The Book of Genesis: A Modern Bible Commentary

By BookCaps

There are lots of Bible commentaries on the Book of Genesis, but BookCaps offers one of the first electronic Bible Commentaries for the modern reader.

This commentary includes an introduction to the Gospel (including the history of the text, the structure, and the themes), a chapter by chapter summary, and discussion questions.

BookCaps Bible Commentaries are nondenominational study guides for people who are just getting into the Bible for the first time, or who just want to know a little more.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookCaps
• Release date: Dec 6, 2011
• ISBN: 9781465846938

BookCaps

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About BookCaps Bible Commentaries

BookCaps Bible Commentaries are non-denomination study guides for people who are just getting into the Bible for the first time, or who just want to know a little more.

Each commentary, looks at the historical context behind the book, the themes, who wrote them., and study questions. A chapter summary of each chapter of the book is also included.

To find out more about this series and other BookCaps books, visit: BookCaps.com.

Introduction

A great drama unfolds, with the opening scene spanning thousands of years! Genesis packs quite a punch, with its first 6 chapters dealing with more centuries of human history than the entire rest of the Bible put together. In those few chapters, we see the creation of all things, the rebellion in Eden, and the building of the Ark.

The theme for the entire Bible is set in Genesis, and the origin of man’s problems is explained. Questions are raised that will be answered throughout the rest of scripture, and a prophecy is uttered that presents a divine purpose that will take thousands of years to unfold. Genesis is more than history—it is a collection of some of mankind’s oldest and best-known stories.

Author

It is generally accepted that Moses is the writer of the book of Genesis, at least by the traditional Judeo-Christian beliefs. He apparently wrote this along with the other four books of the Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy) while in the wilderness of Sinai. Where did he get the information? Much of it could have come down to him via word of mouth, since his great-grandfather, Levi, was half-brother of Joseph. Stories of the ancient family of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob could easily have been handed down in this way. It is also possible that Moses even had written documents from earlier people, such as Jacob, Abraham, or even as far back as the first man, Adam, to use as sources, though this is never explicitly stated in scripture.

In fact, the concept of earlier writings has led some today to claim that Moses did not write most of the book of Genesis, but merely compiled the writings of others into one story; much like the editor of an anthology would today. This theory has grown in popularity in recent years, also based on the seeming change in writing style that occurs occasionally within the book. For example, the second chapter partially restates some of the events of chapter one, and the Tetragrammaton (that being the divine name of God, translated Yaweh or Jehovah iån English) appears in chapter two but not in chapter one. Little details like these cause more critically-minded scholars to assume that there was more than one writer for the book.

However, whether Moses wrote the entire book of Genesis or simply compiled and copied parts from other sources, the rest of the scriptures clearly attribute the writing of Genesis to Moses. The term the book of the law of Moses appears in both the Old and New Testament, referring to the first five books of the bible. Throughout history, it has never been doubted that Moses was the writer (or at least editor) of Genesis, as well as the other books of the Pentateuch.

The story of Moses’ life is written in the opening chapters of Exodus and throughout the Pentateuch. He was born to an Israelite slave family in

Reviews for The Book of Genesis

[Allison Bourgeois · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Mostly great, many typographical errors. Easy to read and understand.