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 TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

Study Bible Features ............................ p. 2

Excerpt from Genesis........................... p. 9

Binding Options .................................... p. 28

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 F E AT U R E S

GENESIS 14:19   23

BIBLE CHARACTERS

SARAH
W H O ’ S L AU G H I N G ?

She was beautiful. She had a wonderful, wealthy husband. But above all, Sarah longed for a child.
Although God had promised that her husband Abraham would father a great nation, Sarah remained
childless as the decades passed. The possibility of giving birth gradually dwindled. More descendants
than the stars in the sky? God’s promise seemed laughable as Sarah celebrated her ninetieth birthday.
A resourceful woman, Sarah came up with an alternate plan. She would use her servant Hagar as
88 BIBLE CHARACTER a surrogate mother. Obviously Sarah felt deep inner conflict about this decision, for when Abraham
sketches explore thegot Hagar pregnant, Sarah mistreated her and sent her away. Hagar returned, but Sarah’s jealousy
persisted. She would ultimately drive both mother and son into the desert.
lives of the Bible’s Meanwhile, God kept repeating the amazing promise that Sarah would become the mother of a
nation. At one point, Abraham fell face down and laughed incredulously at the notion. Sarah cackled
most fascinating too. But the joke turned on them both when old Sarah finally became pregnant. After all her years of
personalities waiting, her longings were fulfilled.
“God has brought me laughter,” Sarah said when her son was born (Ge 21:6). It was a wonderful pun;
in obedience to God (see Ge 17:19), Abraham named his son Isaac, which means “he laughs” in Hebrew.

Life Questions
> When a person has deep longings that seem impossible to fulfill, what should they do?

⁸ Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, Abram. ¹⁴ When Abram heard that his relative had
the king of Admah, the king of Zeboyim and the been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained
king of Bela (that is, Zoar) marched out and drew men born in his household and went in pursuit as
up their battle lines in the Valley of Siddim ⁹ against far as Dan. ¹⁵ During the night Abram divided his
Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goyim, Am- men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing
raphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar — them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. ¹⁶ He re-
four kings against five. ¹⁰ Now the Valley of Siddim covered all the goods and brought back his relative
was full of tar pits, and when the kings of Sodom Lot and his possessions, together with the women
and Gomorrah fled, some of the men fell into them and the other people.
and the rest fled to the hills. ¹¹ The four kings seized ¹⁷ After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlao-
all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their mer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sod-
food; then they went away. ¹² They also carried off om came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh
Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since he (that is, the King’s Valley).
was living in Sodom. ¹⁸ Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out
¹³ A man who had escaped came and reported this bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High,
to Abram the Hebrew. Now Abram was living near ¹⁹ and he blessed Abram, saying,
the great trees of Mamre the Amorite, a brother a
of Eshkol and Aner, all of whom were allied with a 13 Or a relative; or an ally

14:14 318 trained men. The fact that Abram could find who worshiped the living God. He is described as the
this many fighting men from among his own servants “king of Salem,” an older, shorter name for Jerusalem.
is an indication of the great wealth and honor that the The word is based on the root from which the word
Lord had given him (12:2–3). shalom (peace) comes. Melchizedek is a mysterious
14:18 Melchizedek. This name means “My King is Righ- figure, apparently appearing from nowhere, and with
teous.” Melchizedek was a contemporary of Abram no explanation of his family or background. He is a

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 F E AT U R E S

282 Q&A’s help you

get answers to your
most perplexing
questions GENESIS 22:13   33

Abraham Tested
Q&A 22 Some time later God tested Abraham.
“Abraham!”
to him, “Abra ham!”
Abraham. He said

“Here I am,” he rereplied.

plied.
² Then God said, “Take your son, your only son,
²Then
WHO WAS THE “ANGEL whom you love — Isaac — and go to the region region of
OF GOD”? (Ge 21:17) Moriah. Sacrifice
Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering
offering on a
mountain I will show you.”
A ngels are created beings sent by God as mes-
sengers to communicate with humans. But most
scholars believe the “angel of God” was not a created
³ Early the next morning Abraham got up and
loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his ser-
being but a theophanyŽ—Ža temporary manifestation
vants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough
or appearance of God.
wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place
In the Old Testament, theophanies are called such God had told him about. ⁴ On the third day Abraham
names as the “angel of God,” the “angel of the LORD” looked up and saw the place in the distance. ⁵ He said
and the “commander of the army of the LORD.” These to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I
theophanies may have been appearances of the sec- and the boy go over there. We will worship and then
ond person of the Trinity before his incarnation as we will come back to you.”
Jesus Christ. Examples of Old Testament theophanies ⁶ Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering
include God’s appearance to Moses in the burning and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself car-
bush (see Ex 3), the pillar of fire and pillar of cloud ried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went
that traveled with the Israelites (see Ex 13:21), the on together, ⁷ Isaac spoke up and said to his father
man who spoke to Joshua before the defeat of Jeri- Abraham, “Father?”
cho (see Jos 5:13Ž–Ž15) and the angel who spoke to “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.
Gideon at the winepress (see Jdg 6:11Ž–Ž24). “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but
New Testament theophanies include the heavenly where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
voice and the dove at Jesus’ baptism (see Mt 3:13Ž–Ž17), ⁸ Abraham answered, “God himself will provide
the voice at the transfiguration (see Mt 17:1Ž–Ž8), the the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the
wind and tongues of fire at Pentecost (see Ac 2:1Ž–Ž4), two of them went on together.
Stephen’s vision at his stoning (see Ac 7:54Ž–Ž60) and ⁹ When they reached the place God had told him
Paul’s vision at his conversion (see Ac 9:1Ž–Ž9). about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged
the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him
on the altar, on top of the wood. ¹⁰ Then he reached
out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. ¹¹ But
the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven,
“Abraham! Abraham!”
³⁰ He replied, “Accept these seven lambs from my “Here I am,” he replied.
hand as a witness that I dug this well.” ¹² “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not
³¹ So that place was called Beersheba, a because the do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God,
two men swore an oath there. because you have not withheld from me your son,
³² After the treaty had been made at Beersheba, your only son.”
Abimelek and Phicol the commander of his forces ¹³ Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he
returned to the land of the Philistines. ³³ Abraham saw a ram b caught by its horns. He went over and
planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he
a 31 Beersheba can mean well of seven and well of the oath.
called on the name of the LORD, the Eternal God. b 13 Many manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Samaritan Pentateuch,
³⁴ And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines Septuagint and Syriac; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text a
for a long time. ram behind him

21:34 the land of the Philistines. The name Palestine that he should love his son of promise as a gift from
comes from the word for Philistine. God. God’s covenant said that a great nation would
22:5 worship and ... come back to you. Abraham’s descend from Isaac, therefore it would be so. Abra-
comment to his servants is a significant avowal of his ham’s test was not “whom do you love most?” but “do
faith in God. Even though he was going to sacrifice you really believe me?” The answer was a resounding,
his son, he was confident that they both would return. “Yes!” Abraham carried his faith to the knife edge on
22:8 God himself will provide. Abraham’s faith in his son’s flesh. God had promised, and it would be so,
God’s promise is shown in his response to a very real even if Isaac had to be raised from the dead to make
and terrible test. Many times this is seen as a test of his words come to pass (Heb 11:17–19).
the quality of Abraham’s love for God—who would 22:9 bound his son Isaac. Surely Isaac could have
he choose, God or his son? However, there is no sign struggled or run away at this point, but there is no
that Abraham made this mistake. He knew beyond a evidence that he did so. Apparently Isaac’s faith and
shadow of doubt that Isaac was given to him directly trust both in God and in his father was sufficient to
by God, the son of promise. Therefore it was right stand the test.

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 F E AT U R E S

GENESIS 7:14   13

CONTEXT NOTES
A R T I FAC T S
PEOPLE HISTORY ARCHAEOLOGY RELIABILITY

ANCIENT FLOOD NARRATIVES (Ge 6)

The traditions of ancient peoples throughout the world share in common the inclusion of flood stories.
The Mesopotamian accounts have garnered the most discussion since they are culturally closer to
the Biblical material than any of the other non-Scriptural narratives. The most famous Mesopotamian
flood account is the Babylonian version, found in the library of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal (seventh
century BC) as part of the larger Epic of Gilgamesh.
In this epic, Gilgamesh searches for a man named Utnapishtum (the equivalent of the Biblical Noah),
146 CONTEXT NOTES whose story is then recounted. When one of the highest gods, Enlil, becomes annoyed by the ca- ca
provide in-depth cophony of noise coming from human beings, he decides to inundate and destroy them all in a cata cata-
strophic deluge. Enki, the god of waters, reveals Enlil’s intent to the mortal Utnapishtum, directing him
articles on the cultural
to construct an enormous boat and load it with pairs of animals. Instructed not to reveal the reason
for this mystifying building project, Utnapishtum is further commanded at a critical point to take
and historical context
his wife on board with him. For seven harried days and nights Utnapishtum and his wife are tossed
of Scripture about in this vessel as floodwaters engulf the
earth. When the waters finally subside, the
boat lodges atop a tall mountain. Utnapishtum
sends out a dove, a swallow and a raven, the
last of which fails to return, apparently having
located nourishment. The man then disem disem-
barks and offers lavish sacrifices to the gods,
who in turn bestow eternal life on him and his
wife for having safeguarded the future of hu-
mans and animals.
Bible readers will immediately recognize
the similarities between the Mesopotamian
and Biblical accounts. But there are significant
differences, too. According to the Bible God
was not simply irritated by the sin of human-
ity; he was profoundly grieved, to the point
that “his heart was deeply troubled” by the
magnitude of human sin (Ge 6:5’–’7).
The differences can be attributed to the
special revelation God gave the Biblical au-
thors, including the writer of Genesis, by
which he made known his plan of redemption.
The other versions provide extra-Biblical con-
firmation of the story of a great flood rather
than demonstrating, as some have suggested, Epic of Gilgamesh, Neo-Assyrian, seventh century BC
that the Biblical account is a myth. © 2013 by Zondervan, taken at the British Museum

floodgates of the heavens were opened. ¹² And rain and Japheth, together with his wife and the wives
fell on the earth forty days and forty nights. of his three sons, entered the ark. ¹⁴ They had with
¹³ On that very day Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham them every wild animal according to its kind, all

of the first rain portrays a thundering, catastrophic the earth’s surface, such as the formation of the Grand
event, accompanied by violent upheaval of the earth’s Canyon. The flood also explains the enormous quanti-
crust and geysers of water bursting from the depths. ty of fossilized remains of plants, animals and shellfish
The violence and the amount of water involved are that are buried in layers of rock over the entire surface
more than enough to account for many peculiarities of of the earth and even on the tops of mountains.

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 F E AT U R E S

138 BIBLE TRUTHS

demonstrate Core
Christian beliefs
and their basis in S 11:18
GENESIS 11:18   19

The Tower of Babel

Scripture
reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name

11 Now the whole world had one language and a for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the
common speech. ² As people moved eastward, a face of the whole earth.”
they found a plain in Shinar b and settled there. ⁵ But the LORD came down to see the city and the
⁵But
³ They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks tower people
tower the peo ple were building.
building. ⁶The
⁶ The LORD said, “If
and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick in- as one people
people speaking
speaking the same lanlanguage
guage they have
stead of stone, and tar for mortar. ⁴ Then they said, begun nothing
begun to do this, then noth ing they plan to do will
“Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that be impossible for them. ⁷Come,
⁷ Come, let us go down and
language
confuse their lan guage so they will not ununder
derstand
other.”
each oth er.”
⁸ So the LORD scattered
⁸So scattered them from there over all
Genesis 11:1–9
the earth, and they stopped building
building the city. ⁹ That
PRIDE TRIGGERS PAIN is why it was called Babel
Babel c — be
because
cause there the LORD
The people at Babel had a plan. Using baked brick
confused the language of the whole world. From
there the LORD scattered them over the face of the
instead of stone and tar in place of the usual mor-
whole earth.
tar, they would build a tower that stretched “to the
heavens” (Ge 11:4). But the people of Babel were From Shem to Abram
undertaking more than a technologically innova- 11:10-27pp — Ge 10:21-31; 1Ch 1:17-27
tive building project. They plotted to make a name ¹⁰ This is the account of Shem’s family line.
for themselves, looking for a way to firmly estab-
lish their prominence and power. God noticed their Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100
years old, he became the father d of Arphaxad. ¹¹ And
scheme and saw it for what it was—an uprising
after he became the father of Arphaxad, Shem lived
against him. So he made it more difficult for the
500 years and had other sons and daughters.
human race to band together. He scrambled human ¹² When Arphaxad had lived 35 years, he became
language, then scattered people across the face of the father of Shelah. ¹³ And after he became the fa-
the earth, breaking up this proud revolt. Later in ther of Shelah, Arphaxad lived 403 years and had
time, a new city grew on the site of Babel. That city, other sons and daughters. e
Babylon, became a symbol throughout the Bible of ¹⁴ When Shelah had lived 30 years, he became the
rebellion against God (see Rev 18:2). father of Eber. ¹⁵ And after he became the father of
Eber, Shelah lived 403 years and had other sons and
daughters.
¹⁶ When Eber had lived 34 years, he became the
father of Peleg. ¹⁷ And after he became the father of
BIBLE TRUTHS Peleg, Eber lived 430 years and had other sons and
daughters.
¹⁸ When Peleg had lived 30 years, he became the
a 2 Or from the east ; or in the east b 2 That is, Babylonia
c 9 That is, Babylon; Babel sounds like the Hebrew for confused.
THINK: d 10 Father may mean ancestor; also in verses 11-25.
e 12,13 Hebrew; Septuagint (see also Luke 3:35, 36 and note at
When have you experienced pain as a result
Gen. 10:24) 35 years, he became the father of Cainan. 13And after he
of pride—either your own or the arrogance of became the father of Cainan, Arphaxad lived 430 years and had other
another person? sons and daughters, and then he died. When Cainan had lived 130
years, he became the father of Shelah. And after he became the father
of Shelah, Cainan lived 330 years and had other sons and daughters

11:2 a plain in Shinar. This is the region of ancient Bab- 11:7 let us go down. The plural “us” in this passage is
ylon in Mesopotamia (10:10). similar to the language of 1:26–28. The plural pronoun
11:4 Pride—God divided the human race into differ- emphasizes the majesty of the speaker.
ent language groups because they had refused to 11:9 Babel. There is a pun in this name that no Hebrew
obey his command to fill the earth and had become reader would miss. The verb for confuse sounds similar
united for an evil purpose. This does not mean that to the name of the city. confused . . . scattered. Be-
God wants the world to remain divided. Christ came cause of their pride and arrogance, God scattered the
to reconcile the world to God (2Co 5:19), and when we peoples of the earth and confused their language, but
are in Christ we are not only reconciled to God, but one day peoples of all languages and cultures will unite
to one another (Eph 2:11–19). The unity God destroyed to celebrate the grace of God’s risen Son, lifting their
by judgment at Babel was restored by grace on the voices together in praise of the Lamb (Rev 5:8–14).
day of Pentecost. On that day people from different 11:10–26 Shem’s family line. This genealogy shows
nations came together to hear the gospel in their own that Abram was a descendant of Noah through Shem,
languages. just as Noah was a descendant of Adam through Seth.

