Genesis
Book Type
Book of Law (or Book of Moses); first book of the Old Testament; first book of the Bible; first book of the five-part Jewish collection known as the Torah.Introduction
The Pentateuch is the first five books of the Old Testament. It is known as the Torah in the Hebrew Bible. The Hebrew word “ Torah” originally meant “ instruction” or “direction,” but later, it took on the meaning of “Law” or the “Law of Moses / Mosaic Law” hence teaching, instructions, and directions came by God through Moses to God’s people. Therefore, the Torah is used for teaching, instructions, and doctrine.The word “Pentateuch” comes from two Greek words. Penta means “ Five,” and Teuch means “ Scrolls.” So, Pentateuch can be defined as the first five books or the first five scrolls of the Bible.Genesis is the first book of the Pentateuch. Genesis lays the groundwork for everything else we read and experience in Scripture. Through Genesis we understand where we came from, how we got in the fallen state we are in, and the beginnings of God’s gracious work on our behalf. Genesis unfolds God’s original purpose for humanity.Genesis provides the foundation from which we understand God’s covenant with Israel that was established with the giving of the law. For the Israelite community, the stories of the origins of humanity, sin, and the covenant relationship with God helped them understand why God gave them the law.Robert D. Bergen, “Genesis,” in CSB Study Bible: Notes, ed. Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 3.
[Faith Life Study Bible] Says: Genesis is about beginnings—of the world, of humanity, and of Israel. The book focuses on the early stages of God’s relationship with humankind, as He sets a plan in motion to redeem the world. God chooses Abraham—known as Abram at the time—and his descendants to participate in this plan. The thrilling stories of Abraham and his family make up the majority of Genesis. John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016).
[New Living Translation Study Bible] Says: Genesis is the book of beginnings—of the universe and of humanity, of sin and its catastrophic effects, and of God’s plan to restore blessing to the world through his chosen people. God began his plan when he called Abraham and made a covenant with him. Genesis traces God’s promised blessings from generation to generation, to the time of bondage and the need for redemption from Egypt. It lays the foundation for God’s subsequent revelation, and most other books of the Bible draw on its contents. Genesis is a source of instruction, comfort, and edification. New Living Translation Study Bible (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2008), Ge.
[Christian Standard Study Bible] Says: Genesis permits us to view the beginning of a multitude of realities that shape our daily existence: the creation of the universe and the planet earth; the origins of plant and animal life; and the origins of human beings, marriage, families, nations, industry, artistic expression, religious ritual, prophecy, sin, law, crime, conflict, punishment, and death.Robert D. Bergen, “Genesis,” in CSB Study Bible: Notes, ed. Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1.
“Genesis is thus a book of origins and beginnings—of the entire created order, but also of sin, God’s relationship with humanity, blessing and obedience, and conflict and disobedience.”
Theme & Overview
Genesis is a book of beginnings that introduces central themes of the Bible, such as creation and redemption.Adam and Eve’s choices compromised our ability to live in God’s image; Genesis tells the story of the beginning of God’s effort to renew His image in us. In Genesis, the people of Israel are selected to initiate God’s grand plan of salvation by being a blessing to the world—a plan that is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus.The major themes of promise and blessing run throughout the patriarchal narratives, as God’s promises are repeated to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Their failures send a clear message that God’s blessing is not because of any merit or righteousness on their own part; instead, God’s blessing reflects His desire to restore humanity to right relationship with Him. Genesis is the story of God calling people to turn from the sinful world and obey Him.John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016).
