Genesis
| Genesis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | Ge |
| Class. | Old Testament |
| Category | Book of the Law (Pentateuch) |
| Chapters | 50 Chapters |
| Record Related | |
| Writer | Moses |
| Date (Approx.) | 15th century BC Period of the Exodus |
| Location | Desert |
Genesis is the first book of the 66 books of the Bible. As the word itself, it is a book that contains the record of the beginning of the world. It unveils the creation of the heavens and the earth, chronicling the origin of humanity and the emergence of the Israelite people.
Etymology and Writer
The book of Genesis is called בְּרֵאשִׁית (Bereshit)[1] in Hebrew. Since the original Hebrew Bible does not use separate titles for each book, Hebrews often used the first word of each book as its name. For Genesis, this word is "Bereshit” (בְּרֵאשִׁית) meaning “In the beginning.” On the other hand, the English name “Genesis” is derived from the Greek word “genesis” (origin, generation) used in Genesis 2:4 in the Greek translation.
The writer of Genesis is known to be Moses. Moses was a great prophet and leader called by God. He freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and from the oppression of the Pharaoh. In addition to Genesis, he wrote the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. These five books are collectively called the Pentateuch.
Features
Genesis is one of the books of the Law, also known as the Pentateuch. It begins with the creation of the heavens and the earth and ends with the death of Joseph. Genesis is divided into the pre-patriarchal age (chapters 1–11) and the age of the patriarchs (chapters 12–50). The former is about the Creation and human society as a whole, while the latter focuses on the people chosen by God’s promise. Commencing with Abraham, a scion of Adam, Isaac is born and Jacob’s twelve sons crystallize into the twelve tribes of Israel.
Composition of Genesis
| Chapter | Content | Main Stage |
| Ch.1 | Creation | Eden, Ur |
| Chs. 2–4 | Adam and Eve | |
| Chs. 6–9 | Noah and the Flood | |
| Chs. 10–11 | The Tower of Babel | |
| Chs. 12–24 | Abraham | Canaan, Egypt |
| Ch.19 | Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah | |
| Chs. 24–26 | Isaac | |
| Chs. 27–36 | Jacob | |
| Chs. 37–50 | Joseph |
The Creation (Ch.1)
- First Day: God separated the light from the darkness.
- Second Day: God made the vault (sky) and separated the water above the vault and the water under it.
- Third Day: God gathered the waters into one place and called it “sea,” and made all kinds of plants on the land (dry ground), along with all kinds of seed-bearing plants and fruits with seed in them.
- Fourth Day: God made the stars, the greater light (sun) governing the day, and the lesser light (moon) governing the night, and gave them seasons, days, and years.
- Fifth Day: God made birds and fish multiply in the sky and the sea.
- Sixth Day: God made all kinds of living creatures and animals on the earth, and for the last, God made a male (Adam) and a female (Eve) in the image of God.
- Seventh day: God rested after His creation.
Adam and Eve (Chs.2–4)
God created the Garden of Eden and let Adam and Eve live. God commanded them not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the middle of the garden. However, Eve, who was tempted by the serpent, ate the fruit and gave it to Adam to eat. God drove Adam and Eve, who sinned, from the Garden of Eden. The two could have eternal life if they ate from the tree of life, but God placed the cherubim and the flaming sword to guard the way to the tree of life.
After being expelled from the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve gave birth to Cain and Abel. Cain gave an offering of his crops to God, and Abel offered God fat portions from some of the firstborns of his flock. As God only accepted Abel’s offering, Cain became jealous and killed Abel. God gave Seth to Adam and Eve to replace Abel who had died.
Noah and the Flood (Chs. 6–9)
The sins of humanity had filled the world. God commanded Noah to build an ark, preparing for His judgment upon the wickedness of the world through a great flood. The ark was a rectangular vessel, measuring three hundred cubits (about 450 ft) in length. Once Noah completed the ark, he brought his family and pairs of all kinds of animals into the ark, as God had commanded. For forty days, rain fell, flooding the earth; only Noah’s family and the animals inside the ark survived.
