Chapter One
The First Book of Moses, Called Genesis
Outline
I. The Beginnings of Human History (1:1-11:26)
A. Origin of the Universe and Life (1:1-2:25)
1. Summary of All Creation (1:1-2:4)
2. Expanded Creation Account of Adam and Eve (2:5-25)
B. Origin of Sin (3:1-24)
1. Temptation and the Fall (3:1-6)
2. Consequences of the Fall (3:7-24)
C. Origins of Civilization (4:1-5:32)
1. Cain: Pagan Culture (4:1-24)
2. Seth: A Righteous Remnant (4:25-26)
3. Genealogical History of the Pre-flood Patriarchs (5:1-32)
D. The Great Flood: God's Judgment on Primeval Civilization (6:1-8:19)
1. Universal Depravity (6:1-8, 11-12)
2. Noah: Preparation to Save a Righteous Remnant (6:9-22)
3. Final Instructions and the Flood (7:1-8:19)
E. Humanity's New Beginning (8:20-11:26)
1. The Posterity of Noah (8:20-10:32, Especially Shem, 10:21-31; 11:10-26)
2. The Tower of Babel (11:1-9)
3. Genealogical Links Between Shem and Abraham (11:10-26)
II. The Beginnings of the Hebrew People (11:27-50:26)
A. Abraham (11:27-25:18)
1. Abram's Family Background (11:27-32)
2. Abram's Call and Journey of Faith (12:1-14:24)
3. God's Formal Covenant With Abram (15:1-21)
4. Hagar and Ishmael (16:1-16)
5. Abrahamic Covenant Sealed by a New Name and Circumcision (17:1-27)
6. Abraham's Promise and Lot's Tragedy (18:1-19:38)
7. Abraham and Abimelech (20:1-18)
8. Abraham and Isaac, the Son of Promise (21:1-24:67)
9. The Posterity of Abraham (25:1-18)
B. Isaac (25:19-28:9)
1. Birth of Esau and Jacob (25:19-26)
2. Esau Sells His Birthright to Jacob (25:27-34)
3. Isaac, Rebekah and Abimelech II (26:1-17)
4. Dispute About Wells and the Move to Beer-sheba (26:18-33)
5. The Patriarchal Blessing (26:34-28:9)
C. Jacob (28:10-37:2a)
1. Jacob's Dream and Journey (28:10-22)
2. Jacob With Laban in Haran (29:1-31:55)
3. Jacob and Esau Reconciled (32:1-33:17)
4. Jacob's Return to the Promised Land (33:18-35:20)
5. The Posterity of Jacob and Esau (35:21-37:2a)
D. Joseph (37:2b-50:26)
1. Joseph and His Brothers in Canaan (37:2b-36)
2. Judah and Tamar (38:1-30)
3. Joseph's Testing and Promotion in Egypt (39:1-41:57)
4. Joseph and His Brothers in Egypt (42:1-45:28)
5. Joseph's Father and Brothers Settle in Egypt (46:1-47:26)
6. Jacob's Last Days, Final Prophecies and Death (47:27-50:14)
7. The Joseph Summary (50:15-26)
Author Moses
Theme Beginnings
Date of Writing c. 1445-1405 B.C.
Background
Genesis appropriately stands as the first book of the OT and serves as an essential introduction
to the whole Bible. The book's title in Hebrew is derived from the first word of the book,
bereshith ("in the beginning"). "Genesis," the title in our English Bible, is derived from the Greek
translation of the Hebrew title and means "the origin, source or beginning of something." Genesis
is "the book of beginnings."
The author of Genesis is nowhere designated in the book itself. The testimony of the rest of
the Bible, however, is that Moses was the author of the entire Pentateuch (i.e., the first five OT
books) and thus of Genesis (e.g., 1 Ki 2:3; 2 Ki 14:6; Ezra 6:18; Neh 13:1; Dan 9:11-13; Mal 4:4;
Mark 12:26; Luke 16:29, 31; John 7:19-23; Acts 26:22; 1 Cor 9:9; 2 Cor 3:15). Also, ancient
Jewish writers and the early church fathers unanimously testify that Moses was the author/editor
of Genesis. Insofar as the entire history of Genesis antedates Moses' life, his role in writing
Genesis was largely to integrate, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, all the available written
and oral records from Adam to the death of Joseph that are now preserved in Genesis. Perhaps
an indication of the historical records used by Moses when writing Genesis is found in the
11 occurrences of the phrase, "these are the generations of" (Heb 'elleh toledoth),which also
may be translated as "these are the histories by" (see 2:4; 5:1; 6:9; 10:1; 11:10, 27; 25:12, 19;
36:1, 9; 37:2).
Genesis accurately records creation, the beginnings of human history, and the origin of the
Hebrew people and God's covenant with them through Abraham and the other patriarchs. Its
historical reliability as inspired Scripture is certified in the NT by the Lord Jesus (Mat 19:4-6;
24:37-39; Luke 11:51; 17:26-32; John 7:21-23; 8:56-58) and by the apostles (Rom 4; 1Cor
15:21-22, 45-47; 2Cor 11:3; Gal 3:8; 4:22-24, 28; 1 Tim 2:13-14; Heb 11:4-22;2 Pet 3:4-6;
Jude 7, 11). Its historicity continues to be confirmed by modern archaeological discoveries.
Moses was remarkably prepared by education (Acts 7:22) and by God to write this unique first
book of the Bible.
Purpose
Genesis provides an essential foundation for the remainder of the Pentateuch and all subsequent
Biblical revelation. It preserves the only trustworthy record about the beginnings of the
universe, humankind, marriage, sin, cities, languages, nations, Israel and redemptive history. It
was written in accordance with God's purpose to give His covenant people in both the OT and
NT a foundational understanding of Himself, creation, the human race, the fall, death, judgment,
covenant and the promise of redemption through the offspring of Abraham.
Survey
Genesis divides naturally into two major parts. (A) Chs.1-11 provide an overview of human
beginnings from Adam to Abraham and focus on five epochal events. (1) Creation: God created
all things, including Adam and Eve whom He placed in the Garden of Eden (chs.1-2). (2) The
Fall: Adam and Eve by their transgression introduced the curse of sin and death into human history
(ch. 3). (3) Cain and Abel: This tragedy set in motion the two basic streams of history: humanistic
civilization and a redemptive remnant (chs. 4-5). (4) The Great Flood: The ancient
world had become so evil by the time of Noah's generation that God destroyed it by a universal
flood, sparing only righteous Noah and his family as a remnant (chs.6-10). (5)The tower of Babel:
When the post-flood world unified in idolatry and rebellion, God dispersed it by fragmenting
language and culture and by scattering the human race throughout the earth (ch. 11).
(B) Chs. 12-50 record the beginnings of the Hebrew people and focus on God's ongoing redemptive
purpose through the lives of Israel's four great patriarchs-Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
and Joseph. God's call of Abraham/Abram (ch. 12) and His covenantal dealings with him and
his descendants form the pivotal beginning of the outworking of God's purpose concerning a
Redeemer and redemption in history. Genesis concludes with Joseph's death and the impending
bondage of Israel in Egypt.
Special Features
Seven major features characterize Genesis. (1) It was the first book of the Bible written (with
the possible exception of the book of Job), and it records the beginning of human history, sin,
the Hebrew people and redemption. (2) The history in Genesis spans a larger period of time
than the rest of the Bible combined, beginning with the first human couple, broadening to pre-flood
world history, and then narrowing to Hebrew history as the redemptive stream that is
traced throughout the remainder of the OT. (3) Genesis reveals that the material universe and
life on earth are distinctly God's work and not an independent process of nature. Fifty times in
chs. 1-2 God is the subject of verbs showing what He did as Creator. (4) Genesis is a book of
firsts-recording the first marriage, first family, first birth, first sin, first murder, first polygamist,
first musical instruments, first promise of redemption, and the like. (5) God's covenant with
Abraham, which began with his call (12:1-3), was made formal in ch. 15 and was ratified in
ch.17, is central to all of Scripture. (6) Genesis alone explains the origin of the 12 tribes of Israel.
(7) It reveals how Abraham's descendants ended up in Egypt (for 430 years) and thus sets
the stage for the exodus, the central redemptive event in the OT.
New Testament Fulfillment
Genesis reveals the prophetic history of redemption and a Redeemer as coming through the
offspring of the woman (3:15), through the line of Seth (4:25-26), through the line of Shem
(9:26-27) and through the descendants of Abraham (12:2-3). The NT applies Gen 12:2-3 directly
to God's provision of redemption in Jesus Christ (Gal 3:16, 29). Numerous persons and
events from Genesis are mentioned in the NT in relation to faith and righteousness (e.g., Rom 4;
Heb 11:1-22), God's judgment (e.g., Luke 17:26-29, 32; 2 Pet 3:6; Jude 7, 11a) and the person
of Christ (e.g., Mat 1:1; John 8:58; Heb 7).
Reading Genesis
In order to read the entire Old Testament in one year, the book of Genesis should be read in
21 days, according to the following schedule:
1-2 3-5 6-8 9-11 12-14
15-17 18-19 20-22 23-24 25-26
27-28 29-30 31-33 34-35 36-37
38-39 40-41 42-43 44-45 46-48
49-50
Notes
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
GENESIS 1:1
The creation
1 In the beginning God created
the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without
form, and void; and darkness was
upon the face of the deep. And the
Spirit of God moved upon the face of
the waters.
3 And God said, Let there be
light: and there was light.
4 And God saw the light, that it
was good: and God divided the light
from the darkness.
5 And God called the light Day,
and the darkness he called Night.
And the evening and the morning
were the first day.
6 And God said, Let there be a
firmament in the midst of the waters,
and let it divide the waters from
the waters.
7 And God made the firmament,
and divided the waters which were
under the firmament from the waters
which were above the firmament:
and it was so.
8 And God called the firmament
Heaven. And the evening and the
morning were the second day.
9 And God said, Let the waters
under the heaven be gathered together
unto one place, and let the dryland appear: and it was so.
10 And God called the dry land
Earth; and the gathering together of
the waters called he Seas: and God
saw that it was good.
11 And God said, Let the earth
bring forth grass, the herb yielding
seed, and the fruit tree yielding
fruit after his kind, whose seed is in
itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
12 And the earth brought forth
grass, and herb yielding seed after
his kind, and the tree yielding fruit,
whose seed was in itself, after his
kind: and God saw that it was good.
13 And the evening and the morning
were the third day.
14 And God said, Let there be
lights in the firmament of the heaven
to divide the day from the night;
and let them be for signs, and for
seasons, and for days, and years:
15 And let them be for lights in the
firmament of the heaven to give light
upon the earth: and it was so.
16 And God made two great lights;
the greater light to rule the day,
and the lesser light to rule the
night: he made the stars also.
17 And God set them in the firmament
of the heaven to give light upon
the earth,
18 And to rule over the day and
over the night, and to divide the light
from the darkness: and God saw thatit was good.
19 And the evening and the morning
were the fourth day.
20 And God said, Let the waters
bring forth abundantly the moving
creature that hath life, and fowlthat may fly above the earth in the
open firmament of heaven.
21 And God created great
whales, and every living creature that
moveth, which the waters brought
forth abundantly, after their kind, and
every winged fowl after his kind: and
God saw that it was good.
22 And God blessed them, saying,
Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the
waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply
in the earth.
23 And the evening and the morning
were the fifth day.
24 And God said, Let the earth
bring forth the living creature after
his kind, cattle, and creeping thing,
and beast of the earth after his kind:
and it was so.
25 And God made the beast of the
earth after his kind, and cattle after
their kind, and every thing that
creepeth upon the earth after his
kind: and God saw that it was good.
GENESIS 10:30
30 And their dwelling was from
Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar, a
mount of the east.
31 These are the sons of Shem,
after their families, after their
tongues, in their lands, after their nations.
32 These are the families of the
sons of Noah, after their generations,
in their nations: and by these were
the nations divided in the earth after
the flood.
The tower of Babel
1 And the whole earth was of
one language, and of one
speech.
2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed
from the east, that they
found a plain in the land of Shinar;
and they dwelt there.
3 And they said one to another,
Go to, let us make brick, and burnthem thoroughly. And they had brick
for stone, and slime had they for
morter.
4 And they said, Go to, let us build
us a city and a tower, whose topmay reach unto heaven; and let us
make us a name, lest we be scattered
abroad upon the face of the whole
earth.
5 And the Lord came down to
see the city and the tower, which the
children of men builded.
6 And the Lord said, Behold, the
people is one, and they have all one
language; and this they begin to do:
and now nothing will be restrained
from them, which they have imagined
to do.
7 Go to, let us go down, and
there confound their language, that
they may not understand one another's
speech.
The Spirit in the Old Testament
The Holy Spirit is one of the three persons of the eternal triune God (see Mark 1:11, note; see
article on The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit, p. 1676). Although His full power was not revealed to
God's people until the ministry of Jesus (see article on Jesus and the Holy Spirit, p.
Continues.
Chapter One
The First Book of Moses, Called Genesis
Outline
I. The Beginnings of Human History (1:1-11:26)
A. Origin of the Universe and Life (1:1-2:25)
1. Summary of All Creation (1:1-2:4)
2. Expanded Creation Account of Adam and Eve (2:5-25)
B. Origin of Sin (3:1-24)
1. Temptation and the Fall (3:1-6)
2. Consequences of the Fall (3:7-24)
C. Origins of Civilization (4:1-5:32)
1. Cain: Pagan Culture (4:1-24)
2. Seth: A Righteous Remnant (4:25-26)
3. Genealogical History of the Pre-flood Patriarchs (5:1-32)
D. The Great Flood: God's Judgment on Primeval Civilization (6:1-8:19)
1. Universal Depravity (6:1-8, 11-12)
2. Noah: Preparation to Save a Righteous Remnant (6:9-22)
3. Final Instructions and the Flood (7:1-8:19)
E. Humanity's New Beginning (8:20-11:26)
1. The Posterity of Noah (8:20-10:32, Especially Shem, 10:21-31; 11:10-26)
2. The Tower of Babel (11:1-9)
3. Genealogical Links Between Shem and Abraham (11:10-26)
II. The Beginnings of the Hebrew People (11:27-50:26)
A. Abraham (11:27-25:18)
1. Abram's Family Background (11:27-32)
2. Abram's Call and Journey of Faith (12:1-14:24)
3. God's Formal Covenant With Abram (15:1-21)
4. Hagar and Ishmael (16:1-16)
5. Abrahamic Covenant Sealed by a New Name and Circumcision (17:1-27)
6. Abraham's Promise and Lot's Tragedy (18:1-19:38)
7. Abraham and Abimelech (20:1-18)
8. Abraham and Isaac, the Son of Promise (21:1-24:67)
9. The Posterity of Abraham (25:1-18)
B. Isaac (25:19-28:9)
1. Birth of Esau and Jacob (25:19-26)
2. Esau Sells His Birthright to Jacob (25:27-34)
3. Isaac, Rebekah and Abimelech II (26:1-17)
4. Dispute About Wells and the Move to Beer-sheba (26:18-33)
5. The Patriarchal Blessing (26:34-28:9)
C. Jacob (28:10-37:2a)
1. Jacob's Dream and Journey (28:10-22)
2. Jacob With Laban in Haran (29:1-31:55)
3. Jacob and Esau Reconciled (32:1-33:17)
4. Jacob's Return to the Promised Land (33:18-35:20)
5. The Posterity of Jacob and Esau (35:21-37:2a)
D. Joseph (37:2b-50:26)
1. Joseph and His Brothers in Canaan (37:2b-36)
2. Judah and Tamar (38:1-30)
3. Joseph's Testing and Promotion in Egypt (39:1-41:57)
4. Joseph and His Brothers in Egypt (42:1-45:28)
5. Joseph's Father and Brothers Settle in Egypt (46:1-47:26)
6. Jacob's Last Days, Final Prophecies and Death (47:27-50:14)
7. The Joseph Summary (50:15-26)
Author Moses
Theme Beginnings
Date of Writing c. 1445-1405 B.C.
