Genesis 1 – Line 00026

LINE SOURCE FILE

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INTRO

This file shows what the earliest Hebrew/Greek manuscripts say, word by word, before any interpretation.

PREFACE

This file presents the earliest traceable form of this line, drawn primarily from manuscript sources like the Leningrad Codex.

Where other manuscript witnesses differ or offer meaningful variation (such as the Dead Sea Scrolls or the Samaritan Pentateuch), we remain watchful and will note those cases transparently when identified.

Every word is shown with its full lexical range — without smoothing, interpretation, or insertion.

This is not a translation or conclusion. It is a transparent starting point, open to personal encounter and divine resonance.

We do not treat any human source as final — only as visible reference points for deeper unfolding.

While we strive for care and clarity, any oversight or omission is unintentional, and all work remains open to refinement as understanding grows.

1. ORIGINAL LINE TEXT

Language: Hebrew

Manuscript Source: Leningrad Codex

Line Reference: Genesis 1:26

וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם בְּצַלְמֵנוּ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ וְיִרְדּוּ בִדְגַת הַיָּם וּבְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וּבַבְּהֵמָה וּבְכָל־הָאָרֶץ וּבְכָל־הָרֶמֶשׂ הָרֹמֵשׂ עַל־הָאָרֶץ

2. DIRECT TRANSLITERATION

vayomer Elohim na‘aseh adam be-tsalmenu ki-demutenu ve-yirdu vidgat ha-yam u-ve‘of ha-shamayim u-va-behemah u-ve-khol ha-aretz u-ve-khol ha-remes ha-romesh al-ha-aretz

3. WORD-BY-WORD LEXICAL BREAKDOWN

WORD 1

Original: וַיֹּאמֶר

Transliteration: vayomer

Root: אמר (amar)

Part of Speech: Verb

Grammar: Qal imperfect, 3rd masculine singular, vav-consecutive

Lexical Range:

to say

to speak

to declare

to command

WORD 2

Original: אֱלֹהִים

Transliteration: Elohim

Root: אֱלֹהִים (Elohim)

Part of Speech: Noun

Grammar: Plural in form, singular in grammar here

Lexical Range:

God

gods

divine beings

rulers, judges

WORD 3

Original: נַעֲשֶׂה

Transliteration: na‘aseh

Root: עשה (asah)

Part of Speech: Verb

Grammar: Qal imperfect, 1st person common plural

Lexical Range:

let us make

let us do

let us fashion

let us prepare

WORD 4

Original: אָדָם

Transliteration: adam

Root: אָדָם (adam)

Part of Speech: Noun

Grammar: Masculine singular

Lexical Range:

human, humankind

man

person, individual

mankind collectively

WORD 5

Original: בְּצַלְמֵנוּ

Transliteration: be-tsalmenu

Root: צֶלֶם (tselem)

Part of Speech: Noun with suffix

Grammar: Construct form with 1st person common plural suffix, prefixed בְּ

Lexical Range:

image

likeness

statue, idol

representation

form, shadow, resemblance

WORD 6

Original: כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ

Transliteration: ki-demutenu

Root: דְּמוּת (demut)

Part of Speech: Noun with suffix

Grammar: Construct form with 1st person common plural suffix, prefixed כִּ (“as, according to”)

Lexical Range:

likeness

resemblance

similitude

form, model

WORD 7

Original: וְיִרְדּוּ

Transliteration: ve-yirdu

Root: רָדָה (radah)

Part of Speech: Verb

Grammar: Qal imperfect, 3rd masculine plural with prefixed וְ

Lexical Range:

to rule

to have dominion

to subdue

to govern

WORD 8

Original: בִדְגַת הַיָּם

Transliteration: vidgat ha-yam

Root: דָּג (dag)

Part of Speech: Noun construct phrase

Grammar: Feminine singular construct + definite article

Lexical Range:

fish of the sea

aquatic life

WORD 9

Original: וּבְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם

Transliteration: u-ve‘of ha-shamayim

Root: עוֹף (‘of) + שָׁמַיִם (shamayim)

Part of Speech: Noun construct phrase

Grammar: Collective noun + definite article

Lexical Range:

birds of the sky

winged creatures of the heavens

WORD 10

Original: וּבַבְּהֵמָה

Transliteration: u-va-behemah

Root: בְּהֵמָה (behemah)

Part of Speech: Noun

Grammar: Feminine singular collective with article

Lexical Range:

cattle

domesticated beasts

animals of labor or food

WORD 11

Original: וּבְכָל־הָאָרֶץ

Transliteration: u-ve-khol ha-aretz

Root: כל (kol) + ארץ (erets)

Part of Speech: Construct phrase

Grammar: Collective + definite noun

Lexical Range:

and over all the earth

the whole land

the entirety of ground

WORD 12

Original: וּבְכָל־הָרֶמֶשׂ

Transliteration: u-ve-khol ha-remes

Root: רֶמֶשׂ (remes)

Part of Speech: Noun construct phrase

Grammar: Masculine singular collective with prefixed וּבְ

Lexical Range:

all creeping things

small moving creatures

reptiles, crawlers

WORD 13

Original: הָרֹמֵשׂ

Transliteration: ha-romesh

Root: רָמַשׂ (ramas)

Part of Speech: Verb (Participle Qal, masc. singular) used substantively

Grammar: With definite article

Lexical Range:

that creeps

that moves lightly

that swarms upon

WORD 14

Original: עַל־הָאָרֶץ

Transliteration: al-ha-aretz

Root: על (‘al) + ארץ (erets)

Part of Speech: Preposition + Noun

Grammar: Feminine singular with definite article

Lexical Range:

upon the earth

on the ground

over the land

4. STRUCTURAL NOTES

A divine “let us” formulation appears uniquely here, signaling deliberation.

Humanity is created in relation to God’s “image” (tselem) and “likeness” (demut).

Mandate of dominion is comprehensive: sea, sky, land animals, creeping things, the earth.

Parallel structures “be-tsalmenu / ki-demutenu” and “ve-yirdu / u-ve-khol…” emphasize likeness and function.

5. VARIANT MANUSCRIPT NOTES

MT and DSS agree.

Septuagint: “καὶ εἶπεν ὁ θεός· ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον κατ’ εἰκόνα ἡμετέραν καὶ καθ’ ὁμοίωσιν” (“let us make man according to our image and according to our likeness”), using ποιέω (to make).

Samaritan Pentateuch matches MT.

6. STRUCTURAL CONNECTION TO OTHER LINES

Culmination of the pattern of creature-making (vv.20–25).

Prepares for fulfillment in v.27, where the verb “bara” (create) is reintroduced.

Anticipates the blessing and commission in v.28.

The dominion formula parallels Psalm 8:6–8.

7. CAUTIONARY REMINDER

The content above does not represent a translation.

No conclusions, smoothing, or interpretive decisions have been made.

This file serves only to display the original structure and lexical range as transparently as possible.