Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Lewis Reich" <LBR AT sprynet.com>]

On 17 Feb 99, at 10:28, George Athas wrote:

> A question of curiosity:
> 
> What, if any, import should be made of the statement in Gen 5:1-2 that
> Mankind was in the image of God, but which goes on to say in 5:3 that
> Shet was in the image of Adam? What are we to make of this? Is it a
> contrast, or a parallel?

The traditional commentaries of Nachmanides and ibn Ezra suggest the latter.  
I'm not sure how much room there would be to  understand it as a contrast; 
after all, if Adam were created in the image of God, and Seth were created in 
the image of Adam, presumably "in the image of" is transitive, no?

Lewis Reich
LBR AT sprynet.com