Background
Genesis appropriately stands as the first book of the OT and serves as an essential introduction
to the whole Bible. The book's title in Hebrew is derived from the first word of the book,
bereshith ("in the beginning"). "Genesis," the title in our English Bible, is derived from the Greek
translation of the Hebrew title and means "the origin, source or beginning of something." Genesis
is "the book of beginnings."
The author of Genesis is nowhere designated in the book itself. The testimony of the rest of
the Bible, however, is that Moses was the author of the entire Pentateuch (i.e., the first five OT
books) and thus of Genesis (e.g., 1 Ki 2:3; 2 Ki 14:6; Ezra 6:18; Neh 13:1; Dan 9:11-13; Mal 4:4;
Mark 12:26; Luke 16:29, 31; John 7:19-23; Acts 26:22; 1 Cor 9:9; 2 Cor 3:15). Also, ancient
Jewish writers and the early church fathers unanimously testify that Moses was the author/editor
of Genesis. Insofar as the entire history of Genesis antedates Moses' life, his role in writing
Genesis was largely to integrate, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, all the available written
and oral records from Adam to the death of Joseph that are now preserved in Genesis. Perhaps
an indication of the historical records used by Moses when writing Genesis is found in the
11 occurrences of the phrase, "these are the generations of" (Heb 'elleh toledoth),which also
may be translated as "these are the histories by" (see 2:4; 5:1; 6:9; 10:1; 11:10, 27; 25:12, 19;
36:1, 9; 37:2).
Genesis accurately records creation, the beginnings of human history, and the origin of the
Hebrew people and God's covenant with them through Abraham and the other patriarchs. Its
historical reliability as inspired Scripture is certified in the NT by the Lord Jesus (Mat 19:4-6;
24:37-39; Luke 11:51; 17:26-32; John 7:21-23; 8:56-58) and by the apostles (Rom 4; 1Cor
15:21-22, 45-47; 2Cor 11:3; Gal 3:8; 4:22-24, 28; 1 Tim 2:13-14; Heb 11:4-22;2 Pet 3:4-6;
Jude 7, 11). Its historicity continues to be confirmed by modern archaeological discoveries.
Moses was remarkably prepared by education (Acts 7:22) and by God to write this unique first
book of the Bible.
Purpose
Genesis provides an essential foundation for the remainder of the Pentateuch and all subsequent
Biblical revelation. It preserves the only trustworthy record about the beginnings of the
universe, humankind, marriage, sin, cities, languages, nations, Israel and redemptive history. It
was written in accordance with God's purpose to give His covenant people in both the OT and
NT a foundational understanding of Himself, creation, the human race, the fall, death, judgment,
covenant and the promise of redemption through the offspring of Abraham.
Survey
Genesis divides naturally into two major parts. (A) Chs.1-11 provide an overview of human
beginnings from Adam to Abraham and focus on five epochal events. (1) Creation: God created
all things, including Adam and Eve whom He placed in the Garden of Eden (chs.1-2). (2) The
Fall: Adam and Eve by their transgression introduced the curse of sin and death into human history
(ch. 3). (3) Cain and Abel: This tragedy set in motion the two basic streams of history: humanistic
civilization and a redemptive remnant (chs. 4-5). (4) The Great Flood: The ancient
world had become so evil by the time of Noah's generation that God destroyed it by a universal
flood, sparing only righteous Noah and his family as a remnant (chs.6-10). (5)The tower of Babel:
When the post-flood world unified in idolatry and rebellion, God dispersed it by fragmenting
language and culture and by scattering the human race throughout the earth (ch. 11).
(B) Chs. 12-50 record the beginnings of the Hebrew people and focus on God's ongoing redemptive
purpose through the lives of Israel's four great patriarchs-Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
and Joseph. God's call of Abraham/Abram (ch. 12) and His covenantal dealings with him and
his descendants form the pivotal beginning of the outworking of God's purpose concerning a
Redeemer and redemption in history. Genesis concludes with Joseph's death and the impending
bondage of Israel in Egypt.
Special Features
Seven major features characterize Genesis. (1) It was the first book of the Bible written (with
the possible exception of the book of Job), and it records the beginning of human history, sin,
the Hebrew people and redemption. (2) The history in Genesis spans a larger period of time
than the rest of the Bible combined, beginning with the first human couple, broadening to pre-flood
world history, and then narrowing to Hebrew history as the redemptive stream that is
traced throughout the remainder of the OT. (3) Genesis reveals that the material universe and
life on earth are distinctly God's work and not an independent process of nature. Fifty times in
chs. 1-2 God is the subject of verbs showing what He did as Creator. (4) Genesis is a book of
firsts-recording the first marriage, first family, first birth, first sin, first murder, first polygamist,
first musical instruments, first promise of redemption, and the like. (5) God's covenant with
Abraham, which began with his call (12:1-3), was made formal in ch. 15 and was ratified in
ch.17, is central to all of Scripture. (6) Genesis alone explains the origin of the 12 tribes of Israel.
(7) It reveals how Abraham's descendants ended up in Egypt (for 430 years) and thus sets
the stage for the exodus, the central redemptive event in the OT.
New Testament Fulfillment
Genesis reveals the prophetic history of redemption and a Redeemer as coming through the
offspring of the woman (3:15), through the line of Seth (4:25-26), through the line of Shem
(9:26-27) and through the descendants of Abraham (12:2-3). The NT applies Gen 12:2-3 directly
to God's provision of redemption in Jesus Christ (Gal 3:16, 29). Numerous persons and
events from Genesis are mentioned in the NT in relation to faith and righteousness (e.g., Rom 4;
Heb 11:1-22), God's judgment (e.g., Luke 17:26-29, 32; 2 Pet 3:6; Jude 7, 11a) and the person
of Christ (e.g., Mat 1:1; John 8:58; Heb 7).
Reading Genesis
In order to read the entire Old Testament in one year, the book of Genesis should be read in
21 days, according to the following schedule:
1-2 3-5 6-8 9-11 12-14
15-17 18-19 20-22 23-24 25-26
27-28 29-30 31-33 34-35 36-37
38-39 40-41 42-43 44-45 46-48
49-50
Notes
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
GENESIS 1:1
The creation
1 In the beginning God created
the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without
form, and void; and darkness was
upon the face of the deep. And the
Spirit of God moved upon the face of
the waters.
3 And God said, Let there be
light: and there was light.
4 And God saw the light, that it
was good: and God divided the light
from the darkness.
5 And God called the light Day,
and the darkness he called Night.
And the evening and the morning
were the first day.
6 And God said, Let there be a
firmament in the midst of the waters,
and let it divide the waters from
the waters.
7 And God made the firmament,
and divided the waters which were
under the firmament from the waters
which were above the firmament:
and it was so.
8 And God called the firmament
Heaven. And the evening and the
morning were the second day.
9 And God said, Let the waters
under the heaven be gathered together
unto one place, and let the dryland appear: and it was so.
10 And God called the dry land
Earth; and the gathering together of
the waters called he Seas: and God
saw that it was good.
11 And God said, Let the earth
bring forth grass, the herb yielding
seed, and the fruit tree yielding
fruit after his kind, whose seed is in
itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
12 And the earth brought forth
grass, and herb yielding seed after
his kind, and the tree yielding fruit,
whose seed was in itself, after his
kind: and God saw that it was good.
13 And the evening and the morning
were the third day.
14 And God said, Let there be
lights in the firmament of the heaven
to divide the day from the night;
and let them be for signs, and for
seasons, and for days, and years:
15 And let them be for lights in the
firmament of the heaven to give light
upon the earth: and it was so.
16 And God made two great lights;
the greater light to rule the day,
and the lesser light to rule the
night: he made the stars also.
17 And God set them in the firmament
of the heaven to give light upon
the earth,
18 And to rule over the day and
over the night, and to divide the light
from the darkness: and God saw thatit was good.
19 And the evening and the morning
were the fourth day.
20 And God said, Let the waters
bring forth abundantly the moving
creature that hath life, and fowlthat may fly above the earth in the
open firmament of heaven.
21 And God created great
whales, and every living creature that
moveth, which the waters brought
forth abundantly, after their kind, and
every winged fowl after his kind: and
God saw that it was good.
22 And God blessed them, saying,
Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the
waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply
in the earth.
23 And the evening and the morning
were the fifth day.
24 And God said, Let the earth
bring forth the living creature after
his kind, cattle, and creeping thing,
and beast of the earth after his kind:
and it was so.
25 And God made the beast of the
earth after his kind, and cattle after
their kind, and every thing that
creepeth upon the earth after his
kind: and God saw that it was good.
GENESIS 10:30
30 And their dwelling was from
Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar, a
mount of the east.
31 These are the sons of Shem,
after their families, after their
tongues, in their lands, after their nations.
32 These are the families of the
sons of Noah, after their generations,
in their nations: and by these were
the nations divided in the earth after
the flood.
The tower of Babel
1 And the whole earth was of
one language, and of one
speech.
2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed
from the east, that they
found a plain in the land of Shinar;
and they dwelt there.
3 And they said one to another,
Go to, let us make brick, and burnthem thoroughly. And they had brick
for stone, and slime had they for
morter.
4 And they said, Go to, let us build
us a city and a tower, whose topmay reach unto heaven; and let us
make us a name, lest we be scattered
abroad upon the face of the whole
earth.
5 And the Lord came down to
see the city and the tower, which the
children of men builded.
6 And the Lord said, Behold, the
people is one, and they have all one
language; and this they begin to do:
and now nothing will be restrained
from them, which they have imagined
to do.
7 Go to, let us go down, and
there confound their language, that
they may not understand one another's
speech.
The Spirit in the Old Testament
The Holy Spirit is one of the three persons of the eternal triune God (see Mark 1:11, note; see
article on The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit, p. 1676). Although His full power was not revealed to
God's people until the ministry of Jesus (see article on Jesus and the Holy Spirit, p.
Continues.
Chapter One
The First Book of Moses, Called Genesis
Outline
I. The Beginnings of Human History (1:1-11:26)
A. Origin of the Universe and Life (1:1-2:25)
1. Summary of All Creation (1:1-2:4)
2. Expanded Creation Account of Adam and Eve (2:5-25)
B. Origin of Sin (3:1-24)
1. Temptation and the Fall (3:1-6)
2. Consequences of the Fall (3:7-24)
C. Origins of Civilization (4:1-5:32)
1. Cain: Pagan Culture (4:1-24)
2. Seth: A Righteous Remnant (4:25-26)
3. Genealogical History of the Pre-flood Patriarchs (5:1-32)
D. The Great Flood: God's Judgment on Primeval Civilization (6:1-8:19)
1. Universal Depravity (6:1-8, 11-12)
2. Noah: Preparation to Save a Righteous Remnant (6:9-22)
3. Final Instructions and the Flood (7:1-8:19)
E. Humanity's New Beginning (8:20-11:26)
1. The Posterity of Noah (8:20-10:32, Especially Shem, 10:21-31; 11:10-26)
2. The Tower of Babel (11:1-9)
3. Genealogical Links Between Shem and Abraham (11:10-26)
II. The Beginnings of the Hebrew People (11:27-50:26)
A. Abraham (11:27-25:18)
1. Abram's Family Background (11:27-32)
2. Abram's Call and Journey of Faith (12:1-14:24)
3. God's Formal Covenant With Abram (15:1-21)
4. Hagar and Ishmael (16:1-16)
5. Abrahamic Covenant Sealed by a New Name and Circumcision (17:1-27)
6. Abraham's Promise and Lot's Tragedy (18:1-19:38)
7. Abraham and Abimelech (20:1-18)
8. Abraham and Isaac, the Son of Promise (21:1-24:67)
9. The Posterity of Abraham (25:1-18)
B. Isaac (25:19-28:9)
1. Birth of Esau and Jacob (25:19-26)
2. Esau Sells His Birthright to Jacob (25:27-34)
3. Isaac, Rebekah and Abimelech II (26:1-17)
4. Dispute About Wells and the Move to Beer-sheba (26:18-33)
5. The Patriarchal Blessing (26:34-28:9)
C. Jacob (28:10-37:2a)
1. Jacob's Dream and Journey (28:10-22)
2. Jacob With Laban in Haran (29:1-31:55)
3. Jacob and Esau Reconciled (32:1-33:17)
4. Jacob's Return to the Promised Land (33:18-35:20)
5. The Posterity of Jacob and Esau (35:21-37:2a)
D. Joseph (37:2b-50:26)
1. Joseph and His Brothers in Canaan (37:2b-36)
2. Judah and Tamar (38:1-30)
3. Joseph's Testing and Promotion in Egypt (39:1-41:57)
4. Joseph and His Brothers in Egypt (42:1-45:28)
5. Joseph's Father and Brothers Settle in Egypt (46:1-47:26)
6. Jacob's Last Days, Final Prophecies and Death (47:27-50:14)
7. The Joseph Summary (50:15-26)
Author Moses
Theme Beginnings
Date of Writing c. 1445-1405 B.C.