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BOOK INTRODUCTIONS
offer a helpful overview

SPOTLIGHT ON KEY

GENESIS
CONCEPTS

> The covenant is God’s program of revelation.

> The focus of creation is the establishment and maintenance of order and operation.
> The stories in the Bible are stories about God.

them. The covenant blessings that served as

ABOUT
benefits to Abraham and his family were exten-
sions of the original blessings in Genesis 1. The

T he purpose of this first book of the Bible is

to begin the story of God and his continuing
relationship with his creation, including his disap-
patriarchal narratives in Genesis 12–50 trace the
advance of the covenant and its blessings and,
at the same time, show the many obstacles. As
pointments and the actions he takes to overcome
these obstacles were overcome, one by one, God
obstacles. God showed his mastery as he creat-
demonstrated his mastery.
ed order in the cosmos and brought order to his
relationship with people through the covenant.
Though God created everything just right, sin KEY VERSES
alienated people from God so that they no lon-
ger had an accurate idea of what he is like. This is Genesis 1:28: Be fruitful and increase in number.
why God made a covenant with a chosen people,
Abraham and his family, a relationship that gave Genesis 12:3: All peoples on earth will be blessed
through you [Abraham].
God a means for giving people an accurate pic-
ture of what he is like. Genesis tells how, despite Genesis 50:20: You intended to harm me, but God
many obstacles, the covenant was established. intended it for good to accomplish ... the saving of
Genesis 1–11 traces the blessing recorded in many lives.
Genesis 1:28–30. The genealogies show people
being fruitful and multiplying. At the same time
K E Y T E AC H I N G S
these chapters depict the advance of sin, first in
the disobedience of Adam and Eve, then in Cain’s
> God established and maintains order in the cosmos.
murder of his brother Abel, and finally in the es-
calation of violence and corruption that result- > God overcomes obstacles to carry out his purposes.
ed in the flood. After the flood, the people not > God reveals himself to his people.
only continued their movement away from God > God’s grace exceeds all logic.
but also made a vain attempt to reestablish his
presence by building a stairway for him to come
down from heaven and be worshiped on earth KEY TERMS
(the Tower of Babel).
Now in addition to the problem of bringing Fall—The result of the disobedience of Adam and Eve
people back to God (Eden problem), there was that brought sin into the world and alienated God from
the problem of restoring the lost knowledge of the human race.
what God is like (Babel problem). Human initia- Flood—God’s judgment on the world due to the
tive, first by Adam and Eve, then by the builders lawlessness and violence of humanity. Only Noah, a
of Babel, had devastating results. God’s covenant righteous man, and his family were spared.
with Abraham represents God’s initiative to pro- Tower of Babel—Building project that offended God
vide a means by which God could reveal himself and prompted him to confuse the language.
to the world through Abraham and his family and Patriarchs—The founding ancestors of the nation of
how the entire world could be blessed through Israel: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

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8   GENESIS 3:5

to the woman. ⁵ “For God knows that when you eat “Cursed are you above all livestock
from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like and all wild animals!
God, knowing good and evil.” You will crawl on your belly
⁶ When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree and you will eat dust
was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also all the days of your life.
desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate ¹⁵ And I will put enmity
it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with between you and the woman,
her, and he ate it. ⁷ Then the eyes of both of them and between your offspring a and hers;
were opened, and they realized they were naked; so he will crush b your head,
they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings and you will strike his heel.”
for themselves.
¹⁶ To the woman he said,
⁸ Then the man and his wife heard the sound of
the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in “I will make your pains in childbearing very
the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God severe;
among the trees of the garden. ⁹ But the LORD God with painful labor you will give birth to
called to the man, “Where are you?” children.
¹⁰ He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I Over 6,000 Bottom-of-the-page
Your desire will be for your husband,
was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”
¹¹ And he said, “Who told you that you were na-
STUDY NOTES explain the text,
and he will rule over you.”
¹⁷ To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your
wife and ate fruit verse-by-verse
ked? Have you eaten from the tree that I command-
from the tree about which I com-
ed you not to eat from?”
manded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’
¹² The man said, “The woman you put here with
me — she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I “Cursed is the ground because of you;
ate it.” through painful toil you will eat food
¹³ Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is from it
this you have done?” all the days of your life.
The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and ¹⁸ It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
I ate.” and you will eat the plants of the field.
¹⁴ So the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because
you have done this, a 15 Or seed b 15 Or strike

Scripture, however, always refers to the eating of the ing of the curse will happen as Christ establishes his
fruit as the sin, and never comments on Eve’s addi- final reign on earth.
tion. Her words reflected the original command well 3:14 to the serpent. The Lord turned first to the ser-
enough, and indeed they would have ensured that the pent and brought judgment upon him. God did not
command would be kept. excuse the woman because she was deceived, but he
3:5 you will be like God. God’s fullness of knowledge did bring the harsher judgment on the one who had
was only one of the superiorities that set him apart deceived her.
from the woman. But the serpent combined all of 3:15 Christ—This passage is sometimes referred to as
God’s superiority over the woman into this one auda- the “preaching of Messiah in the garden of Eden,” be-
cious appeal to her pride. cause it introduces the One who will deliver mankind
3:6–7 Sin’s Consequences—At first Adam’s sin does not from the power of the Tempter. The seed of the ser-
appear to be all that significant. All he did was take a pent, those of the human race who choose evil and
bite of some fruit. But Scripture takes it very seriously. thus give themselves into the control of the Evil One,
Adam’s sin was one of disobedience and rebellion. God would hate and destroy the offspring of the woman,
told Adam not to eat the fruit of the “tree of the knowl- who was Jesus Christ. But in that very act, Evil con-
edge of good and evil” under penalty of death (2:17). demned itself. Jesus rose triumphant from the grave,
That action of eating the fruit changed Adam’s whole having paid the blood atonement for the sin of the
nature as well as his relationship with God. Adam be- world and conquered death forever. Thus the Seed of
came a sinner and as such he died. His spiritual death woman crushed the head of the serpent.
was immediate, the physical death progressive. Adam, 3:16 pains in child bearing. The woman’s joy in con-
who began the human race, then became the source of ceiving and bearing children would be affected by the
sin for the world. We are all sinners by nature because pain of it. desire . . . rule. The word desire can also
Adam sinned (Ro 5:12–14). We inherit sin from Adam mean “an attempt to usurp authority or control” as
in our natures in the same way we inherit many of our in 4:7. The last two lines of this verse could be para-
physical characteristics from our parents. Sin is a uni- phrased, “You will now have a tendency to try to domi-
versal part of our spiritual inheritance. nate your husband and he will have the tendency to
3:14–21 The Covenant With Adam—The Adamic Cov- act as a tyrant.” Each strives for control and neither
enant is the second covenant God made with humans. lives in the best interest of the other (Php 2:3–4). The
It sets forth conditions that will be in effect until the antidote is in the restoration of mutual respect and
curse of death is lifted (Isa 11:6–10; Ro 8:18–23). In dignity through Jesus Christ (Eph 5:21–23).
Christ’s death and resurrection we have the beginning 3:17–19 Cursed is the ground . . . By the sweat of your
(firstfruits) of the lifting of the curse. The ultimate lift- brow. Humans sometimes tend to look upon work

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S 14:20

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“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
Creator of heaven and earth.
stars — if indeed you can count them.” Then he said
to him, “So shall your offspring d be.”
²⁰ And praise be to God Most High, ⁶ Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to
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Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

⁷ He also said to him, “I am the LORD, who brought
you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land
²¹ The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the
typeface with a 9.7-point
people and keep the goods for yourself.”
to take possession of it.”
⁸ But Abram said, “Sovereign LORD, how can I
print size reduces²² But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “With
raised hand I have sworn an oath to the LORD, God
know that I will gain possession of it?”
eyestrain while reading
Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, ²³ that I will
⁹ So the LORD said to him, “Bring me a heifer, a
goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a
accept nothing belonging
longing to you, not even a thread
dove and a young pigeon.”
or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able
¹⁰ Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two
to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’ ²⁴ I will accept nothing
and arranged the halves opposite each other; the
but what my men have eaten and the share that be-
birds, however, he did not cut in half. ¹¹ Then birds of
longs to the men who went with me — to Aner, Esh-
prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove
kol and Mamre. Let them have their share.”
them away.
The LORD’s Covenant With Abram ¹² As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep
sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over
15 After
After this, the word of the LORD came to
Abram in a vision:
vision:
him. ¹³ Then the LORD said to him, “Know for certain
that for four hundred years your descendants will
“Do not be afraid, Abram. be strangers in a country not their own and that
I am your shield, a they will be enslaved and mistreated there. ¹⁴ But I
your very great reward. b ” will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and af-
terward they will come out with great possessions.
² But Abram said, “Sovereign LORD, what can you
¹⁵ You, however, will go to your ancestors in peace
give me since I remain childless and the one who
and be buried at a good old age. ¹⁶ In the fourth gen-
will inherit c my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” ³ And
eration your descendants will come back here, for
Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a
the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full
servant in my household will be my heir.”
measure.”
⁴ Then the word of the LORD came to him: “This
man will not be your heir, but a son who is your a 1 Or sovereign b 1 Or shield; / your reward will be very great
own flesh and blood will be your heir.” ⁵ He took him c 2 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the d 5 Or seed

priest of God Most High, even though there is no in- 15:6 Abram believed. Almost ten years had passed
dication that he is of Abram’s family or even a de- since the original promises were given. As Abram
scendant of Shem. The writer of Hebrews compares grew older and still had no children, it was natural for
Melchizedek with another priest, the Lord Jesus Christ him to wonder how the promises could be fulfilled. In
(see Heb 5:9; Ps 110:4). answer to Abram’s questions, God, who had revealed
14:20 praise be to God Most High. When we bless himself in word, and who had faithfully protected him
God, we acknowledge him as the source of all our and sustained him, again pledged his word of promise.
blessings (Ps 103:1–2). gave him a tenth. This is the Abram believed and his faith was accounted to him as
first mention of tithing in the Bible. Even though righteousness. Some have thought that in Old Testa-
there is no record of tithing as a command until much ment times people were saved by their good deeds
later (Dt 14:22), the concept of a tenth belonging to rather than by faith, but this idea is mistaken. Abram
God was apparently known. Abram’s gift indicates was not saved because of righteous living or obedi-
that he considered Melchizedek a true priest of the ence, but by believing in God and so being declared
living God; in giving this gift Abram was giving to righteous by him. The only valid work is the work of
the Lord. faith (Jn 6:28–29; Jas 2:2).
14:22 the LORD, God Most High. Abraham identified 15:9 Bring me. Abram prepared the sacrifice, but God
Yahweh, translated here as “the LORD,” with the most enacted the sign (v. 17). This emphasizes the unilateral,
high God for whom Melchizedek was priest. This is a unconditional nature of the covenant.
clear statement that he and Melchizedek worshiped 15:12 dreadful darkness. These two words give great
the same God. emphasis to the meaning “an overwhelmingly dark
15:1–21 This section is one of the texts that present terror.” This kind of reaction to the indescribable ho-
the Abrahamic covenant (see 17:1–22; 18:1–15; 22:15–18; liness of the Lord (Isa 6:3; 40:25) is natural—Abram
26:23–24; 35:9–15; compare also 12:1–3,7; 13:14–17). was about to experience the presence of the Almighty.
15:2 Eliezer of Damascus. This man had the honor of This was a moment of profound dread and holy awe.
being Abram’s heir because Abram and Sarai had no 15:13 four hundred years. Moses wrote down the story
child of their own. Some have wondered if Eliezer is of Abram’s life from the vantage point of the genera-
also the unnamed servant of Abraham who went on tion who fulfilled this prophecy (Ex 12:40–42).
the quest for a wife for Isaac (24:2–5).

9780310450672_int_01_gen_deut_NIV_Starting_Place_FIRST PROOFS UPDATED.indd 24 4/26/18 11:33 AM

8
 UNCORRECTED PROOF

SPOTLIGHT ON KEY

GENESIS
CONCEPTS

> The covenant is God’s program of revelation.

