Law · Old Testament
Genesis
Creation to c. 1805 BC
- Section
- Law · Old Testament
- Events span
- Creation to c. 1805 BC
- Written
- c. 1446–1406 BC critical view: c. 950–500 BC, compiled from earlier sources
- Author
- Moses critical view: Composite — the J, E, D, and P sources, compiled after the exile
Genesis is the book of beginnings: the creation of the world, humanity's fall into sin, the flood, and God's covenant with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph — the family through whom he sets out to bless every nation.
Key themes
- Creation
- Covenant
- Sin and judgment
- Promise and blessing
- God's sovereignty over history
Key events
Primeval History (Genesis 1–11)
- God creates the heavens and the earth in six days and rests on the seventh
- God forms Adam from the dust and Eve from his side, placing them in the garden of Eden
- The serpent tempts Eve; Adam and Eve eat the forbidden fruit and are driven from Eden (the fall)
- Cain murders his brother Abel and is sent out as a restless wanderer
- The genealogy from Adam to Noah, including Enoch, who "walked with God," and Methuselah
- Seeing humanity's wickedness, God sends a flood; Noah builds the ark and is spared with his family and the animals
- God makes a covenant with Noah never to flood the earth again and sets the rainbow as its sign
- Humanity builds the tower of Babel; God confuses their language and scatters them over the earth
Abraham (Genesis 12–25)
- God calls Abram to leave Haran for Canaan, promising to make him a great nation and a blessing to all peoples
- Abram and Lot part ways; Lot settles near Sodom
- Abram rescues the captured Lot and is blessed by Melchizedek, king of Salem
- God cuts a covenant with Abram, promising descendants as numerous as the stars
- Sarai gives her servant Hagar to Abram, and Ishmael is born
- God renames them Abraham and Sarah and gives circumcision as the sign of the covenant
- Three visitors promise Sarah a son within the year; Abraham pleads with God to spare Sodom
- God destroys Sodom and Gomorrah; Lot escapes, but his wife looks back and becomes a pillar of salt
- Isaac is born to Abraham and Sarah in their old age; Hagar and Ishmael are sent away
- God tests Abraham, commanding him to sacrifice Isaac, then provides a ram in his place
- Sarah dies; Abraham buys the cave of Machpelah as a burial place
- Abraham's servant finds Rebekah at a well as a wife for Isaac
- Abraham dies at 175 and is buried by Isaac and Ishmael
Isaac & Jacob (Genesis 25–36)
- Rebekah bears twins, Esau and Jacob; Esau sells his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew
- Isaac repeats Abraham's lie about his wife, reopens the wells, and God reaffirms the covenant with him
- Jacob disguises himself to steal Esau's blessing from the blind Isaac, then flees toward Haran
- At Bethel, Jacob dreams of a stairway to heaven and God renews the covenant promise to him
- Laban tricks Jacob into marrying Leah before Rachel; over the years Jacob fathers eleven sons and a daughter
- Jacob flees Laban with his family and flocks; the two make a covenant at Mizpah
- Jacob wrestles with God at Peniel and is renamed Israel
- Jacob and Esau meet again and are reconciled
- Rachel dies giving birth to Benjamin as Jacob returns to Bethel and Hebron
Joseph (Genesis 37–50)
- Jacob favors Joseph; his jealous brothers sell him into slavery in Egypt and fake his death
- Joseph refuses Potiphar's wife, is falsely accused, and is thrown into prison
- In prison Joseph interprets the dreams of Pharaoh's cupbearer and baker
- Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dreams of coming famine and is made governor over all Egypt
- Driven by famine, Joseph's brothers come to Egypt to buy grain and do not recognize him
- Joseph reveals himself to his brothers and forgives them, seeing God at work in it all
- Jacob and his household of seventy move to Egypt and settle in the land of Goshen
- Jacob blesses his twelve sons and Joseph's two sons, then dies and is buried in Canaan
- "You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good" — Joseph reassures his brothers, then dies at 110
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”