Background
Genesis appropriately stands as the first book of the OT and serves as an essential introduction
to the whole Bible. The book's title in Hebrew is derived from the first word of the book,
bereshith ("in the beginning"). "Genesis," the title in our English Bible, is derived from the Greek
translation of the Hebrew title and means "the origin, source or beginning of something." Genesis
is "the book of beginnings."
The author of Genesis is nowhere designated in the book itself. The testimony of the rest of
the Bible, however, is that Moses was the author of the entire Pentateuch (i.e., the first five OT
books) and thus of Genesis (e.g., 1 Ki 2:3; 2 Ki 14:6; Ezra 6:18; Neh 13:1; Dan 9:11-13; Mal 4:4;
Mark 12:26; Luke 16:29, 31; John 7:19-23; Acts 26:22; 1 Cor 9:9; 2 Cor 3:15). Also, ancient
Jewish writers and the early church fathers unanimously testify that Moses was the author/editor
of Genesis. Insofar as the entire history of Genesis antedates Moses' life, his role in writing
Genesis was largely to integrate, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, all the available written
and oral records from Adam to the death of Joseph that are now preserved in Genesis. Perhaps
an indication of the historical records used by Moses when writing Genesis is found in the
11 occurrences of the phrase, "these are the generations of" (Heb 'elleh toledoth),which also
may be translated as "these are the histories by" (see 2:4; 5:1; 6:9; 10:1; 11:10, 27; 25:12, 19;
36:1, 9; 37:2).
Genesis accurately records creation, the beginnings of human history, and the origin of the
Hebrew people and God's covenant with them through Abraham and the other patriarchs. Its
historical reliability as inspired Scripture is certified in the NT by the Lord Jesus (Mat 19:4-6;
24:37-39; Luke 11:51; 17:26-32; John 7:21-23; 8:56-58) and by the apostles (Rom 4; 1Cor
15:21-22, 45-47; 2Cor 11:3; Gal 3:8; 4:22-24, 28; 1 Tim 2:13-14; Heb 11:4-22;2 Pet 3:4-6;
Jude 7, 11). Its historicity continues to be confirmed by modern archaeological discoveries.
Moses was remarkably prepared by education (Acts 7:22) and by God to write this unique first
book of the Bible.
Purpose
Genesis provides an essential foundation for the remainder of the Pentateuch and all subsequent
Biblical revelation. It preserves the only trustworthy record about the beginnings of the
universe, humankind, marriage, sin, cities, languages, nations, Israel and redemptive history. It
was written in accordance with God's purpose to give His covenant people in both the OT and
NT a foundational understanding of Himself, creation, the human race, the fall, death, judgment,
covenant and the promise of redemption through the offspring of Abraham.
Survey
Genesis divides naturally into two major parts. (A) Chs.1-11 provide an overview of human
beginnings from Adam to Abraham and focus on five epochal events. (1) Creation: God created
all things, including Adam and Eve whom He placed in the Garden of Eden (chs.1-2). (2) The
Fall: Adam and Eve by their transgression introduced the curse of sin and death into human history
(ch. 3). (3) Cain and Abel: This tragedy set in motion the two basic streams of history: humanistic
civilization and a redemptive remnant (chs. 4-5). (4) The Great Flood: The ancient
world had become so evil by the time of Noah's generation that God destroyed it by a universal
flood, sparing only righteous Noah and his family as a remnant (chs.6-10). (5)The tower of Babel:
When the post-flood world unified in idolatry and rebellion, God dispersed it by fragmenting
language and culture and by scattering the human race throughout the earth (ch. 11).
(B) Chs. 12-50 record the beginnings of the Hebrew people and focus on God's ongoing redemptive
purpose through the lives of Israel's four great patriarchs-Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
and Joseph. God's call of Abraham/Abram (ch. 12) and His covenantal dealings with him and
his descendants form the pivotal beginning of the outworking of God's purpose concerning a
Redeemer and redemption in history. Genesis concludes with Joseph's death and the impending
bondage of Israel in Egypt.
Special Features
Seven major features characterize Genesis. (1) It was the first book of the Bible written (with
the possible exception of the book of Job), and it records the beginning of human history, sin,
the Hebrew people and redemption. (2) The history in Genesis spans a larger period of time
than the rest of the Bible combined, beginning with the first human couple, broadening to pre-flood
world history, and then narrowing to Hebrew history as the redemptive stream that is
traced throughout the remainder of the OT. (3) Genesis reveals that the material universe and
life on earth are distinctly God's work and not an independent process of nature. Fifty times in
chs. 1-2 God is the subject of verbs showing what He did as Creator. (4) Genesis is a book of
firsts-recording the first marriage, first family, first birth, first sin, first murder, first polygamist,
first musical instruments, first promise of redemption, and the like. (5) God's covenant with
Abraham, which began with his call (12:1-3), was made formal in ch. 15 and was ratified in
ch.17, is central to all of Scripture. (6) Genesis alone explains the origin of the 12 tribes of Israel.
(7) It reveals how Abraham's descendants ended up in Egypt (for 430 years) and thus sets
the stage for the exodus, the central redemptive event in the OT.
New Testament Fulfillment
Genesis reveals the prophetic history of redemption and a Redeemer as coming through the
offspring of the woman (3:15), through the line of Seth (4:25-26), through the line of Shem
(9:26-27) and through the descendants of Abraham (12:2-3). The NT applies Gen 12:2-3 directly
to God's provision of redemption in Jesus Christ (Gal 3:16, 29). Numerous persons and
events from Genesis are mentioned in the NT in relation to faith and righteousness (e.g., Rom 4;
Heb 11:1-22), God's judgment (e.g., Luke 17:26-29, 32; 2 Pet 3:6; Jude 7, 11a) and the person
of Christ (e.g., Mat 1:1; John 8:58; Heb 7).
Reading Genesis
In order to read the entire Old Testament in one year, the book of Genesis should be read in
21 days, according to the following schedule:
1-2 3-5 6-8 9-11 12-14
15-17 18-19 20-22 23-24 25-26
27-28 29-30 31-33 34-35 36-37
38-39 40-41 42-43 44-45 46-48
49-50
Notes
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
GENESIS 1:1
The creation
1 In the beginning God created
the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without
form, and void; and darkness was
upon the face of the deep. And the
Spirit of God moved upon the face of
the waters.
3 And God said, Let there be
light: and there was light.
4 And God saw the light, that it
was good: and God divided the light
from the darkness.
5 And God called the light Day,
and the darkness he called Night.
And the evening and the morning
were the first day.
6 And God said, Let there be a
firmament in the midst of the waters,
and let it divide the waters from
the waters.
7 And God made the firmament,
and divided the waters which were
under the firmament from the waters
which were above the firmament:
and it was so.
8 And God called the firmament
Heaven. And the evening and the
morning were the second day.
9 And God said, Let the waters
under the heaven be gathered together
unto one place, and let the dryland appear: and it was so.
10 And God called the dry land
Earth; and the gathering together of
the waters called he Seas: and God
saw that it was good.
11 And God said, Let the earth
bring forth grass, the herb yielding
seed, and the fruit tree yielding
fruit after his kind, whose seed is in
itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
12 And the earth brought forth
grass, and herb yielding seed after
his kind, and the tree yielding fruit,
whose seed was in itself, after his
kind: and God saw that it was good.
13 And the evening and the morning
were the third day.
14 And God said, Let there be
lights in the firmament of the heaven
to divide the day from the night;
and let them be for signs, and for
seasons, and for days, and years:
15 And let them be for lights in the
firmament of the heaven to give light
upon the earth: and it was so.
16 And God made two great lights;
the greater light to rule the day,
and the lesser light to rule the
night: he made the stars also.
17 And God set them in the firmament
of the heaven to give light upon
the earth,
18 And to rule over the day and
over the night, and to divide the light
from the darkness: and God saw thatit was good.
19 And the evening and the morning
were the fourth day.
20 And God said, Let the waters
bring forth abundantly the moving
creature that hath life, and fowlthat may fly above the earth in the
open firmament of heaven.
21 And God created great
whales, and every living creature that
moveth, which the waters brought
forth abundantly, after their kind, and
every winged fowl after his kind: and
God saw that it was good.
22 And God blessed them, saying,
Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the
waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply
in the earth.
23 And the evening and the morning
were the fifth day.
24 And God said, Let the earth
bring forth the living creature after
his kind, cattle, and creeping thing,
and beast of the earth after his kind:
and it was so.
25 And God made the beast of the
earth after his kind, and cattle after
their kind, and every thing that
creepeth upon the earth after his
kind: and God saw that it was good.
GENESIS 10:30
30 And their dwelling was from
Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar, a
mount of the east.
31 These are the sons of Shem,
after their families, after their
tongues, in their lands, after their nations.
32 These are the families of the
sons of Noah, after their generations,
in their nations: and by these were
the nations divided in the earth after
the flood.
The tower of Babel
1 And the whole earth was of
one language, and of one
speech.
2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed
from the east, that they
found a plain in the land of Shinar;
and they dwelt there.
3 And they said one to another,
Go to, let us make brick, and burnthem thoroughly. And they had brick
for stone, and slime had they for
morter.
4 And they said, Go to, let us build
us a city and a tower, whose topmay reach unto heaven; and let us
make us a name, lest we be scattered
abroad upon the face of the whole
earth.
5 And the Lord came down to
see the city and the tower, which the
children of men builded.
6 And the Lord said, Behold, the
people is one, and they have all one
language; and this they begin to do:
and now nothing will be restrained
from them, which they have imagined
to do.
7 Go to, let us go down, and
there confound their language, that
they may not understand one another's
speech.
The Spirit in the Old Testament
The Holy Spirit is one of the three persons of the eternal triune God (see Mark 1:11, note; see
article on The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit, p. 1676). Although His full power was not revealed to
God's people until the ministry of Jesus (see article on Jesus and the Holy Spirit, p.
Continues.
Chapter One
The First Book of Moses, Called Genesis
Outline
I. The Beginnings of Human History (1:1-11:26)
A. Origin of the Universe and Life (1:1-2:25)
1. Summary of All Creation (1:1-2:4)
2. Expanded Creation Account of Adam and Eve (2:5-25)
B. Origin of Sin (3:1-24)
1. Temptation and the Fall (3:1-6)
2. Consequences of the Fall (3:7-24)
C. Origins of Civilization (4:1-5:32)
1. Cain: Pagan Culture (4:1-24)
2. Seth: A Righteous Remnant (4:25-26)
3. Genealogical History of the Pre-flood Patriarchs (5:1-32)
D. The Great Flood: God's Judgment on Primeval Civilization (6:1-8:19)
1. Universal Depravity (6:1-8, 11-12)
2. Noah: Preparation to Save a Righteous Remnant (6:9-22)
3. Final Instructions and the Flood (7:1-8:19)
E. Humanity's New Beginning (8:20-11:26)
1. The Posterity of Noah (8:20-10:32, Especially Shem, 10:21-31; 11:10-26)
2. The Tower of Babel (11:1-9)
3. Genealogical Links Between Shem and Abraham (11:10-26)
II. The Beginnings of the Hebrew People (11:27-50:26)
A. Abraham (11:27-25:18)
1. Abram's Family Background (11:27-32)
2. Abram's Call and Journey of Faith (12:1-14:24)
3. God's Formal Covenant With Abram (15:1-21)
4. Hagar and Ishmael (16:1-16)
5. Abrahamic Covenant Sealed by a New Name and Circumcision (17:1-27)
6. Abraham's Promise and Lot's Tragedy (18:1-19:38)
7. Abraham and Abimelech (20:1-18)
8. Abraham and Isaac, the Son of Promise (21:1-24:67)
9. The Posterity of Abraham (25:1-18)
B. Isaac (25:19-28:9)
1. Birth of Esau and Jacob (25:19-26)
2. Esau Sells His Birthright to Jacob (25:27-34)
3. Isaac, Rebekah and Abimelech II (26:1-17)
4. Dispute About Wells and the Move to Beer-sheba (26:18-33)
5. The Patriarchal Blessing (26:34-28:9)
C. Jacob (28:10-37:2a)
1. Jacob's Dream and Journey (28:10-22)
2. Jacob With Laban in Haran (29:1-31:55)
3. Jacob and Esau Reconciled (32:1-33:17)
4. Jacob's Return to the Promised Land (33:18-35:20)
5. The Posterity of Jacob and Esau (35:21-37:2a)
D. Joseph (37:2b-50:26)
1. Joseph and His Brothers in Canaan (37:2b-36)
2. Judah and Tamar (38:1-30)
3. Joseph's Testing and Promotion in Egypt (39:1-41:57)
4. Joseph and His Brothers in Egypt (42:1-45:28)
5. Joseph's Father and Brothers Settle in Egypt (46:1-47:26)
6. Jacob's Last Days, Final Prophecies and Death (47:27-50:14)
7. The Joseph Summary (50:15-26)
Author Moses
Theme Beginnings
Date of Writing c. 1445-1405 B.C.
Background
Genesis appropriately stands as the first book of the OT and serves as an essential introduction
to the whole Bible. The book's title in Hebrew is derived from the first word of the book,
bereshith ("in the beginning"). "Genesis," the title in our English Bible, is derived from the Greek
translation of the Hebrew title and means "the origin, source or beginning of something." Genesis
is "the book of beginnings."
The author of Genesis is nowhere designated in the book itself. The testimony of the rest of
the Bible, however, is that Moses was the author of the entire Pentateuch (i.e., the first five OT
books) and thus of Genesis (e.g., 1 Ki 2:3; 2 Ki 14:6; Ezra 6:18; Neh 13:1; Dan 9:11-13; Mal 4:4;
Mark 12:26; Luke 16:29, 31; John 7:19-23; Acts 26:22; 1 Cor 9:9; 2 Cor 3:15). Also, ancient
Jewish writers and the early church fathers unanimously testify that Moses was the author/editor
of Genesis. Insofar as the entire history of Genesis antedates Moses' life, his role in writing
Genesis was largely to integrate, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, all the available written
and oral records from Adam to the death of Joseph that are now preserved in Genesis. Perhaps
an indication of the historical records used by Moses when writing Genesis is found in the
11 occurrences of the phrase, "these are the generations of" (Heb 'elleh toledoth),which also
may be translated as "these are the histories by" (see 2:4; 5:1; 6:9; 10:1; 11:10, 27; 25:12, 19;
36:1, 9; 37:2).
