Posted ByNeal Walters on May 16, 1999 at 16:35:29:
The following question was emailed to me:
I would like to know the true meaning of the word used in Genesis...
"...after our image, and in our 'LIKNESS' ."
I heard someone say it meant " to operate like, or to act like,
or perform like. " DEMUT is the word I came up with in the Strongs
but couldn't find all of that !
I appreciate what your doing on the internet .
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Genesis 1:26 …na’aseh adam b’tzal’menu kidmutenu
Let-us-make man in-our-likeness like-our-image
This appears to be one of those Hebrew couplets that repeats the same concept twice, probably for emphasis. A lot of Proverbs use couplets.
B’tzal’menu – from TZELEM - Strong’s #6754 - from unused root meaning to shade [maybe like a shadow]; image, likeness, semblance,
Compare to Genesis 19:1 “under the shadow of my roof”, shadow comes from TZEL Strong’s #6738 basically meaning shadow, but also shade, transitoriness of life, which comes from the root verb TSALAL Strong’s #6751 to become dark, to shadow
Kidmutenu – from DAMUT – Strong’s #1832 – likeness, similitude,
from root verb DAMAH – Strongs #1819 – to be like, resemble, to liken, compare, to imagine, to think
Compare to Genesis 5:3 Adam begat a son in his likeness, in his image. (bidmuto katzlmo)
However in Exodus 20:4 a “graven image” is the word “t’munah” – which means picture in modern Hebrew, but form, image, likeness, representation, semblance according to strongs #8544.
Lev 26:1 a graven image is a “pecel” – an idol, or graven image Strong 6459
and “matsevah” (Strong 4676) – a pillar, stump, monument
and “maskit” (Strong 4906) a show-piece, figure, image, carved figure, imagination, conceit (sounds kind of like our word for “mask”)
Also Deut 4:16 uses “pecel” (see above) and “cemel” (5566) image, statue, idol
In the Hebrew prayer book , a prayer called “YIGDAL” says “EIN LO DAMUT HAGUF V’EHNO GUF” –
“He has no semblance or a body, nor is He corporeal.”
I tend to go a bit overboard sometimes.
You are welcome to email me, but please post Hebrew questions to http://www.amerisoftinc.com/wwwboard/wwwboard.html so other people can share their answers also. But you can email me a copy of your post, because sometimes I only check there once a week or so. I will put a copy of your question and my answer their without your name.
Also, thanks for the complement!
Shalom,
Neal