How do you take this verse in Genesis?

Question

Genesis 5:1 When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. (2) He created them male and female; at the time they were created, he blessed them and called them "man."

(3) When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth.

The verse of concern is Genesis 5:3. What does it mean that Adam had a son is his own image? It seems to be saying that Seth was in Adam's image, as opposed to God's. It's as if it is putting the two in contrast right there. I don't recall that it said that Cain or Abel were in Adam's image.

What exactly does this mean? I really appreciate everyone's help with my questions. I'm trying to study and understand the Bible on my own and forget everything I've been told is true by people. I'm trying to read everything as if for the first time and come up with my own understanding. It's not working so well. I'm having some trouble and appreciate everyone answering my questions all the time.

Answer 1

Take it literally.

It is what it is....

Pray and ask God to send the holy spirit to guide you and he will. Its good that you are doing this to search for yourself. When you seek and find for your self you will be so much satisfied...that's what God wants us all to do.

Answer 2

It might be because when Adam had reached age 130, Abel had been killed off by Cain and for his punishment Cain had been sent to wander the world forever. I believe that Adam's relations with Seth were more of a father-son relation similar to God's relationship to Adam's while in the garden. When Adam ate the fruit, he and god became separated from each other through sin. Adam in essence became his own being therefore Seth was in Adam's image and not Gods.

Answer 3

We are made in the likeness of God. Also most sons look similar to their fathers. Therefore the verses are just stating the truth there is no need to read into it anymore. However if you want to look deeper, you could say that God is trying to compare God and man, to a father and son. This goes with how God is always seen as our 'father' and also shows the type of love he has for us. Just because the bible does not say that Cain or Abel were in Adam's image, does not mean they weren't. Good Luck with the reading!

Answer 4

Here's what the commentary says in my Stone Chumash (Jewish edition of the Torah with commentary):

The verse mentions this to indicate that God gave Adam, who himself was created in God's likeness, the capacity to reproduce offspring who were also in this noble likeness. This is not mentioned concerning Cain or Abel because, since their seed perished, the Torah did not wish to prolong the descriptions of them. (Ibn Ezra; Ramban).

As far as man being created in the likeness of God, the commentary says, at Genesis 1:26, that "After Our Likeness" means with the power of understanding and intellect (Rashi). It says that among all living creatures, Man alone is endowed -- like his Creator -- with morality, reason, and free will. He can know and love God and can hold spiritual communion with Him; and Man alone can guide his actions through reason. It is in this sense that the Torah describes man as having been created in God's image and likeness (Rambam).

Now, my opinion:
Genesis 1 was written by the priestly author, whereas Genesis 2-4 was written by J, I believe. These are different authors who wrote different portions of the Torah, and they were later pieced together by an Editor. That is why there are 2 creation stories, which are vastly different. The Cain and Abel story is a J story. (the author is called J because he uses the name Jehovah (Yahweh) for God). J did not seem to use that phrase about God creating man in the likeness of God, whereas P (the priestly author) obviously did. I would guess that Genesis 5 may be the P author again. So he is using his set phrase about God creating man in the likeness of God.

Just because there are different authors of the Torah (and the evidence for this is strong in my opinion) does not mean that it does not contain a divine message. The editor may not have even realized that by putting these different works together, the effect was that Cain and Abel are not said to be made in the likeness of Adam, but that Seth was. But God knows that this is the effect, and it may be that we can gain spiritual insight from this.

Perhaps we could say that Cain did not fulfill his Godly image, since he became a murderer. I'm not sure how we could explain the absence of the "likeness" phrase about Abel though.

Answer 5

When you read Genesis, you should look at the punishment given to Eve, then you find out that by logic, the punishment must be related to the type of sin. The punishment had to do with sexuality, "your desires will be for your man", "pain in the labor".
so the sin most have been of a sexual sort.

My understanding is that both Cain and Abel were not in Adam's image, and the image of God because they were the product of the sin in which satan and the serpent took part.

There is not much light on how this sin was, but it was one that caused the the whole creation to be out of balance. One that alter our genes or our spirit. Like in one of those mythical rituals where a child is conceived in the shadows of the invocation of an evil spirit, or in which an animal takes part of the sexual activity.

I hope these words are no too strong for your age.

PS. We ere created in God's image, but this image is distorted with the sin, so we were Given Jesus to be one with him, and with God, through the power of the Holy Ghost poured upon us when we believe and give testimony of Jesus, and strive to become like him. He is the true image of God. He said "if you have seen me you have seen the father" or so in the like.

Answer 6

When one puts Cain and Abel back in the picture, Cain killed Abel. Abel is gone and Cain had to leave his home because he did this.
Seth, being in Adams "image" simply means that all the things that apply to Adams life. Seth will have also.

Answer 7

wasnt seth their favorite son after abel died? the most humble and kind and hard working? maybe that's what they mean.

and about the 130 years old thing. what they mean is back in those days people were closer to the moons and seasons. there are 13 moons in a year.

so you need to divide 130 by 13 to get his actual age which was 10. he had been on the earth ten years when he begat seth.

if it says someone was alive for 1000 years you do the same thing. divide 1000 bible years into 13 moons and you get about 80 years old.

Answer 8

It seems to me that Adam lost God's image when he sinned. Seth was in Adam's image in that he had a body, soul, & spirit. Although the fall of the race of man ruined what Adam had before he was still in the image of man.
II Peter 1:16 seems to tell me that we dont get to intrepret Scripture on our own, but contrast what is written in other parts of the Word with what we are trying to understand. Spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.... Thanks for letting me think out loud.

Answer 9

Abel was dead, Cain was a murderer and as good as dead yet the woman's descendent was supposed to crush the head of the serpent. The author is pointing out that Seth is indeed in the godly line of Adam and the promise will come to pass.

Answer 10

Hi,

I appreciate it when men like you notice these things and I believe that it's from a person who's really trying to understand what he's reading especially the bible.

Let's read the verses you mentioned

Genesis 5:1-3

"This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, he made him in the likeness of God.

He created them male and female, and blessed them. And He called their name man in the day when they were created.

And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years and fathered a son in his own likeness, after his own image. And he called his name Seth. "


You know, it's not suprising to see a son having the image and likeness of his father. Spiritually it's true and even physically it applies as well.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the image of the invisible God.

Colossians 1:15

"who is the image of the invisible God, the First-born of all creation. "


He is the express image of his person.

Hebrews 1:1-3

"God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; "


a son usually looks like his father.

Even in humans.

Generally, if you're a son, you probably inherited features from your father (and mother as well).

Sometimes, a son may look like very much as his father looks like.

Have you seen a person who looks very much like his father?

if so, then you'd probably understand easily what's the meaning of the verse in Genesis 5:3.

Not all children of a person may inherit his features. Maybe one or two may have some of his features but there is one which may inherit more features than the others.

Genesis 5:3 says that

And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years and fathered a son in his own likeness, after his own image. And he called his name Seth.

Seth was after Adam's own likeness and image. it's not surprising to see a son having the likeness and image of his father. physically it's also possible.


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Answer 11

You skipped the entire part about god making 'man in his likeness...male and female' and worry about Adam making a son, seth, in his own image????

Irony aside, the language was meant to convey that Adam, like God, had the power to create. Since God created Adam, Adam's creation doesn't need to refer back to God since the language used makes that apparent.