In Genesis, what the "image" (εικων) of God consists of may never (and may never have been meant to) be reduced to a single element. A range of characteristics and functions have been proposed in medieval and modern theology: sexuality, relationality, reason, etc.

Initially, I am less interested in pinpointing the specific divine quality possessed by humans than in stating the basic fact: human beings, according to the first chapter of the Bible, are iconically like God. The fundamental likeness provides (as we see in Gen 3, 6, and 11) the basis for the further step: mixing with and potentially entering the class of divine beings.

Those who were part of the class of divine beings were, as we noted, called "the sons of God" (οι υιοι του θεου) (Gen 6:2; Ps 28[29]:1; 88:7 [89:6]; 81[82]:6). Divine sonship links back to the divine image, as is indicated in Gen 5:3. Here Adam begets a son "in his likeness, according to his image" (כצלמו בדמותו; κατα την ιδεαν αυτου και κατα την εικονα αυτου). The language in Gen 1:26 is similar, except for the prepositions which appear to be interchangeable: "in our image, according to our likeness" (בצלמנו כדמותנו; κατ εικονα ημετεραν και καθ ομοιωσιν). It seems, then, that even in Gen 1:26, Yahweh wants to draw humankind (אדם; ανθρωπος) into a kinship relation with himself. As an image of God, the human is a son of God. Accordingly, the author of the Gospel of Luke can write that Adam, created in God's image, is genealogically (and genetically?) speaking, "son of God" ([υιος] του θεου) (3:38; cf. 17:28b). By making mankind in the image and likeness of himself and the other divine beings (note: "Le us"), Yahweh makes humans his children and thus strikingly close to the "sons of God" who in Gen 6 and Ps 28(29):1 are part of the class of divine beings.