EXEGESIS > Old Testament > Pentateuch > Genesis 




Written by Moses, Genesis is the initial book of the Canon and is one of the five books known as the Pentateuch (Genesis to Deuteronomy), a grouping also referred to as the Torah. Genesis is the introduction to the Bible and is essential for understanding the rest of the Bible. It is quoted over 60 times in 17 of the New Testament books; everything that is consummated in the book of Revelation has its origin in Genesis.

Genesis is the book of beginnings: beginning of space, time, and matter; beginning of the human race; beginning of the family (husband-wife) and home; beginning of sin and resulting judgment; beginning of death; beginning of the nations and languages; and the beginning of redemption. All later events find their origination here, and all later theological concepts reach back to this introductory and formative book.

The word “Genesis” (Gr., geneseos), meaning “beginning," "source,” or “origin” was first used as a title in the Septuagint and later in the Vulgate; the word came into the English language by transliteration.  In the Hebrew Bible the book was simply known by the first word, bereshith, meaning “in the beginning.”

Often it is pointed out that the book is divided into eleven divisions of varying length, with ten of the divisions introduced by the word toledoth, translated as “the genealogy of” or “these are the generations of” (2:4; 5:1; 6:9; 10:1; 11:10; 11:27; 25:12; 25:19; 36:1; 37:2). “Genealogy” or “generations” generally speaks of family history or historical narrative. Be that as it may be, a simple outline would be as follows:

A simple outline would be as follows:
           

Passages with Exegesis

        Gen. 1:1 - God and His Creation

        Gen. 1:1 - God Created

        Gen. 1:2 - Formless and Lifeless

        Gen. 1:3-4 - Darkness and Light

        Gen. 3:15 - Protoevangelium

        Gen. 3:7, 21 - The Nakedness of Adam and Eve

        Gen. 5:1-32 - And He Died

        Gen. 12:4-20 - Do You Live in Egypt?

        Gen. 15:1-21 - The Presence and Promises of God

        Gen. 15:6 - The Salvation of Abraham

        Gen. 18:1-15 - Laughter of Unbelief

        Gen. 21:8-21 - In the Wilderness

        Gen. 27 - The Stolen Blessing

        Gen. 32:22-32 - Wrestling with God

        Gen. 49:8-12 - Until Shiloh Comes

 
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