Matthew Poole and continuators on Genesis 1:26

26. ¶ And God said , Let us make man in our Image, after our likeness : and let them have dominion over the Fish of the Sea, and over the Fowl of the Air, and over the Cattle , and over all the Earth , and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the Earth.

Having prepared all things necessary for mans 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 mans Creator; the Angels rejoiced at the work of Creation, but only God wrought it, Iob 38. 4, 5, 6, 7. And it is no less plain from this Text, and from divers other places, that man had more Creators than one Person. See Iob 35. 10. Iohn 1. 2, 3. &c. Heb. 1. 3. And as other Texts assure us that mere is but one God, so this shews 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 [illegible: 1 word] speaks after the manner of Princes in the plural number, who [illegible: 1 word] 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, 2 Sam. 3. 28. 1 Chron. 21. 17. & 29. 14. 2 Chron. 2. 6. And so did the Eastern Monarchs too, yea, even in their Decrees and Orders, which now run in the plural number, as Ezra 6. 8. I (Darius) make a Dicree, Ezra 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 stile 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 shews that man was, as the last, so the most perfect, and the chief of the ways and works of God in this lower World.

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 legat a Son in his own likeness, after his Image, and they are separately and indifferently used in the same sence, 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 mans countenance, and height of his stature, which is set towards Heaven, when other Creatures by their down looks shew the lowness and meanness of their Nature, as even Heathens have observed. 3. It principally consists and most eminently appears in mans 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, both comprehended in the word, Man, as is expressed v. 27. Together with their Posterity.

By which he understands either, 1. Both tame and wild Beasts, the same word being used here in a differing sence from what it hath v. 25. as is frequent in Scripture. Or, 2. Tame Beasts, which are particularly mentioned because they are more under mans dominion than the wild Beasts, and more fitted for mans 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 other Creatures and Productions of the Earth, and over the Earth it self, to manage it as they see fit for their own comfort and advantage.

Marginal references: Chap. 5. 1. 8▪ 9. 6. 1 Cor. 11. 7. Eph. 4. 24. Col. 3. 10.; Psal. 8. 6.