Moral Image and Moral Likeness
[originally published in Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Jan. 5, 1860]
In the first chapter of Genesis we have a statement that God made man in his own image and after his own likeness. See chap. 1:26, 27. This account is often siezed upon by our opponents, as good proof that man has a deathless spirit or some immortal principle dwelling within. The argument with them is this: “God is a being without body or parts,” man is made in his likeness and image, therefore man must be in the moral likeness and moral image of his Creator. There are many conclusive reasons which may be advanced against this species of argument. We might argue that Jesus Christ is “in the form of God,” Jesus Christ after his resurrection had “flesh and bones,” man is in the image of Jesus Christ, therefore God is a personal being. This would be good argument, and quite satisfactory in itself; but there is another kind of testimony on this question which I have never heard advanced. It is the Bible use of the Hebrew words rendered image and likeness in the account of the formation of man. By the help of the Englishman’s Hebrew Concordance (a work of great value, imported from London) we give the complete use of both words. The Hebrew terms for image and likeness are tzeh-lem and d’mooth, and from their use the reader may judge whether they import a moral signification. The following is their complete use, the words in italic being their translation.
G. W. A.
TZEH-LEM, or IMAGE
Gen. 1:26. Let us make man in our image.
27. God created man in his (own) image, in the image of God created he him;
5:3. in his own likeness, after his image;
9:6. in the image of God made he man.
Nu. 33:52. destroy all their molten images
1 Sam. 6:5. images of your emerods, and images of your mice,
11. the images of their emerods
2 Kings 11:18. his images brake they in pieces
2 Ch. 23:17, and brake his altars and his images,
Ps. 39:6. man walketh in a vain shew: (marg. an image.)
73:20. thou shalt despise their image,
Eze. 7:20. but they made the images of their abominations
16:17. madest to thyself images of men
23:14. the images of the Chaldeans
Amos 5:26. Moloch and Chiun, your images
Dan. 2:31. and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness
32. This image’s head (was) of fine gold
34. which smote the image upon his feet.
35. and the stone that smote the image.
3:1. the king made an image of gold,
2. to come to the dedication of the image.
3. unto the dedication of the image.
– and they stood before the image.
5. and worship the golden image.
7. (and) worshipped the golden image,
10. and worship the golden image.
12. nor worship the golden image,
14. nor worship the golden image,
15. fall down and worship the image,
18. nor worship the golden image
19. and the form of his visage was changed.
[It will be seen by the above that tzeh-lem in every instance but Dan. 3:19, except those in which it refers to man’s being in the image of God, is applied to images made with hands, and can have reference to nothing but the physical form. The reader may judge whether its use in Gen. 1 & 9, are exceptions.]
D’MOOTH, or LIKENESS
Gen. 1:26. in our image, after our likeness;
5:1. in the likeness of God made he him;
3. begat (a son) in his own likeness
2 Kin. 16:10. the fashion of the altar,
2 Chron. 4:3. And under it (was) the similitude of
Ps. 58:4. like the poison of a serpent; (marg. According to the likeness of)
Isa. 13:4. like as of a great people; (marg. the likeness of.)
40:18. or what likeness will ye compare unto
Eze. 1:5. the likeness of four living creatures
– they had the likeness of a man,
10. As for the likeness of their faces
13. As for the likeness of the living
16. and they four had one likeness;
22. And the likeness of the firmament
26. over their heads (was) the likeness of
– the likeness of the throne (was) the likeness as the appearance of a man
28. the likeness of the glory of the Lord,
8:2. a likeness as the appearance of fire;
Eze. 10:1. the likeness of a throne
10. the four had one likeness
21. and the likeness of the hands
22. And the likeness of their faces
23:15. after the manner of the Babylonians
Dan. 10:16. like the similitude of the sons of men
