1:26c - . . . and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.
[T - OL ]
There is no specific declaration of the divine will for all the other animals created thus far. Immediately upon the declaration of God's will to make humans in his image, God also declares his will for them, that they are intended to rule. This intention is made clear and emphasized by the inclusio (A—A') that frames the pericope:
Z. God made all the animals & saw that it was good, vv24-25
Ba. God created the man in his own image, v27a
Ba'. in the image of God he created them, v27b
Bb. male and female
he created them, v27c
A'. God blesses the humans and commands them to rule over his creation, v28
Z'. God gave every living plant to all the animals for food,
& saw . . . it was very good, vv29-31.
This dominion over all the beasts of the earth, however, will not come easily, and another verb is added in v28 to clarify this task of human dominion, kabash, "subdue." In the OT kabash always means to bring something into submission, by force if necessary; this sense is clearly seen in King Xerxes use of the word when Esther had informed him of the evil that was being intended upon her people:
King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, "Who is he? Where is the man who has dared to do such a thing?"
Esther said, "The adversary and enemy is this vile Haman."
Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen. The king got up in a rage, left his wine and went out into the palace garden. But Haman, realizing that the king had already decided his fate, stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life.
Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was reclining.
The king exclaimed, "Will he even molest [kabash] the queen while she is with me in the house?"
Est 7:5-8
Some commentators are of the opinion that "rather than implying empowerment to exercise dictatorial rule over the rest of creation, the verbs in this context of creation and blessing should be understood as indicating a supremacy that is harmonious and mutually beneficial."1 Such a reading is difficult to square with the usage of the verb kabash. Observes John Oswalt:
Despite recent interpretations of Gen 1:28 which have tried to make "subdue" mean a responsibility for building up, it is obvious from an overall study of the word's usage that this is not so. kabash assumes that the party being subdued is hostile to the subduer, necessitating some sort of coercion if the subduing is to take place.2
In the end, however, subduing the animal world has proven rather easier than expected. Human history has proven beyond any doubt that there is a creature more difficult than any of "the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." Our greatest enemy is ourselves, we who are packed full of our insatiatiable appetite for more, our constant craving for instant gratification, and our incomprehensible folly for doing harm to one another and to ourselves. In just another three chapters Genesis would report the death of the first human — he would not, however, be killed by some wild animal he could not subdue, but by his brother who would not, despite the grace of God's warning, subdue his own murderous anger. His mother—with her husband acting in lame indifference—would not subdue her own inquisitive craving, and they ended up cast out of Eden. Victory in that battle would require a unique act of God that Genesis is not ready yet to reveal.
Subduing the animal world has proven not only easier than expected, we humans have actually turned that subjugation into rape. Today biological extinctions traceable to human exploitation have reached critical proportions. Tragically, many Christians continue to live in preferred ignorance and indifference to the plight of our environment. Unbelievably, many Christians in the West continue to insist, despite the abundance of evidence otherwise, that global warming is a conspiracy theory, while those in the East continue to entertain superstitions about the health value of wild meats and seem determined to feast on the last river terrapin or pangolin still alive. The Scriptural mandate is to subdue, not abuse. Just as it is right and proper for the police sometimes to use force to subdue an unruly mob, they cross the line of legitimacy and accountability when they brutalize members of the public for pleasure and without distinction. Of our failure both in commission as well as in ommission in this matter of stewardship of God's creation, the Christian Church needs, desperately, to repent.
You may wish to read the following commentaries-expositions:
Low Chai Hok
©Alberith, 2016