The CSB Study Bible For Women

By BH Publishing Group

The CSB Study Bible for Women is the most comprehensive study Bible ever prepared for women and by women. Featuring extensive study notes and helpful articles by women academically trained in the original biblical languages. Each of the features is crafted to equip you to dig deeper into Scripture and mentor others in your life to do the same.

Now available in the Christian Standard Bible (CSB) translation with revised and updated content as well as a beautiful new interior design throughout. 

Features Include:

• 6,490 extensive study notes
• Over 500 word studies
• 25 full-color maps and reconstructions, and 95 chart
•  Introductions to each book of the Bible, A comprehensive concordance including every woman and reference to women in the Bible
• Threads of specialized women’s Bible study material woven throughout pointing to God’s larger story including: Biblical Womanhood articles, Answers to “Hard Questions”, Character profiles, Doctrinal notes, and “Written on My Heart” applications
• Smyth-sewn binding
• Two-column text in 9.25-point type
• A woman’s Bible that is great for preparing to teach future bible studies or for daily readings

The CSB Study Bible for Women features the highly readable, highly reliable text of the Christian Standard Bible (CSB). The CSB stays as literal as possible to the Bible’s original meaning without sacrificing clarity, making it easier to engage with Scripture’s life-transforming message and to share it with others.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BH Publishing Group
• Release date: Apr 15, 2018
• ISBN: 9781433651335

Book preview

CSB Study Bible for Women

Copyright © 2018 by Holman Bible Publishers

Nashville, Tennessee. All Rights Reserved.

Christian Standard Bible®

Copyright © 2017

by Holman Bible Publishers.

The text of the Christian Standard Bible may be quoted in any form (written, visual, electronic, or audio) up to and inclusive of one-thousand (1,000) verses without the written permission of the publisher, provided that the verses quoted do not account for more than 50 percent of the work in which they are quoted, and provided that a complete book of the Bible is not quoted. Requests for permission are to be directed to and approved in writing by Holman Bible Publishers, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, Tennessee 37234.

When the Christian Standard Bible is quoted, one of the following credit lines must appear on the copyright page or title page of the work:

Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

Introduction to The Study Bible for Women

Opening God’s Word to women through a comprehensive study of Scripture prepared by women for women on subjects important to women is not really a modern phenomenon. The apostle Paul placed within his discussion on church order a mandate for spiritually mature women to teach women who were new to the faith (Ti 2:3-5). In the modern era as well, women are devoting personal time and resources to diligent study of God’s Word and woman-to-woman instruction.

The Study Bible for Women, together with the Old and New Testament volumes of the Women’s Evangelical Commentary, completes a trilogy of unique tools for unlocking the riches of Holy Scripture. These three volumes, without apology, are prepared primarily for women to use in personal study and preparation for teaching. In the Study Bible, women will find guidance for unfolding the clear meaning of Scripture as well as timely challenges to fashion their lives accordingly, written by believing sisters in the Lord who have a passion for woman-to-woman exposition and who are uniquely prepared to explain the Scriptures. The women who contributed to these volumes model disciplined reading of Scripture according to carefully defined hermeneutical boundaries, resulting in:

• distinctive exegesis that pulls out the meaning of the text rather than reading into the text their own personal opinions;

• sensitivity to apply Scripture to the particular needs and questions of women without using a feminist gender lens;

• intuitive scholarship—the linking of discerning intuition with the discipline of scholarship;

• cultivation of mentoring friendships that offer common ground instead of polarity in the tasks of understanding and teaching the Bible; and

• creativity in connecting mind and heart, doctrine and practical service, firm biblical boundaries, and relevant life applications.

Scripture provides all you need for life and godliness, and The Study Bible for Women is the perfect tool for discovering this provision (1Pt 1:3). Its specially designed features offer to any woman who comes to Scripture with an open heart and ready mind a catalyst for personal study of God’s Word as well as resources for teaching other women how to read and study the Scriptures. The introduction to each of the Bible’s sixty-six books answers basic fact questions about the book, explains what the book is about, offers good reasons for women to read it, and provides guidance for studying it effectively. Also included are a carefully selected key verse that captures one of the book’s themes, a timeline situating people and main events in history, and a content outline that provides a helpful overview of the book and its structure. The study notes in the outer margins offer insights on difficult-to-understand passages and spotlight important truths. In addition, threads of specialized study are woven throughout—explanations of foundational doctrines, profiles of biblical women, relevant discussions of biblical womanhood, helpful word studies, and answers to hard questions prompted by the text of Scripture. At the end of each book is a devotional word of application, celebration, encouragement, or other means of allowing the Holy Spirit to write the particular truths of that book on your own heart.

Come to Scripture with a teachable heart ready to hear God speak, respond to Him in obedience, and find your place in His story. The godly woman will seek to conform her beliefs and behavior to Scripture, not pick and choose what Scripture is most agreeable to her own desires. Attentiveness to the Word of God, willingness to explore its depths, and eagerness to meet and enjoy fellowship with its divine Author will inspire your readiness to become a wise woman whose life is securely built on the rock of doing whatever the Lord says (Mt 7:24-25). May the Lord grant to each of you who uses this Study Bible a renewed commitment of personal time and the determination to pursue the riches found in serious study of God’s Word—not only for yourself but also for the women you will teach as the Word is continually written on your heart.