Genesis accurately records creation, the beginnings of human history, and the origin of the
Hebrew people and God's covenant with them through Abraham and the other patriarchs. Its
historical reliability as inspired Scripture is certified in the NT by the Lord Jesus (Mat 19:4-6;
24:37-39; Luke 11:51; 17:26-32; John 7:21-23; 8:56-58) and by the apostles (Rom 4; 1Cor
15:21-22, 45-47; 2Cor 11:3; Gal 3:8; 4:22-24, 28; 1 Tim 2:13-14; Heb 11:4-22;2 Pet 3:4-6;
Jude 7, 11). Its historicity continues to be confirmed by modern archaeological discoveries.
Moses was remarkably prepared by education (Acts 7:22) and by God to write this unique first
book of the Bible.
Purpose
Genesis provides an essential foundation for the remainder of the Pentateuch and all subsequent
Biblical revelation. It preserves the only trustworthy record about the beginnings of the
universe, humankind, marriage, sin, cities, languages, nations, Israel and redemptive history. It
was written in accordance with God's purpose to give His covenant people in both the OT and
NT a foundational understanding of Himself, creation, the human race, the fall, death, judgment,
covenant and the promise of redemption through the offspring of Abraham.
Survey
Genesis divides naturally into two major parts. (A) Chs.1-11 provide an overview of human
beginnings from Adam to Abraham and focus on five epochal events. (1) Creation: God created
all things, including Adam and Eve whom He placed in the Garden of Eden (chs.1-2). (2) The
Fall: Adam and Eve by their transgression introduced the curse of sin and death into human history
(ch. 3). (3) Cain and Abel: This tragedy set in motion the two basic streams of history: humanistic
civilization and a redemptive remnant (chs. 4-5). (4) The Great Flood: The ancient
world had become so evil by the time of Noah's generation that God destroyed it by a universal
flood, sparing only righteous Noah and his family as a remnant (chs.6-10). (5)The tower of Babel:
When the post-flood world unified in idolatry and rebellion, God dispersed it by fragmenting
language and culture and by scattering the human race throughout the earth (ch. 11).
(B) Chs. 12-50 record the beginnings of the Hebrew people and focus on God's ongoing redemptive
purpose through the lives of Israel's four great patriarchs-Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
and Joseph. God's call of Abraham/Abram (ch. 12) and His covenantal dealings with him and
his descendants form the pivotal beginning of the outworking of God's purpose concerning a
Redeemer and redemption in history. Genesis concludes with Joseph's death and the impending
bondage of Israel in Egypt.
Special Features
Seven major features characterize Genesis. (1) It was the first book of the Bible written (with
the possible exception of the book of Job), and it records the beginning of human history, sin,
the Hebrew people and redemption. (2) The history in Genesis spans a larger period of time
than the rest of the Bible combined, beginning with the first human couple, broadening to pre-flood
world history, and then narrowing to Hebrew history as the redemptive stream that is
traced throughout the remainder of the OT. (3) Genesis reveals that the material universe and
life on earth are distinctly God's work and not an independent process of nature. Fifty times in
chs. 1-2 God is the subject of verbs showing what He did as Creator. (4) Genesis is a book of
firsts-recording the first marriage, first family, first birth, first sin, first murder, first polygamist,
first musical instruments, first promise of redemption, and the like. (5) God's covenant with
Abraham, which began with his call (12:1-3), was made formal in ch. 15 and was ratified in
ch.17, is central to all of Scripture. (6) Genesis alone explains the origin of the 12 tribes of Israel.
(7) It reveals how Abraham's descendants ended up in Egypt (for 430 years) and thus sets
the stage for the exodus, the central redemptive event in the OT.
New Testament Fulfillment
Genesis reveals the prophetic history of redemption and a Redeemer as coming through the
offspring of the woman (3:15), through the line of Seth (4:25-26), through the line of Shem
(9:26-27) and through the descendants of Abraham (12:2-3). The NT applies Gen 12:2-3 directly
to God's provision of redemption in Jesus Christ (Gal 3:16, 29). Numerous persons and
events from Genesis are mentioned in the NT in relation to faith and righteousness (e.g., Rom 4;
Heb 11:1-22), God's judgment (e.g., Luke 17:26-29, 32; 2 Pet 3:6; Jude 7, 11a) and the person
of Christ (e.g., Mat 1:1; John 8:58; Heb 7).
Reading Genesis
In order to read the entire Old Testament in one year, the book of Genesis should be read in
21 days, according to the following schedule:
1-2 3-5 6-8 9-11 12-14
15-17 18-19 20-22 23-24 25-26
27-28 29-30 31-33 34-35 36-37
38-39 40-41 42-43 44-45 46-48
49-50
Notes
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
GENESIS 1:1
The creation
1 In the beginning God created
the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without
form, and void; and darkness was
upon the face of the deep. And the
Spirit of God moved upon the face of
the waters.
3 And God said, Let there be
light: and there was light.
4 And God saw the light, that it
was good: and God divided the light
from the darkness.
5 And God called the light Day,
and the darkness he called Night.
And the evening and the morning
were the first day.
6 And God said, Let there be a
firmament in the midst of the waters,
and let it divide the waters from
the waters.
7 And God made the firmament,
and divided the waters which were
under the firmament from the waters
which were above the firmament:
and it was so.
8 And God called the firmament
Heaven. And the evening and the
morning were the second day.
9 And God said, Let the waters
under the heaven be gathered together
unto one place, and let the dryland appear: and it was so.
10 And God called the dry land
Earth; and the gathering together of
the waters called he Seas: and God
saw that it was good.
11 And God said, Let the earth
bring forth grass, the herb yielding
seed, and the fruit tree yielding
fruit after his kind, whose seed is in
itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
12 And the earth brought forth
grass, and herb yielding seed after
his kind, and the tree yielding fruit,
whose seed was in itself, after his
kind: and God saw that it was good.
13 And the evening and the morning
were the third day.
14 And God said, Let there be
lights in the firmament of the heaven
to divide the day from the night;
and let them be for signs, and for
seasons, and for days, and years:
15 And let them be for lights in the
firmament of the heaven to give light
upon the earth: and it was so.
16 And God made two great lights;
the greater light to rule the day,
and the lesser light to rule the
night: he made the stars also.
17 And God set them in the firmament
of the heaven to give light upon
the earth,
18 And to rule over the day and
over the night, and to divide the light
from the darkness: and God saw thatit was good.
19 And the evening and the morning
were the fourth day.
20 And God said, Let the waters
bring forth abundantly the moving
creature that hath life, and fowlthat may fly above the earth in the
open firmament of heaven.
21 And God created great
whales, and every living creature that
moveth, which the waters brought
forth abundantly, after their kind, and
every winged fowl after his kind: and
God saw that it was good.
22 And God blessed them, saying,
Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the
waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply
in the earth.
23 And the evening and the morning
were the fifth day.
24 And God said, Let the earth
bring forth the living creature after
his kind, cattle, and creeping thing,
and beast of the earth after his kind:
and it was so.
25 And God made the beast of the
earth after his kind, and cattle after
their kind, and every thing that
creepeth upon the earth after his
kind: and God saw that it was good.
GENESIS 10:30
30 And their dwelling was from
Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar, a
mount of the east.
31 These are the sons of Shem,
after their families, after their
tongues, in their lands, after their nations.
32 These are the families of the
sons of Noah, after their generations,
in their nations: and by these were
the nations divided in the earth after
the flood.
The tower of Babel
1 And the whole earth was of
one language, and of one
speech.
2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed
from the east, that they
found a plain in the land of Shinar;
and they dwelt there.
3 And they said one to another,
Go to, let us make brick, and burnthem thoroughly. And they had brick
for stone, and slime had they for
morter.
4 And they said, Go to, let us build
us a city and a tower, whose topmay reach unto heaven; and let us
make us a name, lest we be scattered
abroad upon the face of the whole
earth.
5 And the Lord came down to
see the city and the tower, which the
children of men builded.
6 And the Lord said, Behold, the
people is one, and they have all one
language; and this they begin to do:
and now nothing will be restrained
from them, which they have imagined
to do.
7 Go to, let us go down, and
there confound their language, that
they may not understand one another's
speech.
The Spirit in the Old Testament
The Holy Spirit is one of the three persons of the eternal triune God (see Mark 1:11, note; see
article on The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit, p. 1676). Although His full power was not revealed to
God's people until the ministry of Jesus (see article on Jesus and the Holy Spirit, p.
Continues.
Chapter One
The First Book of Moses, Called Genesis
Outline
I. The Beginnings of Human History (1:1-11:26)
A. Origin of the Universe and Life (1:1-2:25)
1. Summary of All Creation (1:1-2:4)
2. Expanded Creation Account of Adam and Eve (2:5-25)
B. Origin of Sin (3:1-24)
1. Temptation and the Fall (3:1-6)
2. Consequences of the Fall (3:7-24)
C. Origins of Civilization (4:1-5:32)
1. Cain: Pagan Culture (4:1-24)
2. Seth: A Righteous Remnant (4:25-26)
3. Genealogical History of the Pre-flood Patriarchs (5:1-32)
D. The Great Flood: God's Judgment on Primeval Civilization (6:1-8:19)
1. Universal Depravity (6:1-8, 11-12)
2. Noah: Preparation to Save a Righteous Remnant (6:9-22)
3. Final Instructions and the Flood (7:1-8:19)
E. Humanity's New Beginning (8:20-11:26)
1. The Posterity of Noah (8:20-10:32, Especially Shem, 10:21-31; 11:10-26)
2. The Tower of Babel (11:1-9)
3. Genealogical Links Between Shem and Abraham (11:10-26)
II. The Beginnings of the Hebrew People (11:27-50:26)
A. Abraham (11:27-25:18)
1. Abram's Family Background (11:27-32)
2. Abram's Call and Journey of Faith (12:1-14:24)
3. God's Formal Covenant With Abram (15:1-21)
4. Hagar and Ishmael (16:1-16)
5. Abrahamic Covenant Sealed by a New Name and Circumcision (17:1-27)
6. Abraham's Promise and Lot's Tragedy (18:1-19:38)
7. Abraham and Abimelech (20:1-18)
8. Abraham and Isaac, the Son of Promise (21:1-24:67)
9. The Posterity of Abraham (25:1-18)
B. Isaac (25:19-28:9)
1. Birth of Esau and Jacob (25:19-26)
2. Esau Sells His Birthright to Jacob (25:27-34)
3. Isaac, Rebekah and Abimelech II (26:1-17)
4. Dispute About Wells and the Move to Beer-sheba (26:18-33)
5. The Patriarchal Blessing (26:34-28:9)
C. Jacob (28:10-37:2a)
1. Jacob's Dream and Journey (28:10-22)
2. Jacob With Laban in Haran (29:1-31:55)
3. Jacob and Esau Reconciled (32:1-33:17)
4. Jacob's Return to the Promised Land (33:18-35:20)
5. The Posterity of Jacob and Esau (35:21-37:2a)
D. Joseph (37:2b-50:26)
1. Joseph and His Brothers in Canaan (37:2b-36)
2. Judah and Tamar (38:1-30)
3. Joseph's Testing and Promotion in Egypt (39:1-41:57)
4. Joseph and His Brothers in Egypt (42:1-45:28)
5. Joseph's Father and Brothers Settle in Egypt (46:1-47:26)
6. Jacob's Last Days, Final Prophecies and Death (47:27-50:14)
7. The Joseph Summary (50:15-26)
Author Moses
Theme Beginnings
Date of Writing c. 1445-1405 B.C.
Background
Genesis appropriately stands as the first book of the OT and serves as an essential introduction
to the whole Bible. The book's title in Hebrew is derived from the first word of the book,
bereshith ("in the beginning"). "Genesis," the title in our English Bible, is derived from the Greek
translation of the Hebrew title and means "the origin, source or beginning of something." Genesis
is "the book of beginnings."
The author of Genesis is nowhere designated in the book itself. The testimony of the rest of
the Bible, however, is that Moses was the author of the entire Pentateuch (i.e., the first five OT
books) and thus of Genesis (e.g., 1 Ki 2:3; 2 Ki 14:6; Ezra 6:18; Neh 13:1; Dan 9:11-13; Mal 4:4;
Mark 12:26; Luke 16:29, 31; John 7:19-23; Acts 26:22; 1 Cor 9:9; 2 Cor 3:15). Also, ancient
Jewish writers and the early church fathers unanimously testify that Moses was the author/editor
of Genesis. Insofar as the entire history of Genesis antedates Moses' life, his role in writing
Genesis was largely to integrate, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, all the available written
and oral records from Adam to the death of Joseph that are now preserved in Genesis. Perhaps
an indication of the historical records used by Moses when writing Genesis is found in the
11 occurrences of the phrase, "these are the generations of" (Heb 'elleh toledoth),which also
may be translated as "these are the histories by" (see 2:4; 5:1; 6:9; 10:1; 11:10, 27; 25:12, 19;
36:1, 9; 37:2).
Genesis accurately records creation, the beginnings of human history, and the origin of the
Hebrew people and God's covenant with them through Abraham and the other patriarchs. Its
historical reliability as inspired Scripture is certified in the NT by the Lord Jesus (Mat 19:4-6;
24:37-39; Luke 11:51; 17:26-32; John 7:21-23; 8:56-58) and by the apostles (Rom 4; 1Cor
15:21-22, 45-47; 2Cor 11:3; Gal 3:8; 4:22-24, 28; 1 Tim 2:13-14; Heb 11:4-22;2 Pet 3:4-6;
Jude 7, 11). Its historicity continues to be confirmed by modern archaeological discoveries.
Moses was remarkably prepared by education (Acts 7:22) and by God to write this unique first
book of the Bible.
Purpose
Genesis provides an essential foundation for the remainder of the Pentateuch and all subsequent
Biblical revelation. It preserves the only trustworthy record about the beginnings of the
universe, humankind, marriage, sin, cities, languages, nations, Israel and redemptive history. It
was written in accordance with God's purpose to give His covenant people in both the OT and
NT a foundational understanding of Himself, creation, the human race, the fall, death, judgment,
covenant and the promise of redemption through the offspring of Abraham.
Survey
Genesis divides naturally into two major parts. (A) Chs.1-11 provide an overview of human
beginnings from Adam to Abraham and focus on five epochal events. (1) Creation: God created
all things, including Adam and Eve whom He placed in the Garden of Eden (chs.1-2). (2) The
Fall: Adam and Eve by their transgression introduced the curse of sin and death into human history
(ch. 3). (3) Cain and Abel: This tragedy set in motion the two basic streams of history: humanistic
civilization and a redemptive remnant (chs. 4-5). (4) The Great Flood: The ancient
world had become so evil by the time of Noah's generation that God destroyed it by a universal
flood, sparing only righteous Noah and his family as a remnant (chs.6-10). (5)The tower of Babel:
When the post-flood world unified in idolatry and rebellion, God dispersed it by fragmenting
language and culture and by scattering the human race throughout the earth (ch. 11).
