as “Father,” shaped by the historical languages and cultures in which it was written.
For many believers, that language remains deeply meaningful.
At the same time, I don’t believe those pronouns should cause us to imagine God as simply a male human being enlarged to infinite size.
God is beyond biology.
Beyond limitation.
Beyond every category our minds attempt to construct.
If men and women are both created in the image of God, then both reflect something beautiful about the Creator.
Neither alone reveals God’s fullness.
Together they remind us that the One who created us cannot be reduced to the labels we use to describe Him.
Perhaps the purpose of every name we give God is not to define the infinite…
But to help us take one more step toward knowing the One who is beyond every definition.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is God male or female?
Different religious traditions answer this differently. In Christianity, God is most often referred to using masculine language such as “Father,” while many theologians also emphasize that God is Spirit and not a biological male or female.
Why does the Bible call God “He”?
The Bible was written in historical languages and cultures that commonly used masculine language for God. Jesus also taught His disciples to pray to “Our Father,” which became central to Christian tradition.
Does the Bible use feminine imagery for God?
Yes. In several passages, God is compared to a mother comforting her child, a woman searching for a lost coin through parable, or a bird sheltering her young. These images emphasize different aspects of God’s care and compassion without changing the predominant use of “Father.”
Does using “He” limit God?
Many believers would say no, because the pronoun is understood as relational and theological rather than biological. Others emphasize that no single human image or pronoun can fully describe the infinite nature of God.