God’s Word Translation
Genesis 1:26
26Then God said, “Let us make humans in our image, in our likeness. Let them rule the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the domestic animals all over the earth, and all the animals that crawl on the earth.”
Genesis 1:26 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
- New International Version (NIV)Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
Context of Genesis 1:26
24Then God said, “Let the earth produce every type of living creature: every type of domestic animal, crawling animal, and wild animal.” And so it was. 25God made every type of wild animal, every type of domestic animal, and every type of creature that crawls on the ground. God saw that they were good. Then God said, “Let us make humans in our image, in our likeness. Let them rule the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the domestic animals all over the earth, and all the animals that crawl on the earth.” 27So God created humans in his image. In the image of God he created them. He created them male and female. 28God blessed them and said, “Be fertile, increase in number, fill the earth, and be its master. Rule the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that crawl on the earth.”
Read all of Genesis 1Genesis 1:26 word by word
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֔ים נַֽעֲשֶׂ֥ה אָדָ֛ם בְּצַלְמֵ֖נוּ כִּדְמוּתֵ֑נוּ וְיִרְדּוּ֩ בִדְגַ֨ת הַיָּ֜ם וּבְע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם וּבַבְּהֵמָה֙ וּבְכָל־הָאָ֔רֶץ וּבְכָל־הָרֶ֖מֶשׂ הָֽרֹמֵ֥שׂ עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Let us makeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
- manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
- in our imageצֶ֫לֶםtselem · imageH6754
- after our likenessדְּמוּתdemûth · likenessH1823
- and let them have dominionרָדָהrâdâh · to ruleH7287
- over the fishדָּגָהdâgâh · fishH1710
- of the seaיָםyâm · seaH3220
- and over the fowlעוֹף‛ôph · birdH5775
- of the airשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
- and over the cattleבְּהֵמָהbehêmâh · animalH929
- and over all the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- and over every creeping thingרֶ֫מֶשׂremeώ · creepingH7431
- that creepethרָמַשׂrâmaώ · to creepH7430
- upon the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: soilH776
Cross-references for Genesis 1:26
- Genesis 3:22Then the Lord God said, “The man has become like one of us, since he knows good and evil. He must not reach out and take the fruit from the tree of life and eat. Then he would live forever.”
- Genesis 11:7Let us go down there and mix up their language so that they won’t understand each other.”
- Job 35:10But no one asks, ‘Where is God, my Creator, who inspires songs in the night,
- Psalms 100:3Realize that the Lord alone is God. He made us, and we are his. We are his people and the sheep in his care.
- Psalms 149:2Let Israel find joy in their creator. Let the people of Zion rejoice over their king.
- Isaiah 64:8But now, Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are our potter. We are the work of your hands.
- John 5:17Jesus replied to them, “My Father is working right now, and so am I.”
- John 14:23Jesus answered him, “Those who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will go to them and make our home with them.
- 1 John 5:7There are three witnesses:
- Genesis 5:1This is the written account of Adam and his descendants. When God created humans, he made them in the likeness of God.
- Genesis 9:6Whoever sheds human blood, by humans his blood will be shed, because in the image of God, God made humans.
- Ecclesiastes 7:29I have found only this: God made people decent, but they looked for many ways ⌞to avoid being decent⌟.”
- Acts 17:26From one man he has made every nation of humanity to live all over the earth. He has given them the seasons of the year and the boundaries within which to live.
- 1 Corinthians 11:7A man should not cover his head. He is God’s image and glory. The woman, however, is man’s glory.
- 2 Corinthians 3:18As all of us reflect the Lord’s glory with faces that are not covered with veils, we are being changed into his image with ever-increasing glory. This comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
- 2 Corinthians 4:4The god of this world has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. As a result, they don’t see the light of the Good News about Christ’s glory. It is Christ who is God’s image.
Commentaries on Genesis 1:26
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 26And God said, Let us make man - It is evident that God intends to impress the mind of man with a sense of something extraordinary in the formation of his body and soul, when he introduces the account of his creation thus; Let Us make man. The word אדם Adam, which we translate man, is intended to designate the species of animal, as חיתו chaitho, marks the wild beasts that live in general a solitary life; בהמה behemah, domestic or gregarious animals; and…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 24-31Verses 24-31 - VIII. The Sixth Day 24. בהמה behēmâh “cattle; dumb, tame beasts.” רמשׂ remeś “creeping (small or low) animals.” חוּה chayâh “living thing; animal.” חוּת־חארץ chayatô -chā'ārets “wild beast.” 26. אדם 'ādām “man, mankind;” “be red.” A collective noun, having no plural number, and therefore denoting either an individual of the kind, or the kind or race itself. It is connected in etymology with אדמה 'ădāmâh “the red soil,” from which…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 26-28Verses 26-28 Man was made last of all the creatures: this was both an honour and a favour to him. Yet man was made the same day that the beasts were; his body was made of the same earth with theirs; and while he is in the body, he inhabits the same earth with them. God forbid that by indulging the body, and the desires of it, we should make ourselves like the beasts that perish! Man was to be a creature different from all that had been hitherto made…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 26Let Us make: This statement is more personal than the earlier command, "Let there be" (for example, 1:3, 6). Us: The use of the plural pronoun here has several possible explanations: It may refer to the Trinity (one God who exists forever in three persons). It may be a plural form used to show God’s greatness. It may describe God speaking to himself (a kind of inner council). It may describe God speaking with his heavenly court (angels). The idea of the…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2626. The last stage in the progress of creation being now reached--God said, Let us make man--words which show the peculiar importance of the work to be done, the formation of a creature, who was to be God's representative, clothed with authority and rule as visible head and monarch of the world. In our image, after our likeness--This was a peculiar distinction, the value attached to which appears in the words being twice mentioned. And in what did this…Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 1:26
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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