A year later,[2][3] God declared that He would never again destroy the world by flood and gave the rainbow as a sign of His covenant. From that time forward, God allowed them to eat all living animals but forbade them from consuming blood.
The Tower of Babel (Chs. 10–11)
After the flood, all people spoke in a single language. In an effort to make a name for themselves, they sought to build a city and a tower that would reach the heavens. Seeing this, God confused their language so that they could no longer understand one another. Unable to continue building the city, the people were scattered in all directions.
Abraham (Chs. 12–24)
Abraham, originally named Abram, lived in Ur of the Chaldeans. Following God’s call, he left his homeland and settled in Canaan. God blessed Abraham that He would make him into a great nation.
However, Abraham was childless until his old age. At one point, Abraham considered making his servant Eliezer of Damascus his heir, but God said, “A son of your own body will be your heir.” Soon after, Hagar, Sarah’s maidservant, bore him a son named Ishmael. However, God did not acknowledge him as Abraham’s heir, either. When Abraham was a hundred years old, Sarah, who was ninety years old, gave birth to Isaac, and Isaac became the heir of Abraham’s family.
One day, God commanded Abraham to offer Isaac as a burnt offering. Without hesitation, Abraham took Isaac to Mount Moriah early the next morning. Just as Abraham was about to sacrifice Isaac, a voice from heaven stopped and told him not to touch Isaac. At that moment, Abraham saw a ram caught in a thicket, which he then offered as a substitute for Isaac.
Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Ch. 19)
Due to the pervasive wickedness in Sodom and Gomorrah, God decreed judgment upon the cities. The two angels, sent by God, warned Lot to leave the city with all his family before the impending destruction. The next day, when Lot and his family entered Zoar, the sun rose. God rained down fire and brimstone upon Sodom and Gomorrah, destroying the cities, the surrounding fields, and all that grew there. Smoke rose from the ruins like a furnace. However, Lot's wife, disregarding the angels' warning, looked back toward the city and was turned into a pillar of salt.
Isaac (Chs. 24–26)
Isaac, who was born according to God’s promise, married Rebekah at the age of forty, but there had been no child between them for a long time. God promised that Isaac’s descendants would be fruitful and that He would fulfill His covenant with Abraham through Isaac. At sixty, he became the father of twin sons, Esau and Jacob. While Rebekah, Isaac’s wife, was pregnant with twins, God said that the oldest (Esau) would serve the youngest (Jacob).
Jacob (Chs. 27–36)
One day, Esau came home from hunting and he found Jacob making lentil stew. Overcome by hunger, Esau sold his birthright to Jacob in exchange for the stew. Thus, Jacob received the blessing of the firstborn instead of Esau, who had despised his birthright. To avoid Esau’s wrath, Jacob fled to live with his uncle Laban. After taking care of the sheep at Laban’s house, Jacob married Laban’s two daughters, Leah and Rachel, and had twelve sons and one daughter. After twenty years, Jacob returned to his hometown.[4]
Fearing Esau’s anger, Jacob sent his family and possessions across the Jabbok River while he stayed behind alone. That night, he wrestled with a man until daybreak. During the struggle, the man wrenched Jacob’s hip socket, but Jacob held on, asking for a blessing. Then Jacob was given the name “Israel” (meaning “One who struggles with God”), and he reunited with Esau joyfully.
Joseph (Chs. 37–50)
Joseph was the eleventh of Jacob’s twelve sons. Envious of him, his brothers sold him into slavery, and he was taken to Egypt. Despite these hardships, God was with Joseph, enabling him to prosper in all circumstances. He served diligently in the household of Potiphar, the captain of the guard, and eventually become the overseer. However, after being falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife, he was imprisoned. While in prison, Joseph interpreted the dream of the chief cupbearer, which eventually led to his interpreting Pharaoh’s dream and being appointed as prime minister of Egypt.
In this role, Joseph foresaw years of famine and implemented plans to secure Egypt’s food supply. When a famine struck Canaan, Joseph’s brothers traveled to Egypt in search of food. As a result of this event, Joseph was dramatically reunited with his brothers and wholeheartedly forgave them. He also invited his father, Jacob, along with the entire family to settle in Egypt.