Journal: Southern Baptist Journal of Theology
Volume: SBJT 12:1 (Spring 2008)
Article: Kingdom Through Covenant: Humanity as the Divine Image
Author: Peter J. Gentry

SBJT 12:1 (Spring 2008) p. 16

Kingdom Through Covenant: Humanity as the Divine Image1

Peter J. Gentry*

*Peter J. Gentry is Professor of Old Testament Interpretation and Director of the Hexapla Institute at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has served on the faculty of Toronto Baptist Seminary and Bible College and also taught at the University of Toronto, Heritage Theological Seminary, and Tyndale Seminary. Dr. Gentry is the author of many articles and book reviews and is currently preparing a critical text of Ecclesiastes and Proverbs for the Göttingen Septuagint.

Although centuries of analysis and debate have been focused on interpretation of the divine image in Gen 1:26-28, a significant contribution can yet be made to our understanding of this text by combining biblical theology on the one hand and recent insights into the cultural setting and language of the text on the other. The biblical theological framework of Gen 1:26-28 will be discussed first and then an exegesis of the text itself with attention to its cultural and linguistic setting.

Biblical Theological Framework of Gen 1:26-28

The major agreements or covenants defining divine-human relationships form the backbone of the larger story of scripture and, therefore, constitute the biblical theological framework. Whether or not a covenant is entailed in Genesis 1-3 continues to be debated. This question will be addressed first from the larger metanarrative of Scripture before consideration of exegetical issues in Genesis 1-3.

The Hebrew word for covenant in the Old Testament is bᵉrît. A brief definition of this term and description of its use in the Old Testament provide the context necessary to address issues concerning the biblical metanarrative.

Covenants in the Old Testament

The term covenant is used in Scripture for a diversity of oath-bound commitments in various relationships. It is used to refer to international treaties (Josh 9:6; 1 Kgs 15:19), clan alliances (Gen 14:13), personal agreements (Gen 31:44), legal contracts (Jer 34:8-10), and loyalty agreements (1 Sam 20:14-17), including marriage (...