נַֽעֲשֶׂ֥ה (na·‘ă·śeh) in Genesis 1:26: Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common plural

Hebrew-verb

Verb

Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common plural

Qal

Imperfect Cohortative if contextual

First person

Common

Plural

The imperfect form presents the action as unfolding, expected, or desired in context; Genesis 1:26 determines how that force is heard.

This form carries the BSB rendering "Let Us make" within Genesis 1:26. Genesis 1 presents God ordering, filling, naming, blessing, and giving life to the created world by his word.

The divine speech in Genesis 1:26, 'Let Us make man in Our image'

God's deliberative speech before the creation of humanity

It carries the first-person plural proposal or resolve that introduces humanity's creation in God's image and likeness.

The cohortative-like imperfect and plural person do not by themselves settle the doctrine of the Trinity, divine counsel, or the full meaning of the plural.

High: The form carries the first-person plural divine resolve in a central creation and image-of-God verse.

Qal imperfect first common plural with cohortative force if contextual. introduces the proposed or resolved making of humanity. Attached to the divine speech in Genesis 1:26. Governed by the clause and passage context. The verbal form should be explained from the clause and context, not flattened into one automatic English value.

What action is introduced in God's speech? God's speech introduces the making of humanity in the divine image and likeness.

Direct: The form directly supports the rendering "Let Us make" in this context.

Hebrew imperfect forms can express future, modal, expected, or context-shaped action. The cohortative force is contextual and should not be treated as a mechanical label. The first common plural is important, but larger doctrine must be argued from the whole passage and canon.

First-person plural alone proves the full doctrine of the Trinity: The plural is significant, but the whole canon must govern Trinitarian doctrine. cohortative label automatically settles interpretation: The label helps explain the form, but context determines its force.

The BSB+ row for Genesis 1:26 links the English rendering "Let Us make" with נַֽעֲשֶׂ֥ה, Strong's H6213, and the morphology label V-Qal-Imperf.h-1cp.

H6213 is represented here by the lemma עָשָׂה. In this occurrence, the public guide is limited to the BSB rendering "Let Us make" rather than every possible gloss of the entry.

The form stands in God's speech before the making of humanity, so it is best read as divine resolve or summons within the creation command.

Genesis 1:26 moves from divine speech to the making of humanity in God's image and likeness.

The form fits Scripture's opening witness that creation is received from God and interpreted under his speech and order.

When teaching Genesis 1:26, use this form to distinguish what the grammar clearly shows, first-person plural divine speech, from what must be argued from the full passage and canon.

Do not derive the full theology of divine plurality, humanity's identity, or creation from V-Qal-Imperf.h-1cp alone. The phrase matters, but the wider verse and canon must govern the claim.