Gen 1:26–27: tselem and demut, "image" and "likeness"

Says 1:26 has בְּצַלְמֵנוּ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ (betsalmenu kidmutenu, "in our image, according to our likeness"): צַלְמֵ with "in" and דְמוּתֵ with "as, according to." BDB glosses the nouns "image" and "likeness, similitude." Verse 27 has בְּצַלְמוֹ בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים and then זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה בָּרָא אֹתָם, "male and female He created them" (BSB). The LXX has κατ’ εἰκόνα ἡμετέραν καὶ καθ’ ὁμοίωσιν (1:26) and κατ’ εἰκόνα θεοῦ (1:27; note.language.Gen.1.6-Gen.1.28.lxx-stereoma-eikon).

Says The nouns recur with the prepositions exchanged: Gen 5:1 בִּדְמוּת אֱלֹהִים, of God's making; Gen 5:3 בִּדְמוּתוֹ כְּצַלְמוֹ, of Adam's son. "Image" alone grounds the law of Gen 9:6, בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים.

Uncertain Whether the two nouns differ in meaning or form a near-synonymous pair. The main ground for near-synonymy is the exchange in Gen 5:1, 3. No lean is taken here.

Uncertain What the image consists in. No lean is taken here. (1) Capacities such as reason and a moral or spiritual nature. (2) Relationship with God and with one another, including "male and female." (3) A royal or representative function, tied to "let them rule" in the same verse. The views can be combined. Early readers who distinguished image from likeness are discussed in note.historical.Gen.1.26-Gen.1.28.image-background.