(B) Chs. 12-50 record the beginnings of the Hebrew people and focus on God's ongoing redemptive
purpose through the lives of Israel's four great patriarchs-Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
and Joseph. God's call of Abraham/Abram (ch. 12) and His covenantal dealings with him and
his descendants form the pivotal beginning of the outworking of God's purpose concerning a
Redeemer and redemption in history. Genesis concludes with Joseph's death and the impending
bondage of Israel in Egypt.
Special Features
Seven major features characterize Genesis. (1) It was the first book of the Bible written (with
the possible exception of the book of Job), and it records the beginning of human history, sin,
the Hebrew people and redemption. (2) The history in Genesis spans a larger period of time
than the rest of the Bible combined, beginning with the first human couple, broadening to pre-flood
world history, and then narrowing to Hebrew history as the redemptive stream that is
traced throughout the remainder of the OT. (3) Genesis reveals that the material universe and
life on earth are distinctly God's work and not an independent process of nature. Fifty times in
chs. 1-2 God is the subject of verbs showing what He did as Creator. (4) Genesis is a book of
firsts-recording the first marriage, first family, first birth, first sin, first murder, first polygamist,
first musical instruments, first promise of redemption, and the like. (5) God's covenant with
Abraham, which began with his call (12:1-3), was made formal in ch. 15 and was ratified in
ch.17, is central to all of Scripture. (6) Genesis alone explains the origin of the 12 tribes of Israel.
(7) It reveals how Abraham's descendants ended up in Egypt (for 430 years) and thus sets
the stage for the exodus, the central redemptive event in the OT.
New Testament Fulfillment
Genesis reveals the prophetic history of redemption and a Redeemer as coming through the
offspring of the woman (3:15), through the line of Seth (4:25-26), through the line of Shem
(9:26-27) and through the descendants of Abraham (12:2-3). The NT applies Gen 12:2-3 directly
to God's provision of redemption in Jesus Christ (Gal 3:16, 29). Numerous persons and
events from Genesis are mentioned in the NT in relation to faith and righteousness (e.g., Rom 4;
Heb 11:1-22), God's judgment (e.g., Luke 17:26-29, 32; 2 Pet 3:6; Jude 7, 11a) and the person
of Christ (e.g., Mat 1:1; John 8:58; Heb 7).
Reading Genesis
In order to read the entire Old Testament in one year, the book of Genesis should be read in
21 days, according to the following schedule:
1-2 3-5 6-8 9-11 12-14
15-17 18-19 20-22 23-24 25-26
27-28 29-30 31-33 34-35 36-37
38-39 40-41 42-43 44-45 46-48
49-50
Notes
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
GENESIS 1:1
The creation
1 In the beginning God created
the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without
form, and void; and darkness was
upon the face of the deep. And the
Spirit of God moved upon the face of
the waters.
3 And God said, Let there be
light: and there was light.
4 And God saw the light, that it
was good: and God divided the light
from the darkness.
5 And God called the light Day,
and the darkness he called Night.
And the evening and the morning
were the first day.
6 And God said, Let there be a
firmament in the midst of the waters,
and let it divide the waters from
the waters.
7 And God made the firmament,
and divided the waters which were
under the firmament from the waters
which were above the firmament:
and it was so.
8 And God called the firmament
Heaven. And the evening and the
morning were the second day.
9 And God said, Let the waters
under the heaven be gathered together
unto one place, and let the dryland appear: and it was so.
10 And God called the dry land
Earth; and the gathering together of
the waters called he Seas: and God
saw that it was good.
11 And God said, Let the earth
bring forth grass, the herb yielding
seed, and the fruit tree yielding
fruit after his kind, whose seed is in
itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
12 And the earth brought forth
grass, and herb yielding seed after
his kind, and the tree yielding fruit,
whose seed was in itself, after his
kind: and God saw that it was good.
13 And the evening and the morning
were the third day.
14 And God said, Let there be
lights in the firmament of the heaven
to divide the day from the night;
and let them be for signs, and for
seasons, and for days, and years:
15 And let them be for lights in the
firmament of the heaven to give light
upon the earth: and it was so.
16 And God made two great lights;
the greater light to rule the day,
and the lesser light to rule the
night: he made the stars also.
17 And God set them in the firmament
of the heaven to give light upon
the earth,
18 And to rule over the day and
over the night, and to divide the light
from the darkness: and God saw thatit was good.
19 And the evening and the morning
were the fourth day.
20 And God said, Let the waters
bring forth abundantly the moving
creature that hath life, and fowlthat may fly above the earth in the
open firmament of heaven.
21 And God created great
whales, and every living creature that
moveth, which the waters brought
forth abundantly, after their kind, and
every winged fowl after his kind: and
God saw that it was good.
22 And God blessed them, saying,
Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the
waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply
in the earth.
23 And the evening and the morning
were the fifth day.
24 And God said, Let the earth
bring forth the living creature after
his kind, cattle, and creeping thing,
and beast of the earth after his kind:
and it was so.
25 And God made the beast of the
earth after his kind, and cattle after
their kind, and every thing that
creepeth upon the earth after his
kind: and God saw that it was good.
GENESIS 10:30
30 And their dwelling was from
Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar, a
mount of the east.
31 These are the sons of Shem,
after their families, after their
tongues, in their lands, after their nations.
32 These are the families of the
sons of Noah, after their generations,
in their nations: and by these were
the nations divided in the earth after
the flood.
The tower of Babel
1 And the whole earth was of
one language, and of one
speech.
2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed
from the east, that they
found a plain in the land of Shinar;
and they dwelt there.
3 And they said one to another,
Go to, let us make brick, and burnthem thoroughly. And they had brick
for stone, and slime had they for
morter.
4 And they said, Go to, let us build
us a city and a tower, whose topmay reach unto heaven; and let us
make us a name, lest we be scattered
abroad upon the face of the whole
earth.
5 And the Lord came down to
see the city and the tower, which the
children of men builded.
6 And the Lord said, Behold, the
people is one, and they have all one
language; and this they begin to do:
and now nothing will be restrained
from them, which they have imagined
to do.
7 Go to, let us go down, and
there confound their language, that
they may not understand one another's
speech.
The Spirit in the Old Testament
The Holy Spirit is one of the three persons of the eternal triune God (see Mark 1:11, note; see
article on The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit, p. 1676). Although His full power was not revealed to
God's people until the ministry of Jesus (see article on Jesus and the Holy Spirit, p.
Continues.
Chapter One
The First Book of Moses, Called Genesis
Outline
I. The Beginnings of Human History (1:1-11:26)
A. Origin of the Universe and Life (1:1-2:25)
1. Summary of All Creation (1:1-2:4)
2. Expanded Creation Account of Adam and Eve (2:5-25)
B. Origin of Sin (3:1-24)
1. Temptation and the Fall (3:1-6)
2. Consequences of the Fall (3:7-24)
C. Origins of Civilization (4:1-5:32)
1. Cain: Pagan Culture (4:1-24)
2. Seth: A Righteous Remnant (4:25-26)
3. Genealogical History of the Pre-flood Patriarchs (5:1-32)
D. The Great Flood: God's Judgment on Primeval Civilization (6:1-8:19)
1. Universal Depravity (6:1-8, 11-12)
2. Noah: Preparation to Save a Righteous Remnant (6:9-22)
3. Final Instructions and the Flood (7:1-8:19)
E. Humanity's New Beginning (8:20-11:26)
1. The Posterity of Noah (8:20-10:32, Especially Shem, 10:21-31; 11:10-26)
2. The Tower of Babel (11:1-9)
3. Genealogical Links Between Shem and Abraham (11:10-26)
II. The Beginnings of the Hebrew People (11:27-50:26)
A. Abraham (11:27-25:18)
1. Abram's Family Background (11:27-32)
2. Abram's Call and Journey of Faith (12:1-14:24)
3. God's Formal Covenant With Abram (15:1-21)
4. Hagar and Ishmael (16:1-16)
5. Abrahamic Covenant Sealed by a New Name and Circumcision (17:1-27)
6. Abraham's Promise and Lot's Tragedy (18:1-19:38)
7. Abraham and Abimelech (20:1-18)
8. Abraham and Isaac, the Son of Promise (21:1-24:67)
9. The Posterity of Abraham (25:1-18)
B. Isaac (25:19-28:9)
1. Birth of Esau and Jacob (25:19-26)
2. Esau Sells His Birthright to Jacob (25:27-34)
3. Isaac, Rebekah and Abimelech II (26:1-17)
4. Dispute About Wells and the Move to Beer-sheba (26:18-33)
5. The Patriarchal Blessing (26:34-28:9)
C. Jacob (28:10-37:2a)
1. Jacob's Dream and Journey (28:10-22)
2. Jacob With Laban in Haran (29:1-31:55)
3. Jacob and Esau Reconciled (32:1-33:17)
4. Jacob's Return to the Promised Land (33:18-35:20)
5. The Posterity of Jacob and Esau (35:21-37:2a)
D. Joseph (37:2b-50:26)
1. Joseph and His Brothers in Canaan (37:2b-36)
2. Judah and Tamar (38:1-30)
3. Joseph's Testing and Promotion in Egypt (39:1-41:57)
4. Joseph and His Brothers in Egypt (42:1-45:28)
5. Joseph's Father and Brothers Settle in Egypt (46:1-47:26)
6. Jacob's Last Days, Final Prophecies and Death (47:27-50:14)
7. The Joseph Summary (50:15-26)
Author Moses
Theme Beginnings
Date of Writing c. 1445-1405 B.C.
Background
Genesis appropriately stands as the first book of the OT and serves as an essential introduction
to the whole Bible. The book's title in Hebrew is derived from the first word of the book,
bereshith ("in the beginning"). "Genesis," the title in our English Bible, is derived from the Greek
translation of the Hebrew title and means "the origin, source or beginning of something." Genesis
is "the book of beginnings."
The author of Genesis is nowhere designated in the book itself. The testimony of the rest of
the Bible, however, is that Moses was the author of the entire Pentateuch (i.e., the first five OT
books) and thus of Genesis (e.g., 1 Ki 2:3; 2 Ki 14:6; Ezra 6:18; Neh 13:1; Dan 9:11-13; Mal 4:4;
Mark 12:26; Luke 16:29, 31; John 7:19-23; Acts 26:22; 1 Cor 9:9; 2 Cor 3:15). Also, ancient
Jewish writers and the early church fathers unanimously testify that Moses was the author/editor
of Genesis. Insofar as the entire history of Genesis antedates Moses' life, his role in writing
Genesis was largely to integrate, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, all the available written
and oral records from Adam to the death of Joseph that are now preserved in Genesis. Perhaps
an indication of the historical records used by Moses when writing Genesis is found in the
11 occurrences of the phrase, "these are the generations of" (Heb 'elleh toledoth),which also
may be translated as "these are the histories by" (see 2:4; 5:1; 6:9; 10:1; 11:10, 27; 25:12, 19;
36:1, 9; 37:2).
Genesis accurately records creation, the beginnings of human history, and the origin of the
Hebrew people and God's covenant with them through Abraham and the other patriarchs. Its
historical reliability as inspired Scripture is certified in the NT by the Lord Jesus (Mat 19:4-6;
24:37-39; Luke 11:51; 17:26-32; John 7:21-23; 8:56-58) and by the apostles (Rom 4; 1Cor
15:21-22, 45-47; 2Cor 11:3; Gal 3:8; 4:22-24, 28; 1 Tim 2:13-14; Heb 11:4-22;2 Pet 3:4-6;
Jude 7, 11). Its historicity continues to be confirmed by modern archaeological discoveries.
Moses was remarkably prepared by education (Acts 7:22) and by God to write this unique first
book of the Bible.
Purpose
Genesis provides an essential foundation for the remainder of the Pentateuch and all subsequent
Biblical revelation. It preserves the only trustworthy record about the beginnings of the
universe, humankind, marriage, sin, cities, languages, nations, Israel and redemptive history. It
was written in accordance with God's purpose to give His covenant people in both the OT and
NT a foundational understanding of Himself, creation, the human race, the fall, death, judgment,
covenant and the promise of redemption through the offspring of Abraham.
Survey
Genesis divides naturally into two major parts. (A) Chs.1-11 provide an overview of human
beginnings from Adam to Abraham and focus on five epochal events. (1) Creation: God created
all things, including Adam and Eve whom He placed in the Garden of Eden (chs.1-2). (2) The
Fall: Adam and Eve by their transgression introduced the curse of sin and death into human history
(ch. 3). (3) Cain and Abel: This tragedy set in motion the two basic streams of history: humanistic
civilization and a redemptive remnant (chs. 4-5). (4) The Great Flood: The ancient
world had become so evil by the time of Noah's generation that God destroyed it by a universal
flood, sparing only righteous Noah and his family as a remnant (chs.6-10). (5)The tower of Babel:
When the post-flood world unified in idolatry and rebellion, God dispersed it by fragmenting
language and culture and by scattering the human race throughout the earth (ch. 11).
(B) Chs. 12-50 record the beginnings of the Hebrew people and focus on God's ongoing redemptive
purpose through the lives of Israel's four great patriarchs-Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
and Joseph. God's call of Abraham/Abram (ch. 12) and His covenantal dealings with him and
his descendants form the pivotal beginning of the outworking of God's purpose concerning a
Redeemer and redemption in history. Genesis concludes with Joseph's death and the impending
bondage of Israel in Egypt.
Special Features
Seven major features characterize Genesis. (1) It was the first book of the Bible written (with
the possible exception of the book of Job), and it records the beginning of human history, sin,
the Hebrew people and redemption. (2) The history in Genesis spans a larger period of time
than the rest of the Bible combined, beginning with the first human couple, broadening to pre-flood
world history, and then narrowing to Hebrew history as the redemptive stream that is
traced throughout the remainder of the OT. (3) Genesis reveals that the material universe and
life on earth are distinctly God's work and not an independent process of nature. Fifty times in
chs. 1-2 God is the subject of verbs showing what He did as Creator. (4) Genesis is a book of
firsts-recording the first marriage, first family, first birth, first sin, first murder, first polygamist,
first musical instruments, first promise of redemption, and the like. (5) God's covenant with
Abraham, which began with his call (12:1-3), was made formal in ch. 15 and was ratified in
ch.17, is central to all of Scripture. (6) Genesis alone explains the origin of the 12 tribes of Israel.
(7) It reveals how Abraham's descendants ended up in Egypt (for 430 years) and thus sets
the stage for the exodus, the central redemptive event in the OT.
