Genesis 1:1: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." By then, a less-friendly Pharaoh will have enslaved the nation of Israel, and will see the exploding Jewish population as a threat. These events set the stage for the story of the Exodus, which occurs several centuries later. At this time, Israel is welcomed and beloved by Egypt. Jacob's family-and the patriarchs of the twelve tribes-are saved by Joseph's actions, and they settle in the land of Egypt. First, though, Joseph thoroughly tests his brothers, humbling them for their treachery. When a famine brings Joseph's brothers to Egypt, seeking food, the family is reunited. 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. The brothers sell Joseph into slavery in Egypt, telling their father the boy is dead. 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. These people became the Edomites.Ĭhapters 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. In a pivotal moment, Jacob wrestles with God, earning both a permanent limp and a new name: Israel.Ĭhapter 36 describes the descendants of Jacob's brother, Esau. Along the way, Jacob becomes very successful. Jacob flees his family to avoid Esau's wrath, and is heavily disciplined by God during his travels. Jacob schemes to earn his father's blessings, at the expense of his older twin brother, Esau.
Lot, Abraham's nephew, is living in Sodom and is barely rescued by angels before God brings down fire on the city.Ĭhapters 25-35 are mostly composed of the story of Isaac, Abraham's son, and Isaac's son, Jacob. These cities are marked for judgment for a long list of depraved sins. This section also includes a depiction of God's destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. 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. God establishes a covenant with Abraham, promising to make his descendants into a great nation, and a blessing on the entire human race. 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."Ĭhapters 12-24 contain the story of Abraham, originally named Abram, who is the first man explicitly "called" by God. After the flood, man once again attempts to defy God, in part by building a large tower.
After this catastrophe, God blesses Noah and vows to never again destroy the earth with a flood of water.Ĭhapters 10-11 explain the lineage and dispersion of human nations. Only Noah and his immediate family are spared, in a wooden vessel designed by God: the ark. This includes Eve's temptation by the serpent Cain's murder of his brother, Abel and the beginnings of human society.Ĭhapters 6-9 describe the flood, where God wipes out virtually the entire human race in response to their pervasive wickedness. 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.Ĭhapters 3-5 explain the fall of man, caused by the sin of Adam and Eve.
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.Ĭhapters 1 and 2 describe the creation of the world. 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. Overview: Genesis consists of fifty chapters, giving a quick overview of the history of the nation of Israel. This story then proceeds through the time when the nation of Israel came to live in Egypt. Genesis means "beginning," and this book describes the very first moments of God's creation. Survey of 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.Īuthor: Moses is the traditional author of this book Genesis is part of the "Law of Moses."Īudience: Moses wrote Genesis to the Jewish people during their forty-year wilderness journey in the Sinai Peninsula.ĭate: Written during the forty years in the wilderness, approximately 1440–1400 BC.