> The focus of creation is the establishment and maintenance of order and operation.
> The stories in the Bible are stories about God.

them. The covenant blessings that served as

ABOUT
benefits to Abraham and his family were exten-
sions of the original blessings in Genesis 1. The

T he purpose of this first book of the Bible is

to begin the story of God and his continuing
relationship with his creation, including his disap-
patriarchal narratives in Genesis 12–50 trace the
advance of the covenant and its blessings and,
at the same time, show the many obstacles. As
pointments and the actions he takes to overcome
these obstacles were overcome, one by one, God
obstacles. God showed his mastery as he creat-
demonstrated his mastery.
ed order in the cosmos and brought order to his
relationship with people through the covenant.
Though God created everything just right, sin KEY VERSES
alienated people from God so that they no lon-
ger had an accurate idea of what he is like. This is Genesis 1:28: Be fruitful and increase in number.
why God made a covenant with a chosen people,
Abraham and his family, a relationship that gave Genesis 12:3: All peoples on earth will be blessed
through you [Abraham].
God a means for giving people an accurate pic-
ture of what he is like. Genesis tells how, despite Genesis 50:20: You intended to harm me, but God
many obstacles, the covenant was established. intended it for good to accomplish ... the saving of
Genesis 1–11 traces the blessing recorded in many lives.
Genesis 1:28–30. The genealogies show people
being fruitful and multiplying. At the same time
K E Y T E AC H I N G S
these chapters depict the advance of sin, first in
the disobedience of Adam and Eve, then in Cain’s
> God established and maintains order in the cosmos.
murder of his brother Abel, and finally in the es-
calation of violence and corruption that result- > God overcomes obstacles to carry out his purposes.
ed in the flood. After the flood, the people not > God reveals himself to his people.
only continued their movement away from God > God’s grace exceeds all logic.
but also made a vain attempt to reestablish his
presence by building a stairway for him to come
down from heaven and be worshiped on earth KEY TERMS
(the Tower of Babel).
Now in addition to the problem of bringing Fall—The result of the disobedience of Adam and Eve
people back to God (Eden problem), there was that brought sin into the world and alienated God from
the problem of restoring the lost knowledge of the human race.
what God is like (Babel problem). Human initia- Flood—God’s judgment on the world due to the
tive, first by Adam and Eve, then by the builders lawlessness and violence of humanity. Only Noah, a
of Babel, had devastating results. God’s covenant righteous man, and his family were spared.
with Abraham represents God’s initiative to pro- Tower of Babel—Building project that offended God
vide a means by which God could reveal himself and prompted him to confuse the language.
to the world through Abraham and his family and Patriarchs—The founding ancestors of the nation of
how the entire world could be blessed through Israel: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
 UNCORRECTED PROOF
2   GENESIS

Birthright—The material inheritance given to children

P E O P L E TO K N OW
on the death of their father. It usually went to sons,
with the firstborn receiving twice what the other sons
received. Adam and Eve (p. X) Isaac (p. XX)
Cain and Abel (p. X) Rebekah (p. XX)
Yahweh—The personal name for God. Noah (p. XX) Esau (p. XX)
Covenant—God’s agreement with Abraham and his Abraham (p. XX) Jacob (p. XX)
descendants by which he would bring blessing to the Sarah (p. XX) Rachel (p. XX)
world. Ishmael (p. XX) Laban (p. XX)
Lot (p. XX) Joseph (p. XX)

WHEN DID THESE THINGS HAPPEN?ƒƒ2200 BCƒƒ2100ƒƒ2000ƒƒ1900ƒƒ1800ƒƒ1700ƒƒ1600ƒƒ1500ƒƒ1400

Creation, Fall 
The Flood 
The Tower of Babel 
Abraham’s life (c. 2166–1991 BC) 
Isaac’s life (c. 2066–1886 BC) 
Jacob’s life (c. 2006–1859 BC) 
Joseph’s life (c. 1915–1805 BC) 
Book of Genesis written (c. 1446–1406 BC) 

THE SETTING OF GENESIS

Black Sea

Ararat
Mt.
Eden? Caspian
Sea
T U R K E Y

Harran
I R A N
Ti g

Eu Za
ris

SYRIA ph gr
ra os
R.

LEBANON tes M
Mediterranean R. ts
.
Sea
I R A Q Babel
ISRAEL
Bethel
Jerusalem Shechem
Ur of the
Hebron Chaldeans
Beersheba Eden?
JORDAN P
G ers
S A U D I ul ia
f n
EGYPT Sinai
A R A B I A

0 200 km.
Red
Ni
le

Sea 0 200 miles

R.
 UNCORRECTED PROOF

GENESIS
The Beginning produced vegetation: plants bearing seed ac-

1 In the beginning God created the heavens cording to their kinds and trees bearing fruit
and the earth. ² Now the earth was formless with seed in it according to their kinds. And
and empty, darkness was over the surface of God saw that it was good. ¹³ And there was eve-
the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering ning, and there was morning — the third day.
over the waters. ¹⁴ And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of
the sky to separate the day from the night, and
³ And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was let them serve as signs to mark sacred times,
light. ⁴ God saw that the light was good, and and days and years, ¹⁵ and let them be lights in
he separated the light from the darkness. the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.”
⁵ God called the light “day,” and the darkness And it was so. ¹⁶ God made two great lights —
he called “night.” And there was evening, and the greater light to govern the day and the less-
there was morning — the first day. er light to govern the night. He also made the
⁶ And God said, “Let there be a vault between the stars. ¹⁷ God set them in the vault of the sky to
waters to separate water from water.” ⁷ So God give light on the earth, ¹⁸ to govern the day and
made the vault and separated the water under the night, and to separate light from darkness.
the vault from the water above it. And it was And God saw that it was good. ¹⁹ And there was
so. ⁸ God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning — the fourth
evening, and there was morning — the second day.
day. ²⁰ And God said, “Let the water teem with living
⁹ And God said, “Let the water under the sky be creatures, and let birds fly above the earth
gathered to one place, and let dry ground across the vault of the sky.” ²¹ So God created
appear.” And it was so. ¹⁰ God called the dry the great creatures of the sea and every liv-
ground “land,” and the gathered waters he ing thing with which the water teems and that
called “seas.” And God saw that it was good. moves about in it, according to their kinds, and
¹¹ Then God said, “Let the land produce veg- every winged bird according to its kind. And
etation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the God saw that it was good. ²² God blessed them
land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number
their various kinds.” And it was so. ¹² The land and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds

1:1 Creation—Biblical revelation begins with a simple, 1:7 separated the water. The description of upper
strong and sublime affirmation. Instead of arguing the and lower waters is somewhat mysterious; it has been
existence of God, it declares that the very existence of theorized that this is simply a reference to the divi-
the universe depends on the creative power of God. sion between the water of the seas and rivers on the
The world we live in was created by God and belongs surface of the earth and the water vapor that is part
to him. His absolute ownership requires our faithful of the atmosphere.
stewardship of all things. 1:11–12 seed ... kinds. God not only created plant life;
1:1 In the beginning. No information is given to us He also set in motion the process that makes plant life
about what happened before the creation of the phys- reproduce.
ical universe, though John 1:1 speaks of this time. It is 1:14 as signs to mark sacred times. Some have mis-
possible that the rise, rebellion, and judgment of Sa- takenly viewed these words as a biblical basis for as-
tan transpired before the events of this chapter. God. trology. The signs in this case relate to phases of the
This standard Hebrew term for deity Elohim is in the moon and the relative positions of stars that mark the
form called the plural of majesty or plural of inten- passage of time from the vantage point of earth. The
sity. In contrast to the ordinary plural (gods), this plu- two words form a pair that may be translated seasonal
ral means “the fullness of deity” or “God—very God.” signs.
Furthermore, the use of the plural allows for the later 1:16 He also made the stars. This is a remarkable
revelation of the Trinity (see 11:7; Mt 28:19; Jn 1:1–3). statement. In the ancient Middle East, other religions
1:3 Let there be light. These words express a principal worshiped, deified and mystified the stars. Israel’s
theme of the Bible: God bringing light into darkness neighbors revered the stars and looked to them for
(see Isa 9:1–2). Here, God produced physical light. The guidance. In contrast, the biblical creation story gives
New Testament records God sending his Son to be the the stars only the barest mention, as though the writ-
light of the world (Jn 8:12), bringing release from the er shrugged and said, And, oh, yes, he also made the
spiritual darkness of bondage to sin. In the end, there stars. Such a statement showed great contempt for
will no longer be any darkness at all, and we will be ancient Babylonian astrology (Ps 29; 93).
face to face with the source of light (Rev 21:23).
 UNCORRECTED PROOF
4   GENESIS 1:23

increase on the earth.” ²³ And there was eve- the creatures that move along the ground, and
ning, and there was morning — the fifth day. the wild animals, each according to its kind.”
²⁴ And God said, “Let the land produce living crea- And it was so. ²⁵ God made the wild animals ac-
tures according to their kinds: the livestock, cording to their kinds, the livestock according
to their kinds, and all the creatures that move
along the ground according to their kinds. And
God saw that it was good.
Q&A ²⁶ Then God said, “Let us make mankind in
our image, in our likeness, so that they may
rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in
ARE THESE LITERAL 24-HOUR the sky, over the livestock and all the wild an-
imals, a and over all the creatures that move
DAYS? (Ge 1:3–31) along the ground.”

R egardless of whether the “days” of creation were

figurative or literal 24-hour periods, this passage
is a truthful description of what took place. It indi-
²⁷ So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
cates that there is intelligence, meaning and purpose
behind all existence. In other words, the word of God ²⁸ God blessed them and said to them, “Be
directed the method of creation as well as the source fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth
of creation (see Ps 33:6,9; Heb 11:3). Yet human beings and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and
have been given the privilege of exploring, through the birds in the sky and over every living crea-
scientific investigation, how God may have engi- ture that moves on the ground.”
neered these events and how long he took to do so. ²⁹ Then God said, “I give you every seed-
Many understand the six days of creation as repre- bearing plant on the face of the whole earth
senting long periods of time because the sun, which and every tree that has fruit with seed in it.
marks a 24-hour day, wasn’t created until the fourth They will be yours for food. ³⁰ And to all the
day. And the word day is used in chapters 1›–›2 in three beasts of the earth and all the birds in the
distinct ways: (1) as approximately 12 hours of day- sky and all the creatures that move along the
light (see Ge 1:5); (2) as 24 hours (see Ge 1:14) and ground — everything that has the breath of life
(3)  as a period of time involving, at the very mini- in it — I give every green plant for food.” And it
mum, the whole creative activity from day one to day was so.
seven (see Ge 2:4, where the word that is translated ³¹ God saw all that he had made, and it was
when is the same word that is elsewhere translated very good. And there was evening, and there
day). The light (see Ge 1:3) could not have come from was morning — the sixth day.
the earth’s sun if the sun was not created until the
fourth day. The light could have come from other
sources that God provided in the universe prior to
the creation of the sun. We can only speculate about
2 Thus the heavens and the earth were com-
pleted in all their vast array.
² By the seventh day God had finished the work
what the atmospheric conditions might have been at he had been doing; so on the seventh day he
that time. rested from all his work. ³ Then God blessed the
a 26 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text (see Syriac);
Masoretic Text the earth

1:24 living creatures. This expression contains the represent his reign. This interpretation fits well with
word sometimes used for the soul, but the word can the command that follows—to reign over all that God
also mean “life,” “being,” “living thing,” or “person,” has made.
depending on the context. The same phrase is used 1:28 fill the earth and subdue it. The word translated
for man in 2:7. subdue means “bring into bondage.” This harsh term
1:26 in our image. Since God is spirit (Jn 4:24), there is used elsewhere of military conquest (Zec 9:15) and
can be no “image” or “likeness” of him in the normal of God subduing our iniquities (Mic 7:19). Since this
sense of these words. The traditional view of this direction was given before the fall, it appears that the
passage is that God’s image in mankind is in specific need to subdue the earth is not because of sin but
moral, ethical, and intellectual abilities. A more recent because God left part of the arranging and ordering
view, based on a possible interpretation of Hebrew of the creation as work for humans to do. Whatever
grammar and the knowledge of the Middle East, inter- the case, subdue does not mean “destroy” or “ruin.” It
prets the phrase as meaning “Let us make mankind as does mean to “act as managers who have the author-
our image.” In ancient times an emperor might com- ity to run everything as God planned.” This command
mand statues of himself to be placed in remote parts applies equally to males and females.
of his empire. These symbols would declare that these 2:2 on the seventh day he rested. God did not rest be-
areas were under his power and reign. So God placed cause of fatigue but because of his accomplishment.
humankind as living symbols of himself on earth to God is never weary (Isa 40:28–29). The verb translated
 UNCORRECTED PROOF
GENESIS 2:9   5

CONTEXT NOTES
A R T I FAC T S
PEOPLE HISTORY ARCHAEOLOGY RELIABILITY

ANCIENT CREATION NARRATIVES (Ge 1)

In contrast to the Biblical creation narratives, ancient creation stories from Mesopotamia, Egypt and
Syria-Palestine do far more than try to explain how the physical world came into being. Creation myths
often elevated the particular god of a particular shrine to supremacy over all other gods in order to
validate the prestige of that deity, that shrine or the city in which the shrine was located.
For example, Egyptian creation myths tend to assert that a primordial mound or “Island of Creation”
arose from a primeval ocean and that a specific god created all things from that location. Several
Egyptian shrines, however, claimed to be the site of that primordial mound and asserted that the god
of their respective shrine was the great creator god .–.–.
Common motifs in creation myths include a spontaneous generation of gods, sexual reproduction
among gods and the deification of nature (e.g., of the sun and moon). A creation myth often focuses
on geographic and other elements unique to the shrine associated with the myth. An Egyptian myth,
for example, may pay special attention to the creation of the Nile.
Sometimes creation myths relate battles between gods and the monsters of a primeval, watery
chaos, through which one or more deities rise to supremacy. Sometimes creation occurs when a god
defeats a primeval monster and divides its body into two parts, which become heaven and earth or
earth and sea, etc.–.–.–.
Humans in creation myths from various sources are typically created as drudges to perform the
gods’ “dirty work.” Some myths depict humans as the gods’ slaves, whose primary function it is to
feed them with their sacrifices.
The Genesis account implicitly challenges the claims of these ancient creation myths by affirming
God’s unity and sovereignty, by portraying the heavenly bodies and great sea creatures as his creations
and by presenting humans as God’s stewards–—–and indeed image bearers–—–rather than as an after-
thought born of divine need or laziness.

seventh day and made it holy, because on it he to work the ground, ⁶ but streams b came up from the
rested from all the work of creating that he had earth and watered the whole surface of the ground.
done. ⁷ Then the LORD God formed a man c from the dust of
the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath
Adam and Eve of life, and the man became a living being.
⁴ This is the account of the heavens and the earth ⁸ Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the
when they were created, when the LORD God made east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had
the earth and the heavens. formed. ⁹ The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow
⁵ Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth a a 5 Or land ; also in verse 6 b 6 Or mist c 7 The Hebrew for man
and no plant had yet sprung up, for the LORD God (adam) sounds like and may be related to the Hebrew for ground
had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one (adamah) ; it is also the name Adam (see verse 20).