Yours for a journey through God’s Word,

How to Study the Bible

Dorothy Kelley Patterson

Scripture can become within your life an illuminating and powerful reminder that God speaks, acts, awaits, and loves you (2Pt 1:19-21). There are obvious qualifications for the serious student of God’s Word:

• a personal relationship with Jesus Christ (Jn 16:13);

• a deep reverence for God’s Word (Pr 1:7);

• a passion to know God’s Word (2Tm 1:12; 3:14-17); and

• an utter dependence on the Holy Spirit to open His Word (Jn 14:26).

The Bible is inspired (Gk theopneustos, lit. God-breathed or inspired of God, 2Tm 3:16); inerrant (without error); infallible (trustworthy in the sense that it cannot and will not lead you astray); immutable (without the constraints of time and unchanging). The first and foremost step in understanding Scripture is to read its words, not haphazardly but with purpose, not just a passage but the whole counsel of God. Before embarking on serious study of a focal passage, read the Bible in its entirety. Understand its flawless unity through the great central theme of the Lord’s atonement and redemption. This compilation of sixty-six books—all inspired by the Holy Spirit—has a common purpose of reconciling God to man. The Bible not only makes you wise unto salvation (2Tm 3:15), but its words also nurture and edify spiritually (2Tm 3:16-17).

How Can I Read the Entire Bible?

Read through the Bible. You can begin in Genesis and read through to Revelation. Reading three chapters each weekday and five on Sunday is one option. Select various books at random or according to personal preference. Start and keep on reading—not for preparation to teach but to become familiar with Scripture—the broadest survey of the Bible as a whole in the shortest period of time. Reading does not take the place of day-in and day-out disciplined study, which alone provides a working knowledge of the Bible in all its parts. Anyone who dares to teach must never cease to learn.

As you read the Bible for personal study, keep a notebook without concern for form or style. Record your insights concerning the words of Scripture before researching what others have said as in my personal entry on the book of Micah:

Without prayer, your Bible study can degenerate into a dull and monotonous chore of trying to remember facts and people and places for head knowledge. On the other hand, if your personal devotional time consists of prayer alone, you can move unconsciously toward believing that God’s imprimatur is on whatever you want. However, bringing together the knowledge you gain about God’s creation order, His plan of redemption, and His demands for holiness in life will enable you to achieve a helpful dialogue with God.

How Do I Begin Personal Bible Study?

Spiritual formation or quiet time begins with setting apart a definite time for personal Bible study—not preparation time for research or teaching or writing but a communication time with God. Guard that time and use it wisely. Once the time is set and you are serious about personal study, you are ready to move into the biblical text. You should first read the book as a whole, not once but several times, hopefully reading through the book in one sitting. I emphasize a different aspect of study with each reading. For example, my first reading is to get broad acquaintance with the book, without making notes but underlining or highlighting key ideas, not trying to interrupt reading with explanations from others but listening for the Spirit’s direction and application. My second reading is to determine how the book is divided or outlined and note in my journal recurring themes, terms of interest, and topics addressed.

At this point you are ready to read the book by sections and summarize as you read, documenting the flow of the book’s message prayerfully and reverently. By reading the text without consulting other sources, under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit, you come to your own understanding of the text. Without being sidetracked, you are able to master the overall message of the words themselves.

What Should I Look for in This Personal Reading of the Text Itself?

Look for these elements:

• The principal or most important subject addressed

• Any outstanding lessons

• Verses for focus and memorizing

• Prominent people and places mentioned—are there any role models?

• References to the central message of Scripture—Christ and His atonement

• Practical applications to life and work

• Devotional thoughts for meditation

The most careful study of Scripture is verse-by-verse exegesis in which you move slowly and deliberately through the text without trying to sidestep difficult verses:

• Consider parallel passages expressing the same thought (e.g., "fears the

Lord

" as found in Pr 31:30 and also in 1Pt 3:1-4).

• See how one passage casts light on another (e.g., an understanding of the creation order in Gn 2 in explaining the relationship between men and women in the home, Eph 5:21-31; and in the church, 1Tm 2:9-15).

• Let the meaning of one passage further define another (e.g., love as defined in 1Co 13 and then further amplified in 1Jn 3:16).

• Develop original principles to be modified and explained in relation to some new set of circumstances (e.g., the relationship between women and men clearly established through generations but then in question because of cultural changes and now defined through an understanding of egalitarianism vs. complementarianism).

Resources play heavily into personal study—whether for your own edification or to help you in teaching others. Grammatical tools can also be helpful, such as diagramming sentences.

Also include literary evaluation (e.g., what genre—history, parable, prophecy, poetry, epistle, or letter), consideration of figurative language (e.g., whether straightforward sharing of information or some figurative device), the meaning of key words (e.g., how they function in the sentence, significance of the word in the passage, other occurrences of the word in Scripture as found in a concordance), looking at the historical context (identifying author, determining date and place from which the book was written, identity and circumstances of recipients, and especially determining authorial intent, e.g., what the author meant by what he wrote).

What Kind of Sources Should I Use?

Sources are readily available. While the Bible is the primary source, the following are secondary sources that should be within every woman’s reach for study:

• Find verses quickly and examine how the words are used throughout Scripture by using a concordance of the Bible (an unabridged desk copy).

• Detailed information about words, people, places, and events can be found in a Bible dictionary.

• An overview and general information on books of the Bible can be found in a Bible handbook.

• Pinpointing geographical locations, often together with a description of the history and significance of the place, is best done in a Bible atlas.

