Topical Bible: The Earth: Man: Given Dominion Over

◄ The Earth: Man: Given Dominion Over ►

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The concept of man's dominion over the earth is rooted in the creation narrative found in the Book of Genesis. According to the Berean Standard Bible, God explicitly grants humanity authority over the earth and its creatures. This dominion is a foundational aspect of the relationship between humanity and the rest of creation, reflecting both privilege and responsibility.

Creation and Dominion

In Genesis 1:26-28 , God declares His intention to create mankind in His own image and likeness, bestowing upon them the authority to rule over the earth:

"Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness, to rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, and over all the earth itself and every creature that crawls upon it.' So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them and said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth.'"

This passage highlights several key elements of man's dominion: it is divinely ordained, comprehensive in scope, and includes both the responsibility to "subdue" the earth and to "rule" over its creatures. The use of the terms "subdue" and "rule" suggests an active role in managing and caring for creation, rather than a passive or exploitative stance.

Stewardship and Responsibility

The dominion granted to humanity is not merely a license for exploitation but carries with it the responsibility of stewardship. This is further emphasized in Genesis 2:15 , where God places Adam in the Garden of Eden:

"The LORD God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it."

Here, the terms "work" and "keep" imply a duty to cultivate and protect the environment, suggesting that dominion involves nurturing and preserving the earth's resources.

The Fall and Its Impact

The fall of man, as described in Genesis 3, introduces sin into the world, complicating the exercise of dominion. The ground is cursed because of Adam's disobedience, leading to toil and struggle in man's relationship with the earth (Genesis 3:17-19). Despite this, the mandate to exercise dominion remains, though it is now marred by the consequences of sin.

Redemption and Restoration

The New Testament offers a vision of redemption and restoration, where the effects of the fall are ultimately overcome. Romans 8:19-21 speaks of creation's eager expectation for the revealing of the sons of God, indicating a future restoration of harmony between humanity and the earth:

"The creation waits in eager expectation for the revelation of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not by its own will, but because of the One who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God."

This eschatological hope points to a time when the original intent of man's dominion—characterized by stewardship and care—will be fully realized in a renewed creation.

Conclusion

The biblical concept of man's dominion over the earth is a profound aspect of the human vocation, encompassing both authority and responsibility. It calls for a balance between utilizing the earth's resources and preserving its integrity, reflecting the Creator's intent for a harmonious relationship between humanity and the rest of creation.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Genesis 1:26
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 creeps on the earth.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 115:16
The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD's: but the earth has he given to the children of men.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Son of Man
... is in Revelation 14:14, where the Son of Man is seen ... are connected with his "head,"
and with the earth; while in ... hath life in Himself, so hath He given to the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bullinger/commentary on revelation/the son of man.htm

Dominion Over the Creatures.
... And the fountains spring, that drink may be given to men. ... Is it not man, who has
received wisdom to till the earth, to sail the sea: to make fishes ...
/.../unknown/the clementine homilies/chapter xxxvi dominion over the creatures.htm

Thankfulness to God.
... Hugo Victorinus) beautifully says""It is as though the earth appealed to man, and
said to ... He has brought you into the world, and has given you power ...
/.../the village pulpit volume ii trinity to advent/lxiii thankfulness to god.htm

Eighteenth Lesson Whose is this Image?'
... request heaven was to have bestowed its blessing on earth. ... King in heaven and His
faithful servant man, as lord ... The destinies of the world were given into the ...
/.../murray/with christ in the school of prayer/eighteenth lesson whose is this.htm

Man's Place in the World.
... The one principle generally held by scientists is that, given matter and ... Jehovah
had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no man to till ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kent/the making of a nation/study i mans place in.htm

The vision of Creation
... So God created man in His own image: in the image of ... and over every living thing
that moveth upon the earth. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the vision of creation.htm

The Six Days' Work Described.
... And God created man: in the image of God created He him ... over all the creeping things
that creep upon the earth. And God said, Behold I have given you every herb ...
/.../theophilus/theophilus to autolycus/chapter xi the six days work.htm

The Sign for Man and the Remembrancer for God
... can have such, as truly as Noah had, if we use the Revelation given us in ... The crust
of cooled earth, on which we walk, is thick enough to bear man and all ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the sign for man and.htm

Of the Creation 0F Man
... and earth as it were married together in him"two most remote and distant natures,
the dust of the earth, and the ... There is a spirit given to man with a ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/lecture xix of the creation.htm

Of the First Covenant Made with Man
... When we have given way to our passions, they do next ... all the store and goodness that
the earth was full of ... God having made man thus and furnished him after this ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/lecture xxi of the first.htm