Matthew Poole Commentary - Genesis 1:26 - 1:26

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Matthew Poole Commentary - Genesis 1:26 - 1:26


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God had now prepared all things necessary for man’s use and comfort. The plurals us and our afford an evident proof of a plurality of persons in the Godhead. It is plain from many other texts, as well as from the nature and reason of the thing, that God alone is man’s Creator: the angels rejoiced at the work of creation, but only God wrought it, Job_38:4-7. And it is no less plain from this text, and from divers other places, that man had more Creators than one person: see Job_35:10 Joh_1:2-3, &c.; Heb_1:3. And as other texts assure us that there is but one God, so this shows that there are more persons in the Godhead; nor can that seeming contradiction of one and more being in the Godhead be otherwise reconciled, than by acknowledging a plurality of persons in the unity of essence. It is pretended that God here speaks after the manner of princes, in the plural number, who use to say: We will



and require, or, It is our pleasure. But this is only the invention and practice of latter times, and no way agreeable to the simplicity, either of the first ages of the world, or of the Hebrew style. The kings of Israel used to speak of themselves in the singular number, 2Sa_3:28, 1Ch_21:17, 1Ch_29:14, 2Ch_2:6. And so did the eastern monarchs too, yea, even in their decrees and orders, which now run in the plural number, as Ezr_6:8, I (Darius) make a decree; Ezr_7:21, I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree. Nor do I remember one example in Scripture to the contrary. It is therefore a rash and presumptuous attempt, without any warrant, to thrust the usages of modern style into the sacred Scripture. Besides, the Lord doth generally speak of himself in the singular number, some few places excepted, wherein the plural number is used for the signification of this mystery. Moreover, this device is utterly overthrown by comparing this text with Gen_3:22:



The Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us. Therefore there are more persons than one in the Godhead. How many they are other texts plainly inform us, as we shall see in their proper places. And whereas he saith not now as he did before: Let the earth or waters



bring forth, but, Let us make; this change of the phrase and manner of expression shows that man was, as the last, so the most perfect and the chief of the ways and works of God in this lower world.



After our likeness. Image and likeness are two words noting the same thing, even exact likeness. For both of them are used of Adam, Gen_5:3:



He begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and they are separately and indifferently used in the same sense, man being said to be made in the likeness of God, Gen_5:1, and in the image of God, Gen_9:6.



Quest. Wherein doth the image of God in man consist?



Answ. 1. It is in the whole man, both in the blessedness of his estate, and in his dominion over the rest of the creatures.



2. It shines forth even in the body, in the majesty of man’s countenance, and height of his stature, which is set towards heaven, when other creatures by their down-looks show the lowness and meanness of their nature, as even heathens have observed.



3. It principally consists and most eminently appears in man’s soul.



1. In its nature and substance, as it is, like God, spiritual, invisible, immortal, &c.



2. In its powers and faculties, reason or understanding, and freedom in its choice and actions.



3. In the singular endowments wherewith God hath adorned it, as knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness, in which St. Paul chiefly placeth this image, Eph_4:24 Col_3:10.



The male and female are both comprehended in the word man, as is expressed, Gen_1:27, together with their posterity.



Over the cattle; by which he understands either,



1. Both tame and wild beasts, the same word being used here in a differing sense from what it hath Gen_1:25, as is frequent in Scripture. Or,



2. Tame beasts, which are particularly mentioned, because they are more under man’s dominion than the wild beasts, and more fitted for man’s use and benefit, though the other be not excluded, but comprehended under the former, as the more famous kind, as is usual in Scriptures and other authors.



Over all the earth; over all other creatures and productions of the earth, and over the earth itself, to manage it as they see fit for their own comfort and advantage.