• Translations and paraphrases are helpful to express the best understanding of a passage.

• A harmony of the Gospels is essential for any study of the four Gospels.

• Charts and graphics are helpful organizational and clarifying tools.

• Bible commentaries are essential for exegetical study. Perhaps you will begin with The Women’s Evangelical Commentary—both Old Testament and New Testament volumes (see additional bibliographies at the end of each book in these commentaries).

Once you have worked your way systematically through the text, you are ready to study its theological content. With the big picture, you can better understand the flow of the author’s message. The most accurate interpretation is always found in comparing Scripture with Scripture:

• Obscure passages must be interpreted in light of passages that are crystal clear.

• Beware of trying to build a major doctrine on one, or even several, isolated verses.

• Understand doctrines by reviewing many verses and sections of Scripture.

• If, in your human evaluation, two doctrines appear to contradict each other, accept both, realizing that you will never understand the mind of God.

• Study brief passages in light of lengthier passages.

• Note that the New Testament helps to interpret the Old Testament and vice versa.

• Timeless principles are found behind timely manifestations of those principles.

• Systematic passages should take priority over incidental passages.

• Teaching or didactic passages make more clear symbolic or practical passages.

• Every part of Scripture must be viewed in light of its overall emphasis.

Application is the finale to your study of Scripture, but all practical lessons must be governed by disciplined and tested principles of hermeneutics. The Bible is a book of principles and not merely a catalog of solutions for every situation. Principles are clearly stated, but you must be sensitive to the spirit of God’s Word since Scripture will not directly address every subject. The emphasis of Scripture is on inner commitment to holiness of life and obedience to God rather than a pseudo-spiritual cloak of outward acquiescence to whatever seems relevant in your own thinking. You must make a distinction between what the Bible records (e.g., slavery) and what it approves (e.g., male headship in the home and church). Express commands to individuals in Scripture are not necessarily the will of God for you, nor is a literal reproduction of a biblical situation necessary to determine God’s will for you.

Personal study is definitely the first step in preparing to teach the Bible. You must discover what the passage really says and what it means by following good hermeneutical principles and by harmonizing the text with its context and with the whole of Scripture. You are then ready to make an outline and to prepare an introduction to draw your pupils into the study as well as a conclusion to persuade them to move to action. In the heart of your teaching, challenge your listeners to think and make practical applications to life.

The Christian Life

Rhonda Harrington Kelley

Are you a Christian? A Christian is anyone who has received by faith the salvation God has provided in Jesus Christ. Salvation is necessary because all have sinned against God (Rm 3:23). Salvation begins with repentance—turning away from sin and turning toward God, who alone has the power to save. You cannot earn salvation by doing good works for it is a gift of grace from God, accomplished through the death of His Son, Jesus Christ (Eph 2:8-9). When Jesus died on the cross, He paid the price to forgive all sin (Jn 3:16; Rm 5:8; 1Jn 2:2). Romans 6:23 says, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. God’s free gift of salvation—the exchange of your sin for His righteousness—must be accepted by faith (Rm 10:9-10). When you accept God’s gift of salvation, you become a new creation (2Co 5:17). Salvation changes everything—your past, your present, and your future:

• Justification may be considered the past tense of salvation. Justification is God’s declaration that you are righteous through the blood of Christ (Rm 4:3-25).

• Sanctification is the present tense of salvation, the process of growing in faith and in holiness since you are set apart by and for God (1Co 6:11).

• Glorification is the future tense of salvation. Glorification is the perfection of God’s image and character in you when you enter His presence in heaven (2Co 3:18).

If you are a Christian, you are promised security in your salvation, but what is your present new creation life supposed to look like? What responsibilities do you have in maintaining a vibrant relationship with your Savior?

The Beginning. Your Christian life begins the moment you turn away from sin and, by faith, receive the salvation God has provided in the crucifixion and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ. At that moment, the Holy Spirit makes Himself at home in your life, immediately beginning the remodeling process necessary for Christ to be seen in every aspect. Just as the Christian life does not begin when you are born, when you become a church member, or when you mistakenly think you have earned God’s approval for doing good, so it does not continue on the basis of who you are, whom you know, where you go to church, or what you do. Just as there is nothing you can do to get rid of your sin and restore your relationship with God—Jesus sacrificed Himself to provide the forgiveness needed, so you cannot live the Christian life on your own terms. Relinquishing ownership and control of your life to Christ is just the beginning of the total life makeover.

The Ongoing Story. From that point on, your salvation is secure. Regardless of how sin-stained or sin-wrecked your life is when you entrust it to Christ, all is forgiven. However, you have a ruthless enemy who is determined to thwart God’s renovation plans for your life by any means possible and keep you from telling anyone else the good news. In Christ you have freedom from the addiction to sin and from consequent death (i.e., eternal separation from God). No longer are you the enemy’s slave to do his bidding, but he strives to convince you otherwise. Scripture often talks about this war in terms of light and darkness. Christ’s message is that God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in him (1Jn 1:5). Speaking to authentic Christians about their changed status, Ephesians 5:8 says, For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord and commands, Live as children of light.

The power to walk in the light as he [Jesus Christ] himself is in the light (1Jn 1:7a) is available in the Holy Spirit who is always with the Christian. Living the Christian life—walking in the light—is only possible by continually agreeing with the truth He reveals and letting Him exchange, change, and rearrange however He sees fit. The truth is found in the Bible. The power to obey the truth is in the Holy Spirit. The Christian whose mind is Scripture-saturated and whose will is Spirit-directed is equipped to grow in Christlikeness, but this growth also requires staying connected to the body of Christ, the local church. The Christian life is nurtured in your personal devotional life of Bible study and prayer but expressed in your relationships—both with your brothers and sisters in Christ and with non-Christians.

