In the Image of God

God’s words “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” speak about who God is, who you are, and what you are for: relationship with God, likeness to His character, and responsible dominion in His world.

- In Hebrew, “image” is tselem and “likeness” is demuth. Many Jewish and Christian scholars see them as a poetic pair (parallelism), basically repeating the same idea in two ways rather than two totally different things.

- Genesis sometimes uses both words (1:26) and sometimes only one (1:27 “image,” 5:1 “likeness”), which supports the idea that they substantially overlap.

- A key Old Testament echo is Genesis 5:3, where Adam has a son “in his own likeness, after his image,” describing family resemblance and relationship, not identicalness.

So “image/likeness” means humans are made to resemble God in a creaturely way: like a child resembles a parent or a living statue represents a king.

“Let us”: who is God talking to?

- The KJV’s “Let us make” reflects the Hebrew plural “let us,” and Christians have traditionally heard here an early hint of the Trinity (Father, Son, Spirit acting together in creation). Elohim is plural.

- Many Jewish interpreters read this as God addressing a heavenly council of spiritual beings (angels), a pattern seen elsewhere in Scripture where God speaks in the midst of a divine council.

- Some scholars also mention a “plural of majesty” (like a royal “we”), though the council or Trinitarian readings are more common in serious treatments.

In all these readings, the point stands: mankind is uniquely set apart among creatures as bearing God’s own image.

What “image of God” has meant to believers

Over the centuries, Christians and Jews have emphasized several aspects of what it means to be God’s image:

- Relational / sonship: We are created for covenant relationship with God as His children, reflecting Him like a son reflects a father.

- Royal / representative: In the ancient world, kings placed images (statues) in their lands to represent their rule; Genesis uses similar language to say humanity is placed in creation as God’s royal representatives.

- Moral and spiritual: Many see the image as including rationality, conscience, capacity to know and love God, and the ability to act with holiness and righteousness.

- Authority with responsibility: The very next phrase is “and let them have dominion…,” tying image-bearing to caring rule over creation, not exploitative control.

A helpful way to put it: you are made to be God’s living “statue” in the world—relating to Him as child to Father and representing Him to creation as a servant-king.

Secular and scholarly perspectives

Non-devotional, academic, and secular discussions still take this wording very seriously, even if they don’t share its faith claims.

- Ancient Near Eastern background: Scholars note that surrounding cultures called kings the “image” of a god; Genesis radically democratizes this by giving that dignity to all humans, not just rulers.

- Human dignity and ethics: Even secular ethicists use “image of God” language or its influence to ground human rights, arguing that Genesis undergirds ideas of equal worth and the wrongness of murder or oppression. Genesis 9:6 specifically ties the ban on murder to humans being made in God’s image.

- Evolution and the image: Some Christian scientists and theologians who accept evolution argue that “image of God” is mainly a vocation—God calling humans to represent Him—rather than a particular physical trait, so it can coexist with an evolutionary origin of the human body.

- Jewish scholarship: Jewish commentators often stress that “image/likeness” means similarity, not identity; humanity is to act “like” God in justice, mercy, creativity, and stewardship.

Even where people disagree about God Himself, this phrase continues to shape conversations about what it means to be human.

Modern application for you

Here are some concrete ways this wording can speak into your life today as you read your King James Bible:

1. Your identity and worth

- You bear God’s image; your value does not come from success, money, or others’ opinions, but from being created by Him to resemble Him.

- This also means every person you meet—friend, enemy, stranger—is an image-bearer and must be treated with deep respect and care.

2. How you treat others

- Because others carry God’s likeness, sins like hatred, racism, contempt, abuse, or dehumanizing speech are not just “bad manners” but an offense against the image of God in them.

- A modern way to live Genesis 1:26 is to look at people around you (at work, in traffic, online) and quietly remember: “This person is made in God’s image.”

3. Your calling in the world

- “Let them have dominion” calls you to exercise authority wherever God has placed you—home, job, neighborhood—with humility, justice, and care, mirroring His character.

- That can look like honest work, fair treatment of employees or coworkers, kindness to those with less power, and wise care for the physical world around you.

4. Growing into the likeness of Christ

- The New Testament says believers are being renewed into the image of their Creator; Christ is described as “the image of the invisible God.” Jesus Himself reminds us that if we have seen Him then we have seen the Father and these verses are so emotionally involving: John 14:8-10 KJV Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. (9) Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? (10) Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

- Practically, as you walk with Jesus—listening to Scripture, praying, obeying—you are being shaped so that your reactions, words, and choices more and more reflect God’s heart.

5. Everyday example

- When you face a conflict, Genesis 1:26 can become a simple prayer: “Lord, help me respond as Your image-bearer, and to remember that they are, too.”

- When you feel insignificant, you can answer that lie with this verse: “God Himself said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.’ That includes me.”