The book of Genesis begins it all. It tells how God brought everything into being when there was no being to begin with. It starts with God, and that’s the best place to start. From galactic wonder to terrestrial magnificence, God is the author of it all and he declares it all good. Then Genesis quickly describes how humans usher sin into creation and spoil it all. Yet, over and over in 50 chapters we see how God worked to redeem humanity through the imperfect and dysfunctional families of the biblical patriarchs of Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. Filled with thrilling stories and grand messages, as the “NIV Study Bible” says, Genesis is supremely a book that speaks about relationships: between God and his creation, between God and humankind, and between human beings.Author
Moses is the traditional author of this book; Genesis is part of the "Law of Moses."There are many evidence that point towards Moses at the author. Evidence also suggests that Moses compiled and edited earlier written records that was preserved from other patriarchs. This would means that Adam, Noah, Terah, etc., each a patriarch in his own era recorded events in his time and handed them down to the next generation to be preserved and added to for historical purpose. Perhaps some people believe that humans were like a caveman and they lack the intelligence to write and to communicate. But, the book of Genesis goes against the evolutionary idea that humans developed from lower to higher forms and so did not recorded early history. The Bible tells a completely opposite idea of history that man begins as an intelligent being created by God. So, it is logical for early man to preserve history and passes the record down to the next generations. These patriarchal records were preserved and Moses collected them and edited them under the guidance of the Holy Spirit in order to produce the book of Gensis which contains the recorded history of early man. " How did Moses receive this information? He may have done so in either of two ways. Perhaps Adam and Eve told the creation story to their descendants, and they passed it on to succeeding generations orally or in written form (i.e., tradition). Moses' mother may have told him these stories as a child. If so, God guarded the true account. The other ancient Near Eastern accounts were perversions of what really happened. Another possibility is that God revealed the creation account directly to Moses."
Recipients
Moses wrote Genesis to the Jewish people during their forty-year wilderness journey in the Sinai Peninsula.Date of Writing
Written during the forty years in the wilderness, approximately 1440–1400 BC. Genesis means "beginning," and this book describes the very first moments of God's creation. This story then proceeds through the time when the nation of Israel came to live in Egypt.Bibical scholars and theoglians study the bible in great details. It is unclear as to when Genesis was written. However, there are some evidence that narrow downs the time period basic on bibical information when Moses lived (Judges 11:26 & 1 Kings 6:1). The date was recored to be betwwen 1440-1400 BC., (between the time that Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt and his death.Background
When Genesis was written, the children of Israel had been slaves in Egypt for 400 years. They had recently been released from bondage and guided through the desert to meet the Lord at Mount Sinai, where he had established his covenant relationship with them and had given them his law through Moses. Israel was now poised to enter the Promised Land and receive the inheritance that God had promised Abraham.While enslaved in Egypt, the Israelites had adopted many pagan ideas and customs from their Egyptian masters (e.g., Exod 32:1–4). They were influenced by false concepts of God, the world, and human nature (e.g., Exod 32), and were reduced to being slaves rather than owners and managers of the land. Perhaps they had forgotten the great promises that God had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, or perhaps they had concluded that the promises would never be fulfilled.Before entering the Promised Land, the Israelites needed to understand the nature of God, his world, and their place in it more clearly. They needed to embrace their identity as descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Genesis provided the needed understanding.New Living Translation Study Bible (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2008), Ge.
Meaning,Message And Purpose
Genesis record the origin of everything. For example, how the earth, plants, and animals were created. It records how Adam, the first human was created by God. Genesis records the first disobedience by humans which by sin entered the world and passed upon all humanity. The book of Genesis even records the first murder. The book of Genesis also announces God's redemption plan to save humanity and to redeem every human (Gen 3:15). " It gives the beginnings of human institutions, professions, and crafts." Therefore, the purpose of Genesis is to provide us with historical information and about God's covenant with His people.. “Genesis also gives a selective history of people and events as viewed from the perspective of the purposes of God”
— Elwell, W. A., & Comfort, P. W. (2001). In Tyndale Bible dictionary (p. 522). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