In the End. Until Jesus returns, the physical lives of Christians will end but not without hope. Jesus’s resurrection validates His promise of eternal life to those who follow Him. The Christian life is best lived with the end (as described in Scripture) in mind (see 2Pt 3), not only looking forward to God’s justice and the rewards of endurance but also looking for opportunities to proclaim the gospel (see 1Pt 4). From confession of faith into eternity, the Christian life is a reflection of Christ Himself, an extension of His work in the world, and a witness of salvation to those who are unsaved.

Introduction to the Christian Standard Bible®

The Bible is God’s revelation to humanity. It is our only source for completely reliable information about God, what happens when we die, and where history is headed. The Bible reveals these things because it is God’s inspired Word, inerrant in the original manuscripts. Bible translation brings God’s Word from the ancient languages (Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic) into today’s world. In dependence on God’s Spirit to accomplish this sacred task, the CSB Translation Oversight Committee and Holman Bible Publishers present the Christian Standard Bible.

Textual Base of the CSB

The textual base for the New Testament (NT) is the Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Graece, 28th edition, and the United Bible Societies’ Greek New Testament, 5th corrected edition. The text for the Old Testament (OT) is the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 5th edition.

Where there are significant differences among Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek manuscripts, the translators follow what they believe is the original reading and indicate the main alternative(s) in footnotes. The CSB uses the traditional verse divisions found in most Protestant Bibles.

Goals of This Translation

• Provide English-speaking people worldwide with an accurate translation in contemporary English.

• Provide an accurate translation for personal study, sermon preparation, private devotions, and memorization.

• Provide a text that is clear and understandable, suitable for public reading, and shareable so that all may access its life-giving message.

• Affirm the authority of Scripture and champion its absolute truth against skeptical viewpoints.

Translation Philosophy of the Christian Standard Bible

Most discussions of Bible translations speak of two opposite approaches: formal equivalence and dynamic equivalence. This terminology is meaningful, but Bible translations cannot be neatly sorted into these two categories. There is room for another category of translation philosophy that capitalizes on the strengths of the other two.

1. Formal Equivalence:

Often called word-for-word (or literal) translation, the principle of formal equivalence seeks as nearly as possible to preserve the structure of the original language. It seeks to represent each word of the original text with an exact equivalent word in the translation so that the reader can see word for word what the original human author wrote. The merits of this approach include its consistency with the conviction that the Holy Spirit did inspire the very words of Scripture in the original manuscripts. It also provides the English Bible student some access to the structure of the text in the original language. Formal equivalence can achieve accuracy to the degree that English has an exact equivalent for each word and that the grammatical patterns of the original language can be reproduced in understandable English. However, it can sometimes result in awkward, if not incomprehensible, English or in a misunderstanding of the author’s intent. The literal rendering of ancient idioms is especially difficult.

2. Dynamic or Functional Equivalence:

Often called thought-for-thought translation, the principle of dynamic equivalence rejects as misguided the attempt to preserve the structure of the original language. It proceeds by extracting the meaning of a text from its form and then translating that meaning so that it makes the same impact on modern readers that the ancient text made on its original readers. Strengths of this approach include a high degree of clarity and readability, especially in places where the original is difficult to render word for word. It also acknowledges that accurate and effective translation may require interpretation. However, the meaning of a text cannot always be neatly separated from its form, nor can it always be precisely determined. A biblical author may have intended multiple meanings, but these may be lost with the elimination of normal structures. In striving for readability, dynamic equivalence also sometimes overlooks and loses some of the less prominent elements of meaning. Furthermore, lack of formal correspondence to the original makes it difficult to verify accuracy and thus can affect the usefulness of the translation for in-depth Bible study.

3. Optimal Equivalence:

In practice, translations are seldom if ever purely formal or dynamic but favor one theory of Bible translation or the other to varying degrees. Optimal equivalence as a translation philosophy recognizes that form cannot always be neatly separated from meaning and should not be changed unless comprehension demands it. The primary goal of translation is to convey the sense of the original with as much clarity as the original text and the translation language permit. Optimal equivalence appreciates the goals of formal equivalence but also recognizes its limitations.

Optimal equivalence starts with an exhaustive analysis of the text at every level (word, phrase, clause, sentence, discourse) in the original language to determine its original meaning and intention (or purpose). Then, relying on the latest and best language tools and experts, the nearest corresponding semantic and linguistic equivalents are used to convey as much of the information and intention of the original text with as much clarity and readability as possible. This process assures the maximum transfer of both the words and the thoughts contained in the original.

The CSB uses optimal equivalence as its translation philosophy. In the many places throughout the Bible where a word-for-word rendering is understandable, a literal translation is used. When a word-for-word rendering might obscure the meaning for a modern audience, a more dynamic translation is used. The Christian Standard Bible places equal value on fidelity to the original and readability for a modern audience, resulting in a translation that achieves both goals.

