The Bible’s first mention of human gender is in Gen 1:26-27:
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”. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
The word ‘man’ (Hebrew ‘adam) in this passage is generic,[1] as indicated by the use of the pronoun ‘them’. That is, both the man and the woman were made in the image and likeness of God. This is not a controversial point – it is one on which complementarians and egalitarians generally agree – but it does provide an important foundation for our study of gender in the Bible.
The word ‘image’ is the Hebrew tselem, meaning a ‘representation’ or ‘likeness’. This word is often used in the Old Testament to refer to a carved idol or statue. The word ‘likeness’ is the Hebrew demuth, meaning ‘similarity’ or ‘resemblance’. The terms ‘image’ and ‘likeness’ are probably not describing different aspects of God, as they are similar in meaning and are used interchangeably throughout Scripture. It is more likely that the two words are used together for emphasis. The man and woman, therefore, were in some way or to some degree like God.
A significant aspect of ‘image and likeness’ is the implication of sonship. Old Testament scholar Meredith Kline saw ‘image of God’ and ‘son `of God’ as twin concepts. Kline interpreted ‘image and likeness of God’ as a reference to familial resemblance between a father and son, rather than as a description of what it means to be human, or of representative status. Adam’s son Seth is described as being born in Adam’s image and likeness (Gen 5:3). Thus he says,
The father-son relationship of Adam and Seth is presented as a proper analogue for understanding the Creator-man relationship.[2]
God is king over the earth (Ps 47:7); and a king’s son inherits authority in his father’s realm. In Gen 1:26, image and likeness is immediately followed by dominion. The word ‘dominion’ is the Hebrew rada meaning to rule, to dominate or to tread under foot. The word ‘subdue’ in v. 28, Hebrew kabas, means to capture or conquer a hostile party by force. In the natural sense mankind was to cultivate the earth, use its resources and domesticate animals. However the violent nature of the terms used has more to do with the spiritual application.
Humans rise above the level of animals by having dominion over the desires of their flesh (Gal 5:17, Ps 119:133). The diverse range of human desires is represented metaphorically in the Bible by different kinds of animals. People who are ruled by their fleshly desires are like ‘irrational animals; creatures of instinct’ (2 Pet 2:12) which bite and devour one another (Gal 5:15). Influenced by God’s ways, fruits such as love, kindness and gentleness are produced, and formerly fierce predators behave in an unnaturally docile manner (Isa 11:6-9).
God made man upright (Ecc 7:29). His upright posture distinguished him from the other animals and symbolised integrity and moral superiority. But as Micah lamented, “There is no one upright among mankind; they all lie in wait for blood, and each hunts the other with a net” (Mic 7:2).
Psalm 72:8 says that God’s son will have dominion (rada) over the earth, and describes what dominion looks like when exercised by him. The ‘royal son’ is just and righteous (Ps 72:1). He does not use his position of power to exploit others or promote self, but to defend the defenseless, the needy, the poor and the vulnerable, whose blood is precious in his sight (Ps 72:12-14).
After Jesus was baptised and received power without measure (John 3:34), he was driven into the wilderness where he was ‘with the wild animals’ (Mark 1:13). Psalm 72:9 predicts his triumph – “They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust”. The Hebrew translated as ‘they that dwell in the wilderness’ can be applied to animals or people and is translated on three other occasions as ‘wild beasts of the desert’. ‘His enemies shall lick the dust’ echoes the shaming of the serpent in Gen 3:14.
Jesus was the only person who successfully had dominion over all the various desires of his nature. All others have sinned and fallen short of the glory, or likeness, of God. God extends to all the invitation to be born again as sons of God and to be conformed to the image of Jesus (Rom 8:29). A son of God exercises dominion by no longer making a practice of sinning (1 John 3:9-10, 5:18), practicing righteousness (1 John 2:29), and loving others (1 Peter 1:22-23). This is “the new man, which is created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph 4:24).
With the status of son of God, comes the status of heir (Rom 8:17, 29). In contrast with inheritance customs in most ancient societies, gender, social class and race make no difference to eligibility as an heir of God (Gal 3:26-29). In Christ male and female are ‘heirs together of the grace of life’ (1 Pet 3:7).
Gender difference is a popular field of study nowadays, and whilst some differences do exist, Genesis 1 reminds us to keep these in perspective. When Adam first saw Eve, he was overjoyed to at last have somebody like himself.[3] The Bible makes no explicit mention of inherent differences between male and female (except that females are physically weaker, 1 Pet 3:7), nor does it refer to ‘masculine’ or ‘feminine’ characteristics. Exactly the same fruit of the spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal 5:22-23) – is to be developed in all children of God, regardless of gender.
Male and female then have much in common. Both were created in the image and likeness of God. Both share the same humanity, the same intellectual, moral and spiritual capacity, the same fallibility and the same opportunity to become God’s children. All children of God share the same calling – to exercise godly dominion, and to be fruitful in creating new children of God.
[1] [Ed. AP]: This is a contested point. The first occurrence of adam is without the article, while the second comes with the article and the definite object marker and is referenced by a masculine pronoun ‘him’. Further, the last clause of v. 27, ‘male and female created he them’ is linked with v. 28 rather than v. 27ab in some scholarly readings of the Hebrew syntax. The issue here is important because Paul quotes Gen 1:27 in 1 Cor 11:7 in a non-generic way.
[2] M. G. Kline, “Creation in the Image of the Glory-Spirit” Westminster Theological Journal 39 (1976/77): 250-272.
[3] [Ed AP]: If Eve is like Adam and Adam is like God then imaging is transitive, and the separate creation of Eve is teaching something about role.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One