Names of the Book
| English: | Genesis |
| Hebrew: | בּראשׁית |
| Transliterated: | Bereshit ("In the beginning") |
| Other names: |
Who
| Wrote the book: | Moses |
| Are the key people: | Adam, Eve, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob, Rachel, Leah, Josef |
| Is it written to: | The people of Israel |
What
| The Creation and the story of Adam (Genesis 1:1-5:32) |
| The Flood and the story of Noach (Genesis 6:1-11:32) |
| The Promise and the story of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov (Genesis 12:1-36:43) |
| The Salvation and the story of Yosef (Genesis 37:1-50:26) |
When
| Was it written: | c 1476-1436 BCE |
| Did the events occur: | c 3924-1615 BCE |
| Was it canonized: | c 499-100 BCE |
| (see the Timeline of the Tanakh) | |
Where
| Was it written: | At Mt. Sinai (Exodus 24:4) |
| Did the events occur: | The garden of Eden, Ur, the Land of Israel, Egypt |
Why
| Genesis was written to inform us that: |
| G-d is the Creator. |
| G-d is the Judge of all mankind. |
| G-d is the Promise-maker and the Promise-keeper. |
| G-d is the Savior. |
Introduction
The book of Genesis is a narrative history that describes G-d's creation of the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them. It tells us about the beginning of everything and shows us that G-d is the Creator and Ruler of all. It also relates the tragedy of humanity's fall into sin and death and G-d's promise of redemption. This book relates the history of Adam and Eve and their descendants down through Noah and the time of the Flood. It also tells us about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and concludes with the life of Joseph and the people of Israel living in Egypt.
Scripture- Book Selection
| Chapter | Description |
| 1 | G-d creates the heavens, the earth, plants, animals and man in six days. |
| 2 | G-d blesses the seventh day and ceases from His work of creating. Additional details about the creation of Adam and Eve. |
| 3 | The serpent deceives Eve and Adam into eating the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. G-d curses the earth because of their sin. Adam and Eve are sent out of the garden of Eden. |
| 4 | Cain kills Abel. G-d curses Cain. Cain's decendants and their history. |
| 5 | The genealogy of sons from Adam to Noah. |
| 6 | Wickedness on the earth increases. G-d declares He will blot out men, animals, and bird from the earth. G-d commands Noah to build an ark. |
| 7 | Noah, his family, and male-female pairs of animals enter ark. The Flood covers whole earth and all humans and land creatures outside the ark drown. |
| 8 | The Flood ends and the waters receed. The ark comes to rest on dry land and Noah, his family, and the animals exit the ark. Noah makes burnt offerings to G-d. |
| 9 | G-d blesses Noah and his family and promises not to flood the world again. Noah gets drunk and his son, Ham, humiliates him. Ham's son, Canaan, is cursed. |
| 10 | The genealogies of Noah's sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth. (The "table of nations".) |
| 11 | Tower of Babel built. The LORD scatters and confounds the language of the people of Babel. The genealogy and history of Shem's descendants down to Abram. |
| 12 | The LORD calls Abram out of his country, Ur. Abram moves to Canaan and then Egypt. Abram lies to the Egyptians about Sarai, his wife. |
| 13 | Abram travels back to Bethel in Canaan. Lot departs from Abram to live in the valley of the Jordan river. The LORD promises land & many descendants to Abram. |
| 14 | Nine kings war in the valley of Siddim and Abram's nephew, Lot, is taken captive in the war. Abram battles the victorious kings and takes back Lot. Abram meets Melchizedek. |
| 15 | The word of the LORD comes to Abram and tells Abram his descendants will be numerous. The LORD makes a covenant with Abram. |
| 16 | Abram's wife, Sarai, is barren. Sarai gives her slave-girl, Hagar, to Abram and Hagar conceives a son. Hagar flees into the wilderness and then returns. Hagar's son, Ishmael, is born. |
| 17 | The LORD changes Abram's name to Abraham and Sarai's name to Sarah. G-d gives circumcision as the sign of their covenant. Abraham and all the males of his household are circumcised. |
| 18 | The LORD and two angels appear to Abraham. The LORD tells Abraham that Sarah will have a son. The LORD informs Abraham of His intent to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham pleads with G-d on behalf of Sodom and Gomorrah. |
| 19 | The two angels meet Lot in Sodom and warn him and his family to leave. The angels bring Lot and his family out. Lot's wife is turned into a pillar of salt. Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed. Lot's daughters seduce him and give birth to sons. |
| 20 | Abraham moves to Gerar. Abraham tells Abimelech (king of Gerar) that Sarah is his sister. Abimelech discovers Abraham's deception and gives gifts to Abraham. |
| 21 | Sarah gives birth to Isaac. Ishmael mocks Isaac and Sarah has Abraham send Hagar and Ishmael away. Abraham makes a covenant with Abimelech. |
| 22 | G-d tests Abraham and tells him to sacrifice his son, Isaac. Abraham complies but G-d stops him from completing it and provides a ram instead. Nahor, Abraham's brother, has several children. |
