Introduction to the Book of Genesis



Taken from:

Steps to Bible Knowledge 1 to10
grace.biblechapel.net/…-Seminar-Lessons-1-and-2.doc


Introduction to the Book of Genesis

Genesis is the first book in the Bible and is foundational to all that follows it. So important is it to the Christian faith that references to the people and events in it occur in almost every book of the New Testament. As such, Genesis is a book that Christians should study and restudy throughout their lives that they might grasp its full significance in the panorama of God’s revelation.



As the meaning of its name expresses, Genesis is a book about origins. It explains the origin of the universe, animal life on earth, and human existences. It explains how sin entered the world, spread to all men, and resulted in life as we know it today. It also contains the earliest promises of a Savior, who would deliver us from sin and restore us to a right relationship with God.



The book’s name in the English Bible comes from the repetition of the word “generations” in Greek text of the book (geneseos). We find this word, for example, in Genesis 5:1—”This is the book of the generations (geneseos) of Adam” (Genesis 5:1).



The Hebrew word translated “generations” is toledot—meaning descendants, results, proceedings. Some scholars consider the phrase “. . . these are the generations of . . .” to be the key to understanding the structure of Genesis. This phrase occurs eleven times.



“These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created. . .” (Genesis 2:4, KJV).



“This is the book of the generations of Adam” (Genesis 5:1, KJV).



“These are the generations of Noah” (Genesis 6:9, KJV).



“Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.” (Genesis 10:1, KJV).



“These are the generations of Shem” (Genesis 11:10, KJV).



“Now these are the generations of Terah” (Genesis 11:27, KJV).



“Now these are the generations of Ishmael” (Genesis 25:12, KJV).



“And these are the generations of Isaac” (Genesis 25:19, KJV).



“Now these are the generations of Esau” (Genesis 36:1, KJV).



“And these are the generations of Esau” (Genesis 36:9, KJV).



“These are the generations of Jacob” (Genesis 37:2, KJV).



P. J. Wiseman (1888-1948) is credited with promoting the idea that these eleven occurrences mark the ends of eleven individual tablets or groups of tablets that Moses had in his possession when he wrote the book of Genesis. According to Wiseman, each occurrence of the phrase “these are the generations of . . .” is a colophon, a statement made at the end of a tablet stating the name of the person who wrote or owned the tablet. In Genesis, these phrases mark the end of the person’s family history and ancestors. For more information on this approach to the structure of Genesis, see New Discoveries in Babylonia about Genesis (Wiseman, 1936) or Damien F. Mackey’s summary of Wiseman’s theory, The First Book of Moses and the’Toledoth of Genesis. Both documents are available online.



Applying Wiseman’s theory, Charles Taylor proposes the following outline for Genesis.



1. God’s Book, an account of his activities at the beginning of things (Gen. 1:1 to 2:4a)



2. Adam’s Diary, some of it parallel to Vol.I. (Gen. 2:4b to 5:2)



3. Noah’s Family Tree and Diary (Gen. 5:3 to 6:9a)



4. Noah’s Sons’ File on the Deluge (Gen. 6:9b to 10:1)



5. The Dispersion and Shem’s Table of Nations (Gen. 10:2 to 11:10a)



6. Terah’s Family Tree (Gen. 11:10b to 27a)



7. Isaac’s Biography of Abraham, with Ishmael’s Family Tree as Appendix (Gen. 11:27b to 25:19a)



8. Jacob’s Biography of Isaac and his Descendants, including Jacob’s Autobiography; with Esau’s Family Trees in two Appendices (Gen. 25:19b to 37:2a)



9. Moses’ Biography of Joseph and his Brothers (Gen. 37:2b to 50:26)



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