The Gender Language Usage in Bible Translation

The goal of the translators of the Christian Standard Bible has not been to promote a cultural ideology but to translate the Bible faithfully. Recognizing modern usage of English, the CSB regularly translates the plural of the Greek word ανθρωπος (man) as people instead of men, and occasionally the singular as one, someone, or everyone, when the supporting pronouns in the original languages validate such a translation. While the CSB avoids using he or him unnecessarily, the translation does not restructure sentences to avoid them when they are in the text.

History of the CSB

After several years of preliminary development, Holman Bible Publishers, the oldest Bible publisher in North America, assembled an international, interdenominational team of 100 scholars, editors, stylists, and proofreaders, all of whom were committed to biblical inerrancy. Outside consultants and reviewers contributed valuable suggestions from their areas of expertise. Working from the original languages, an executive team of translators edited, polished, and reviewed the final manuscript, which was first published as the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) in 2004.

A standing committee was also formed to maintain the HCSB translation and look for ways to improve readability without compromising accuracy. As with the original translation team, the committee that prepared this revision of the HCSB, renamed the Christian Standard Bible, is international and interdenominational, comprising evangelical scholars who honor the inspiration and authority of God’s written Word.

Traditional Features Found in the CSB

In keeping with a long line of Bible publications, the CSB has retained a number of features found in traditional Bibles:

1. Traditional theological vocabulary (for example, justification, sanctification, redemption) has been retained since such terms have no other translation equivalent that adequately communicates their exact meaning.

2. Traditional spellings of names and places found in most Bibles have been used to make the CSB compatible with most Bible study tools.

3. Some editions of the CSB will print the words of Christ in red letters to help readers easily locate the spoken words of the Lord Jesus Christ.

4. Descriptive headings, printed above each section of Scripture, help readers quickly identify the contents of that section.

5. OT passages quoted in the NT are indicated. In the CSB, they are set in boldface type.

How the Names of God Are Translated

The Christian Standard Bible consistently translates the Hebrew names for God as follows:

Footnotes

Footnotes are used to show readers how the original biblical language has been understood in the CSB.

1. Old Testament (OT) Textual Footnotes

OT textual notes show important differences among Hebrew (Hb) manuscripts and ancient OT versions, such as the Septuagint and the Vulgate. See the list of abbreviations on page xxvi for a list of other ancient versions used.

Some OT textual notes (like NT textual notes) give only an alternate textual reading. However, other OT textual notes also give the support for the reading chosen by the editors as well as for the alternate textual reading. For example, the CSB text of Psalm 12:7 reads,

You,

Lord

, will guard us;

you will protect usC from this generation forever.

The textual footnote for this verse reads,

C 12:7 Some Hb mss, LXX; other Hb mss read him

The textual note in this example means that there are two different readings found in the Hebrew manuscripts: some manuscripts read us and others read him. The CSB translators chose the reading us, which is also found in the Septuagint (LXX), and placed the other Hebrew reading him in the footnote.

Two other kinds of OT textual notes are:

2. New Testament (NT) Textual Footnotes

NT textual notes indicate significant differences among Greek manuscripts (mss) and are normally indicated in one of three ways:

Other mss read ______

Other mss add ______

Other mss omit ______

In the NT, some textual footnotes that use the word add or omit also have square brackets before and after the corresponding verses in the biblical text. Examples of this use of square brackets are Mark 16:9-20 and John 7:53–8:11.

3. Other Kinds of Footnotes

In some editions of the CSB, additional footnotes clarify the meaning of certain biblical texts or explain biblical history, persons, customs, places, activities, and measurements. Cross references are given for parallel passages or passages with similar wording, and in the NT, for passages quoted from the OT.

Transliteration Charts

Greek Transliteration Chart

Hebrew Transliteration Chart

Table of Weights and Measures

Weights

Length

Abbreviations Used in The CSB Study Bible For Women

Genesis

In the beginning God . . .  (1:1).

Who wrote Genesis?

Even though Genesis is anonymous, Moses is believed to have recorded the events in this book and the rest of the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament. Elsewhere in the Old Testament, the Pentateuch is referenced as the book of the Law of Moses (Jos 8:31; 2Kg 14:6; cp. Neh 13:1). The New Testament also notes Moses as the author (Mt 19:8; Lk 24:27; Jn 5:45-47; Ac 3:22; Rm 10:5; Rv 5:3). Jesus did not specifically say that Moses wrote Genesis, but in the Lord’s day the Jews regarded the Pentateuch (Hb Torah, law) as a whole unit. Jesus affirmed this truth (Mt 19:8; Mk 7:10; Lk 16:16-18; Jn 7:19).

Who were the recipients?

The book was written initially to the nation of Israel, especially the new generation who would be taking possession of the promised land.

When was Genesis written?

The events recorded in Genesis stretch historically from creation to the death of Joseph, a period of at least 2,500 years. Although the date of writing cannot be fixed with certainty, the date of Genesis must be within Moses’s lifetime (ca 1525–1405 BC), with the time of the wilderness wandering just before the people entered the land of promise under Joshua as the most likely date for writing. Accepting the date of the exodus as ca 1445 BC, then suggests ca 1400 BC as a reasonable date.

Where did it happen?

Beginning with the creation of the universe, the setting moves through history to the settling of the nation of Israel in the small but fertile Nile Delta region of Egypt.

What is Genesis about?

• God as Creator. The first glimpse of God in the Bible displays His power as Creator of the heavens and the earth and of mankind—male and female.

• God as Redeemer. When sin enters the world, God’s nature demands punishment of sin because of His personal holiness.

Why should women read Genesis?

