King James Version

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.

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Hebrew

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וַיֹּ֣אמֶרvayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…אֱלֹהִ֔יםelohimGodאֱלֹהִיםnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “God”, the ordinary formH430gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlativeangels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.נַֽעֲשֶׂ֥הnaasehdoעָשָׂהverb, qal, imperfect, 1st person, common, plural — “do”, an unfinished actionH6213to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest applicationaccomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, [idiom] certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, [phrase] displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, f…אָדָ֛םadampersonאָדָםnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “person”, the ordinary formH120ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.)[idiom] another, [phrase] hypocrite, [phrase] common sort, [idiom] low, man (mean, of low degree), person.בְּצַלְמֵ֖נוּbetsalmenvin imageצֶלֶםpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “in image”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6754a phantom, i.e. (figuratively) illusion, resemblance; hence, a representative figure, especially an idolimage, vain shew.כִּדְמוּתֵ֑נוּkidmutenvas likeדְּמוּתpreposition, noun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “as like”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1823resemblance; concretely, model, shape; adverbially, likefashion, like (-ness, as), manner, similitude.וְיִרְדּוּ֩veyirdvand have dominionרָדָהconjunction, verb, qal, jussive, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and have dominion”, a wish or indirect commandH7287to tread down, i.e. subjugate; specifically, to crumble off(come to, make to) have dominion, prevail against, reign, (bear, make to) rule,(-r, over), take.בִדְגַ֨תvidgatin fishדָּגָהpreposition, noun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “in fish”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1710{a fish (often used collectively)}fish.הַיָּ֜םhayamthe seaיָםdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the sea”, the ordinary formH3220a sea (as breaking in noisy surf) or large body of water; specifically (with the article), the Mediterranean Sea; sometimes a large river, or an artifical basin; locally, the west, or (rarely) the southsea ([idiom] -faring man, (-shore)), south, west (-ern, side, -ward).וּבְע֣וֹףuveofand in birdעוֹףconjunction, preposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “and in bird”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5775a bird (as covered with feathers, or rather as covering with wings), often collectivelybird, that flieth, flying, fowl.הַשָּׁמַ֗יִםhashamayimthe heavenשָׁמַיִםdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “the heaven”, the ordinary formH8064the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve)air, [idiom] astrologer, heaven(-s).וּבַבְּהֵמָה֙uvabhemahand in beastבְּהֵמָהconjunction, preposition, with the article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “and in beast”, the ordinary formH929properly, a dumb beast; especially any large quadruped or animal (often collective)beast, cattle.וּבְכָלuvekhaland in allכֹּלconjunction, preposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “and in all”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3605properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).הָאָ֔רֶץhaaretsthe earthאֶרֶץdefinite article, noun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “the earth”, the ordinary formH776the earth (at large, or partitively a land)[idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.וּבְכָלuvekhaland in allכֹּלconjunction, preposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “and in all”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3605properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).הָרֶ֖מֶשׂharemesthe that creepethרֶמֶשׂdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the that creepeth”, the ordinary formH7431a reptile or any other rapidly moving animalthat creepeth, creeping (moving) thing.הָֽרֹמֵ֥שׂharomesthe moveרָמַשׂdefinite article, verb, qal, participle, absolute — “the move”, a verb used as a describing wordH7430properly, to glide swiftly, i.e. to crawl or move with short steps; by analogy to swarmcreep, move.עַלalaboveעַלpreposition — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…הָאָֽרֶץhaaretsthe earthאֶרֶץdefinite article, noun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “the earth”, the ordinary formH776the earth (at large, or partitively a land)[idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

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.'

Translation Note

אֱלֹהִים speaks, and the verb is נַעֲשֶׂה, “let us make,” with “our image” and “our likeness.” Strong’s H430 says elohim is plural in form and is used of the supreme God. This page does not quote a later Jewish commentary. The 1917 Jewish Publication Society keeps the plural: “Let us make man in our image.”

Christians read that plural with the Son, who is the image of the invisible God, and with the Spirit. The “us” is not a second deity beside the God of Genesis 1:1. Jesus is God, the Son, in the one God who makes man.

King James Version. 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.

Jewish Publication Society (1917). “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.'”

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English. “And God said, Let us make man according to our image and likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the flying creatures of heaven, and over the cattle and all the earth, and over all the reptiles that creep on the earth.”

Septuagint, Brenton’s Greek (1851). Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Θεός, Ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον κατʼ εἰκόνα ἡμετέραν καὶ καθʼ ὁμοίωσιν·

What do Jews believe? What is the difference between Judaism and Christianity?

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

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 birds of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

Young’s Literal Translation

And God saith, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, and let them rule over fish of the sea, and over fowl of the heavens, and over cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that is creeping on the earth.'

World English Bible

God said, “Let’s make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Darby Translation

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 heavens, and over the cattle, and over the whole earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth on the earth.

Douay-Rheims

And he said: Let us make man to our image and likeness: and let him have dominion over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and the beasts, and the whole earth, and every creeping creature that moveth upon the earth.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And God said, Let us make man according to our image and likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the flying creatures of heaven, and over the cattle and all the earth, and over all the reptiles that creep on the earth.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Θεός, Ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον κατʼ εἰκόνα ἡμετέραν καὶ καθʼ ὁμοίωσιν· καὶ ἀρχέτωσαν τῶν ἰχθύων τῆς θαλάσσης, καὶ τῶν πετεινῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ τῶν κτηνῶν, καὶ πάσης τῆς γῆς, καὶ πάντων τῶν ἑρπετῶν τῶν ἑρπόντων ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς.