--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The very beginning of Genesis tells us…" description: "\"The very beginning of Genesis tells us that God created man in order to give him dominion over fish and fowl and all creatures. Of course, Genesis was ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/418/milan-kundera-120_certainty_the-very-beginning-of-genesis-tells-us-t_225497.jpg" --- # The very beginning of Genesis tells us that God created… ![“The very beginning of Genesis tells us that God created man in order to give him dominion over fish and fowl and all creatures. Of course, Genesis was written by a man, not a horse. There is no certainty that God actually did grant man dominion over other creatures. What seems more likely, in…” quote by Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/418/milan-kundera-120_certainty_the-very-beginning-of-genesis-tells-us-t_225497.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/418/milan-kundera-120_certainty_the-very-beginning-of-genesis-tells-us-t_225497.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/418/milan-kundera-120_certainty_the-very-beginning-of-genesis-tells-us-t_225497.jpg) > “The very beginning of Genesis tells us that God created man in order to give him dominion over fish and fowl and all creatures. Of course, Genesis was written by a man, not a horse. There is no certainty that God actually did grant man dominion over other creatures. What seems more likely, in fact, is that man invented God to sanctify the dominion that he had usurped for himself over the cow and the horse.” [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage suggests that humanity’s claim to rule over nature may be a self‑created justification rather than a divine mandate. **In simple terms:** Human dominion may be a human invention, not a god‑given right. Key Takeaway Question the basis of our authority over other species. Themes authority human nature mythmaking Mood critical thoughtful Type philosophical ethical analytical When to use this quote - environmental policy - animal rights activism - education curricula - religious discourse Key Concepts theology anthropocentrism power dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What evidence supports or refutes the idea of divinely granted dominion? - How does this view affect our treatment of animals? A Different Perspective The claim of divine authority is historically contested and culturally variable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Certainty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainty/) [Dominion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dominion/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Genesis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genesis/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [God Created](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-created/) [Horse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horse/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Vegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vegan/) ## Related quotes > [The very beginning of Genesis tells us that God created man in order to give him dominion over fish and fowl and all creatures.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-very-beginning-of-genesis-tells-us-that-god-created-man-in-order-2/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“The very beginning of Genesis tells us that God created man in order to give him dominion over fish and foul and all creatures.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-very-beginning-of-genesis-tells-us-that-god-created-man-in-order-3/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [O execrable son! so to aspire Above his brethren, to himself assuming Authority usurped, from God not given. He gave us only over beast,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/o-execrable-son-so-to-aspire-above-his-brethren-to-himself-assuming/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [Adam was a super being when God created him...he had dominion over the fowls of the air which means he used to fly...well of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benny-hinn/adam-was-a-super-being-when-god-created-him-he-had-dominion-over-the/) [Benny Hinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benny-hinn/) > [If you are going to help people discover God's original will for them, we've got to know what that will is, and He said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myles-munroe/if-you-are-going-to-help-people-discover-god-s-original-will-for-them/) [Myles Munroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myles-munroe/) > [The world was created because God willed it, but why did He will it? Judaism has maintained, in all of its versions, that this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-hertzberg/the-world-was-created-because-god-willed-it-but-why-did-he-will-it/) [Arthur Hertzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-hertzberg/) > [“Genesis supplements “created in God’s image” with the affirmation that God thus made humanity “male and female.” Women and men together comprise this image.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-goldingay/genesis-supplements-created-in-god-s-image-with-the-affirmation-that/) [John E. Goldingay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-goldingay/) > [“Framework hypothesis. Dr. Meredith Kline (1922–2007), who accepted many evolutionary ideas, popularized this view in America.24 It is very common in many seminaries today.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-ham/framework-hypothesis-dr-meredith-kline-1922-2007-who-accepted-many/) [Ken Ham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-ham/) > [The earliest stories in Genesis were not written to tell primeval history. They were written to tell readers about themselves and about God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-hamilton/the-earliest-stories-in-genesis-were-not-written-to-tell-primeval/) [Adam Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-hamilton/) > [This is a huge step toward unraveling Genesis Chapter 1, Verse 1-what happened in the beginning. This is a Genesis machine. It'll help to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/this-is-a-huge-step-toward-unraveling-genesis-chapter-1-verse-1-what/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [It's time for a new Reformation in the Church--to call the Church back to the authority of the Word of God, beginning in Genesis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-ham/it-s-time-for-a-new-reformation-in-the-church-to-call-the-church-back/) [Ken Ham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-ham/) > [I remember going to a son's friend's bar mitzvah, and the text that he chose to explicate was right at the beginning of Genesis.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/i-remember-going-to-a-son-s-friend-s-bar-mitzvah-and-the-text-that-he/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [Sir Guy Campbell's classic account of the formation of the links, beginning with Genesis and moving step by step to the thrilling arrival of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alistair-cooke/sir-guy-campbell-s-classic-account-of-the-formation-of-the-links/) [Alistair Cooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alistair-cooke/) > [The entire Bible, viewed as a "divine comedy," is contained within a U-shaped story of this sort, one in which man, as explained, loses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/northrop-frye/the-entire-bible-viewed-as-a-divine-comedy-is-contained-within-a-u/) [Northrop Frye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/northrop-frye/) > [“He was a wise man who invented God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/he-was-a-wise-man-who-invented-god/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) ## More by Milan Kundera > [“The future is only an indifferent void no one cares about, but the past is filled with life, and its countenance is irritating, repellent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-future-is-only-an-indifferent-void-no-one-cares-about-but-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“From that time on they both looked forward to sleeping together. I might even say that the goal of their lovemaking was not so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/from-that-time-on-they-both-looked-forward-to-sleeping-together-i/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Beauty in the European sense has always had a premeditated quality to it. We've always had an aesthetic intention and a long-range plan. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/beauty-in-the-european-sense-has-always-had-a-premeditated-quality-to/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [The beauty of New York is unintentional; it arose independent of human design, like a stalagmite cavern.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-beauty-of-new-york-is-unintentional-it-arose-independent-of-human/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Children, Never look Back!" and this meant that we must never allow the future to be weighed down by memory . for children have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/children-never-look-back-and-this-meant-that-we-must-never-allow-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Our lives may be separate, but they run in the same direction, like parallel lines.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/our-lives-may-be-separate-but-they-run-in-the-same-direction-like/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Having a child is to show an absolute accord with mankind. If I have a child, it's as though I'm saying: I was born…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/having-a-child-is-to-show-an-absolute-accord-with-mankind-if-i-have-a/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Love is a battle," said Marie-Claude, still smiling. "And I plan to go on fighting. To the end." Love is a battle?" said Franz.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/love-is-a-battle-said-marie-claude-still-smiling-and-i-plan-to-go-on/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“He remained annoyed with himself until he realized that not knowing what he wanted was actually quite natural. We can never know what to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/he-remained-annoyed-with-himself-until-he-realized-that-not-knowing/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Whenever I think about ancient cultures nostalgia seizes me. Perhaps this is nothing but envy of the sweet slowness of the history of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/whenever-i-think-about-ancient-cultures-nostalgia-seizes-me-perhaps/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [When we ignore the body, we are more easily victimized by it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/when-we-ignore-the-body-we-are-more-easily-victimized-by-it/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Do stories, apart from happening, being, have something to say? For all my skepticism, some trace of irrational superstition did survive in me, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/do-stories-apart-from-happening-being-have-something-to-say-for-all/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Os extremos delimitam a fronteira para além da qual a vida termina, e a paixão pelo extremismo, tanto em arte como em política, é…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/os-extremos-delimitam-a-fronteira-para-al-m-da-qual-a-vida-termina-e/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [The characters in my novels are my own unrealized possibilities. That is why I am equally fond of them all and equally horrified by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-characters-in-my-novels-are-my-own-unrealized-possibilities-that/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Anyone whose goal is 'something higher' must expect someday to suffer vertigo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/anyone-whose-goal-is-something-higher-must-expect-someday-to-suffer/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) [Explore all 952 Milan Kundera quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) ## More Certainty quotes > [A common fallacy in much of the adverse criticism to which science is subjected today is that it claims certainty, infallibility and complete emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/a-common-fallacy-in-much-of-the-adverse-criticism-to-which-science-is/) [Cyril Norman Hinshelwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/) > [Sometimes we have the absolute certainty there's something inside us that's so hideous and monstrous that if we ever search it out we won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/sometimes-we-have-the-absolute-certainty-there-s-something-inside-us/) [Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/) > [The past and the future become unimportant. There is only that moment, and the incredible certainty that everything under the sun has been written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-past-and-the-future-become-unimportant-there-is-only-that-moment/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [In the mental disturbance and effort of writing, what sustains you is the certainty that on every page there is something left unsaid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesare-pavese/in-the-mental-disturbance-and-effort-of-writing-what-sustains-you-is/) [Cesare Pavese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesare-pavese/) > [Of course I doubt. I do not practice a certainty. I practice a faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/of-course-i-doubt-i-do-not-practice-a-certainty-i-practice-a-faith/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [The world is a wonderfully weird place, consensual reality is significantly flawed, no institution can be trusted, certainty is a mirage, security a delusion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-world-is-a-wonderfully-weird-place-consensual-reality-is/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [As a businessman, I know that businesses need certainty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-foster/as-a-businessman-i-know-that-businesses-need-certainty/) [Bill Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-foster/) > [It is suggested that in domestic violence at least the presence or absence of a firearm, or of any other type of weapon, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-greenwood/it-is-suggested-that-in-domestic-violence-at-least-the-presence-or/) [Colin Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-greenwood/) > [Every single person who is a member of our party deserves to have certainty. They deserve to know that my attention and focus is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annamie-paul/every-single-person-who-is-a-member-of-our-party-deserves-to-have/) [Annamie Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annamie-paul/) > [The significance and volume of repairs that are needed across the country demand that we give state and local governments the long-term certainty they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-graves/the-significance-and-volume-of-repairs-that-are-needed-across-the/) [Sam Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-graves/) > [“Death is the one great certainty in life. That’s what my dad used to say. Nothing else is certain. Not love. Not happiness. Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mila-gray/death-is-the-one-great-certainty-in-life-that-s-what-my-dad-used-to/) [Mila Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mila-gray/) > [ \[I\]f in other sciences we should arrive at certainty without doubt and truth without error, it behooves us to place the foundations of knowledge… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bacon/i-f-in-other-sciences-we-should-arrive-at-certainty-without-doubt-and/) [Roger Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bacon/) > [Do not lose hope; St. Joseph also experienced moments of difficulty, but he never lost faith and was able to overcome them, in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/do-not-lose-hope-st-joseph-also-experienced-moments-of-difficulty-but/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [As the future is never known with certainty, the evaluation of the prospective benefits requires the formation of expectations. An acceptable house, partner or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-t-mortensen/as-the-future-is-never-known-with-certainty-the-evaluation-of-the/) [Dale T. Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-t-mortensen/) > [Finding someone that trusted my vision helped me find certainty in who I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd/finding-someone-that-trusted-my-vision-helped-me-find-certainty-in/) [Syd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd/) [Browse all 1,776 Certainty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainty/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The very beginning of Genesis tells us that God created man in order to give him dominion over fish and fowl and all creatures. Of course, Genesis was written by a man, not a horse. There is no certainty that God actually did grant man dominion over other creatures. 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