New Testament Fulfillment
Genesis reveals the prophetic history of redemption and a Redeemer as coming through the
offspring of the woman (3:15), through the line of Seth (4:25-26), through the line of Shem
(9:26-27) and through the descendants of Abraham (12:2-3). The NT applies Gen 12:2-3 directly
to God's provision of redemption in Jesus Christ (Gal 3:16, 29). Numerous persons and
events from Genesis are mentioned in the NT in relation to faith and righteousness (e.g., Rom 4;
Heb 11:1-22), God's judgment (e.g., Luke 17:26-29, 32; 2 Pet 3:6; Jude 7, 11a) and the person
of Christ (e.g., Mat 1:1; John 8:58; Heb 7).
Reading Genesis
In order to read the entire Old Testament in one year, the book of Genesis should be read in
21 days, according to the following schedule:
1-2 3-5 6-8 9-11 12-14
15-17 18-19 20-22 23-24 25-26
27-28 29-30 31-33 34-35 36-37
38-39 40-41 42-43 44-45 46-48
49-50
Notes
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
GENESIS 1:1
The creation
1 In the beginning God created
the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without
form, and void; and darkness was
upon the face of the deep. And the
Spirit of God moved upon the face of
the waters.
3 And God said, Let there be
light: and there was light.
4 And God saw the light, that it
was good: and God divided the light
from the darkness.
5 And God called the light Day,
and the darkness he called Night.
And the evening and the morning
were the first day.
6 And God said, Let there be a
firmament in the midst of the waters,
and let it divide the waters from
the waters.
7 And God made the firmament,
and divided the waters which were
under the firmament from the waters
which were above the firmament:
and it was so.
8 And God called the firmament
Heaven. And the evening and the
morning were the second day.
9 And God said, Let the waters
under the heaven be gathered together
unto one place, and let the dryland appear: and it was so.
10 And God called the dry land
Earth; and the gathering together of
the waters called he Seas: and God
saw that it was good.
11 And God said, Let the earth
bring forth grass, the herb yielding
seed, and the fruit tree yielding
fruit after his kind, whose seed is in
itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
12 And the earth brought forth
grass, and herb yielding seed after
his kind, and the tree yielding fruit,
whose seed was in itself, after his
kind: and God saw that it was good.
13 And the evening and the morning
were the third day.
14 And God said, Let there be
lights in the firmament of the heaven
to divide the day from the night;
and let them be for signs, and for
seasons, and for days, and years:
15 And let them be for lights in the
firmament of the heaven to give light
upon the earth: and it was so.
16 And God made two great lights;
the greater light to rule the day,
and the lesser light to rule the
night: he made the stars also.
17 And God set them in the firmament
of the heaven to give light upon
the earth,
18 And to rule over the day and
over the night, and to divide the light
from the darkness: and God saw thatit was good.
19 And the evening and the morning
were the fourth day.
20 And God said, Let the waters
bring forth abundantly the moving
creature that hath life, and fowlthat may fly above the earth in the
open firmament of heaven.
21 And God created great
whales, and every living creature that
moveth, which the waters brought
forth abundantly, after their kind, and
every winged fowl after his kind: and
God saw that it was good.
22 And God blessed them, saying,
Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the
waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply
in the earth.
23 And the evening and the morning
were the fifth day.
24 And God said, Let the earth
bring forth the living creature after
his kind, cattle, and creeping thing,
and beast of the earth after his kind:
and it was so.
25 And God made the beast of the
earth after his kind, and cattle after
their kind, and every thing that
creepeth upon the earth after his
kind: and God saw that it was good.
GENESIS 10:30
30 And their dwelling was from
Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar, a
mount of the east.
31 These are the sons of Shem,
after their families, after their
tongues, in their lands, after their nations.
32 These are the families of the
sons of Noah, after their generations,
in their nations: and by these were
the nations divided in the earth after
the flood.
The tower of Babel
1 And the whole earth was of
one language, and of one
speech.
2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed
from the east, that they
found a plain in the land of Shinar;
and they dwelt there.
3 And they said one to another,
Go to, let us make brick, and burnthem thoroughly. And they had brick
for stone, and slime had they for
morter.
4 And they said, Go to, let us build
us a city and a tower, whose topmay reach unto heaven; and let us
make us a name, lest we be scattered
abroad upon the face of the whole
earth.
5 And the Lord came down to
see the city and the tower, which the
children of men builded.
6 And the Lord said, Behold, the
people is one, and they have all one
language; and this they begin to do:
and now nothing will be restrained
from them, which they have imagined
to do.
7 Go to, let us go down, and
there confound their language, that
they may not understand one another's
speech.
The Spirit in the Old Testament
The Holy Spirit is one of the three persons of the eternal triune God (see Mark 1:11, note; see
article on The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit, p. 1676). Although His full power was not revealed to
God's people until the ministry of Jesus (see article on Jesus and the Holy Spirit, p.
Continues.
Chapter One
The First Book of Moses, Called Genesis
Outline
I. The Beginnings of Human History (1:1-11:26)
A. Origin of the Universe and Life (1:1-2:25)
1. Summary of All Creation (1:1-2:4)
2. Expanded Creation Account of Adam and Eve (2:5-25)
B. Origin of Sin (3:1-24)
1. Temptation and the Fall (3:1-6)
2. Consequences of the Fall (3:7-24)
C. Origins of Civilization (4:1-5:32)
1. Cain: Pagan Culture (4:1-24)
2. Seth: A Righteous Remnant (4:25-26)
3. Genealogical History of the Pre-flood Patriarchs (5:1-32)
D. The Great Flood: God's Judgment on Primeval Civilization (6:1-8:19)
1. Universal Depravity (6:1-8, 11-12)
2. Noah: Preparation to Save a Righteous Remnant (6:9-22)
3. Final Instructions and the Flood (7:1-8:19)
E. Humanity's New Beginning (8:20-11:26)
1. The Posterity of Noah (8:20-10:32, Especially Shem, 10:21-31; 11:10-26)
2. The Tower of Babel (11:1-9)
3. Genealogical Links Between Shem and Abraham (11:10-26)
II. The Beginnings of the Hebrew People (11:27-50:26)
A. Abraham (11:27-25:18)
1. Abram's Family Background (11:27-32)
2. Abram's Call and Journey of Faith (12:1-14:24)
3. God's Formal Covenant With Abram (15:1-21)
4. Hagar and Ishmael (16:1-16)
5. Abrahamic Covenant Sealed by a New Name and Circumcision (17:1-27)
6. Abraham's Promise and Lot's Tragedy (18:1-19:38)
7. Abraham and Abimelech (20:1-18)
8. Abraham and Isaac, the Son of Promise (21:1-24:67)
9. The Posterity of Abraham (25:1-18)
B. Isaac (25:19-28:9)
1. Birth of Esau and Jacob (25:19-26)
2. Esau Sells His Birthright to Jacob (25:27-34)
3. Isaac, Rebekah and Abimelech II (26:1-17)
4. Dispute About Wells and the Move to Beer-sheba (26:18-33)
5. The Patriarchal Blessing (26:34-28:9)
C. Jacob (28:10-37:2a)
1. Jacob's Dream and Journey (28:10-22)
2. Jacob With Laban in Haran (29:1-31:55)
3. Jacob and Esau Reconciled (32:1-33:17)
4. Jacob's Return to the Promised Land (33:18-35:20)
5. The Posterity of Jacob and Esau (35:21-37:2a)
D. Joseph (37:2b-50:26)
1. Joseph and His Brothers in Canaan (37:2b-36)
2. Judah and Tamar (38:1-30)
3. Joseph's Testing and Promotion in Egypt (39:1-41:57)
4. Joseph and His Brothers in Egypt (42:1-45:28)
5. Joseph's Father and Brothers Settle in Egypt (46:1-47:26)
6. Jacob's Last Days, Final Prophecies and Death (47:27-50:14)
7. The Joseph Summary (50:15-26)
Author Moses
Theme Beginnings
Date of Writing c. 1445-1405 B.C.
Background
Genesis appropriately stands as the first book of the OT and serves as an essential introduction
to the whole Bible. The book's title in Hebrew is derived from the first word of the book,
bereshith ("in the beginning"). "Genesis," the title in our English Bible, is derived from the Greek
translation of the Hebrew title and means "the origin, source or beginning of something." Genesis
is "the book of beginnings."
The author of Genesis is nowhere designated in the book itself. The testimony of the rest of
the Bible, however, is that Moses was the author of the entire Pentateuch (i.e., the first five OT
books) and thus of Genesis (e.g., 1 Ki 2:3; 2 Ki 14:6; Ezra 6:18; Neh 13:1; Dan 9:11-13; Mal 4:4;
Mark 12:26; Luke 16:29, 31; John 7:19-23; Acts 26:22; 1 Cor 9:9; 2 Cor 3:15). Also, ancient
Jewish writers and the early church fathers unanimously testify that Moses was the author/editor
of Genesis. Insofar as the entire history of Genesis antedates Moses' life, his role in writing
Genesis was largely to integrate, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, all the available written
and oral records from Adam to the death of Joseph that are now preserved in Genesis. Perhaps
an indication of the historical records used by Moses when writing Genesis is found in the
11 occurrences of the phrase, "these are the generations of" (Heb 'elleh toledoth),which also
may be translated as "these are the histories by" (see 2:4; 5:1; 6:9; 10:1; 11:10, 27; 25:12, 19;
36:1, 9; 37:2).
Genesis accurately records creation, the beginnings of human history, and the origin of the
Hebrew people and God's covenant with them through Abraham and the other patriarchs. Its
historical reliability as inspired Scripture is certified in the NT by the Lord Jesus (Mat 19:4-6;
24:37-39; Luke 11:51; 17:26-32; John 7:21-23; 8:56-58) and by the apostles (Rom 4; 1Cor
15:21-22, 45-47; 2Cor 11:3; Gal 3:8; 4:22-24, 28; 1 Tim 2:13-14; Heb 11:4-22;2 Pet 3:4-6;
Jude 7, 11). Its historicity continues to be confirmed by modern archaeological discoveries.
Moses was remarkably prepared by education (Acts 7:22) and by God to write this unique first
book of the Bible.
Purpose
Genesis provides an essential foundation for the remainder of the Pentateuch and all subsequent
Biblical revelation. It preserves the only trustworthy record about the beginnings of the
universe, humankind, marriage, sin, cities, languages, nations, Israel and redemptive history. It
was written in accordance with God's purpose to give His covenant people in both the OT and
NT a foundational understanding of Himself, creation, the human race, the fall, death, judgment,
covenant and the promise of redemption through the offspring of Abraham.
Survey
Genesis divides naturally into two major parts. (A) Chs.1-11 provide an overview of human
beginnings from Adam to Abraham and focus on five epochal events. (1) Creation: God created
all things, including Adam and Eve whom He placed in the Garden of Eden (chs.1-2). (2) The
Fall: Adam and Eve by their transgression introduced the curse of sin and death into human history
(ch. 3). (3) Cain and Abel: This tragedy set in motion the two basic streams of history: humanistic
civilization and a redemptive remnant (chs. 4-5). (4) The Great Flood: The ancient
world had become so evil by the time of Noah's generation that God destroyed it by a universal
flood, sparing only righteous Noah and his family as a remnant (chs.6-10). (5)The tower of Babel:
When the post-flood world unified in idolatry and rebellion, God dispersed it by fragmenting
language and culture and by scattering the human race throughout the earth (ch. 11).
(B) Chs. 12-50 record the beginnings of the Hebrew people and focus on God's ongoing redemptive
purpose through the lives of Israel's four great patriarchs-Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
and Joseph. God's call of Abraham/Abram (ch. 12) and His covenantal dealings with him and
his descendants form the pivotal beginning of the outworking of God's purpose concerning a
Redeemer and redemption in history. Genesis concludes with Joseph's death and the impending
bondage of Israel in Egypt.
Special Features
Seven major features characterize Genesis. (1) It was the first book of the Bible written (with
the possible exception of the book of Job), and it records the beginning of human history, sin,
the Hebrew people and redemption. (2) The history in Genesis spans a larger period of time
than the rest of the Bible combined, beginning with the first human couple, broadening to pre-flood
world history, and then narrowing to Hebrew history as the redemptive stream that is
traced throughout the remainder of the OT. (3) Genesis reveals that the material universe and
life on earth are distinctly God's work and not an independent process of nature. Fifty times in
chs. 1-2 God is the subject of verbs showing what He did as Creator. (4) Genesis is a book of
firsts-recording the first marriage, first family, first birth, first sin, first murder, first polygamist,
first musical instruments, first promise of redemption, and the like. (5) God's covenant with
Abraham, which began with his call (12:1-3), was made formal in ch. 15 and was ratified in
ch.17, is central to all of Scripture. (6) Genesis alone explains the origin of the 12 tribes of Israel.
(7) It reveals how Abraham's descendants ended up in Egypt (for 430 years) and thus sets
the stage for the exodus, the central redemptive event in the OT.
New Testament Fulfillment
Genesis reveals the prophetic history of redemption and a Redeemer as coming through the
offspring of the woman (3:15), through the line of Seth (4:25-26), through the line of Shem
(9:26-27) and through the descendants of Abraham (12:2-3). The NT applies Gen 12:2-3 directly
to God's provision of redemption in Jesus Christ (Gal 3:16, 29). Numerous persons and
events from Genesis are mentioned in the NT in relation to faith and righteousness (e.g., Rom 4;
Heb 11:1-22), God's judgment (e.g., Luke 17:26-29, 32; 2 Pet 3:6; Jude 7, 11a) and the person
of Christ (e.g., Mat 1:1; John 8:58; Heb 7).
Reading Genesis
In order to read the entire Old Testament in one year, the book of Genesis should be read in
21 days, according to the following schedule:
1-2 3-5 6-8 9-11 12-14
15-17 18-19 20-22 23-24 25-26
27-28 29-30 31-33 34-35 36-37
38-39 40-41 42-43 44-45 46-48
49-50
Notes
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
GENESIS 1:1
The creation
1 In the beginning God created
the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without
form, and void; and darkness was
upon the face of the deep. And the
Spirit of God moved upon the face of
the waters.
3 And God said, Let there be
light: and there was light.
4 And God saw the light, that it
was good: and God divided the light
from the darkness.
5 And God called the light Day,
and the darkness he called Night.
And the evening and the morning
were the first day.
6 And God said, Let there be a
firmament in the midst of the waters,
and let it divide the waters from
the waters.
7 And God made the firmament,
and divided the waters which were
under the firmament from the waters
which were above the firmament:
and it was so.