Israel’s most important questions were answered by the Genesis narratives. Life and death, the possession of the land of Canaan, and how Israel ended up in Egypt are explained as God’s providential working in history. Israel was part of God’s plan in this world. His plan had a starting point at creation and will have an end point in the future when the promises are completely fulfilled.Israel, the Chosen People: The central theme of Genesis is that God made a covenant with Abraham and his descendants. He promised to make them his own people, heirs of the land of Canaan, and a blessing to the world. Genesis gave Israel the theological and historical basis for its existence as God’s chosen people.Israel could trace its ancestry to the patriarch Abraham and its destiny to God’s promises (12:1–3; 15:1–21; 17:1–8). Because the promise of a great nation was crucial, much of Genesis is devoted to family concerns of the patriarchs and their wives, their sons and heirs, and their birthrights and blessings. The record shows how God preserved and protected the chosen line through the patriarchs. Israel thus knew that they had become the great nation promised to Abraham. Their future was certainly not in slavery to the Egyptians, but in Canaan, where they would live as a free nation and as the people of the living God, and where they could mediate God’s blessings to the people of the world.Blessing and Curse: The entire message of Genesis turns on the motifs of blessing and cursing. The promised blessing would give the patriarchs innumerable descendants and give the descendants the land of promise; the blessing would make them famous in the earth, enable them to flourish and prosper, and appoint them to bring others into the covenant blessings. The curse, meanwhile, would alienate, deprive, and disinherit people from the blessings. The effects of the curse are felt by the whole race as death and pain and as God’s judgment on the world.These motifs continue throughout the Bible. Prophets and priests spoke of even greater blessings in the future and an even greater curse for those who refuse God’s gift of salvation and its blessings. The Bible reminds God’s people not to fear human beings, but to fear God, who has the power to bless and to curse.Good and Evil: In Genesis, that which is good is blessed by God: It produces, enhances, preserves, and harmonizes with life. That which is evil is cursed: It causes pain, diverts from what is good, and impedes or destroys life. Genesis traces the perpetual struggle between good and evil that characterizes our fallen human race. God will bring about the greater good, build the faith of his people, and ultimately triumph over all evil (cp. Rom 8:28).God’s Plan: Genesis begins with the presupposition that God exists and that he has revealed himself in word and deed to Israel’s ancestors. It does not argue for the existence of God; it simply begins with God and shows how everything falls into place when the sovereign God works out his plan to establish Israel as the means of restoring blessing to the whole world.God’s Rule: Genesis is the fitting introduction to the founding of theocracy, the rule of God over all creation that was to be established through his chosen people. Genesis lays down the initial revelation of God’s sovereignty. He is the Lord of the universe who will move heaven and earth to bring about his plan. He desires to bless people, but he will not tolerate rebellion and unbelief. His promises are great, and he is fully able to bring them to fruition. To participate in his plan has always required faith, for without faith it is impossible to please him (Heb 11:6).New Living Translation Study Bible (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2008), Ge.
CREATION: God is the sovereign Lord and Creator of all things. God created everything out of nothing. No preexistent material existed. He is the Creator, not a craftsman. This indicates that he has infinite power and perfect control over everything. He is separate from the created order, and no part of creation is to be considered an extension of God. All that God created is good, because he is a good and majestic God. God is Lord, maintaining sovereignty and involvement with his creation. God’s control over human history is so complete that even the worst of human deeds can be turned to serve his benevolent purposes (50:20).HUMAN LIFE: Adam and Eve were created in the image of God, unique from the rest of creation, to have fellowship with him. Humans are a paradox. On the one hand, people are the capstone of all God’s creation, created in God’s image (1:26–27) and possessing Godlike authority over all the created order within their realm (1:28–29; 9:1–3). On the other hand, they are sinners—beings who have used their God-given resources and abilities in ways that violate God’s laws (2:17; 3:6) and hurt other people (3:8–11; 6:5, 11–12). Even so, during their lifetime God expects people to follow his laws (4:7), and he blesses those who live according to his ways (6:8–9; 39:2, 21). God wants to work through individuals to bring a blessing to every human life (18:18; 22:18; 26:4). Nevertheless, Genesis teaches that because of sin all human beings must die (2:17; 3:19; 5:5, 8, 11). Since all human life is created in the image of God, no person or class of humans is superior to others. Humanity was created to live in community. The most fundamental unit of community is the family: a husband (male) and wife (female) with children.SIN: Evil and sin did not originate with God. Adam and Eve were created innocent and with the capacity to make choices. Sin entered the world at a specific place and time in history. Adam and Eve chose freely to disobey God, fell from innocence, and lost their freedom. Their sinful nature has passed to every other human being. Sin resulted in death, both physical and spiritual. Sin has led to a world of pain and struggle.COVENANT: Genesis is a narrative of relationships, and certainly relationships grounded in covenants with God. These covenants provide a unifying principle for understanding the whole of Scripture and define the relationship between God and man. The heart of that relationship is found in the phrase, “They will be my people, and I will be their God” (Jr 32:38; cp. Gn 17:7–8; Ex 6:6–7; Lv 26:12; Dt 4:20; Jr 11:4; Ezk 11:20). God’s covenant with Abraham is a major event both in Genesis and throughout the Bible. God called Abraham out of Ur to go to Canaan, promising to make him a great nation that in turn would bless all nations (Gn 12:1–3). God repeats his oath in Genesis 22:18, adding further that it would be through Abraham’s offspring (Hb zera‘ “seed”) that all nations would someday be blessed. Paul applies the singular noun seed as a reference to Christ (Gl 3:16). It is through Christ, Abraham’s prophesied descendant, that the blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant would come to every nation.Robert D. Bergen, “Genesis,” in CSB Study Bible: Notes, ed. Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 2–3.