The purpose of the book of Genesis is to reveal the history and basic principles of God’s relationship with His people. Particularly important for women are the opening chapters in which the creation order is presented as the basis for biblical womanhood. The account of God’s creation of the woman upholds her worth and reveals the divine design of her assignment as her husband’s helper (2:18). Genesis provides the historical basis for the rest of the Pentateuch and of the entire Bible. Throughout the book of Genesis, you can see God’s plan for the redemption of His people as He enters into covenant with them. Israel, as God’s chosen people from whom the Messiah (the offspring of the woman, 3:14-15) would come, was the conduit for God’s redemptive work. Throughout Genesis, God is the covenant-making and covenant-keeping God.

How do you read Genesis?

The book of Genesis should be read as the definitive source of truth upon which the other 65 books of the canon are based. God presents Himself as the Creator of all who fashioned man and woman in His own image and commissioned them to rule over His creation. Genesis bears witness to the goodness of the created order and reveals why the world we inhabit is full of brokenness rather than perfection. The book also directs the reader’s attention toward the future where the fulfillment of God’s promises and prophecies is sure. Genesis is also the first book in the Pentateuch, the five books containing the Torah or God’s law—God’s instruction to His people for establishing the nation of Israel.

Genesis is a carefully structured book. This historical narrative has an initial section on the creation itself. Thereafter the book is divided by a recurring phrase (Hb toledot, these are the family records), marking changes in God’s people as His covenant promises are faithfully passed from one generation to the next. One might say that Genesis is the story behind the God who drew the Israelites to Himself as His covenant people. The book also includes poetry, such as the passage where Adam introduces Eve (2:23) and the description of Jacob’s blessing (49:2-27).

Outline

I. The Creation (1:1–2:25)

II. The Fall (3:1-24)

III. The Family Records of Adam (4:1–6:7)

IV. The Family Records of Noah (6:8–11:32)

V. The Family Records of Abraham (12:1–25:18)

A. God’s Covenant with Abraham (12:1–13:4)

B. God’s Faithfulness in Renewing His Covenant (13:5–17:27)

C. Abraham’s Obedience in Responding to the Covenant (18:1–25:18)

VI. The Family Records of Isaac (25:19–35:29)

A. The Birth of Two Sons (25:19-34)

B. God’s Covenant with Isaac (26:1-35)

C. God’s Choice of Jacob (27:1–35:29)

VII. The Family Records of Esau (36:1-43)

VIII. The Family Records of Jacob and the Saving of Israel (37:1–50:26)

A. The Sowing of Conflict (37:1-11)

B. The Slavery of Joseph (37:12-36)

C. The Faithfulness of God to Joseph During His Rise to Power (38:1–41:57)

D. The Reunion of Joseph and His Brothers (42:1–45:15)

E. The Journey of Jacob to Egypt (45:16–48:22)

F. The Blessing of Jacob’s Descendants (49:1-28)

G. The Death of Jacob and Then of Joseph (49:29–50:26)

The Creation (1:1–2:25)

The Heavens and the Earth (1:1-19)

1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. †

² Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. ³ Then God said, Let there be light, and there was light. ⁴ God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. ⁵ God called the light day, and the darkness he called night. There was an evening, and there was a morning: one day.

⁶ Then God said, Let there be an expanse between the waters, separating water from water. ⁷ So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above the expanse. And it was so. ⁸ God called the expanse sky. † Evening came and then morning: the second day.

WORD STUDY

1:1 The Hebrew word translated God (Hb ʾelohim) is the plural form of ʾEl (or strictly ʾeloah, which in the Bible is used only in poetry), the Hebrew and Canaanite word for a divine or supernatural being. It can also be used of the supernatural, such as angels or other-world beings (e.g., 1Sm 28:13) or of the gods of other nations (used with a plural verb). The plural found here with a singular verb, however, is intensive. In Hebrew this phenomenon is a plural of majesty, suggesting the greatness of God, who is complex and wonderful beyond description. Although the author probably did not think in terms of a triunity (as shown by the plural word’s use with a singular verb), a believer, with the help of the NT, may see this conclusion as implied by the plural form.

1:1 Created (Hb baraʾ) is only used of divine workmanship, always indicating the production of something new. The word is used three times in this account—the initial creation of matter (1:1), the creation of animal life (1:21), and the creation of man in the image of God (1:27)—each seen as a unique beginning.

1:6 The word expanse (Hb raqiya ʿ, firmament) indicated something trodden on and stamped out. In its verbal form, the word suggests making thin like a piece of metal beaten into shape as in the work of a craftsman and thus spreading out, expanding. The implication is that the expanse is the handiwork of a craftsman (i.e., specifically designed and crafted by God, thus with an inherent permanence and perfection as worthy of Him).

⁹ Then God said, Let the water under the sky be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear. And it was so. ¹⁰ God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the water he called seas. And God saw that it was good. ¹¹ Then God said, Let the earth produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And it was so. ¹² The earth produced vegetation: seed-bearing plants according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. ¹³ Evening came and then morning: the third day.

HARD QUESTION

Racism, abortion, euthanasia—what does the Bible say?

The importance of the concept of men and women as bearers of God’s image speaks to the dignity and worth of each human being (1:26-27). No one person can be considered more like the Creator than another. In addition, every life, whether in the beginning stages or at the end of days, shares the same value before God. This fact should encourage Christians with two important truths:

• You should seek to protect life at every stage. The assault on human life—whether abortion or euthanasia—is an assault on the concept of mankind as bearers of God’s image because abortion and euthanasia employ a logic that life in the embryonic stage or in the final stage is not as valuable. This lie is from the pit of hell.

