If you've done Renn Faires, or read something on "how to speak forsoothly," or taken a class on Shakespeare, you've been told to use "thou" only to your social inferiors, or to your closest friends. And then comes up the question, why do you address God as "Thou"? The answer you've heard is "God is your friend" or "God is your close companion" or some variation on those.

       This is completely wrong.

       So, why is the Almighty addressed so familiarly? The answer is a bit complex, and goes back to around 1300 CE and earlier. I'll make this as simple as I can...

       In circa 1300 CE, a century or so before Chaucer, it was simple: thou, thee, thy, and thine were singular -- you used them to adressing one person. You, ye, your, and yours were plural -- you used them in addressing more than one person. Period, end of discussion. (In some dialects the words were slightly different, but the idea is the same.)

       But, by Chaucer's time, in London and nearby, an affectation had sprung up. If you wanted to follow the latest fashion, you'd use "you" in addressing just one person. This was pretty la-de-da talk, used mostly by the rich and powerful, and those who wanted to be thought rich and/or powerful. Outside of London, Westminster, and nearby towns, it was then unknown. Well, someone who'd run into a Londoner might know it. But, *not* use it.

       In much of Europe, notably in England, there was a movement known as anticlericism. A number of believing Christians (and possibly some doubters), in reading the Bible, saw no defense for the idea of priests, much less bishops and so on, in the New Testament. Thus, they opposed priests, and masses, and tithing, and other exactions. In England, around the time of Chaucer (and before and after) one form anticlericism took was translating the Bible, and various prayers, out of Latin and into English. Since anitclericism was strongest in the countryside and areas away from London, the English they used was that which used "you" only as a plural. And the prayers, and portions of the Bible, became more and more widely known; those prayers and portions that used "you" only as a plural. The singular in such works was always "thou."

       As singular "you" became more widespread, the "old fashioned" prayers, learned at the mother's knee (and other low joints) were remembered, and said as they were learned. And they kept "thou" as the only singular.

       By Shakespeare's time, at least in London, nobody used "thou". Except, of course, familiarly and insultingly. And, except in the prayers handed down for generations. Singular "you" was also used in cities, towns and some villages in the south, east, and center, of England by his time. But "thou" hung on in the north and (somewhat) in the west and southwest, especially among the countryfolk.

       Then along came King James, who wanted to get rid of what by then was a number of English Bibles, some produced by people King James thought heretical, or at least anti-monarchial. So, James decided there had to be *one* Bible (in English, that is); he gathered a bunch of scholars together and, eventually, along came the Authorized Version, better known as the King James Bible (aka the KJ).

       The translators that made the KJ wanted to be thought authoritative, and in those days "old" meant "wise" - - - or at least "learned". So, using "thou" as in those old prayers, portions of the Bible, etc., to most people meant "thou" was good and knowledgeable and so on. There was also the fact that Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and all the languages being translated from kept the distinction between singular second person and plural. Which meant that using "thou" meant it was a "better" translation. Frankly, I think it was an excuse more than a reason.

       If you check the KJ, God is not the only person addressed as "thou". In fact, any time *one* person is talked to, that person is "thou".

       But time went on, and fewer and fewer people used "thou" in every-day speach. Until about the only time J. Q. Example heard "thou" was when someone read the Bible, or (more rarely) Shakespeare at them. And other translations of the Bible came along that didn't use "thou" and J. Q. heard the Bible less and less often. Eventually, J. Q. heard "thou" almost entirely in the "Our Father," and in Shakespeare, occasionally.

       I believe it was at the original Renaissance Pleasure Faire that someone, trying to get the workers to use "thou," ran into "But why address God as 'Thou'?" and made up the bit about "He is your friend" (and clearly no-one thought of the "Hail Mary", where Mary is "thou" and "thee" and "thy"). Or perhaps the erorr originated elsewhere; it was certainly popularized through Renaissance Faires. And from them, into some "re-enactment" groups.

       After digging around in the OED and various histories, I've come to the conclusion I've expounded above. There doesn't seem to be a shred of evidence that people in the Middle Ages ever thought of "The Lord God of Hosts," "The Maker of Heaven and Earth," "The King of Kings and Lord of Lords," "The Last Judge," as their buddy, or their companion. The idea is ridiculous; it is the opposite of a medieval mind-set. Certainly if anyone was never seen as familiar or subservient to anyone, it was God

       In short, God is "Thou" because he was "Thou" before any single person was called "you".