“rested” is related to the word for Sabbath, which a mere word (1:3), he created humans by fashioning a
means “rest.” God’s rest on the seventh day showed body out of mud and clay, transforming the clay into
that he was satisfied with the work he had done. something new, and then breathing life into it. This
2:4 the LORD God. This is a significant term. The word “breath of life” is something which only God can be-
translated God is the same word as in 1:1. The word stow. Medical knowledge enables doctors to keep a
translated LORD is the proper name of God, Yahweh (or human body “alive,” keeping the heart pumping and
Jehovah; see Ex 3:14–15). The God of chapter 1 and the the vital organs functioning, but it does not enable
LORD God of chapter 2 are one and the same. them to keep or to call back the breath of life. Some
2:6 streams. The precise meaning of this word is un- have speculated that the “breath of life” is the human
certain. Obviously it refers to some manner of irriga- soul, but later on, animals are also described as having
tion before the Lord brought the cycles of rain into the “breath of life” in their nostrils (7:22), which would
being. seem to indicate that this is simply a reference to the
2:7 the breath of life. Although God created light with miracle of living, breathing flesh.
 UNCORRECTED PROOF
6   GENESIS 2:10

out of the ground — trees that were pleasing to the

Genesis 1:1—2:3 eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden
were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge
GOD CREATED THE WORLD of good and evil.
Some skeptics point to Genesis and ask how God ¹⁰ A river watering the garden flowed from Eden;
invented life—or doubt he exists at all. Maybe you from there it was separated into four headwa-
wonder how the Bible stacks up against the world’s ters. ¹¹ The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds
brightest minds and most up-to-date discoveries. through the entire land of Havilah, where there is
But these early chapters of Genesis aren’t neces- gold. ¹² (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin a
sarily about the “how” of creation; they teach you and onyx are also there.) ¹³ The name of the second
river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land
about the “who.” It was God who acted with match-
of Cush. b ¹⁴ The name of the third river is the Tigris;
less power to create the universe, putting some-
it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth
thing where there was nothing. The skies announce river is the Euphrates.
the Lord’s existence without speaking a word, and ¹⁵ The LORD God took the man and put him in the
his amazing feat of creation shouts his mighty maj- Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. ¹⁶ And
esty (see Ps 19:1–2). The Bible states creation gives the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to
all human beings everywhere enough information eat from any tree in the garden; ¹⁷ but you must not
to know that God exists—and that we can look eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,
at what he made and perceive his power. People for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
¹⁸ The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man
might fight the truth of God’s existence, but deep
to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
in our hearts we understand he’s real (see Ro 1:20).
¹⁹ Now the LORD God had formed out of the
ground all the wild animals and all the birds in
the sky. He brought them to the man to see what
he would name them; and whatever the man called
BIBLE TRUTHS each living creature, that was its name. ²⁰ So the man
gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky
and all the wild animals.
But for Adam c no suitable helper was found. ²¹ So
the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep
sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the
THINK: man’s ribs d and then closed up the place with flesh.
Why does it matter to you that God created ²² Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib e
the world?
a 12 Or good; pearls b 13 Possibly southeast Mesopotamia
c 20 Or the man d 21 Or took part of the man’s side e 22 Or part

2:15–17 The First Covenant—In biblical times the pur- 2:19 to see what he would name them. In giving each
pose of a covenant was to establish an agreement animal its name, Adam demonstrated his right as
between two persons or groups. The elements of a God’s agent (1:26–28), the one set in place as lord of
covenant included a promise on the part of one per- the created order.
son and the conditions that needed to be fulfilled, on 2:20 suitable helper. Some have felt that calling the
the part of the other person, in order for the prom- woman man’s helper indicates that she is inferior in
ises to be carried out by both parties to the covenant. value, but this is far from true. In fact, the term “help”
The Edenic Covenant is the first covenant mentioned is used to describe God himself when he comes to our
in the Bible. God gave Adam a place in his creation aid. The word “helper” indicates role, not value or po-
and charged him with the responsibility of caring for sition. The helper Adam needed was not merely a ser-
the garden. The only condition in the covenant was vant or a slave, nor another man exactly like himself.
that Adam could not eat of the fruit of the tree of the He needed a complement, equal in value and with the
knowledge of good and evil or he would die. This cov- same intelligence, personality, spirituality, and ethi-
enant was terminated by Adam’s disobedience, which cal and moral sense; but with different qualities and a
also resulted in mankind’s spiritual and physical death. different role, a helper who could join with him in his
God then established a new covenant with Adam in work of subduing the earth.
Genesis 3:14–21. 2:21 he took one of the man’s ribs. God’s use of Ad-
2:17 will certainly die. These emphatic words are am’s rib was fitting. He might have started over with
made of two forms of the verb meaning “to die.” The dust and clay. But by using a part of Adam himself,
point is not that the guilty person would drop dead on the identification of Adam with his partner would be
the instant, but that death would surely happen—there ensured. As Martin Luther observed, God might have
is no escape (Heb 9:27). taken a bone from a toe, and thus signified that Adam
2:18 It is not good. Until this point, everything in cre- was to rule over her; or he might have taken a bone
ation was very good. from his head to indicate her rule over him. But by
 UNCORRECTED PROOF
GENESIS 3:4   7

BIBLE CHARACTERS

ADAM AND EVE

FIRST IN EVERYTHING

They were the first human beings on earth, part of God’s original creation. As such, Adam and Eve set
the standard for everything that followed. Their lives illustrate what God loves in human beings‘—‘as
well as what he loathes.
First ecologists. Adam was the first to name animals, the first to tend a garden, the first to be placed
in charge of all the creatures. Adam and Eve took on the huge task of caring for the earth and guiding
its proper use.
First to form a relationship with God. Adam and Eve were made in God’s image. God conversed with
them and gave them responsibilities. When they failed God, they felt ashamed and feared meeting him.
First married couple. God himself made the introductions and gave the first couple the delight of
each other, body and soul. As Genesis 2:24 suggests, this suitability is the basis for all marriages .‘.‘.
Marriage led to parenthood, though the very first child (Cain) brought pain as well as joy.
First to sin against God. Although they only had to follow directions, they failed. In response to their
sin, they hid from God and blamed each other .‘.‘. In the end, the first two human beings were banished
from Paradise and driven out into a world full of problems God had never intended for them to con-
front. In that, as in everything, these two led the way for all of us.

Life Questions
> Are you in a position to set an example for others?
> What can you learn from Adam and Eve’s experience?

he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to The Fall

3
the man. Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the
²³ The man said, wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to
“This is now bone of my bones the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat
and flesh of my flesh; from any tree in the garden’?”
she shall be called ‘woman,’ ² The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat
for she was taken out of man.” fruit from the trees in the garden, ³ but God did say,
²⁴ That is why a man leaves his father and mother ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the
and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or
²⁵ Adam and his wife were both naked, and they you will die.’ ”
felt no shame. ⁴ “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said

taking a bone from his side, God implied equality and families, but that their “one flesh” is a unit distinct
mutual respect. from either family.
2:24 one flesh. This phrase suggests both a physical, 3:1 the serpent. With no introduction, Satan appears in
sexual bonding and a lifelong relationship. They are the garden of Eden. This is the first clue in Scripture of
still separate persons, but together they are as one creation outside the one Adam and Eve experienced.
(Eph 5:31). In the New Testament, Jesus refers to this It is interesting to note that Eve expressed no surprise
text as the foundation of the biblical view of marriage at the serpent speaking to her in intelligible language.
(Mt 19:5). A married couple functions as “we,” rather 3:3 You must not eat ... and you must not touch it.
than “me and you.” They are a new unit, separate from Some interpreters suggest that the woman was al-
the family units they each came from. This does not ready sinning by adding to the word of God, for these
mean that they will no longer relate to their extended words were not part of God’s instructions in 2:17.
 UNCORRECTED PROOF
8   GENESIS 3:5

to the woman. ⁵ “For God knows that when you eat “Cursed are you above all livestock
from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like and all wild animals!
God, knowing good and evil.” You will crawl on your belly
⁶ When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree and you will eat dust
was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also all the days of your life.
desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate ¹⁵ And I will put enmity
it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with between you and the woman,
her, and he ate it. ⁷ Then the eyes of both of them and between your offspring a and hers;
were opened, and they realized they were naked; so he will crush b your head,
they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings and you will strike his heel.”
for themselves.
¹⁶ To the woman he said,
⁸ Then the man and his wife heard the sound of
the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in “I will make your pains in childbearing very
the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God severe;
among the trees of the garden. ⁹ But the LORD God with painful labor you will give birth to
called to the man, “Where are you?” children.
¹⁰ He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I Your desire will be for your husband,
was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” and he will rule over you.”
¹¹ And he said, “Who told you that you were na-
¹⁷ To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your
ked? Have you eaten from the tree that I command-
wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I com-
ed you not to eat from?”
manded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’
¹² The man said, “The woman you put here with
me — she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I “Cursed is the ground because of you;
ate it.” through painful toil you will eat food
¹³ Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is from it
this you have done?” all the days of your life.
The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and ¹⁸ It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
I ate.” and you will eat the plants of the field.
¹⁴ So the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because
you have done this, a 15 Or seed b 15 Or strike

Scripture, however, always refers to the eating of the ing of the curse will happen as Christ establishes his
fruit as the sin, and never comments on Eve’s addi- final reign on earth.
tion. Her words reflected the original command well 3:14 to the serpent. The Lord turned first to the ser-
enough, and indeed they would have ensured that the pent and brought judgment upon him. God did not
command would be kept. excuse the woman because she was deceived, but he
3:5 you will be like God. God’s fullness of knowledge did bring the harsher judgment on the one who had
was only one of the superiorities that set him apart deceived her.
from the woman. But the serpent combined all of 3:15 Christ—This passage is sometimes referred to as
God’s superiority over the woman into this one auda- the “preaching of Messiah in the garden of Eden,” be-
cious appeal to her pride. cause it introduces the One who will deliver mankind
3:6–7 Sin’s Consequences—At first Adam’s sin does not from the power of the Tempter. The seed of the ser-
appear to be all that significant. All he did was take a pent, those of the human race who choose evil and
bite of some fruit. But Scripture takes it very seriously. thus give themselves into the control of the Evil One,
Adam’s sin was one of disobedience and rebellion. God would hate and destroy the offspring of the woman,
told Adam not to eat the fruit of the “tree of the knowl- who was Jesus Christ. But in that very act, Evil con-
edge of good and evil” under penalty of death (2:17). demned itself. Jesus rose triumphant from the grave,
That action of eating the fruit changed Adam’s whole having paid the blood atonement for the sin of the
nature as well as his relationship with God. Adam be- world and conquered death forever. Thus the Seed of
came a sinner and as such he died. His spiritual death woman crushed the head of the serpent.
was immediate, the physical death progressive. Adam, 3:16 pains in child bearing. The woman’s joy in con-
who began the human race, then became the source of ceiving and bearing children would be affected by the
sin for the world. We are all sinners by nature because pain of it. desire . . . rule. The word desire can also
Adam sinned (Ro 5:12–14). We inherit sin from Adam mean “an attempt to usurp authority or control” as
in our natures in the same way we inherit many of our in 4:7. The last two lines of this verse could be para-
physical characteristics from our parents. Sin is a uni- phrased, “You will now have a tendency to try to domi-
versal part of our spiritual inheritance. nate your husband and he will have the tendency to
3:14–21 The Covenant With Adam—The Adamic Cov- act as a tyrant.” Each strives for control and neither
enant is the second covenant God made with humans. lives in the best interest of the other (Php 2:3–4). The
It sets forth conditions that will be in effect until the antidote is in the restoration of mutual respect and
curse of death is lifted (Isa 11:6–10; Ro 8:18–23). In dignity through Jesus Christ (Eph 5:21–23).
Christ’s death and resurrection we have the beginning 3:17–19 Cursed is the ground . . . By the sweat of your
(firstfruits) of the lifting of the curse. The ultimate lift- brow. Humans sometimes tend to look upon work
 UNCORRECTED PROOF
GENESIS 4:17   9

¹⁹ By the sweat of your brow right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have
you will eat your food you, but you must rule over it.”
until you return to the ground, ⁸ Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out
since from it you were taken; to the field.” f While they were in the field, Cain at-
for dust you are tacked his brother Abel and killed him.
and to dust you will return.” ⁹ Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your
²⁰ Adam a named his wife Eve, b because she would brother Abel?”
become the mother of all the living. “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s
²¹ The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam keeper?”
and his wife and clothed them. ²² And the LORD God ¹⁰ The LORD said, “What have you done? Lis-
said, “The man has now become like one of us, know- ten! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the
ing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach ground. ¹¹ Now you are under a curse and driven
out his hand and take also from the tree of life and from the ground, which opened its mouth to re-
eat, and live forever.” ²³ So the LORD God banished ceive your brother’s blood from your hand. ¹² When
him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops
from which he had been taken. ²⁴ After he drove the for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”
man out, he placed on the east side c of the Garden ¹³ Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is more
of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back than I can bear. ¹⁴ Today you are driving me from the
and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will
be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever
Cain and Abel finds me will kill me.”