Key Verses
Genesis 1:1: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."
Genesis 2:7: "Then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature."
Genesis 3:14–15: "The LORD God said to the serpent, 'Because you have done this, \ cursed are you above all livestock \ and above all beasts of the field; \ on your belly you shall go, \ and dust you shall eat \ all the days of your life. \ I will put enmity between you and the woman, \ and between your offspring and her offspring; \ he shall bruise your head, \ and you shall bruise his heel.'"
Genesis 6:5: The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."
Genesis 7:20–21: "The waters prevailed above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits deep. And all flesh died that moved on the earth, birds, livestock, beasts, all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth, and all mankind."
Genesis 11:7–8: "'Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech.' So the LORD dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city."
Genesis 12:1–3: "Now the LORD said to Abram, 'Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.'"
Genesis 17:5: "No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations."
Genesis 19:24–25: "Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the LORD out of heaven. And he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground."
Genesis 35:10: "And God said to him, 'Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.' So he called his name Israel."
Genesis 41:38–40: "And Pharaoh said to his servants, 'Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?' Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.'"
Genesis 45:4–5: "So Joseph said to his brothers, 'Come near to me, please.' And they came near. And he said, 'I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.'"
Genesis 50:19–21: "But Joseph said to them, 'Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.' Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them."Structure & Outline
Genesis consists of fifty chapters, giving a quick overview of the history of the nation of Israel. The first eleven chapters deal broadly with the entire world, giving an extremely concise explanation of the state of mankind as various scattered, divided, fallen nations. The remaining thirty-nine chapters focus on the history of the nation of Israel, leading up to their settlement in the land of Egypt prior to the events of the book of Exodus.
Chapters 1 and 2 describe the creation of the world. These verses are the only details given on the entire process by which God made the world, and all life within it, including human beings.
Chapters 3—5 explain the fall of man, caused by the sin of Adam and Eve. This includes Eve's temptation by the serpent; Cain's murder of his brother, Abel; and the beginnings of human society.
Chapters 6—9 describe the flood, where God wipes out virtually the entire human race in response to their pervasive wickedness. Only Noah and his immediate family are spared, in a wooden vessel designed by God: the ark. After this catastrophe, God blesses Noah and vows to never again destroy the earth with a flood of water.
Chapters 10—11 explain the lineage and dispersion of human nations. After the flood, man once again attempts to defy God, in part by building a large tower. In response, God confuses their languages and scatters man across the globe, leading to the diverse people described in chapter 10's "table of nations."
Chapters 12—24 contain the story of Abraham, originally named Abram, who is the first man explicitly "called" by God. God establishes a covenant with Abraham, promising to make his descendants into a great nation, and a blessing on the entire human race. Along the way, Abraham learns to live out a trusting faith; this is tested in the extreme by God's command to sacrifice Abraham's son, Isaac, an act which God does not actually allow to occur.
This section also includes a depiction of God's destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. These cities are marked for judgment for a long list of depraved sins. Lot, Abraham's nephew, is living in Sodom and is barely rescued by angels before God brings down fire on the city.
Chapters 25—35 are mostly composed of the story of Isaac, Abraham's son, and Isaac's son, Jacob. Jacob schemes to earn his father's blessings, at the expense of his older twin brother, Esau. Jacob flees his family to avoid Esau's wrath, and is heavily disciplined by God during his travels. Along the way, Jacob becomes very successful. In a pivotal moment, Jacob wrestles with God, earning both a permanent limp and a new name: Israel.
Chapter 36 describes the descendants of Jacob's brother, Esau. These people became the Edomites.
