The Book of Genesis Quotes
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ALL QUOTES POPULAR BROWSE BY AUTHOR BROWSE BY SOURCE BROWSE BY TOPIC BROWSE BY SUBJECTGod 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." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (Genesis 1:26-27, KJV)
Context
This quote is spoken by God in Genesis 1:26.
In the beginning…oh, you know the story.
There isn't a whole lot to the world when God first gets his hands on it. So, he sets to work creating everything. And we're talking everything. The sky. The sea. The sun. Plants. Trees. Animals. Even mosquitos. (Not sure what he was thinking on that one, but still.)
And then, on the sixth day: the masterpiece. Humankind.
Humans aren't only God's last creation; they're clearly the best. They rule over everything else on Earth. Not only that, God creates people in his image. That means, according to the Bible, we've all got a little bit of God's good looks (and good heart, too).
You'll also notice that God creates both men and women in his image, which implies an equality among the sexes—we may be different, but we're both reflections of the Big Guy.
Where you've heard it
You might not be surprised that as human beings, we have kind of taken to the idea that we're super similar to the All-Knowing Creator of the Universe. God: he's just like us!
Additional Notable References:
- In Latin, this idea is known as Imago Dei, which would also be a really cool rap name.
- Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam is a prime example of Imago Dei in action—the bearded God-figure looks quite a bit like his handsome creation.
- Though God never appears in human form in the Bible, you'll often see him making appearances in movies in the fleshy bodies of Morgan Freeman, Alanis Morissette, or George Burns.
Pretentious Factor
If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.
Anytime you try to let people know that you're on the same level as God, you'll probably sound a little boastful. Even if it is what the Good Book says.