8 And God called the firmament
Heaven. And the evening and the
morning were the second day.
9 And God said, Let the waters
under the heaven be gathered together
unto one place, and let the dryland appear: and it was so.
10 And God called the dry land
Earth; and the gathering together of
the waters called he Seas: and God
saw that it was good.
11 And God said, Let the earth
bring forth grass, the herb yielding
seed, and the fruit tree yielding
fruit after his kind, whose seed is in
itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
12 And the earth brought forth
grass, and herb yielding seed after
his kind, and the tree yielding fruit,
whose seed was in itself, after his
kind: and God saw that it was good.
13 And the evening and the morning
were the third day.
14 And God said, Let there be
lights in the firmament of the heaven
to divide the day from the night;
and let them be for signs, and for
seasons, and for days, and years:
15 And let them be for lights in the
firmament of the heaven to give light
upon the earth: and it was so.
16 And God made two great lights;
the greater light to rule the day,
and the lesser light to rule the
night: he made the stars also.
17 And God set them in the firmament
of the heaven to give light upon
the earth,
18 And to rule over the day and
over the night, and to divide the light
from the darkness: and God saw thatit was good.
19 And the evening and the morning
were the fourth day.
20 And God said, Let the waters
bring forth abundantly the moving
creature that hath life, and fowlthat may fly above the earth in the
open firmament of heaven.
21 And God created great
whales, and every living creature that
moveth, which the waters brought
forth abundantly, after their kind, and
every winged fowl after his kind: and
God saw that it was good.
22 And God blessed them, saying,
Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the
waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply
in the earth.
23 And the evening and the morning
were the fifth day.
24 And God said, Let the earth
bring forth the living creature after
his kind, cattle, and creeping thing,
and beast of the earth after his kind:
and it was so.
25 And God made the beast of the
earth after his kind, and cattle after
their kind, and every thing that
creepeth upon the earth after his
kind: and God saw that it was good.
GENESIS 10:30
30 And their dwelling was from
Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar, a
mount of the east.
31 These are the sons of Shem,
after their families, after their
tongues, in their lands, after their nations.
32 These are the families of the
sons of Noah, after their generations,
in their nations: and by these were
the nations divided in the earth after
the flood.
The tower of Babel
1 And the whole earth was of
one language, and of one
speech.
2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed
from the east, that they
found a plain in the land of Shinar;
and they dwelt there.
3 And they said one to another,
Go to, let us make brick, and burnthem thoroughly. And they had brick
for stone, and slime had they for
morter.
4 And they said, Go to, let us build
us a city and a tower, whose topmay reach unto heaven; and let us
make us a name, lest we be scattered
abroad upon the face of the whole
earth.
5 And the Lord came down to
see the city and the tower, which the
children of men builded.
6 And the Lord said, Behold, the
people is one, and they have all one
language; and this they begin to do:
and now nothing will be restrained
from them, which they have imagined
to do.
7 Go to, let us go down, and
there confound their language, that
they may not understand one another's
speech.
The Spirit in the Old Testament
The Holy Spirit is one of the three persons of the eternal triune God (see Mark 1:11, note; see
article on The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit, p. 1676). Although His full power was not revealed to
God's people until the ministry of Jesus (see article on Jesus and the Holy Spirit, p.
Continues.
Chapter One
The First Book of Moses, Called Genesis
Outline
I. The Beginnings of Human History (1:1-11:26)
A. Origin of the Universe and Life (1:1-2:25)
1. Summary of All Creation (1:1-2:4)
2. Expanded Creation Account of Adam and Eve (2:5-25)
B. Origin of Sin (3:1-24)
1. Temptation and the Fall (3:1-6)
2. Consequences of the Fall (3:7-24)
C. Origins of Civilization (4:1-5:32)
1. Cain: Pagan Culture (4:1-24)
2. Seth: A Righteous Remnant (4:25-26)
3. Genealogical History of the Pre-flood Patriarchs (5:1-32)
D. The Great Flood: God's Judgment on Primeval Civilization (6:1-8:19)
1. Universal Depravity (6:1-8, 11-12)
2. Noah: Preparation to Save a Righteous Remnant (6:9-22)
3. Final Instructions and the Flood (7:1-8:19)
E. Humanity's New Beginning (8:20-11:26)
1. The Posterity of Noah (8:20-10:32, Especially Shem, 10:21-31; 11:10-26)
2. The Tower of Babel (11:1-9)
3. Genealogical Links Between Shem and Abraham (11:10-26)
II. The Beginnings of the Hebrew People (11:27-50:26)
A. Abraham (11:27-25:18)
1. Abram's Family Background (11:27-32)
2. Abram's Call and Journey of Faith (12:1-14:24)
3. God's Formal Covenant With Abram (15:1-21)
4. Hagar and Ishmael (16:1-16)
5. Abrahamic Covenant Sealed by a New Name and Circumcision (17:1-27)
6. Abraham's Promise and Lot's Tragedy (18:1-19:38)
7. Abraham and Abimelech (20:1-18)
8. Abraham and Isaac, the Son of Promise (21:1-24:67)
9. The Posterity of Abraham (25:1-18)
B. Isaac (25:19-28:9)
1. Birth of Esau and Jacob (25:19-26)
2. Esau Sells His Birthright to Jacob (25:27-34)
3. Isaac, Rebekah and Abimelech II (26:1-17)
4. Dispute About Wells and the Move to Beer-sheba (26:18-33)
5. The Patriarchal Blessing (26:34-28:9)
C. Jacob (28:10-37:2a)
1. Jacob's Dream and Journey (28:10-22)
2. Jacob With Laban in Haran (29:1-31:55)
3. Jacob and Esau Reconciled (32:1-33:17)
4. Jacob's Return to the Promised Land (33:18-35:20)
5. The Posterity of Jacob and Esau (35:21-37:2a)
D. Joseph (37:2b-50:26)
1. Joseph and His Brothers in Canaan (37:2b-36)
2. Judah and Tamar (38:1-30)
3. Joseph's Testing and Promotion in Egypt (39:1-41:57)
4. Joseph and His Brothers in Egypt (42:1-45:28)
5. Joseph's Father and Brothers Settle in Egypt (46:1-47:26)
6. Jacob's Last Days, Final Prophecies and Death (47:27-50:14)
7. The Joseph Summary (50:15-26)
Author Moses
Theme Beginnings
Date of Writing c. 1445-1405 B.C.
Background
Genesis appropriately stands as the first book of the OT and serves as an essential introduction
to the whole Bible. The book's title in Hebrew is derived from the first word of the book,
bereshith ("in the beginning"). "Genesis," the title in our English Bible, is derived from the Greek
translation of the Hebrew title and means "the origin, source or beginning of something." Genesis
is "the book of beginnings."
The author of Genesis is nowhere designated in the book itself. The testimony of the rest of
the Bible, however, is that Moses was the author of the entire Pentateuch (i.e., the first five OT
books) and thus of Genesis (e.g., 1 Ki 2:3; 2 Ki 14:6; Ezra 6:18; Neh 13:1; Dan 9:11-13; Mal 4:4;
Mark 12:26; Luke 16:29, 31; John 7:19-23; Acts 26:22; 1 Cor 9:9; 2 Cor 3:15). Also, ancient
Jewish writers and the early church fathers unanimously testify that Moses was the author/editor
of Genesis. Insofar as the entire history of Genesis antedates Moses' life, his role in writing
Genesis was largely to integrate, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, all the available written
and oral records from Adam to the death of Joseph that are now preserved in Genesis. Perhaps
an indication of the historical records used by Moses when writing Genesis is found in the
11 occurrences of the phrase, "these are the generations of" (Heb 'elleh toledoth),which also
may be translated as "these are the histories by" (see 2:4; 5:1; 6:9; 10:1; 11:10, 27; 25:12, 19;
36:1, 9; 37:2).
Genesis accurately records creation, the beginnings of human history, and the origin of the
Hebrew people and God's covenant with them through Abraham and the other patriarchs. Its
historical reliability as inspired Scripture is certified in the NT by the Lord Jesus (Mat 19:4-6;
24:37-39; Luke 11:51; 17:26-32; John 7:21-23; 8:56-58) and by the apostles (Rom 4; 1Cor
15:21-22, 45-47; 2Cor 11:3; Gal 3:8; 4:22-24, 28; 1 Tim 2:13-14; Heb 11:4-22;2 Pet 3:4-6;
Jude 7, 11). Its historicity continues to be confirmed by modern archaeological discoveries.
Moses was remarkably prepared by education (Acts 7:22) and by God to write this unique first
book of the Bible.
Purpose
Genesis provides an essential foundation for the remainder of the Pentateuch and all subsequent
Biblical revelation. It preserves the only trustworthy record about the beginnings of the
universe, humankind, marriage, sin, cities, languages, nations, Israel and redemptive history. It
was written in accordance with God's purpose to give His covenant people in both the OT and
NT a foundational understanding of Himself, creation, the human race, the fall, death, judgment,
covenant and the promise of redemption through the offspring of Abraham.
Survey
Genesis divides naturally into two major parts. (A) Chs.1-11 provide an overview of human
beginnings from Adam to Abraham and focus on five epochal events. (1) Creation: God created
all things, including Adam and Eve whom He placed in the Garden of Eden (chs.1-2). (2) The
Fall: Adam and Eve by their transgression introduced the curse of sin and death into human history
(ch. 3). (3) Cain and Abel: This tragedy set in motion the two basic streams of history: humanistic
civilization and a redemptive remnant (chs. 4-5). (4) The Great Flood: The ancient
world had become so evil by the time of Noah's generation that God destroyed it by a universal
flood, sparing only righteous Noah and his family as a remnant (chs.6-10). (5)The tower of Babel:
When the post-flood world unified in idolatry and rebellion, God dispersed it by fragmenting
language and culture and by scattering the human race throughout the earth (ch. 11).
(B) Chs. 12-50 record the beginnings of the Hebrew people and focus on God's ongoing redemptive
purpose through the lives of Israel's four great patriarchs-Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
and Joseph. God's call of Abraham/Abram (ch. 12) and His covenantal dealings with him and
his descendants form the pivotal beginning of the outworking of God's purpose concerning a
Redeemer and redemption in history. Genesis concludes with Joseph's death and the impending
bondage of Israel in Egypt.
Special Features
Seven major features characterize Genesis. (1) It was the first book of the Bible written (with
the possible exception of the book of Job), and it records the beginning of human history, sin,
the Hebrew people and redemption. (2) The history in Genesis spans a larger period of time
than the rest of the Bible combined, beginning with the first human couple, broadening to pre-flood
world history, and then narrowing to Hebrew history as the redemptive stream that is
traced throughout the remainder of the OT. (3) Genesis reveals that the material universe and
life on earth are distinctly God's work and not an independent process of nature. Fifty times in
chs. 1-2 God is the subject of verbs showing what He did as Creator. (4) Genesis is a book of
firsts-recording the first marriage, first family, first birth, first sin, first murder, first polygamist,
first musical instruments, first promise of redemption, and the like. (5) God's covenant with
Abraham, which began with his call (12:1-3), was made formal in ch. 15 and was ratified in
ch.17, is central to all of Scripture. (6) Genesis alone explains the origin of the 12 tribes of Israel.
(7) It reveals how Abraham's descendants ended up in Egypt (for 430 years) and thus sets
the stage for the exodus, the central redemptive event in the OT.
New Testament Fulfillment
Genesis reveals the prophetic history of redemption and a Redeemer as coming through the
offspring of the woman (3:15), through the line of Seth (4:25-26), through the line of Shem
(9:26-27) and through the descendants of Abraham (12:2-3). The NT applies Gen 12:2-3 directly
to God's provision of redemption in Jesus Christ (Gal 3:16, 29). Numerous persons and
events from Genesis are mentioned in the NT in relation to faith and righteousness (e.g., Rom 4;
Heb 11:1-22), God's judgment (e.g., Luke 17:26-29, 32; 2 Pet 3:6; Jude 7, 11a) and the person
of Christ (e.g., Mat 1:1; John 8:58; Heb 7).
Reading Genesis
In order to read the entire Old Testament in one year, the book of Genesis should be read in
21 days, according to the following schedule:
1-2 3-5 6-8 9-11 12-14
15-17 18-19 20-22 23-24 25-26
27-28 29-30 31-33 34-35 36-37
38-39 40-41 42-43 44-45 46-48
49-50
Notes
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
GENESIS 1:1
The creation
1 In the beginning God created
the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without
form, and void; and darkness was
upon the face of the deep. And the
Spirit of God moved upon the face of
the waters.
3 And God said, Let there be
light: and there was light.
4 And God saw the light, that it
was good: and God divided the light
from the darkness.
5 And God called the light Day,
and the darkness he called Night.
And the evening and the morning
were the first day.
6 And God said, Let there be a
firmament in the midst of the waters,
and let it divide the waters from
the waters.
7 And God made the firmament,
and divided the waters which were
under the firmament from the waters
which were above the firmament:
and it was so.
8 And God called the firmament
Heaven. And the evening and the
morning were the second day.
9 And God said, Let the waters
under the heaven be gathered together
unto one place, and let the dryland appear: and it was so.
10 And God called the dry land
Earth; and the gathering together of
the waters called he Seas: and God
saw that it was good.
11 And God said, Let the earth
bring forth grass, the herb yielding
seed, and the fruit tree yielding
fruit after his kind, whose seed is in
itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
12 And the earth brought forth
grass, and herb yielding seed after
his kind, and the tree yielding fruit,
whose seed was in itself, after his
kind: and God saw that it was good.
13 And the evening and the morning
were the third day.
14 And God said, Let there be
lights in the firmament of the heaven
to divide the day from the night;
and let them be for signs, and for
seasons, and for days, and years:
15 And let them be for lights in the
firmament of the heaven to give light
upon the earth: and it was so.
16 And God made two great lights;
the greater light to rule the day,
and the lesser light to rule the
night: he made the stars also.
17 And God set them in the firmament
of the heaven to give light upon
the earth,
18 And to rule over the day and
over the night, and to divide the light
from the darkness: and God saw thatit was good.
19 And the evening and the morning
were the fourth day.
20 And God said, Let the waters
bring forth abundantly the moving
creature that hath life, and fowlthat may fly above the earth in the
open firmament of heaven.
21 And God created great
whales, and every living creature that
moveth, which the waters brought
forth abundantly, after their kind, and
every winged fowl after his kind: and
God saw that it was good.
22 And God blessed them, saying,
Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the
waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply
in the earth.
23 And the evening and the morning
were the fifth day.
