Genesis 1:27
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”
King James Version (KJV)
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This verse records the fulfillment of God's resolve in verse 26 to make humanity in His image, on the sixth day of creation.
What Does Genesis 1:27 Mean?
Genesis 1:27 means that God carried out His purpose to make humanity bear His image, and He did so by creating people as male and female. The verse repeats the phrase "in the image of God" with poetic emphasis, as if to make sure the reader does not miss it: human beings, both men and women, are stamped with the likeness of their Maker.
The threefold rhythm of the line -- "created" appearing three times -- gives the moment a hymn-like weight. It declares first that humanity reflects God, then narrows to confirm it, then expands to include both sexes equally. Neither man nor woman holds the image more fully than the other; together they display it. This is a profound statement of the worth of every person and of the goodness of being made embodied and gendered. The verse roots human dignity not in achievement, status, or strength, but in the simple, unearned fact of being created by God to resemble Him. From this single sentence flows the conviction that every human life carries a value that no one can erase.
In the Original Language
The Hebrew verb "bara" (created) is used three times here, a verb reserved in Scripture for God's creative work, lending the line solemn emphasis.
Cross References
“In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him.”
- Genesis 5:1
“Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female.”
- Matthew 19:4
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”
- Galatians 3:28
Application
See yourself and every person you meet as an image-bearer of God, whose value rests not on usefulness or appearance but on the dignity God Himself gave.