| 23 | Sarah dies. Abraham negotiates the purchase of the field of Ephron to use the cave as Sarah's burial place. Sarah is buried. |
| 24 | Abraham's eldest servant goes to Abraham's original home country to search for a wife for Isaac. He finds Rebekah and brings her back to Isaac. Isaac and Rebekah are married. |
| 25 | Abraham remarries and later dies. Ishmael's family history. Jacob and Esau are born. Esau sells his birthright to Jacob. |
| 26 | Isaac goes to Gerar and tells the people there that Rebekah is his sister. The people discover Isaac's deception and send him away. Isaac's servants and the herdsmen of Gerar quarrel with each other over water wells. The LORD blesses Isaac. Abimelech and Isaac make a covenant of peace. Esau marries two Hittite women. |
| 27 | Isaac grows old and requests meat from Esau. Jacob pretends to be Esau and tricks Isaac to obtain Esau's blessing. Esau hates Jacob. |
| 28 | Isaac blesses Jacob and sends him to his uncle Laban in Haran. Esau marries a daughter of Ishmael. Jacob sleeps at Bethel and dreams about a ladder to heaven. |
| 29 | Jacob meets Laban and agrees to work seven years for Laban to marry Rachel. Laban tricks Jacob and gives him Leah instead. Jacob works another seven years for Laban in order to marry Rachel. Leah gives birth to sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi & Judah. |
| 30 | Rachel's maid-servant, Bilhah, bears Jacob's sons: Dan and Naphtali. Leah's maid-servant, Zilpah, bears Jacob's sons: Gad and Asher. Leah gives birth to Issachar, Zebulun, and a daughter, Dinah. Rachel gives birth to Joseph. Jacob's herds of goats and sheep increase. |
| 31 | Jacob secretly leaves Laban to return to Canaan. Rachel steals Laban's idols. Laban chases Jacob and they make peace covenant. |
| 32 | Jacob fears Esau and sends him gifts of goats, camels, cattle, and donkeys. Jacob wrestles with G-d. G-d changes Jacob's name to Israel. |
| 33 | Jacob and Esau meet and Esau receives Jacob's gift. Esau returns to Seir and Jacob journeys to Succoth. Jacob travels to Shechem and builds an altar. |
| 34 | Shechem, son of Hamor, rapes Abraham's daughter Dinah. Hamor asks for Dinah to marry his son. All the males in Shechem's city are circumcised and later killed by Simeon & Levi. |
| 35 | G-d tells Jacob to move to Bethel and he does. Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, dies. G-d changes Jacob's name to Israel. Rachel dies while giving birth to Benjamin. Isaac dies. |
| 36 | Esau marries three Cananite women: Adah, Aholibamah, and Bashemath. Esau has many children, many cattle, and lives in Mount Seir. Esau's descendants are named. |
| 37 | Jacob dwells in Canaan. Joseph has dreams and is hated by his brothers because of them and Jacob's favoritism. Joseph's brothers take him captive and sell him to Ishmaelites. Joseph is taken down to Egypt. |
| 38 | Judah takes a Cananite woman named Shua for a wife. Shua gives birth to three sons: Er, Onan, Shelah. Er marries Tamar but Er dies. Onan shirks his responsibility to Tamar and G-d takes his life. Tamar pretends to be a prostitute, lies with Judah, and gets pregnant. Tamar gives birth to twins: Perez and Zerah. |
| 39 | Joseph is bought by Potiphar and made overseer of his household. Joseph is tempted by Potiphar's wife but he refuses to sleep with her. Joseph is falsely accused by Potiphar's wife and is thrown in prison. Joseph prospers while in prison. |
| 40 | Pharaoh's chief cupbearer and chief baker are cast into prison and have dreams. Joseph interprets their dreams: the cupbearer would be restored and the baker would be killed. After he is restored, the cupbearer forgets about Joseph. |
| 41 | Pharaoh has troubling dreams and calls for Joseph. Joseph interprets the dreams and is made ruler of Egypt. Joseph marries and has two children: Manesseh & Ephraim. The land has seven years of plenty but then a great famine comes. |
| 42 | Joseph's ten brothers go to Egypt to buy grain. Joseph accuses his brothers of being spies and send them back to bring his brother Benjamin to him. Joseph keeps Simeon captive in Egypt. |
| 43 | The famine worsens and Joseph's brothers go back to Egypt with Benjamin. Joseph has a feast with his brothers and shows favor to Benjamin. |
| 44 | Joseph accuses Benjamin of stealing his silver cup and requires him to stay in Egypt. Judah offers to take Benjamin's place. |
| 45 | Joseph reveals himself to his brothers and offers the land of Goshen to his father & brothers. His brothers return to Canaan. |
| 46 | Israel goes to Egypt and G-d tells him not to be afraid to go there. Jacob & all his household move to Egypt. The descendants of Israel are listed. Joseph is restored to his father. |
| 47 | Pharaoh meets Joseph's father & brothers and offers them the best land in Egypt. The famine worsens and the Egyptians trade their cattle and land for food. |
| 48 | Joseph and his two sons, Manesseh & Ephraim, meet Jacob. Jacob blesses Joseph's two sons and adopts them, saying Ephraim, the younger, shall be greater. |
| 49 | Jacob calls his twelve sons to his deathbed. Jacob gives them commands, blesses them, and prophesies about them. Jacob charges them to bury him with his father in Canaan. Jacob dies. |
| 50 | Jacob is embalmed and is mourned. Joseph, his family, and the Egyptians bury Jacob in Canaan. Joseph forgives his brothers. Joseph dies. |