24 And God said, Let the earth
bring forth the living creature after
his kind, cattle, and creeping thing,
and beast of the earth after his kind:
and it was so.
25 And God made the beast of the
earth after his kind, and cattle after
their kind, and every thing that
creepeth upon the earth after his
kind: and God saw that it was good.
GENESIS 10:30
30 And their dwelling was from
Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar, a
mount of the east.
31 These are the sons of Shem,
after their families, after their
tongues, in their lands, after their nations.
32 These are the families of the
sons of Noah, after their generations,
in their nations: and by these were
the nations divided in the earth after
the flood.
The tower of Babel
1 And the whole earth was of
one language, and of one
speech.
2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed
from the east, that they
found a plain in the land of Shinar;
and they dwelt there.
3 And they said one to another,
Go to, let us make brick, and burnthem thoroughly. And they had brick
for stone, and slime had they for
morter.
4 And they said, Go to, let us build
us a city and a tower, whose topmay reach unto heaven; and let us
make us a name, lest we be scattered
abroad upon the face of the whole
earth.
5 And the Lord came down to
see the city and the tower, which the
children of men builded.
6 And the Lord said, Behold, the
people is one, and they have all one
language; and this they begin to do:
and now nothing will be restrained
from them, which they have imagined
to do.
7 Go to, let us go down, and
there confound their language, that
they may not understand one another's
speech.
The Spirit in the Old Testament
The Holy Spirit is one of the three persons of the eternal triune God (see Mark 1:11, note; see
article on The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit, p. 1676). Although His full power was not revealed to
God's people until the ministry of Jesus (see article on Jesus and the Holy Spirit, p.
Continues.
Chapter One
The First Book of Moses, Called Genesis
Outline
I. The Beginnings of Human History (1:1-11:26)
A. Origin of the Universe and Life (1:1-2:25)
1. Summary of All Creation (1:1-2:4)
2. Expanded Creation Account of Adam and Eve (2:5-25)
B. Origin of Sin (3:1-24)
1. Temptation and the Fall (3:1-6)
2. Consequences of the Fall (3:7-24)
C. Origins of Civilization (4:1-5:32)
1. Cain: Pagan Culture (4:1-24)
2. Seth: A Righteous Remnant (4:25-26)
3. Genealogical History of the Pre-flood Patriarchs (5:1-32)
D. The Great Flood: God's Judgment on Primeval Civilization (6:1-8:19)
1. Universal Depravity (6:1-8, 11-12)
2. Noah: Preparation to Save a Righteous Remnant (6:9-22)
3. Final Instructions and the Flood (7:1-8:19)
E. Humanity's New Beginning (8:20-11:26)
1. The Posterity of Noah (8:20-10:32, Especially Shem, 10:21-31; 11:10-26)
2. The Tower of Babel (11:1-9)
3. Genealogical Links Between Shem and Abraham (11:10-26)
II. The Beginnings of the Hebrew People (11:27-50:26)
A. Abraham (11:27-25:18)
1. Abram's Family Background (11:27-32)
2. Abram's Call and Journey of Faith (12:1-14:24)
3. God's Formal Covenant With Abram (15:1-21)
4. Hagar and Ishmael (16:1-16)
5. Abrahamic Covenant Sealed by a New Name and Circumcision (17:1-27)
6. Abraham's Promise and Lot's Tragedy (18:1-19:38)
7. Abraham and Abimelech (20:1-18)
8. Abraham and Isaac, the Son of Promise (21:1-24:67)
9. The Posterity of Abraham (25:1-18)
B. Isaac (25:19-28:9)
1. Birth of Esau and Jacob (25:19-26)
2. Esau Sells His Birthright to Jacob (25:27-34)
3. Isaac, Rebekah and Abimelech II (26:1-17)
4. Dispute About Wells and the Move to Beer-sheba (26:18-33)
5. The Patriarchal Blessing (26:34-28:9)
C. Jacob (28:10-37:2a)
1. Jacob's Dream and Journey (28:10-22)
2. Jacob With Laban in Haran (29:1-31:55)
3. Jacob and Esau Reconciled (32:1-33:17)
4. Jacob's Return to the Promised Land (33:18-35:20)
5. The Posterity of Jacob and Esau (35:21-37:2a)
D. Joseph (37:2b-50:26)
1. Joseph and His Brothers in Canaan (37:2b-36)
2. Judah and Tamar (38:1-30)
3. Joseph's Testing and Promotion in Egypt (39:1-41:57)
4. Joseph and His Brothers in Egypt (42:1-45:28)
5. Joseph's Father and Brothers Settle in Egypt (46:1-47:26)
6. Jacob's Last Days, Final Prophecies and Death (47:27-50:14)
7. The Joseph Summary (50:15-26)
Author Moses
Theme Beginnings
Date of Writing c. 1445-1405 B.C.
Background
Genesis appropriately stands as the first book of the OT and serves as an essential introduction
to the whole Bible. The book's title in Hebrew is derived from the first word of the book,
bereshith ("in the beginning"). "Genesis," the title in our English Bible, is derived from the Greek
translation of the Hebrew title and means "the origin, source or beginning of something." Genesis
is "the book of beginnings."
The author of Genesis is nowhere designated in the book itself. The testimony of the rest of
the Bible, however, is that Moses was the author of the entire Pentateuch (i.e., the first five OT
books) and thus of Genesis (e.g., 1 Ki 2:3; 2 Ki 14:6; Ezra 6:18; Neh 13:1; Dan 9:11-13; Mal 4:4;
Mark 12:26; Luke 16:29, 31; John 7:19-23; Acts 26:22; 1 Cor 9:9; 2 Cor 3:15). Also, ancient
Jewish writers and the early church fathers unanimously testify that Moses was the author/editor
of Genesis. Insofar as the entire history of Genesis antedates Moses' life, his role in writing
Genesis was largely to integrate, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, all the available written
and oral records from Adam to the death of Joseph that are now preserved in Genesis. Perhaps
an indication of the historical records used by Moses when writing Genesis is found in the
11 occurrences of the phrase, "these are the generations of" (Heb 'elleh toledoth),which also
may be translated as "these are the histories by" (see 2:4; 5:1; 6:9; 10:1; 11:10, 27; 25:12, 19;
36:1, 9; 37:2).
Genesis accurately records creation, the beginnings of human history, and the origin of the
Hebrew people and God's covenant with them through Abraham and the other patriarchs. Its
historical reliability as inspired Scripture is certified in the NT by the Lord Jesus (Mat 19:4-6;
24:37-39; Luke 11:51; 17:26-32; John 7:21-23; 8:56-58) and by the apostles (Rom 4; 1Cor
15:21-22, 45-47; 2Cor 11:3; Gal 3:8; 4:22-24, 28; 1 Tim 2:13-14; Heb 11:4-22;2 Pet 3:4-6;
Jude 7, 11). Its historicity continues to be confirmed by modern archaeological discoveries.
Moses was remarkably prepared by education (Acts 7:22) and by God to write this unique first
book of the Bible.
Purpose
Genesis provides an essential foundation for the remainder of the Pentateuch and all subsequent
Biblical revelation. It preserves the only trustworthy record about the beginnings of the
universe, humankind, marriage, sin, cities, languages, nations, Israel and redemptive history. It
was written in accordance with God's purpose to give His covenant people in both the OT and
NT a foundational understanding of Himself, creation, the human race, the fall, death, judgment,
covenant and the promise of redemption through the offspring of Abraham.
Survey
Genesis divides naturally into two major parts. (A) Chs.1-11 provide an overview of human
beginnings from Adam to Abraham and focus on five epochal events. (1) Creation: God created
all things, including Adam and Eve whom He placed in the Garden of Eden (chs.1-2). (2) The
Fall: Adam and Eve by their transgression introduced the curse of sin and death into human history
(ch. 3). (3) Cain and Abel: This tragedy set in motion the two basic streams of history: humanistic
civilization and a redemptive remnant (chs. 4-5). (4) The Great Flood: The ancient
world had become so evil by the time of Noah's generation that God destroyed it by a universal
flood, sparing only righteous Noah and his family as a remnant (chs.6-10). (5)The tower of Babel:
When the post-flood world unified in idolatry and rebellion, God dispersed it by fragmenting
language and culture and by scattering the human race throughout the earth (ch. 11).
(B) Chs. 12-50 record the beginnings of the Hebrew people and focus on God's ongoing redemptive
purpose through the lives of Israel's four great patriarchs-Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
and Joseph. God's call of Abraham/Abram (ch. 12) and His covenantal dealings with him and
his descendants form the pivotal beginning of the outworking of God's purpose concerning a
Redeemer and redemption in history. Genesis concludes with Joseph's death and the impending
bondage of Israel in Egypt.
Special Features
Seven major features characterize Genesis. (1) It was the first book of the Bible written (with
the possible exception of the book of Job), and it records the beginning of human history, sin,
the Hebrew people and redemption. (2) The history in Genesis spans a larger period of time
than the rest of the Bible combined, beginning with the first human couple, broadening to pre-flood
world history, and then narrowing to Hebrew history as the redemptive stream that is
traced throughout the remainder of the OT. (3) Genesis reveals that the material universe and
life on earth are distinctly God's work and not an independent process of nature. Fifty times in
chs. 1-2 God is the subject of verbs showing what He did as Creator. (4) Genesis is a book of
firsts-recording the first marriage, first family, first birth, first sin, first murder, first polygamist,
first musical instruments, first promise of redemption, and the like. (5) God's covenant with
Abraham, which began with his call (12:1-3), was made formal in ch. 15 and was ratified in
ch.17, is central to all of Scripture. (6) Genesis alone explains the origin of the 12 tribes of Israel.
(7) It reveals how Abraham's descendants ended up in Egypt (for 430 years) and thus sets
the stage for the exodus, the central redemptive event in the OT.
New Testament Fulfillment
Genesis reveals the prophetic history of redemption and a Redeemer as coming through the
offspring of the woman (3:15), through the line of Seth (4:25-26), through the line of Shem
(9:26-27) and through the descendants of Abraham (12:2-3). The NT applies Gen 12:2-3 directly
to God's provision of redemption in Jesus Christ (Gal 3:16, 29). Numerous persons and
events from Genesis are mentioned in the NT in relation to faith and righteousness (e.g., Rom 4;
Heb 11:1-22), God's judgment (e.g., Luke 17:26-29, 32; 2 Pet 3:6; Jude 7, 11a) and the person
of Christ (e.g., Mat 1:1; John 8:58; Heb 7).
Reading Genesis
In order to read the entire Old Testament in one year, the book of Genesis should be read in
21 days, according to the following schedule:
1-2 3-5 6-8 9-11 12-14
15-17 18-19 20-22 23-24 25-26
27-28 29-30 31-33 34-35 36-37
38-39 40-41 42-43 44-45 46-48
49-50
Notes
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
GENESIS 1:1
The creation
1 In the beginning God created
the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without
form, and void; and darkness was
upon the face of the deep. And the
Spirit of God moved upon the face of
the waters.
3 And God said, Let there be
light: and there was light.
4 And God saw the light, that it
was good: and God divided the light
from the darkness.
5 And God called the light Day,
and the darkness he called Night.
And the evening and the morning
were the first day.
6 And God said, Let there be a
firmament in the midst of the waters,
and let it divide the waters from
the waters.
7 And God made the firmament,
and divided the waters which were
under the firmament from the waters
which were above the firmament:
and it was so.
8 And God called the firmament
Heaven. And the evening and the
morning were the second day.
9 And God said, Let the waters
under the heaven be gathered together
unto one place, and let the dryland appear: and it was so.
10 And God called the dry land
Earth; and the gathering together of
the waters called he Seas: and God
saw that it was good.
11 And God said, Let the earth
bring forth grass, the herb yielding
seed, and the fruit tree yielding
fruit after his kind, whose seed is in
itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
12 And the earth brought forth
grass, and herb yielding seed after
his kind, and the tree yielding fruit,
whose seed was in itself, after his
kind: and God saw that it was good.
13 And the evening and the morning
were the third day.
14 And God said, Let there be
lights in the firmament of the heaven
to divide the day from the night;
and let them be for signs, and for
seasons, and for days, and years:
15 And let them be for lights in the
firmament of the heaven to give light
upon the earth: and it was so.
16 And God made two great lights;
the greater light to rule the day,
and the lesser light to rule the
night: he made the stars also.
17 And God set them in the firmament
of the heaven to give light upon
the earth,
18 And to rule over the day and
over the night, and to divide the light
from the darkness: and God saw thatit was good.
19 And the evening and the morning
were the fourth day.
20 And God said, Let the waters
bring forth abundantly the moving
creature that hath life, and fowlthat may fly above the earth in the
open firmament of heaven.
21 And God created great
whales, and every living creature that
moveth, which the waters brought
forth abundantly, after their kind, and
every winged fowl after his kind: and
God saw that it was good.
22 And God blessed them, saying,
Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the
waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply
in the earth.
23 And the evening and the morning
were the fifth day.
24 And God said, Let the earth
bring forth the living creature after
his kind, cattle, and creeping thing,
and beast of the earth after his kind:
and it was so.
25 And God made the beast of the
earth after his kind, and cattle after
their kind, and every thing that
creepeth upon the earth after his
kind: and God saw that it was good.
GENESIS 10:30
30 And their dwelling was from
Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar, a
mount of the east.
31 These are the sons of Shem,
after their families, after their
tongues, in their lands, after their nations.
32 These are the families of the
sons of Noah, after their generations,
in their nations: and by these were
the nations divided in the earth after
the flood.
The tower of Babel
1 And the whole earth was of
one language, and of one
speech.
2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed
from the east, that they
found a plain in the land of Shinar;
and they dwelt there.
3 And they said one to another,
Go to, let us make brick, and burnthem thoroughly. And they had brick
for stone, and slime had they for
morter.
4 And they said, Go to, let us build
us a city and a tower, whose topmay reach unto heaven; and let us
make us a name, lest we be scattered
abroad upon the face of the whole
earth.
5 And the Lord came down to
see the city and the tower, which the
children of men builded.
6 And the Lord said, Behold, the
people is one, and they have all one
language; and this they begin to do:
and now nothing will be restrained
from them, which they have imagined
to do.
7 Go to, let us go down, and
there confound their language, that
they may not understand one another's
speech.
The Spirit in the Old Testament
The Holy Spirit is one of the three persons of the eternal triune God (see Mark 1:11, note; see
article on The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit, p. 1676). Although His full power was not revealed to
God's people until the ministry of Jesus (see article on Jesus and the Holy Spirit, p.
Continues.
