In My Own Words: A Summary of the Chapters of the Bible

By Bettie Ruth Bailey Dodson Brown

This is an abbreviated Bible commentary. It is an easy-to-understand study of the scriptures. Chapters are separated, and a semi colon separates subjects within the chapter. This shows Biblical text that is sometimes taken for granted and overlooked.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Sep 25, 2014
• ISBN: 9781490852140

Bettie Ruth Bailey Dodson Brown

I was born on November 12, 1932 in Quanah, Texas. I had 3 sisters and one brother. One sister (second child) was deceased at eleven days old, and one just older than me at the age of four.  I was baptized into the Church of Christ at age twelve, and have attended faithfully since then. I started to school in Winters, Texas, and  attended grade school in Quanah, Texas. I graduated from Bowie High School in Bowie, Texas, and attended Abilene Christian College (later university) for two years. I married Lindel H. Dodson in 1952, and had one son and one daughter. He passed away at the age of fifty two. Both children are married and have families, and live fairly close to me. Between them, I have three grandsons. The oldest just married and gave me my first granddaughter. In 1989, I married James W. Brown, and he passed away in 1997. I was in my last house for forty years. When I got tired of the upkeep, utility bills, etc., I sold my house and moved into a senior living facility near the Memorial Church of Christ, where I attend. I am also across the street from one of the largest malls in Houston, Memorial City Mall. I keep busy doing Bible work, and hand work. This book became my pride and joy. I only hope the people who read it enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

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Old Testament

Genesis

Gen. 1 – (1) In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth; (3) God created light and divided the light from the darkness, the light He called day and the darkness He called night, and the evening and morning were the first day; (6) God created the firmament, and divided the waters above (heavens) from the waters below, and the evening and morning were the second day; (9) He divided the land from the seas; (11) He made the earth to bring forth grass and herbs, trees and plants, and the evening and morning were the third day; (14) God made two great lights, the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the seasons also, and the evening and morning were the fourth day; (20) He made the creatures of the water, and winged fowls; (24) He made the animals also, and the evening and morning were the fifth day; (27) God created man in His own image, and the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Gen. 2 – (1) On the seventh day, God rested; (6) a mist went up from the earth and watered the ground; (7) God created man (Adam) from the dust of the earth, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; (8) God planted a garden in Eden where He put man; (9) He made the trees grow and bear fruit, and a river watered the garden, separating into four rivers, also the tree of life was there as well as the tree of knowledge of good and evil; (16) God told the man he could eat of every tree except the tree of knowledge of good and evil; (19) out of the ground, God formed every beast and every bird, and he brought them to Adam for him to name all living creatures and birds; (21) God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he took one of his ribs and created woman (Eve).

Gen. 3 – The fall of man.

(1) the serpent (Satan) tempts Eve; (6) she and Adam ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil and sinned; (11) God questions Adam and Eve; (14) God curses the serpent; (16) God tells Eve that she will have pain in childbirth; (17) to Adam God said that he would have to toil to have something to eat; (21) the Lord made Adam and Eve tunics of skin and clothed them; (23) God takes them out of the Garden of Eden, and places a cherubim at the east of the garden, and a flaming sword which turned every way to guard the tree of life.

Gen. 4 – (1) The births of Cain and Abel; (4) the Lord accepts Abel’s offering, but rejected Cain’s; (8) Cain kills Abel (first mu-der); (11) the Lord cursed Cain; (17) Enoch is born to Cain, and Cain built the first city and named it Enoch; (18) genealogy of Enoch; (25) Seth is born to Adam and Eve.

Gen. 5 – (1) The genealogy of Adam (24) (Enoch did not die – God took him) (27) Methuselah was 969 years old, the oldest man to ever live, when he died; (32) genealogy down to Noah, and he begot Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Gen. 6 – (1) Man began to multiply, and sin; (4) there were giants on the earth; (5) God sees the corruption of man, and was sorry that He had made man, so He decided to destroy man; (8) but Noah found grace in the sight of the Lord; (14) Noah builds the Ark according to God’s instructions; (22) and Noah did according to all that God commanded him.

Gen. 7 – (1) God instructs Noah on what all and who all to take into the Ark; (10) the waters began to flood; (13) Noah and his sons and their wives entered the ark; (17) the flood was on the earth forty days; (23) God destroyed every living thing, both man and cattle, and only Noah and those with him were alive.

Gen. 8 – (1) God remembered Noah and caused the rain to stop; (4) the ark comes to rest on Mt. Ararat; (16) God tells Noah to come out of the Ark; (20) Noah builds an altar to the Lord; (21) God promises Noah to never again destroy every living thing as He had done.

Gen. 9 – (1) Noah’s instructions from God; (13) the rainbow is created by God, and His promise to never again destroy the earth by floods; (20) Noah’s nakedness and his sons.

Gen. 10 – (1) The genealogy of the sons of Noah is given.

Gen. 11 – (1) The whole earth had one language and one speech; (4) the people decide to build the Tower of Babel; (7) God confused the languages; (8) God scattered the people over all the earth; (10) the genealogy of Shem to Abram; (27) the genealogy of Terah.