• You should never hold to racist beliefs. All humans—not just a certain race—are created in God’s image. Each person equally bears the image of God.

¹⁴ Then God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night. They will serve as signs for seasons † and for days and years. ¹⁵ They will be lights in the expanse of the sky to provide light on the earth." And it was so. ¹⁶ God made the two great lights — the greater light to rule over the day and the lesser light to rule over the night — as well as the stars. ¹⁷ God placed them in the expanse of the sky to provide light on the earth,

WORD STUDY

1:10 He called the dry land earth (Hb ʾerets), a word originally referring to the whole earth, including the waters (1:1-2). It can mean the earth as opposed to the heavens (1:1; 2:1,4), land as opposed to sea (1:10), or a particular area of land (2:12-13).

¹⁸ to rule the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. ¹⁹ Evening came and then morning: the fourth day.

The Living Creatures (1:20-25)

The Image of God

The fact that men and women are created in the image (Hb tselem) and likeness (Hb demut) of God affirms that human beings represent God in a way unlike any other part of His creation (1:26-27). In what ways are humans like God? Four key areas of commonality help answer this question and illustrate exactly how men and women can be set apart from every other part of creation: moral, spiritual, mental, and relational. They share a moral aspect with God because they have an innate sense of right and wrong and a sense of accountability; in the spiritual commonality between man and God, there is an immaterial part of man that will survive after death. Man’s ability to use abstract reasoning and logic and to have both an awareness of and the capacity to plan for the future illustrates a mental acumen that sets him apart from the rest of creation. Finally, interpersonal relationships between men and women, such as family systems and marriage, display a relational aspect of God beyond what any other part of God’s creation can display.

²⁰ Then God said, "Let the water swarm with † living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky. ²¹ So God created the large sea-creatures † and every living creature that moves and swarms in the water, according to their kinds. He also created every winged creature according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. ²² God blessed them: Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the waters of the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth." ²³ Evening came and then morning: the fifth day.

²⁴ Then God said, Let the earth produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that crawl, and the wildlife of the earth according to their kinds. And it was so. ²⁵ So God made the wildlife of the earth according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that crawl on the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

Mankind–Male and Female (1:26–2:25)

²⁶ Then God said, "Let us make man † in † our image, according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, † and the creatures that crawl † on the earth."

²⁷ So God created man in his own image;

he created him in † the image of God;

he created them male and female.

Creation of Mankind

Four different Hebrew verbs are used for God’s creative activity in Genesis 1–2:

• Created (Hb baraʾ, made from nothing, 1:1) is used only of divine activity. In the context of Gn 1:1, this word means made from nothing (cp. Lat ex nihilo, out of nothing). Regarding man, whom God made from the dust of the ground, bara ʾ means created in the sense of fashioned, shaped, or produced (1:27; 5:1-2; 6:7).

• Made (Hb ʿasah; 1:7,16,25-26; 2:18) is a common word meaning to produce, create, render from pre-existing materials.

• Formed (Hb yatsar, fashioned, 2:7-8, 19—only these three times in Gn; cp. Pss 95:5; 139:16; Is 29:16; 43:1,7,21; 44:21,24) is used of the potter or craftsman shaping his material according to his purpose (cp. 1Ch 4:23; Is 44:9-12; 45:9; 46:11; 64:8). The writer uses this word to depict God’s creative work as skillful.

• Another verb translated made (Hb banah, build with careful planning; cp. Gn 11:4-5) appears for the first time in Scripture in 2:22 to convey God’s active building of the woman.

The description of man’s creation is twofold. In one sense, man (Hb ʾadam) is of the earth, formed . . . out of the dust from the ground (Hb ʾadamah) as were the animals (2:7,19). The Hebrew play on words in the name Adam is a reminder of his earthly source. On the other hand, his life was inbreathed by the breath of God, bringing him in touch with heaven. The fact that God breathed the breath of life into his [Adam’s] nostrils (v. 7), which He did not do with the animals, demonstrated that this new life was intended to be seen as something unique, a something other, which makes him distinctive from the rest of creation. He is not just an animal; he possesses something that comes directly from God, confirming the uniqueness of being in the image of God (1:26).

²⁸ God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls † on the earth. ²⁹ God also said, Look, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the surface of the entire earth and every tree whose fruit contains seed. This will be food for you, ³⁰ for all the wildlife of the earth, for every bird of the sky, and for every creature that crawls on the earth — everything having the breath of life in it — I have given † every green plant for food." And it was so. ³¹ God saw all that he had made, and it was very good indeed. Evening came and then morning: the sixth day.

Title In the Hebrew Bible every book of the Pentateuch originally received its title from its first word or phrase. The Hebrew title is Bereˉ ʾshit (In the beginning). Genesis is a transliteration of the title in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the OT), meaning origins (Gk geneseoˉs). Family records or records (Hb toledot, generations) is the key term associated with the structure of Genesis (2:4; 5:1; 6:9; 10:1; 11:10,27; 25:12,19; 36:1,9; 37:2).

1:1 In the beginning signifies the beginning of existence, of the universe, as these relate to mankind. It does not refer to the creation of the angelic or spiritual world, which is outside the scope of the physical universe.

