Shared Dominion under God

Genesis 1:26 opens with a divine declaration: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion.” The shift from singular to plural reflects the collective sense of the Hebrew word ‘adam translated “man.” In this context, ‘adam should be understood as referring to humankind rather than designating the man in the human pair. The plural pronoun “them” confirms that dominion is given to the male and female together, both made in God’s image (1:27), and both given the blessing to be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it (1:28).

Genesis 1 is, at times, invoked to argue that dominion is a distinctly male calling. Dominion is often framed as a masculine trait, which leads to the assertion that men are meant to lead and have authority in ways women are not. Genesis 1:26–28, however, gives dominion to humankind as image-bearers. Both male and female are to reflect and represent the God who rules creation. That representation is not a male prerogative. It is a human calling, exercised by all who bear God’s likeness.

Old Testament scholars have noted that the language of image-bearing connects to the ancient Near Eastern practice of kings placing statues of themselves in distant territories as a symbol and extension of authority. Similarly, God’s image-bearers extend the ordered goodness of God’s presence throughout the earth. Whether you are male or female doesn’t matter, but whether you are faithfully representing the God whose image you bear.

The male and female distinction is real and established in the text. But Genesis 1 sets it alongside shared purpose, not as a hierarchy of function. The dominion image-bearers exercise is not dominance or control on human terms, but ordered care aligned with the order God has already determined. We are not self-made creatures, nor do we shape the world on our own terms. Whatever culture we create in our families, work, church, or society should reflect our recognition that we live under the authority of God.