4 Adam a made love to his wife Eve, and she be-

came pregnant and gave birth to Cain.d She said,
“With the help of the LORD I have brought forth e a
¹⁵ But the LORD said to him, “Not so g; anyone who
kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.”
Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one
man.” ² Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. who found him would kill him. ¹⁶ So Cain went out
Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. from the LORD’s presence and lived in the land of
³ In the course of time Cain brought some of the Nod, h east of Eden.
fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. ⁴ And ¹⁷ Cain made love to his wife, and she became
Abel also brought an offering — fat portions from pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then
some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch.
with favor on Abel and his offering, ⁵ but on Cain and
his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was a20,1 Or The man b 20 Eve probably means living. c 24 Or
d 1 Cain sounds like the Hebrew for brought forth
very angry, and his face was downcast. placed in front
e 1 Or have acquired f 8 Samaritan Pentateuch,
or acquired.
⁶ Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Masoretic Text does not have “Let’s
Why is your face downcast? ⁷ If you do what is right, go out to the field.” g 15 Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew
will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is Very well h 16 Nod means wandering (see verses 12 and 14).

itself as a curse, but it is important to remember that a bloodless offering was not necessarily inappropriate
work in itself is part of the “very good” creation. The (see Lev 6:14–23). Apparently the deficiency was in
curse on the ground simply means that work is now Cain’s heart, not in the actual offering. Abel’s offering
painful and tiresome toil instead of the pure satisfac- was “better” than Cain’s because of his faith in the
tion that it was designed to be. to dust you will return. Lord (Heb 11:4).
The word of God was sure: God had stated that they 4:8 killed him. The murder was stunning in its lack of
would certainly die (2:17). Now they were served no- precedent, its suddenness, and its finality. Jesus spoke
tice concerning the process of aging and decay that of this ghastly event as a historical fact (Mt 23:35).
was already at work (5:5; 6:3). 4:17 Cain made love to his wife. The identity of Cain’s
3:22 tree of life. Adam and Eve apparently had free wife has long been a source of puzzlement and argu-
access to this tree before the fall, and by continuing to ment to the readers and critics of the Book of Genesis.
eat its fruit they would live forever. The penalty for sin Some have postulated that God created other humans
was not instant death, but banishment from this tree outside of the garden of Eden, but the Scriptures give
and eventual death and decay. One day this tree will no such indication, and in fact Adam refers to his wife
be planted anew and its fruit will be for the healing of as “the mother of all living” (3:20). It makes the most
the nations (Rev 22:2). sense to assume that Cain married one of his sisters.
4:3 Cain brought ... an offering. Genesis does not While this idea seems repugnant to us today, it must
explain how the practice of sacrificial worship began, be remembered that Adam and Eve’s children had
but it is clear that Adam and Eve’s two sons under- a near perfect gene pool, and there would not have
stood the custom. Some people assume that Cain’s been any genetic complications with close intermarry-
offering was unsuitable because it was not a blood ing. God’s strict prohibition against siblings and other
offering, and blood is required for the forgiveness of close relatives marrying did not come until much later
sins (Heb 9:22). But nothing in this chapter indicates (Lev 18); even Abraham’s wife Sarah was his half sister.
that Cain and Abel were coming to God for forgive- Enoch. The fact that Cain named a city after his son in-
ness. Their sacrifices were acts of worship, and as such dicates the rapid and dramatic increase in population.
 UNCORRECTED PROOF
10   GENESIS 4:18

BIBLE CHARACTERS

CAIN AND ABEL

B LO O D B R OT H E R S

Cain and Abel were the first of many feuding siblings. After them came Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and
Esau, Rachel and Leah, Joseph and his brothers. It’s a theme song in Genesis and in life: blood kin have
a hard time getting along and can become bitter rivals.
Cain offered a sacrifice to God and then killed his brother when he learned God had honored Abel’s
offering. Genesis does not specify why God preferred Abel’s offering to Cain’s. (Later in the Old Tes-
tament, God accepted both animal and agricultural offerings.) Quite possibly, Cain’s problem was his
attitude (see Heb 11:4). Regardless, Cain lost his temper when things did not go his way.
The Bible tells us little about Abel and a good deal about Cain. Sadly, that makes sense because, as
sinful humans, we see more of ourselves in Cain than in Abel. Cain wore his emotions on his sleeve: first
jealous anger, then defensiveness, and finally shame and fear. In response to his great crime, God both
punished and protected Cain. Banished from home and forced to wander all his life, he nevertheless
received a measure of protection, “the LORD put a mark on Cain” (Ge 4:15).
Cain’s children set the pattern for humanity as it has lived ever since, a mixture of good and bad.
On the one hand, as musicians, metalworkers and farmers, they helped civilize the earth. On the other
hand, Cain’s problems got passed down to future generations. Where Cain felt shame for his crime and
punishment, his descendant Lamech would boast about his own murderous deed (see Ge 4:23˜–˜24).

Life Questions
> Which of Cain’s responses to God˜—˜anger, defensiveness, fear, shame˜—˜do you identify with most easily?

¹⁸ To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of I have killed a man for wounding me,
Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methusha- a young man for injuring me.
el, and Methushael was the father of Lamech. ²⁴ If Cain is avenged seven times,
¹⁹ Lamech married two women, one named Adah then Lamech seventy-seven times.”
and the other Zillah. ²⁰ Adah gave birth to Jabal; he
was the father of those who live in tents and raise ²⁵ Adam made love to his wife again, and she
livestock. ²¹ His brother’s name was Jubal; he was gave birth to a son and named him Seth, b saying,
the father of all who play stringed instruments and “God has granted me another child in place of Abel,
pipes. ²² Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged since Cain killed him.” ²⁶ Seth also had a son, and he
all kinds of tools out of a bronze and iron. Tubal- named him Enosh.
Cain’s sister was Naamah. At that time people began to call on c the name
²³ Lamech said to his wives, of the LORD.

“Adah and Zillah, listen to me; a22 Or who instructed all who work in b 25 Seth probably means
wives of Lamech, hear my words. granted. c 26 Or to proclaim

4:25 Seth. While it is certain that Adam and Eve had Hebrew verb meaning “to place” or “to set” for he was
other daughters, and possibly other sons as well, the appointed to take this special place in the plan of God.
death of righteous Abel and the banishment of their 4:26 people began to call on the name of the LORD.
firstborn, Cain, had left them with no one to carry on These words can hardly mean that only now did
their line for good and for the promise of the Messiah. people begin to pray to God. Rather, the verb call
Seth is specifically mentioned among Adam and Eve’s means “to make proclamation.” That is, this is the be-
children because it would be through his descendants ginning of preaching, of witnessing and testifying in
that the Messiah would come. His name is related to a the name of the Lord (12:8).
 UNCORRECTED PROOF
GENESIS 6:4   11

From Adam to Noah ²¹ When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the

5 This is the written account of Adam’s family line. father of Methuselah. ²² After he became the father
of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God
When God created mankind, he made them in the 300 years and had other sons and daughters. ²³ Al-
likeness of God. ² He created them male and female together, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. ²⁴ Enoch
and blessed them. And he named them “Mankind” a walked faithfully with God; then he was no more,
when they were created. because God took him away.
³ When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in ²⁵ When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he be-
his own likeness, in his own image; and he named came the father of Lamech. ²⁶ After he became the fa-
him Seth. ⁴ After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 ther of Lamech, Methuselah lived 782 years and had
years and had other sons and daughters. ⁵ Altogeth- other sons and daughters. ²⁷ Altogether, Methuselah
er, Adam lived a total of 930 years, and then he died. lived a total of 969 years, and then he died.
⁶ When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the fa- ²⁸ When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son.
ther b of Enosh. ⁷ After he became the father of Enosh, ²⁹ He named him Noah c and said, “He will comfort us
Seth lived 807 years and had other sons and daugh- in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by
ters. ⁸ Altogether, Seth lived a total of 912 years, and the ground the LORD has cursed.” ³⁰ After Noah was
then he died. born, Lamech lived 595 years and had other sons and
⁹ When Enosh had lived 90 years, he became the daughters. ³¹ Altogether, Lamech lived a total of 777
father of Kenan. ¹⁰ After he became the father of Ke- years, and then he died.
nan, Enosh lived 815 years and had other sons and ³² After Noah was 500 years old, he became the fa-
daughters. ¹¹ Altogether, Enosh lived a total of 905 ther of Shem, Ham and Japheth.
years, and then he died. Wickedness in the World
¹² When Kenan had lived 70 years, he became the
father of Mahalalel. ¹³ After he became the father of
Mahalalel, Kenan lived 840 years and had other sons
6 When human beings began to increase in num-
ber on the earth and daughters were born to
them, ² the sons of God saw that the daughters of hu-
and daughters. ¹⁴ Altogether, Kenan lived a total of
mans were beautiful, and they married any of them
910 years, and then he died.
they chose. ³ Then the LORD said, “My Spirit will not
¹⁵ When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he became
contend with d humans forever, for they are mortal e;
the father of Jared. ¹⁶ After he became the father of
their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”
Jared, Mahalalel lived 830 years and had other sons
⁴ The Nephilim were on the earth in those days —
and daughters. ¹⁷ Altogether, Mahalalel lived a total
and also afterward — when the sons of God went to
of 895 years, and then he died.
the daughters of humans and had children by them.
¹⁸ When Jared had lived 162 years, he became
They were the heroes of old, men of renown.
the father of Enoch. ¹⁹ After he became the father
of Enoch, Jared lived 800 years and had other sons a 2 Hebrew adam b 6 Father may mean ancestor; also in verses
and daughters. ²⁰ Altogether, Jared lived a total of 7-26. c 29 Noah sounds like the Hebrew for comfort. d 3 Or My
962 years, and then he died. spirit will not remain in e 3 Or corrupt

5:3 130 years. The long lives of the people of the early offspring were giants, men of extraordinary size and
chapters of Genesis have led to considerable specu- talents; it is also problematic in that it assumes that
lation. One suggestion is that these ages were pos- Cain’s descendants were universally more sinful than
sible because of tremendously different climate and Seth’s descendants. Since Noah was the only descen-
environmental conditions that were in effect before dant of Seth who was considered righteous, this is ob-
the flood. viously not accurate. A second view is that the “sons
5:5 and then he died. God created humans for eter- of God” were angelic beings. The phrase “sons of God”
nity; if Adam and Eve had not disobeyed, they would is used elsewhere in Scripture to refer to angelic be-
have lived forever. There is a profound sadness in Ad- ings (Job 1:6), but it seems impossible since angels in
am’s death, for it reminds us of Adam’s mortality—and heaven do not marry (Mt 22:30). It may be, however,
hence our own. that these “sons of God” were some of the rebellious
5:21–24 because God took him. Only Enoch and Eli- angels who had joined Satan (Jude 6; 2Pe 2:4); they
jah were taken by God without experiencing death took on human form (as Satan was apparently able
(2Ki 2:11). This was both a testimony of Enoch’s deep to take on the form of a snake), and out of perverted
faith in God (Heb 11:5–6) and a strong reminder at the lust, seduced human women. The problem with this
beginning of biblical history that for God’s people, theory is that verse 4 says that these unions produced
there is life in God’s presence after our physical bod- children. Nothing in the rest of Scripture would indi-
ies have died. cate that angels reproduce, or that a spirit being could
6:2 sons of God ... daughters of humans. This pas- mate with a human being. Nor is there any reference
sage is very difficult to interpret. Some believe that to half-man/half-spirit beings. Whichever view one
the “sons of God” were the men of the righteous line settles on, it is clear that what happened here was cor-
of Seth, while the “daughters of humans” were Cain’s rupt and one of the reasons for the flood.
offspring. This does not account for the fact that their
 UNCORRECTED PROOF
12   GENESIS 6:5

⁵ The LORD saw how great the wickedness of the to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male
human race had become on the earth, and that every and female, to keep them alive with you. ²⁰ Two of
inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of
only evil all the time. ⁶ The LORD regretted that he every kind of creature that moves along the ground
had made human beings on the earth, and his heart will come to you to be kept alive. ²¹ You are to take
was deeply troubled. ⁷ So the LORD said, “I will wipe every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it
from the face of the earth the human race I have cre- away as food for you and for them.”
ated — and with them the animals, the birds and the ²² Noah did everything just as God commanded
creatures that move along the ground — for I regret him.
that I have made them.” ⁸ But Noah found favor in
the eyes of the LORD. 7 The LORD then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you
and your whole family, because I have found you
righteous in this generation. ² Take with you seven
Noah and the Flood pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its
mate, and one pair of every kind of unclean animal,
⁹ This is the account of Noah and his family.
a male and its mate, ³ and also seven pairs of every
Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various
people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. kinds alive throughout the earth. ⁴ Seven days from
¹⁰ Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and
¹¹ Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the
was full of violence. ¹² God saw how corrupt the earth earth every living creature I have made.”
had become, for all the people on earth had corrupt- ⁵ And Noah did all that the LORD commanded him.
ed their ways. ¹³ So God said to Noah, “I am going to ⁶ Noah was six hundred years old when the flood-
put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with waters came on the earth. ⁷ And Noah and his sons
violence because of them. I am surely going to de- and his wife and his sons’ wives entered the ark to
stroy both them and the earth. ¹⁴ So make yourself escape the waters of the flood. ⁸ Pairs of clean and
an ark of cypress a wood; make rooms in it and coat unclean animals, of birds and of all creatures that
it with pitch inside and out. ¹⁵ This is how you are to move along the ground, ⁹ male and female, came to
build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, Noah and entered the ark, as God had commanded
fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high. b ¹⁶ Make a Noah. ¹⁰ And after the seven days the floodwaters
roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one came on the earth.
cubit c high all around. d Put a door in the side of the ¹¹ In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, on the
ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. ¹⁷ I seventeenth day of the second month — on that day
am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to de- all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the
stroy all life under the heavens, every creature that
a
has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will 14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
b 15 That is, about 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high or
perish. ¹⁸ But I will establish my covenant with you, about 135 meters long, 23 meters wide and 14 meters high
and you will enter the ark — you and your sons and c 16 That is, about 18 inches or about 45 centimeters d 16 The
your wife and your sons’ wives with you. ¹⁹ You are meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.