1:2 God created the earth formless and empty that He might give it form and fill it. He covered it with water that He might produce from it what would be altered by His hand. There is no thought that it had become this way or was naturally so, nor were forces of chaos with which God had to contend at work. His creative handiwork was as He had determined it to be.

1:11-12 Light and shape and differentiation—the building blocks of life—are being put in place. God provided the sustenance that animals and man would require. Notice the stress on the diversity of the vegetation He produced: seed-bearing plants and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit with seed in it. By creating plants with seeds, God ensured that these plants would reproduce and provide sustenance for generations to come.

1:14-19 From the fourth day, periods of light and darkness were determined by the action of sun and moon. These lights now marked the length of days and years. Henceforth the heavenly lights would rule ideas of time and seasons. Days and months and years resulted from their activity. They were the signs of God’s continued provision. Later the rainbow became God’s sign of their permanence for man (8:22; 9:12-17). Significantly, naming occurred in the first three days, and in days five and six the results of God’s creative activity were blessed as living and reproductive; but the lights were neither named nor blessed. God did not give them names indicating their background nature. Unlike plants and animals, the lights of heaven were not living and were not under man’s dominion. All thought of their being divine or of any importance other than as created objects is deliberately excluded. This truth will be important as Israel encounters nations who worship these celestial bodies.

1:20-23 God created two categories of living creatures (Hb nephesh chayyah) on the fifth day. The word nephesh, meaning throat (i.e., the source for breath) evolves to mean the life within and thus living things. The whole phrase, therefore, is more literally living things that have life. God spoke into being the large sea-creatures (Hb tannin, sea monsters, vast fish) and every living creature that swarms [Hb sharats, teem, multiply, abound; cp. 9:7; Ex 1:7; Ezk 47:9] in the water and birds to populate the sky. The writer was aware of huge creatures in the sea. To many they must have seemed terrifying, but he knew that they were creatures of God. Many ancient myths spoke of semi-divine sea monsters, which caused distress and chaos (and the psalmists used the ideas pictorially to demonstrate God’s control over creation, e.g., Pss 74:13; 148:7), but their role here had nothing to do with chaos or conflict. They were made by God, and, therefore, they are under His control and will.

1:24-25 On the sixth day of creation again God planned a diversity of creatures according to their kinds. Diversity in creation is not blind chance but results from the purpose of God. Note that His plan included animals that would later be domesticated as well as the wild animals. Man’s good is clearly in mind as God filled the earth with animal life—from the livestock to creatures that crawl, including the tiny scavengers that clean up the world. All have their place in God’s creation.

2So the heavens and the earth and everything in them were completed. ² On the seventh † day God had completed his work that he had done, and he rested † on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. ³ God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, for on it he rested from all his work of creation. †

⁴ These are the records of the heavens and the earth, concerning their creation. At the time † that the

Lord

God made the earth and the heavens, ⁵ no shrub of the field had yet grown on the land, † and no plant of the field had yet sprouted, for the

Lord

God had not made it rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground. ⁶ But mist would come up from the earth and water all the ground.

Biblical

WOMANHOOD

The Judgment on the Woman

There are three popular views on how the judgment on the woman would affect her relationship to the man:

• The popular view among evangelical feminists is that the submission of a woman to a man comes as a direct consequence of the fall and thus is a punishment for sin and completely undesirable and even evil.

• Another view among evangelicals suggests that the husband’s role of leadership and the wife’s submission to her husband, which is part of the original plan in creation, are not a curse but a blessing intended to console the woman in her role as a mother.

• The third view, which is slightly nuanced from the second view and is most strongly supported in the Christian tradition and also heavily supported among scholars, suggests that the judgment brought upon the woman is a form of submission tainted by domination. Sin corrupted the headship of a husband over his wife and turned what God designed as a blessing into a burden. The woman then seeks to contend with her husband for the leadership in their relationship.

However, others hold that the desire of Genesis 3:16 is not the desire of the woman to control and dominate her husband, which would have been a curse on the man; rather this comment is an explanation of the relationships as they will exist after the fall. The woman’s desire to dominate or rule over the man is just the essence, character, and result of all sin against God. The woman would still possess the strong desire to be with the man. The contention that sin has corrupted both the willing submission of the wife and the loving headship of the husband is true; but it is a natural consequence of sin, not a result of God’s judgment.

The judgments may be summarized:

• The serpent would move on his belly (v. 14).

• Satan would receive a death blow by the offspring of the woman (v. 15).

• The man would have difficulty in getting the ground to yield fruit, i.e., his work (vv. 17-19).

• The woman would experience pain in childbearing, and God’s plan for servant headship of the husband and gracious submission of the wife would be marred by the selfishness of both.

In other words, when the woman and the man chose to disobey God and thus forfeit living in the perfect place God had prepared for them, they did not thwart or destroy God’s creation order and the perfect plan as

Reviews for The CSB Study Bible For Women

[bookslesstravelled · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

*I received a copy from the the publisher for review. This does not affect my review.*

Over the years, I've started comparing Bible translations, and while I know that no translation will be exactly the same as the original, I believe that some come much closer to the original than others. This one is geared toward women, and women's ministry, but still hold true the to intent of the Bible. With verses and commentary about issues women face in life, this is a great study Bible for both new Christians, and people who have read and studied the Bible for years. I loved the timeline and than even though it's directed toward women, it doesn't change the wording or meaning behind the Bible in order to serve an alternative purpose, and can easily be used as an everyday Bible.