Genesis 1:26
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
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On the sixth day, after filling the earth with living creatures, God turns to the creation of humanity as the culminating work of the week.
What Does Genesis 1:26 Mean?
Genesis 1:26 means that human beings are made to reflect God and to act as His representatives over the created world. Unlike the earlier acts of creation, this one opens with deliberation -- "Let us make man" -- as if the making of humanity is set apart from everything else. People are not merely another creature; they are formed to bear God's image and likeness in a way nothing else does.
The plural "us" and "our" has drawn careful attention for centuries. Readers have understood it as God speaking with the fulness of His own being, the Father working together with His Son and Spirit, who are all present at creation. The verse does not pause to define this; it simply lets God speak as more than a solitary figure. What follows is the human calling: "dominion" over fish, fowl, cattle, and the earth. This is not license to exploit but a charge to govern as God governs -- with care, order, and responsibility. To be made in God's image is to be given dignity and a task: to represent the Creator faithfully within His world.
In the Original Language
The Hebrew "tselem" (image) and "demuth" (likeness) are paired to describe humanity as a representation of God, while "radah" (have dominion) conveys responsible rule.
Cross References
“Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.”
- Genesis 9:6
“Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet.”
- Psalm 8:6
“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible.”
- Colossians 1:16
Application
Because every person bears God's image, treat yourself and others with dignity, and steward the world He has entrusted to you with care rather than carelessness.