6:11 corrupt. The verb translated corrupt has the idea 6:15 cubits. A cubit was supposed to be the mea-
of being ruined, spoiled or destroyed. Sinful people surement of a man’s forearm, from the tip of the bent
were bringing ruin to the world that belonged to the elbow to the fingertips. This is naturally a somewhat
living God (Ps 24:1). imprecise measurement, but it is generally considered
6:11–13 Disobedience—In the beginning, God pro- to equal about 18 inches. Hence the ark was about 450
nounced his creative work good. But with the entrance feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high.
of sin and decadence on the scene, the world became 6:17 I am going to bring. The Hebrew text places sig-
corrupt in his sight. It was not merely that some indi- nificant emphasis on the personal role of God in the
viduals or groups had corrupted their ways, but a mat- ensuing storm.
ter of pervasive perversity. Because sin is repugnant to 6:18–19 covenant. This is the first time the word cov-
his holiness, God declared his purpose of destroying enant is used in the Bible. The details of this covenant
both mankind and the earth he had polluted. Defying were given after the flood (9:9). Here, in the midst of
God’s will affects our environment as well as ourselves. judgment, the Lord stooped down to meet the needs
Judgment for disobedience is only averted through of his servant (Ps 40:1; 113:6) and to enter into a bind-
repentance and fresh submission to God. ing oath with him.
6:14 ark. The word ark simply means “box,” the same 7:9 came to Noah and entered the ark. The gather-
word is used for the box in which the baby Moses was ing and cooperation of the animals must have been
placed in the Nile (Ex 2:3), and for the gold-covered arranged by God. It appears that after Noah and his
chest which contained the stone tablets of the Cov- wife and sons entered the ark, the animals followed of
enant (Ex 25:10). We usually picture Noah’s ark as a their own accord.
huge ship, with curved bow and stern, but it was very 7:11 springs of the great deep ... floodgates of the
likely more like a large box. It was not designed for heavens. Until this time, no rain had fallen on the earth,
navigation, but simply to stay safely afloat. but it was watered by a mist (2:5–6). This description
 UNCORRECTED PROOF
GENESIS 7:14   13

CONTEXT NOTES
A R T I FAC T S
PEOPLE HISTORY ARCHAEOLOGY RELIABILITY

ANCIENT FLOOD NARRATIVES (Ge 6)

The traditions of ancient peoples throughout the world share in common the inclusion of flood stories.
The Mesopotamian accounts have garnered the most discussion since they are culturally closer to
the Biblical material than any of the other non-Scriptural narratives. The most famous Mesopotamian
flood account is the Babylonian version, found in the library of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal (seventh
century BC) as part of the larger Epic of Gilgamesh.
In this epic, Gilgamesh searches for a man named Utnapishtum (the equivalent of the Biblical Noah),
whose story is then recounted. When one of the highest gods, Enlil, becomes annoyed by the ca-
cophony of noise coming from human beings, he decides to inundate and destroy them all in a cata-
strophic deluge. Enki, the god of waters, reveals Enlil’s intent to the mortal Utnapishtum, directing him
to construct an enormous boat and load it with pairs of animals. Instructed not to reveal the reason
for this mystifying building project, Utnapishtum is further commanded at a critical point to take
his wife on board with him. For seven harried days and nights Utnapishtum and his wife are tossed
about in this vessel as floodwaters engulf the
earth. When the waters finally subside, the
boat lodges atop a tall mountain. Utnapishtum
sends out a dove, a swallow and a raven, the
last of which fails to return, apparently having
located nourishment. The man then disem-
barks and offers lavish sacrifices to the gods,
who in turn bestow eternal life on him and his
wife for having safeguarded the future of hu-
mans and animals.
Bible readers will immediately recognize
the similarities between the Mesopotamian
and Biblical accounts. But there are significant
differences, too. According to the Bible God
was not simply irritated by the sin of human-
ity; he was profoundly grieved, to the point
that “his heart was deeply troubled” by the
magnitude of human sin (Ge 6:5’–’7).
The differences can be attributed to the
special revelation God gave the Biblical au-
thors, including the writer of Genesis, by
which he made known his plan of redemption.
The other versions provide extra-Biblical con-
firmation of the story of a great flood rather
than demonstrating, as some have suggested, Epic of Gilgamesh, Neo-Assyrian, seventh century BC
that the Biblical account is a myth. © 2013 by Zondervan, taken at the British Museum

floodgates of the heavens were opened. ¹² And rain and Japheth, together with his wife and the wives
fell on the earth forty days and forty nights. of his three sons, entered the ark. ¹⁴ They had with
¹³ On that very day Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham them every wild animal according to its kind, all

of the first rain portrays a thundering, catastrophic the earth’s surface, such as the formation of the Grand
event, accompanied by violent upheaval of the earth’s Canyon. The flood also explains the enormous quanti-
crust and geysers of water bursting from the depths. ty of fossilized remains of plants, animals and shellfish
The violence and the amount of water involved are that are buried in layers of rock over the entire surface
more than enough to account for many peculiarities of of the earth and even on the tops of mountains.
 UNCORRECTED PROOF
14   GENESIS 7:15

livestock according to their kinds, every creature

that moves along the ground according to its kind
and every bird according to its kind, everything with Q&A
wings. ¹⁵ Pairs of all creatures that have the breath of
life in them came to Noah and entered the ark. ¹⁶ The
animals going in were male and female of every liv- HOW WIDESPREAD WAS THE
ing thing, as God had commanded Noah. Then the FLOOD? (Ge 7:17
–
24)
LORD shut him in.
¹⁷ For forty days the flood kept coming on the
earth, and as the waters increased they lifted the T he case is strong that this flood covered the whole
world: (1) It destroyed “all life under the heavens”
(Ge 6:17). (2) The waters rose at least 20 feet above
ark high above the earth. ¹⁸ The waters rose and in-
“all the high mountains” (Ge 7:19”–”20). (3) The flood
creased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on
lasted 371 days, indicating that this was more than
the surface of the water. ¹⁹ They rose greatly on the
just local flooding. (4)  The final fiery judgment of
the whole earth is compared to Noah’s flood (see
2Pe 3:3”–”7).
Genesis 7:1–24 On the other hand, certain questions can be raised
in support of the theory that this was a local flood:
IF YOU DO THE CRIME, YOU’LL Why doesn’t the original Hebrew use the most com-
DO THE TIME mon word for world even once in the whole account?
When Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit in the Why instead does it use a word for earth that can
Garden of Eden, there was a sudden and serious also be translated land or country? (The same word
is used later in Ge 41:57 to describe a famine in all the
consequence. The Lord kicked them out of paradise
world, meaning the world as known from the writer’s
forever (see Ge 3:23–24). When Cain murdered
perspective.)
his brother Abel, he was sentenced to wander the Some believe this flood was worldwide. Others
earth until the day he died (see Ge 4:10–14). As think it covered a region of the world but is described
time went on, the sinfulness of humanity reached in universal language”—”much as we might speak of a
the point that God looked at humans and saw that world war without meaning that every nation in the
“every inclination of the thoughts of the human world was involved.
heart was only evil all the time” (Ge 6:5). The Lord
was so pained by the sins of humankind that he
decided to wipe out the whole race with a flood.
Of all the human beings on earth, only Noah and his
earth, and all the high mountains under the entire
family were spared as they took refuge in the ark,
heavens were covered. ²⁰ The waters rose and cov-
an oversized boat. These consequences all demon- ered the mountains to a depth of more than fifteen
strate the New Testament truth that “the wages of cubits. a , b ²¹ Every living thing that moved on land
sin is death” (Ro 6:23). perished — birds, livestock, wild animals, all the
creatures that swarm over the earth, and all man-
kind. ²² Everything on dry land that had the breath
of life in its nostrils died. ²³ Every living thing on the
face of the earth was wiped out; people and animals
BIBLE TRUTHS
and the creatures that move along the ground and
the birds were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was
left, and those with him in the ark.
²⁴ The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and
fifty days.
THINK:
Do you believe that God punishes sin? When 8 But God remembered Noah and all the wild ani-
mals and the livestock that were with him in the
and how? a b 20 Or rose more
20 That is, about 23 feet or about 6.8 meters
than fifteen cubits, and the mountains were covered

7:16 shut him in. The Lord who had drawn them now actuality a worldwide catastrophic flood (see 8:5).
closed the door on them. That shut door was a symbol Jesus affirmed the historicity of the “days of Noah”
of closure, safety and God’s deliverance. when he compared them to the end days (Mt 24:37–
7:19 the high mountains under the entire heavens 38; Lk 17:26–27). Peter similarly used the story of
were covered. This explicit declaration, accompanied Noah and the flood as a pattern for the final judgment
by the assertion in verse 21 that every living thing died, (1Pe 3:20; 2Pe 2:5; 3:5–6).
makes it clear that this was no localized event but in
 UNCORRECTED PROOF
GENESIS 8:17   15

BIBLE CHARACTERS

NOAH
S TA R T I N G OV E R

The problem with the planet God made was not its geology, biology or meteorology. The problem
centered, rather, in a single species: homo sapiens. Sin, spreading like a disease, had taken over human
thought and action. As a result God chose to blot out much of his creation and start all over again,
using Noah for this new beginning.
Characteristically, Noah obeyed right away when God announced his plans. Noah “walked faithfully
with God” (Ge 6:9). Noah worked hard, building a gigantic, seaworthy structure and storing up food for
hundreds of animals. Repeatedly the Bible says that Noah did “just as God commanded him.”
Noah and his family spent more than a year confined in the ark. When they emerged at last to step
out on muddy ground, their first action was to worship God. Impressed, God made a new covenant
with Noah, promising never again to destroy the earth. He urged Noah and his family to be fruitful and
multiply, just as he had urged Adam and Eve in the beginning.
Did this new beginning work? The last glimpse of Noah in this account shows that sin had not been
remedied. Noah got drunk, shamed himself in front of his sons and cursed one of his grandsons (see
Ge 9:20–––25). Not even a flood could solve the problem of sin, for it lived on inside Noah, as it does in
all people.

Life Questions
> If you were given an assignment like Noah’s, how would you respond?

ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the wa- and took the dove and brought it back to himself in
ters receded. ² Now the springs of the deep and the the ark. ¹⁰ He waited seven more days and again sent
floodgates of the heavens had been closed, and the out the dove from the ark. ¹¹ When the dove returned
rain had stopped falling from the sky. ³ The water re- to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly
ceded steadily from the earth. At the end of the hun- plucked olive leaf ! Then Noah knew that the water
dred and fifty days the water had gone down, ⁴ and had receded from the earth. ¹² He waited seven more
on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the days and sent the dove out again, but this time it did
ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. ⁵ The not return to him.
waters continued to recede until the tenth month, ¹³ By the first day of the first month of Noah’s six
and on the first day of the tenth month the tops of hundred and first year, the water had dried up from
the mountains became visible. the earth. Noah then removed the covering from the
⁶ After forty days Noah opened a window he had ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry.
made in the ark ⁷ and sent out a raven, and it kept ¹⁴ By the twenty-seventh day of the second month
flying back and forth until the water had dried up the earth was completely dry.
from the earth. ⁸ Then he sent out a dove to see if the ¹⁵ Then God said to Noah, ¹⁶ “Come out of the ark,
water had receded from the surface of the ground. you and your wife and your sons and their wives.
⁹ But the dove could find nowhere to perch because ¹⁷ Bring out every kind of living creature that is with
there was water over all the surface of the earth; so it you — the birds, the animals, and all the creatures
returned to Noah in the ark. He reached out his hand that move along the ground — so they can multiply

8:14 the earth was completely dry. After more than Noah’s 600th year, in the 2nd month, on day 17 (7:11)
a full year, the waters had returned to their place and ended in Noah’s 601st year, in the 2nd month, on
(7:11). As in the beginning, God brought the waters day 27 (8:14).
of earth into their place (1:9–13). The flood began in
 UNCORRECTED PROOF
16   GENESIS 8:18

on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number for in the image of God
on it.” has God made mankind.
¹⁸ So Noah came out, together with his sons and ⁷ As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; mul-
his wife and his sons’ wives. ¹⁹ All the animals and tiply on the earth and increase upon it.”
all the creatures that move along the ground and all ⁸ Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him:
the birds — everything that moves on land — came ⁹ “I now establish my covenant with you and with
out of the ark, one kind after another. your descendants after you ¹⁰ and with every living
²⁰ Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and, tak- creature that was with you — the birds, the livestock
ing some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he and all the wild animals, all those that came out of
sacrificed burnt offerings on it. ²¹ The LORD smelled the ark with you — every living creature on earth.
the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never ¹¹ I establish my covenant with you: Never again will
again will I curse the ground because of humans, all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never
even though a every inclination of the human heart again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”
is evil from childhood. And never again will I de- ¹² And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant
stroy all living creatures, as I have done. I am making between me and you and every living
²² “As long as the earth endures, creature with you, a covenant for all generations to
seedtime and harvest, come: ¹³ I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it
cold and heat, will be the sign of the covenant between me and the
summer and winter, earth. ¹⁴ Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and
day and night the rainbow appears in the clouds, ¹⁵ I will remem-
will never cease.” ber my covenant between me and you and all living
creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters
God’s Covenant With Noah become a flood to destroy all life. ¹⁶ Whenever the

