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Dominion: Right, Responsibility, or Both?
Primary Text: Genesis 1:26–28
Supporting Texts to Explore: Psalm 8:3–9, Genesis 2:15, Genesis 3:16–19, Matthew 28:18–20, Romans 5:17This week we are not just talking about dominion. We are studying it.
The word “dominion” gets used often, but what did God actually mean when He gave humanity dominion in Genesis?
Was it power?
Was it stewardship?
Was it responsibility?
Was it authority?
Was it all of the above?This week, let’s slow down and study the text.
Step 1: Read the Passage
Read Genesis 1:26–28 in at least two translations.
As you read, write down every action word connected to humanity’s assignment.
Look for words like:
create
bless
be fruitful
multiply
fill
subdue
have dominionThen ask:
Which words describe what God does?
Which words describe what humanity is called to do?
What comes first: blessing or assignment?Step 2: Word Study
Choose at least one of these words to study more deeply:
Dominion
Subdue
Image
Likeness
Blessed
FruitfulLook up where that word appears elsewhere in Scripture.
You can use:
Blue Letter Bible
Bible Hub
Strong’s Concordance
A study Bible
A Bible dictionary
A trusted commentaryWrite down:
What does the word mean?
Where else is it used?
Does the meaning feel forceful, gentle, royal, relational, or responsible?
How does the word change your understanding of the passage?Step 3: Cross-Reference Study
Now read Genesis 2:15.
“The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”
Compare Genesis 1:28 with Genesis 2:15.
Ask:
How does “work and keep” help us understand “dominion and subdue”?
Does dominion look more like exploitation or cultivation?
What does this tell us about how God defines authority?Now read Psalm 8:3–9.
Ask:
What does Psalm 8 say about humanity’s place in creation?
What does it mean that God crowned humanity with glory and honor?
How does this connect back to Genesis 1?Step 4: Theology Question of the Week
Here is the question to sit with:
Is biblical dominion primarily about ruling over something, or faithfully representing Someone?
Take your time with that.
Because if dominion is connected to being made in the image of God, then dominion is not just about what we do. It is about who we reveal.
So ask:
What kind of God are we supposed to reflect when we exercise influence?
How does God rule?
How does God create?
How does God care for what He makes?
How does Jesus show us true authority?Step 5: New Testament Connection
Read Matthew 28:18–20 and Romans 5:17.
Ask:
How does Jesus restore or clarify authority?
What does it mean to reign in life through Christ?
How is New Covenant authority different from worldly control?Do not rush to answer. Let the Scriptures speak to each other.
Step 6: Personal Examination
After you study, journal through these questions:
Where have I confused dominion with control?
Where have I avoided responsibility that God has entrusted to me?
Where am I exercising influence without reflecting God’s character?
What area of my life needs cultivation, not just command?
What would it look like this week to represent God more faithfully in my home, work, leadership, or calling?Forum Discussion Question
After you study, come back and share one of the following:
- What word did you study and what did you discover?
- What cross-reference helped you understand dominion more clearly?
- What question are you still wrestling with?
- How did this study challenge your view of authority, responsibility, or identity?
- This is not about having the perfect answer. This is about learning to search the Scriptures and grow together.
Optional Deeper Study
For those who want to dig even deeper, study:
Genesis 9:1–7 — Dominion language after the flood
Deuteronomy 8:11–18 — Stewardship, wealth, and remembering God
Luke 19:11–27 — Stewardship while waiting for the King
Colossians 1:15–20 — Christ as the image of the invisible God
Hebrews 2:5–9 — Humanity, dominion, and JesusAsk:
How does each passage add another layer to the idea of dominion?
Busy girl, this week do not just consume the Word. Search it.
Let the text ask questions of you. Let the Holy Spirit bring conviction, clarity, and courage.
Come back to the discussion and share what you find. Your discovery may help another woman open her Bible with confidence.
Study to show yourself approved.
Let’s do this.
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1 Reply
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Busy girl, here’s the first thing that stopped me in Genesis 1:28:
God blessed them before He assigned them.
That means dominion did not begin with a task list. It began with identity.
Before there was fruitfulness, multiplication, subduing, or ruling, there was blessing. God did not hand humanity responsibility as a burden to prove worth. He gave assignment as an overflow of divine design.
That raises a deeper question for us this week:
Have we been trying to carry dominion from pressure instead of blessing?
As you study, look at the order: created, blessed, assigned. Then come back and share what you see in the text. I think there is more there than we have rushed past.
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