Genesis 1:24-31

The sixth day is occupied with the creation of the land animals and of man. It is natural that a much fuller space than usual should be accorded to the latter. And the solemnity of the act is marked by the formula of deliberation, Let us make man. The plural has been variously explained. Setting aside as beyond the range of the OT the view that the Father addresses the Son and the Holy Spirit, and the view that God speaks of Himself in the plural since He is the fulness of energies and powers, as too artificial, the most obvious explanation is that God is addressing the heavenly assembly (cf. 1 Kings 22:19; Isaiah 6:8). Yet there is difficulty in this view, for P ignores angels altogether; nor would he regard them as sharing in the work of creation: nor, probably, would he think of man as made in their image as well as in God's; cf. Genesis 1:27, in his own image, in the image of God. The original sense was perhaps polytheistic; naturally this was impossible to the author, and if he reflected on the formula he would presumably interpret it of the heavenly council. No distinction seems to be intended between the image and the likeness. Originally this may have been physically conceived; man was thought to be like God in external appearance. But the author presumably would be drawn rather to a spiritual and intellectual interpretation, laying stress on man's community of nature with God. Creation in the image of God differentiates man from all other creatures on the earth (cf. Genesis 9:6), hence he is fitted to rule over them (for over all the earth in Genesis 1:26 read over every living creature of the earth, with the Syriac); cf. the fine development of the theme in Psalms 8, and the deeper discussion in Hebrews 2:5. The reference to the creation of both sexes most naturally suggests that they originated at the same time, a view very different from that followed in the other creation story, Genesis 2:18. Men and animals are regarded as living on a vegetarian diet in the period before the Flood (Genesis 9:3 f.). There would thus be peace between men and animals, and in the animal world itself. To man is allotted the seed and fruit, to beasts and birds the greenness of herbs (Genesis 1:30), i.e. the leafage.

Genesis 1:24. Render, Let the earth bring forth living soul after its kinds.

Genesis 1:28. The change from fill in Genesis 1:22 to replenish here is misleading to the modern reader, who is unaware that at an earlier period the words were equivalent in sense. The same Heb. word is used in both places and in Genesis 9:1.

Genesis 1:29 f. meat: i.e. food, not animal food merely.