Chapters 37—50 relate the origins of the twelve tribes of the nation of Israel, as part of the story of Joseph, one of Jacob's sons. The sons of Jacob, who will later be re-named Israel, are jealous of Jacob's favoritism of Joseph, as well as Joseph's uncanny wisdom and ability to interpret dreams. The brothers sell Joseph into slavery in Egypt, telling their father the boy is dead. While in Egypt, Joseph's unique character brings him through various hardships, and he eventually rises to become second-in-command over the entire nation.
When a famine brings Joseph's brothers to Egypt, seeking food, the family is reunited. First, though, Joseph thoroughly tests his brothers, humbling them for their treachery. Jacob's family—and the patriarchs of the twelve tribes—are saved by Joseph's actions, and they settle in the land of Egypt. At this time, Israel is welcomed and beloved by Egypt.
These events set the stage for the story of the Exodus, which occurs several centuries later. By then, a less-friendly Pharaoh will have enslaved the nation of Israel, and will see the exploding Jewish population as a threat.• Creation, sin, and the early history of the nations (1:1–11:32)
• The life of Abraham (12:1–25:18) • The lives of Isaac and Jacob (25:19–36:43) • The lives of Joseph and his brothers (37:1–50:26)The Septuagint
The Septuagint is the Greek translation of the Old Testament.Why The OT was translated into Greek?
Alexander the Great, king of Macedon from 331-323 BC. was one of the greatest military conquerors of all time. He had redrawn the map of the ancient world through his conquest. He gained control over all of Greece in the west and extended his rule into Tigris and Euphrates Valley in the east. Alexander was successful because of his father. Alexander built his empire upon the shoulder of his dad, "Philip II of Macedon.“ Philip’s militant drive to subdue surrounding nations, regardless of distance, paved the way for his son to conquer the world.”
Long after Alexander's empire had fallen to pieces, his plan to spread the Greek language and culture lived on. Alexander's enduring contribution did not come by force of arms, but his most enduring contribution came through the Greek language and culture. The Greek language began to supplant or replace the Hebrew language so much that many Jews born aboard could no longer read the Scriptures in their native tongue. Greek was the primary language. Many Jews feared that Hellenism would eventually compromise every aspect of their identity and beliefs. Henceforth, the Scriptures were translated from Hebrew into Greek which is known as the Septuagint.“HELLENISM The spread of traditional Greek linguistic, political, social, cultural, historical, and religious beliefs and practices throughout the ancient Near East from the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC to the death of Cleopatra VII in 30 BC”
Brief Summary
The Book of Genesis tells the earliest history of the Creation (Gen 1-2), the Fall of man (Gen 3-5), the Flood (Gen 6-9), the dispersion (Gen 10-11), and important key men such as Abraham (Gen 12-25:8); Isaac (Gen 21:1-35:29); Jacob (Gen 25:21-50:14); and Joseph (Gen 30:22-50:26). God created a universe that was good and free from sin. God created humanity to have a personal relationship with him. Everything was perfect. Eve was deceived by the serpent, the devil, to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. But, when she gave the fruit to Adam, he took it willingly, knowing what he was doing. Later, He tried to blame God for giving him the wife who gave him the fruit ( Gen 3:12). The world became too wicked and evil. God sent the Flood to wipe out evil but delivered Noah and his family along with the animals in Ark. After the Flood, humanity began to multiply again and spread throughout the world. God called a man by the name of Abraham. God made a promise to Abraham that the whole world will be blessed through him. God created a chosen people through Abraham and eventually, the promised Messiah came through the bloodline of Abraham. Abraham’s blessings were passed on to his son Isaac, and then to Isaac’s son Jacob. God changed Jacob’s name to Israel. Israel had 12 sons which became the 12 tribes of Israel. " In His sovereignty, God had Jacob’s son Joseph sent to Egypt by the despicable actions of Joseph’s brothers. This act, intended for evil by the brothers, was intended for good by God and eventually resulted in Jacob and his family being saved from a devastating famine by Joseph, who had risen to great power in Egypt (https://www.gotquestions.org/Book-of-Genesis.html)."
Foreshadowings
Jesus Christ is the Seed of the woman who will destroy Satan's power (Gen 3:15). Joseph's brother intended to do wrong unto him, but God intended to set Joseph in a position to save his people and others from starving and dying. Whereas people crucified Jesus. They intended to do it with evil purposes, but God intended it to be good. Jesus’s death was the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of humanity.