9 Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and re-
them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and member the everlasting covenant between God and
fill the earth. ² The fear and dread of you will fall on all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”
all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the ¹⁷ So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the cov-
sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, enant I have established between me and all life on
and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into the earth.”
your hands. ³ Everything that lives and moves about The Sons of Noah
will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green
plants, I now give you everything. ¹⁸ The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were
⁴ “But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood Shem, Ham and Japheth. (Ham was the father of
still in it. ⁵ And for your lifeblood I will surely de- Canaan.) ¹⁹ These were the three sons of Noah, and
mand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from them came the people who were scattered over
from every animal. And from each human being, the whole earth.
too, I will demand an accounting for the life of an- ²⁰ Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded a to plant
other human being. a vineyard. ²¹ When he drank some of its wine, he
became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent.
⁶ “Whoever sheds human blood,
by humans shall their blood be shed; a 21 Or humans, for a 20 Or soil, was the first

8:20 an altar. This is the first mention of sacrificial sion by Hosea (2:18) and Jonah (4:11). When Paul en-
worship since the days of Cain and Abel (4:3–5); yet courages Roman believers about struggles in this life,
we may assume that the principle of sacrificial worship he reminds them that they are not alone, but assures
was perpetuated through the line of faithful people them that the whole creation also groans and suffers,
(ch. 5). eagerly anticipating that final redemption from the
8:22 as the earth endures. The words of this verse are curse of sin. The promise given here is to never de-
a poem of powerful effect. These words might eas- stroy the earth again by flood (v. 11). The rainbow is
ily have become a song of faith, the response of the then a testimony of the existence of this promise.
people of God to the promise he made (v. 21). Later 9:4 lifeblood. This restriction gets more attention in
in Israel’s history, the prophets recalled God’s great Leviticus (see Lev 17:11–12). Blood represents the ani-
promise to Noah (Isa 54:9–10). mal’s life. It may be used in sacrifice, for all life belongs
9:1–19 God’s Promise to Noah—Only when we think of to the Lord.
God as Creator, as well as Redeemer, can we begin to 9:6 image of God. Sin did not destroy humans as the
understand his covenant of redemption as being re- image of God. God values human life more highly than
lated to the covenant of creation (Ge 1:26–30; 2:15–17). animal life because only humankind possesses God’s
God doesn’t abandon his creation. On the contrary, image.
though evil has corrupted it, he graciously (for it is un- 9:9 covenant. This is the second occurrence in Gen-
deserved) establishes a covenantal relationship with esis of the important concept of covenant (6:18). God
Noah’s descendants as well as with every beast of the promised that he would establish his covenant with
earth. This note of universality is given further expres- Noah and here he accomplished this great work.
 UNCORRECTED PROOF
GENESIS 10:22   17

²² Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked ⁷ The sons of Cush:
and told his two brothers outside. ²³ But Shem and Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah and Sabteka.
Japheth took a garment and laid it across their The sons of Raamah:
shoulders; then they walked in backward and cov- Sheba and Dedan.
ered their father’s naked body. Their faces were
⁸ Cush was the father d of Nimrod, who became a
turned the other way so that they would not see
mighty warrior on the earth. ⁹ He was a mighty hunt-
their father naked.
er before the LORD; that is why it is said, “Like Nim-
²⁴ When Noah awoke from his wine and found out
rod, a mighty hunter before the LORD.” ¹⁰ The first
what his youngest son had done to him, ²⁵ he said,
centers of his kingdom were Babylon, Uruk, Akkad
“Cursed be Canaan! and Kalneh, in e Shinar. f ¹¹ From that land he went to
The lowest of slaves Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, g Calah
will he be to his brothers.” ¹² and Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah —
²⁶ He also said, which is the great city.

“Praise be to the LORD, the God of Shem! ¹³ Egypt was the father of
May Canaan be the slave of Shem. the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtu-
²⁷ May God extend Japheth’s a territory; hites, ¹⁴ Pathrusites, Kasluhites (from whom
may Japheth live in the tents of Shem, the Philistines came) and Caphtorites.
and may Canaan be the slave of Japheth.” ¹⁵ Canaan was the father of
Sidon his firstborn, h and of the Hittites,
²⁸ After the flood Noah lived 350 years. ²⁹ Noah ¹⁶ Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, ¹⁷ Hivites,
lived a total of 950 years, and then he died. Arkites, Sinites, ¹⁸ Arvadites, Zemarites and
Hamathites.
The Table of Nations

10 This is the account of Shem, Ham and Ja- Later the Canaanite clans scattered ¹⁹ and the bor-
pheth, Noah’s sons, who themselves had sons ders of Canaan reached from Sidon toward Gerar as
after the flood. far as Gaza, and then toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Ad-
mah and Zeboyim, as far as Lasha.
The Japhethites ²⁰ These are the sons of Ham by their clans and
10:2-5pp — 1Ch 1:5-7 languages, in their territories and nations.
² The sons b of Japheth: The Semites
Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshek 10:21-31pp — Ge 11:10-27; 1Ch 1:17-27
and Tiras.
²¹ Sons were also born to Shem, whose older
³ The sons of Gomer:
brother was i Japheth; Shem was the ancestor of all
Ashkenaz, Riphath and Togarmah.
the sons of Eber.
⁴ The sons of Javan:
Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittites and the Rod- ²² The sons of Shem:
anites. c ⁵ (From these the maritime peoples Elam, Ashur, Arphaxad, Lud and Aram.
spread out into their territories by their
a b 2 Sons may
clans within their nations, each with its own 27 Japheth sounds like the Hebrew for extend.
mean descendants or successors or nations; also in verses 3, 4, 6, 7,
language.) c 4 Some manuscripts of the Masoretic Text and
20-23, 29 and 31.
Samaritan Pentateuch (see also Septuagint and 1 Chron. 1:7); most
The Hamites manuscripts of the Masoretic Text Dodanites d 8 Father may
10:6-20pp — 1Ch 1:8-16 mean ancestor or predecessor or founder; also in verses 13, 15, 24
and 26. e 10 Or Uruk and Akkad — all of them in f 10 That is,
⁶ The sons of Ham: Babylonia g 11 Or Nineveh with its city squares h 15 Or of the
Cush, Egypt, Put and Canaan. Sidonians, the foremost i 21 Or Shem, the older brother of

9:26–27 Shem. Shem was given precedence over his descendants is briefer than the others. Among the
brothers. Eber and Abram were descended from Shem persons and peoples mentioned is Javan, an ancient
(11:10–30), so Shem’s blessing is ultimately a blessing name for the Greek people. It is thought that many of
on Israel. Japheth’s descendants migrated to Europe.
9:29 and then he died. Noah’s death was the end of 10:6 The sons of Ham. Cush is the ancient name for
an era. Only he and his family spanned two worlds, Ethiopia; Mizraim is a name for Egypt.
that of the earth before and after the flood. His long 10:8–9 Nimrod. Like Lamech the descendant of Cain,
life (950 years) gave him opportunity to transmit to Nimrod’s infamy was proverbial. His territory was in
his many descendants the dramatic story that he had the lands of the east, the fabled ancient cities of Meso-
lived out with his family. Peoples in places and cultures potamia. The prophet Micah would later use the name
the world over have memories and stories of a great Nimrod to describe the region of Assyria, which would
flood in antiquity. The details differ, but the stories re- come under God’s judgment (Mic 5:5–6).
main. 10:21–24 Eber. This is the name that gives rise to the
10:2 The sons of Japheth. The listing of Japheth’s term Hebrew, which is first used of Abram in 14:13.
 UNCORRECTED PROOF
18   GENESIS 10:23

²³ The sons of Aram: ³⁰ The region where they lived stretched from Mesha
Uz, Hul, Gether and Meshek. a toward Sephar, in the eastern hill country.
²⁴ Arphaxad was the father of b Shelah, ³¹ These are the sons of Shem by their clans and
and Shelah the father of Eber. languages, in their territories and nations.
²⁵ Two sons were born to Eber:
One was named Peleg, c because in his time ³² These are the clans of Noah’s sons, according
the earth was divided; his brother was to their lines of descent, within their nations. From
named Joktan. these the nations spread out over the earth after the
²⁶ Joktan was the father of flood.
Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah,
²⁷ Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, ²⁸ Obal, Abimael, a 23 See Septuagint and 1 Chron. 1:17; Hebrew Mash. b 24 Hebrew;
Sheba, ²⁹ Ophir, Havilah and Jobab. All these Septuagint father of Cainan, and Cainan was the father of
were sons of Joktan. c 25 Peleg means division.

Eber descended from Shem, the one of Noah’s sons ery ancient people group is listed in this “Table of
who was appointed to carry on the messianic line. the Nations,” its clear teaching is that all the varied
Abram was a direct descendant of Eber. peoples of the earth, no matter of what land or lan-
10:32 the clans of Noah’s sons. Although not ev- guage, are descended from Noah.

TABLE OF NATIONS
map_01_10_nations 66.6% = ~6” width

T Black Sea
I AS
R HK
A EN
S J A P H E T H AZ

H
TARSHISH GOMER A
MAGOG M Mt.
Aegean AR Caspian
D G Ararat
Sea L U T O Sea

M
J A K
E TUBAL
V A N H
MES Nineveh

A
Me
M

D
dit RCO D A N I M A Calah
A

S I

A
err AP ELISHAH Arvad
R

ane HT H ARPHAXAD
A

Hamath U
a n S O R I KM I T T I M R Akkad E
ea P Sidon L
HILIS
SH
AN

TIN Babel
ES
A
IN
NA

M
Uruk
AR

P U T
CA
(MIZ

Pe
S H E M rs
EG AIM

ia
n
G
YP
R

ul
D

f
T )

H A M
E

O
D

T
A
N

A
N
Re
dS

TUBAL Descendants of Japheth

e

C
OP
a

U RAAMAH
PUT Descendants of Ham
HI

S
H H
R

SHEBA T
ARAM Descendants of Shem VE
SHEBA R M A
S E B A A
AZ
TA H H
0 300 km. A B
HAVILAH S
0 300 miles HAVILAH
 UNCORRECTED PROOF
GENESIS 11:18   19

The Tower of Babel reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name

11 Now the whole world had one language and a for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the
common speech. ² As people moved eastward, a face of the whole earth.”
they found a plain in Shinar b and settled there. ⁵ But the LORD came down to see the city and the
³ They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks tower the people were building. ⁶ The LORD said, “If
and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick in- as one people speaking the same language they have
stead of stone, and tar for mortar. ⁴ Then they said, begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will
“Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that be impossible for them. ⁷ Come, let us go down and
confuse their language so they will not understand
each other.”
⁸ So the LORD scattered them from there over all
Genesis 11:1–9
the earth, and they stopped building the city. ⁹ That
PRIDE TRIGGERS PAIN is why it was called Babel c — because there the LORD
The people at Babel had a plan. Using baked brick
confused the language of the whole world. From
there the LORD scattered them over the face of the
instead of stone and tar in place of the usual mor-
whole earth.
tar, they would build a tower that stretched “to the
heavens” (Ge 11:4). But the people of Babel were From Shem to Abram
undertaking more than a technologically innova- 11:10-27pp — Ge 10:21-31; 1Ch 1:17-27
tive building project. They plotted to make a name ¹⁰ This is the account of Shem’s family line.
for themselves, looking for a way to firmly estab-
lish their prominence and power. God noticed their Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100
years old, he became the father d of Arphaxad. ¹¹ And
scheme and saw it for what it was—an uprising
after he became the father of Arphaxad, Shem lived
against him. So he made it more difficult for the
500 years and had other sons and daughters.
human race to band together. He scrambled human ¹² When Arphaxad had lived 35 years, he became
language, then scattered people across the face of the father of Shelah. ¹³ And after he became the fa-
the earth, breaking up this proud revolt. Later in ther of Shelah, Arphaxad lived 403 years and had
time, a new city grew on the site of Babel. That city, other sons and daughters. e
Babylon, became a symbol throughout the Bible of ¹⁴ When Shelah had lived 30 years, he became the
rebellion against God (see Rev 18:2). father of Eber. ¹⁵ And after he became the father of
Eber, Shelah lived 403 years and had other sons and
daughters.
¹⁶ When Eber had lived 34 years, he became the
father of Peleg. ¹⁷ And after he became the father of
BIBLE TRUTHS Peleg, Eber lived 430 years and had other sons and
daughters.
¹⁸ When Peleg had lived 30 years, he became the
a 2 Or from the east ; or in the east b 2 That is, Babylonia
c 9 That is, Babylon; Babel sounds like the Hebrew for confused.
THINK: d 10 Father may mean ancestor; also in verses 11-25.
e 12,13 Hebrew; Septuagint (see also Luke 3:35, 36 and note at
When have you experienced pain as a result
Gen. 10:24) 35 years, he became the father of Cainan. 13And after he
of pride—either your own or the arrogance of became the father of Cainan, Arphaxad lived 430 years and had other
another person? sons and daughters, and then he died. When Cainan had lived 130
years, he became the father of Shelah. And after he became the father
of Shelah, Cainan lived 330 years and had other sons and daughters

