A Beautiful Parallel

The God of Breasts

The translation of El Shaddai from Hebrew creates fantastic debate.  'Shad' literally means 'breast.'  So does that mean Hebrew 'El Shaddai' means 'The God of Breasts?'

Hebrew is a concrete language.  Concrete objects represent abstract words in Hebrew.

For instance, Jeff Benner points out the abstract word like 'anger' is represented in Hebrew by a flaring nose.  Anger in Hebrew literally translates 'nose flare.' That means when someone (or God) is extreme in anger, his nose flares.  Again, Hebrew favors the concrete description.

So the true meaning El Shaddai is not the object 'breast' but the function of breast.  Breasts nourish and provide comfort. The meaning of El Shaddai is more appropriately the God who nourishes and comforts.

In a most incredible Hebrew parallelism, young Nephi makes a beautiful comparison.

Nephi begins describing the women's' ability to nourish their children despite difficult circumstances.

1 Nephi 5:57 

And so great were the blessings of the Lord upon us that while we did live upon raw meat in the wilderness,

Our women did give plenty of suck for their children and were strong.

   Yea, even like unto the men.

And they began to bear their journeyings without murmuring.

(LDS: 1 Nephi 17:2)

And here is the beautiful Parallel with God:

1 Nephi 5:59 And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God,

He doth nourish them and strengthen them 

and provide ways and means whereby they can accomplish the thing which He hath commanded them;

(LDS: 1 Nephi 17:3)

Without using the name 'El Shaddai' Nephi's parallelism of women physically nourishing their children is compared to how God (El Shaddai) spiritually nourishes us.    

It is the perfect parallelism explaining the essence of 'El Shaddai' without ever stating the word El Shaddai.

In ancient Israel, it was completely normal to describe God as the one who nourishes (as if with breasts).

'They will suckle at the nipple of your Glory.'

This from the Dead Sea text (academia.edu):