The Image of God

The phrase “image of God” occurs several times throughout the book of Genesis (Gen 1:26–27; 5:1–3; 9:6). In many ways, the concept serves to distinguish human persons from animals and plants. As such, it speaks of how human personhood should be understood. It also elevates humans above all other created things on earth, indicating their responsibility to provide a benevolent and ethical stewardship over the rest of creation.

Examination of the passages in which “image of God” is mentioned or alluded to (Gen 1:26–27; 5:1–3; 9:6) produces several observations: the phrase is gender neutral; it is applied only to humans; humanity does not grow into the image or develop the image—there is no “potential” image of God; and the image has not been, nor can be, bestowed incrementally or partially—there is no “partial” image.

Ultimately, the Bible indicates that the image of God inherently belongs to all humans equally and immediately. The Bible deliberately presents the image of God as that which fundamentally distinguishes humanity from the rest of earth’s living creatures. There are multiple ways in which the “image of God” has been understood and articulated.

Image of God as Physical Form or Appearance

The idea that the image of God speaks of an external, visible form has fallen out of favor. This interpretation is based on the fact that the Hebrew word for “image” (tselem) was used of idols in the ancient world, and so refers to a physical form; that its use in Genesis 1:26–27 is partnered with demuth (“likeness”); and that in Genesis 5:3, both words are used to describe that Adam “fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image”—Seth.

However, tselem does not always speak of physical objects in the Old Testament (e.g., in Psalm 39:7 it refers to a “shadow” and Psalm 73:20, a “phantom”) or the ancient Near East. The word can be used metaphorically or to speak of nonconcrete objects or attributes. As such, tselem likely speaks of a type of “representation” of God without saying that the thing represented (God) must also be concrete or physical.

Furthermore, the fact that tselem (“image”) and demuth (“likeness”) are paired does not mean that the latter requires that the former be understood in visual terms. Neither do the terms always appear together, which suggests that their meanings are not entirely synonymous.

Image of God as a Physical or Mental Attribute

The image of God may be defined as an ability particular to humans—such as intelligence, rationality, emotions, volitional will, consciousness, sentience, or the ability to communicate. However, defining the image of God in any of these ways fails exegetically and creates difficulties regarding ethical questions about human life. All of these abilities cannot be said to be present equally among all human beings at all stages of life. Additionally, some are not certifiably unique to humans.

Image of God as Spiritual Ability

The term “spiritual abilities” refers to God-directed abilities or spiritual inclinations of the inner life. Examples would include belief in God, a desire to know God, prayer, and the ability to discern right from wrong. However, as with a physical or mental ability, spiritual abilities or desires are not possessed equally by all humans at all stages of life.

Image of God as Disembodied Soul

The image of God may refer to the possession of a soul or spirit. The terms naphesh and ruach, often translated “soul” and “spirit,” most commonly describe the inner disposition. Since they are used interchangeably, it cannot be posited that one refers to a physical reality and the other to a spiritual reality. The terms describe faculties possessed by embodied humans and also serve as a means of self-reference (“myself”; “themselves”).

In the Old Testament, a human being was believed to be a fusion of body and naphesh or ruach. So ingrained was this mindset that even human corpses were referred to with the term naphesh, since a person’s identity was considered inseparable from their body. However, these terms were occasionally used of animals (Gen 1:20–21; Eccl 3:21), since animals are animate creatures.

The Meaning of the Image of God

One solution avoids all of these difficulties while remaining consistent with the Genesis passages regarding the image of God. At times, the Hebrew preposition translated “in” can mean “as,” which denotes function or status: this means that it can be said that humanity was created “as” the image of God. Humans are created as God’s imagers—they function as God’s representatives.

According to this view, the image of God is not a quality within human beings; it is what humans are. Every human, regardless of its stage of development, is an imager of God. This imaging is neither incremental nor partial, nor does it derive from a physical or spiritual ability; rather, it derives from being created as God’s image.

Michael S. Heiser

Further Reading

Old Testament Anthropology

Jesus as the Image of God

Image of God CLBD

Image of God DOT: P