11:2 a plain in Shinar. This is the region of ancient Bab- 11:7 let us go down. The plural “us” in this passage is
ylon in Mesopotamia (10:10). similar to the language of 1:26–28. The plural pronoun
11:4 Pride—God divided the human race into differ- emphasizes the majesty of the speaker.
ent language groups because they had refused to 11:9 Babel. There is a pun in this name that no Hebrew
obey his command to fill the earth and had become reader would miss. The verb for confuse sounds similar
united for an evil purpose. This does not mean that to the name of the city. confused . . . scattered. Be-
God wants the world to remain divided. Christ came cause of their pride and arrogance, God scattered the
to reconcile the world to God (2Co 5:19), and when we peoples of the earth and confused their language, but
are in Christ we are not only reconciled to God, but one day peoples of all languages and cultures will unite
to one another (Eph 2:11–19). The unity God destroyed to celebrate the grace of God’s risen Son, lifting their
by judgment at Babel was restored by grace on the voices together in praise of the Lamb (Rev 5:8–14).
day of Pentecost. On that day people from different 11:10–26 Shem’s family line. This genealogy shows
nations came together to hear the gospel in their own that Abram was a descendant of Noah through Shem,
languages. just as Noah was a descendant of Adam through Seth.
 UNCORRECTED PROOF
20   GENESIS 11:19

father of Reu. ¹⁹ And after he became the father of The Call of Abram

12
Reu, Peleg lived 209 years and had other sons and The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your
daughters. country, your people and your father’s house-
²⁰ When Reu had lived 32 years, he became the fa- hold to the land I will show you.
ther of Serug. ²¹ And after he became the father of
Serug, Reu lived 207 years and had other sons and ² “I will make you into a great nation,
daughters. and I will bless you;
²² When Serug had lived 30 years, he became the I will make your name great,
father of Nahor. ²³ And after he became the father of and you will be a blessing. a
Nahor, Serug lived 200 years and had other sons and ³ I will bless those who bless you,
daughters. and whoever curses you I will curse;
²⁴ When Nahor had lived 29 years, he became the and all peoples on earth
father of Terah. ²⁵ And after he became the father of will be blessed through you.” b
Terah, Nahor lived 119 years and had other sons and
daughters. ⁴ So Abram went, as the LORD had told him; and
²⁶ After Terah had lived 70 years, he became the Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years
father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. old when he set out from Harran. ⁵ He took his wife
Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had
Abram’s Family accumulated and the people they had acquired in
Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and
²⁷ This is the account of Terah’s family line.
they arrived there.
Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and ⁶ Abram traveled through the land as far as the
Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot. ²⁸ While site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that
his father Terah was still alive, Haran died in Ur of time the Canaanites were in the land. ⁷ The LORD ap-
the Chaldeans, in the land of his birth. ²⁹ Abram and peared to Abram and said, “To your offspring c I will
Nahor both married. The name of Abram’s wife was give this land.” So he built an altar there to the LORD,
Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milkah; she who had appeared to him.
was the daughter of Haran, the father of both Mil- ⁸ From there he went on toward the hills east of
kah and Iskah. ³⁰ Now Sarai was childless because Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west
she was not able to conceive. and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the
³¹ Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son LORD and called on the name of the LORD.
of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of ⁹ Then Abram set out and continued toward the
his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of Negev.
the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came
to Harran, they settled there. a2 Or be seen as blessed b 3 Or earth / will use your name in
³² Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Harran. blessings (see 48:20) c 7 Or seed

It is interesting to note that while the people men- enant is also the basis of other covenants, and it prom-
tioned in this genealogy lived to be very old, they did ises blessings in three areas: (1) national—“I will make
not reach the great ages of the peoples before the you into a great nation,” (2) personal—“I  will make
flood. Instead, their lives appear to be growing pro- your name great,” and (3) universal—“all the peoples
gressively shorter. on earth will be blessed through you.” The Abrahamic
11:28 Ur of the Chaldeans. For generations, scholars Covenant is an important link in all that God began
have believed this to be the famous Ur located near to do, has done throughout history, and will continue
the ancient delta in the Persian Gulf where the Tigris to do until the consummation of history. God blesses
and Euphrates Rivers flow together. More recently, Abram and all his descendants through the Messiah,
some scholars have noted the tablets at Ebla that who is Abram’s progeny and provides salvation for the
speak of an Ur in the region of north Syria and sug- entire world.
gest that this is the city of Haran’s death. 12:2–3 I will bless you. There are seven elements in
11:29 Sarai. The name Sarai means “Princess,” implying God’s promise to Abram. The number seven is often
a person of noble birth. Later we learn that Sarai was used in Scripture to suggest fullness and complete-
Abram’s half sister (20:12). ness.
12:1 LORD. Even though the name Yahweh (translated 12:7 To your offspring. The land of Canaan was a gift
LORD) is not explained until Exodus 3:14–15, it is used to the descendants of Abram. God owned the land
here to make it clear to the readers that this was the (Ps 24:1); it was his to do with as he pleased. The
same God who later formed the nation of Israel, and people of Canaan had lost their right to occupy the
who was the Creator (2:4). land due to their awful depravity (see 15:16). Thus God
12:1–3 God’s Covenant With Abram—The covenant declared that this land would become the land of Is-
with Abram is the first covenant that pertains to the rael (15:18–21; 17:6–8).
rule of God. It is unconditional, and depends only on 12:8 called on the name of the LORD. This was not a
God who obligates himself in grace, indicated by the private prayer but a public proclamation. Abram was
unconditional declaration, “I will.” The Abrahamic cov- telling others about the Lord.
 UNCORRECTED PROOF
GENESIS   21

BIBLE CHARACTERS

ABRAHAM
G O D B E G I N S TO R E B U I L D

After scanning centuries of Biblical history, the narrative of Genesis changes dramatically in chapter 12.
Leaving the big picture of world history, it focuses on one individual—not a great king or a wealthy
landowner, but a childless nomad named Abram.
At God’s call, Abraham uprooted himself from civilization and began wandering in the wilderness.
Like pioneer settlers everywhere, Abraham had to be tough to survive. He moved his flocks from place
to place, fought wild animals, negotiated with hostile locals, searched for sources of food and water.
Yet this hardly made him unique; lots of tough nomads wandered the Middle East. What made this
particular wanderer so important?

God’s New Way of Working

Abraham was important, first of all, simply because God chose him. Shortly after the destruction
caused by the great flood, God picked Abraham as the foundation of a new humanity. On several
remarkable occasions God spoke directly to him, promising to make his family great in the land he
roamed. The promises were hard to believe: Abraham’s wife was barren, Abraham was getting too old
to have children, and he owned no land and had no prospect of any. Nonetheless, God asked Abraham
to trust him.
The second reason why Abraham matters flows from the first: When God spoke to him, Abra-
ham listened. He was far from perfect. Sometimes he strayed from the path God put him on, lying
and trying to make the promises work out in his own way. Yet in the decisive moments of life, he
listened to God and obeyed. He was willing to sacrifice anything for God—even his only son. God
put his brand, the mark of circumcision, on Abraham. His descendants were to be forever known
as “God’s people.”

Uncensored Truth
The life of Abraham is a fascinating story, true to life, full of both bad and good moments. He was
hardly a theologian; a more comprehensive understanding of God would be fulfilled through Moses.
But Abraham’s faith is the root of Judaism and thus of Christianity. In his encounters with God we get
raw, uncensored truth: not religion invented by a philosopher, but religion as it really happens when
God meets a person.
No wonder the New Testament cites Abraham more than 80 times, and Paul tells Christians they
are the true descendants of Abraham (see Gal 3:6–9). With Abraham’s life, the story of God’s long-
range plans began to unfold. Two thousand years later, Abraham’s descendant Jesus came to fulfill the
promises made to Abraham.

Life Questions
> God asked Abraham to leave his home and family and go to a far-off foreign country. If you were in his
place, how would you have responded?
> Has God ever asked anything hard or risky of you?
 UNCORRECTED PROOF
22   GENESIS 12:10

Abram in Egypt whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go
12:10-20Ref — Ge 20:1-18; 26:1-11 to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right,
I’ll go to the left.”
¹⁰ Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram ¹⁰ Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain
went down to Egypt to live there for a while because of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the
the famine was severe. ¹¹ As he was about to enter garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt. (This was
Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know what a beau- before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)
tiful woman you are. ¹² When the Egyptians see you, ¹¹ So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jor-
they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me dan and set out toward the east. The two men parted
but will let you live. ¹³ Say you are my sister, so that I company: ¹² Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while
will be treated well for your sake and my life will be Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched
spared because of you.” his tents near Sodom. ¹³ Now the people of Sodom
¹⁴ When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw were wicked and were sinning greatly against the
that Sarai was a very beautiful woman. ¹⁵ And when LORD.
Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Phar- ¹⁴ The LORD said to Abram after Lot had parted
aoh, and she was taken into his palace. ¹⁶ He treated from him, “Look around from where you are, to the
Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep north and south, to the east and west. ¹⁵ All the land
and cattle, male and female donkeys, male and fe- that you see I will give to you and your offspring a
male servants, and camels. forever. ¹⁶ I will make your offspring like the dust
¹⁷ But the LORD inflicted serious diseases on Phar- of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust,
aoh and his household because of Abram’s wife Sa- then your offspring could be counted. ¹⁷ Go, walk
rai. ¹⁸ So Pharaoh summoned Abram. “What have through the length and breadth of the land, for I am
you done to me?” he said. “Why didn’t you tell me giving it to you.”
she was your wife? ¹⁹ Why did you say, ‘She is my sis- ¹⁸ So Abram went to live near the great trees of
ter,’ so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here Mamre at Hebron, where he pitched his tents. There
is your wife. Take her and go!” ²⁰ Then Pharaoh gave he built an altar to the LORD.
orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him
on his way, with his wife and everything he had. Abram Rescues Lot
Abram and Lot Separate 14 At the time when Amraphel was king of Shi-
nar, b Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king
13 So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev,
with his wife and everything he had, and Lot
went with him. ² Abram had become very wealthy in
of Elam and Tidal king of Goyim, ² these kings went
to war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of
Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king
livestock and in silver and gold. of Zeboyim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). ³ All
³ From the Negev he went from place to place un- these latter kings joined forces in the Valley of Sid-
til he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel dim (that is, the Dead Sea Valley). ⁴ For twelve years
and Ai where his tent had been earlier ⁴ and where they had been subject to Kedorlaomer, but in the
he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the thirteenth year they rebelled.
name of the LORD. ⁵ In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the
⁵ Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, kings allied with him went out and defeated the
also had flocks and herds and tents. ⁶ But the land Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham,
could not support them while they stayed togeth- the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim ⁶ and the Horites
er, for their possessions were so great that they were in the hill country of Seir, as far as El Paran near the
not able to stay together. ⁷ And quarreling arose be- desert. ⁷ Then they turned back and went to En Mish-
tween Abram’s herders and Lot’s. The Canaanites pat (that is, Kadesh), and they conquered the whole
and Perizzites were also living in the land at that territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites
time. who were living in Hazezon Tamar.
⁸ So Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quar-
reling between you and me, or between your herd- a15 Or seed; also in verse 16 b 1 That is, Babylonia; also in
ers and mine, for we are close relatives. ⁹ Is not the verse 9

12:11 beautiful woman. Sarai’s physical beauty was ulated; Abram and Lot did not come into an empty
remarkable considering her age. She was ten years region but had to compete for land for their rapidly
younger than Abram, or about 65 (12:4; 17:17). growing herds and flocks.
12:13 my sister. Sarai was Abram’s half sister, the 13:14–17 This section forms part of the set of texts that
daughter of his father but not of his mother (20:12). set the stage for the Abrahamic covenant (see the list
12:17 the LORD inflicted .
.
. Pharaoh. This is the first at 15:1–21). This section builds on 12:1–3,7, the passage
example of the cursing and blessing element of God’s in which God first gave his great promise to Abram.
promise (see 12:2–3). 14:3 the Valley of Siddim. This valley is most likely
13:7 The Canaanites and Perizzites. As in 12:6, the submerged under the waters of the Dead Sea today.
point of this phrase is that the land was already pop-
 UNCORRECTED PROOF
GENESIS 14:19   23

BIBLE CHARACTERS

SARAH
W H O ’ S L AU G H I N G ?

She was beautiful. She had a wonderful, wealthy husband. But above all, Sarah longed for a child.
Although God had promised that her husband Abraham would father a great nation, Sarah remained
childless as the decades passed. The possibility of giving birth gradually dwindled. More descendants
than the stars in the sky? God’s promise seemed laughable as Sarah celebrated her ninetieth birthday.
A resourceful woman, Sarah came up with an alternate plan. She would use her servant Hagar as
a surrogate mother. Obviously Sarah felt deep inner conflict about this decision, for when Abraham
got Hagar pregnant, Sarah mistreated her and sent her away. Hagar returned, but Sarah’s jealousy
persisted. She would ultimately drive both mother and son into the desert.
Meanwhile, God kept repeating the amazing promise that Sarah would become the mother of a
nation. At one point, Abraham fell face down and laughed incredulously at the notion. Sarah cackled
too. But the joke turned on them both when old Sarah finally became pregnant. After all her years of
waiting, her longings were fulfilled.
“God has brought me laughter,” Sarah said when her son was born (Ge 21:6). It was a wonderful pun;
in obedience to God (see Ge 17:19), Abraham named his son Isaac, which means “he laughs” in Hebrew.

Life Questions
> When a person has deep longings that seem impossible to fulfill, what should they do?

⁸ Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, Abram. ¹⁴ When Abram heard that his relative had
the king of Admah, the king of Zeboyim and the been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained
king of Bela (that is, Zoar) marched out and drew men born in his household and went in pursuit as
up their battle lines in the Valley of Siddim ⁹ against far as Dan. ¹⁵ During the night Abram divided his
Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goyim, Am- men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing
raphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar — them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. ¹⁶ He re-
four kings against five. ¹⁰ Now the Valley of Siddim covered all the goods and brought back his relative
was full of tar pits, and when the kings of Sodom Lot and his possessions, together with the women
and Gomorrah fled, some of the men fell into them and the other people.
and the rest fled to the hills. ¹¹ The four kings seized ¹⁷ After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlao-
all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their mer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sod-
food; then they went away. ¹² They also carried off om came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh
Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since he (that is, the King’s Valley).
was living in Sodom. ¹⁸ Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out
¹³ A man who had escaped came and reported this bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High,
to Abram the Hebrew. Now Abram was living near ¹⁹ and he blessed Abram, saying,
the great trees of Mamre the Amorite, a brother a
of Eshkol and Aner, all of whom were allied with a 13 Or a relative; or an ally

14:14 318 trained men. The fact that Abram could find who worshiped the living God. He is described as the
this many fighting men from among his own servants “king of Salem,” an older, shorter name for Jerusalem.
is an indication of the great wealth and honor that the The word is based on the root from which the word
Lord had given him (12:2–3). shalom (peace) comes. Melchizedek is a mysterious
14:18 Melchizedek. This name means “My King is Righ- figure, apparently appearing from nowhere, and with
teous.” Melchizedek was a contemporary of Abram no explanation of his family or background. He is a
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