Gen. 12 – (1) The Lord told Abram to leave his people and go to a land that He would show him; (3) the Lord’s promise to Abram; (5) Abram took his wife, Sarai, and his nephew, Lot, (Haran, Lot’s father, had died), and went to the land of Canaan; (10) Abram goes to Egypt because of a famine in the land; (14) Abram said Sarai was his sister, so she was taken into Pharaoh’s house; (17) the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house; (19) Sarai is returned to Abram.

Gen. 13 – (1) Abram leaves Egypt and returns to the land of Canaan; (8) Abram and Lot (his nephew) separate because they both had great possessions; (11) Lot took the land of Jordan; (12) Abram took Canaan; (14) the Lord’s promise to Abram to give him all the land that he could see, and He would make of Abram, a great nation; (18) Abram built an altar by the terebinth trees of Mamre which are in Hebron.

Gen. 14 – (1) There was war between kings; (12) Lot is captured by Chedorlaomer; (15) Abram rescued him; (18) Abram is blessed by Melchizedek, king of Salem; (21) the king of Sodom wanted the people and told Abram to keep the goods, but Abram refused.

Gen. 15 – (1) The Lord talks to Abram; (4) God’s promise to Abram for an heir; (6) he believed in the Lord, and it was accounted to him for righteousness; (13) God’s prediction in a dream to Abram that his people would be slaves in another nation; (18) God renews His promise to give Abram the land of Canaan.

Gen. 16 – (1) Sarai gives her handmaid, Hagar, to Abram for an heir; (5) when Sarai saw that Hagar was with child, she dealt harshly with her; (6) Hagar flees; (7) the angel of the Lord found her; (9) God promises her a son and tells her to return; (15) she returns and Ishmael is born to Hagar when Abram is eighty six years old.

Gen. 17 – (1) The Lord talks with Abram; (5) Abram’s name is changed to Abraham; (7) the Lord again tells Abram His covenant is between Abram and his descendants; (10) every male is to be circumcised at eight days old; (15) Sarai’s name is changed to Sarah; (16) God promises a son by Sarah, and says He will establish His covenant with him; (17) Abraham fell on his face and laughed because of his age; (19) God said again that Sarah would bear and son, and his name will be Isaac; (20) Ishmael would become a great nation.

Gen. 18 – (1) The Lord appeared to Abraham; (2) three men (angels) came to Abraham and Abraham prepared a meal for them; (10) they told him that Sarah would have a son; (12) Sarah laughed from the tent door; (18) they promised Abraham that he would become a great and mighty nation; (20) the Lord says He will destroy Sodom and Gomorrah; (23) Abraham talks with God and intercedes for the city of Sodom (fifty, forty five, forty, thirty, twenty, ten righteous people) to save Lot.

Gen. 19 – (1) The city of Sodom is visited by two angels, and Lot invited them into his house; (4) the men of the city wanted them to come out; (6) Lot tried to reason with them; (11) the angels struck the men with blindness, and pulled Lot back into the house; (13) the angels tell Lot the city will be destroyed; (17) Lot is told to escape with his family, and to not look back; (23) the city is destroyed; (26) Lot’s wife looked back and became a pillar of salt; (27) Abraham saw the smoke from the city being destroyed; (30) Lot and his two daughters dwelt in the mountains; (31) Lot’s daughters made Lot drunk and lay with him; (37) they both had sons by Lot.

Gen 20 – (1) Abraham moves to Gerar; (2) Abimelech was king and Abraham said Sarah was his sister (she was by his father but not by his mother); (3) God speaks to Abimelech in a dream and told him to restore Sarah to Abraham; (8) Abimelech restores Sarah to Abraham; (14) Abimelech gives sheep and oxen to Abraham, and tells him to live where he wants to in the land; (17) Abraham prays for him.

Gen. 21 – (1) Sarah conceives; (2) Isaac is born to Sarah when Abraham is one hundred years old; (9) Sarah makes Abraham send Hagar and Ishmael away; (12) God reassures him and tells him that his heir will be Isaac; (15) God takes care of Hagar and Ishmael; (21) Hagar takes Ishmael a wife from Egypt; (27) Abimelech and Abraham make a covenant at Beersheba; (33) Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there called on the name of the Lord.

Gen. 22 – (1) God tells Abraham to offer Isaac as a burnt offering; (12) when he does, the angel of the Lord stops him and says He was testing him; (17) God told Abraham that in him all nations of the earth would be blessed, and He would multiply his descendants like stars; (20) it was told to Abraham that Nahor, his brother, has had children by his wife and concubine.

Gen. 23 – (1) Sarah dies at the age of one hundred and twenty seven years; (17) Abraham buys the Cave of Machpelah (Field of Ephron) from the sons of Heth to bury Sarah in.

Gen. 24 – (1) Abraham is old, and the Lord had blessed him in all things; (2) Abraham makes his oldest servant swear that he will go back to Abraham’s people to get a wife for Isaac; (10) the servant leaves and ask God to intervene; (if the woman gives a drink and draws for the camels also – she is the one); (18) Rebekah comes and does this; (24) she is Abraham’s nephew’s daughter; (29) Laban, her brother, greets the servant; (34) the servant tells Laban, the reason for his visit; (50) the servant takes Rebekah and goes back to Abraham and Isaac; (61) Rebekah and her maids rode on the camels behind the servant; (63) Isaac went out into the field to meditate, and saw the camels coming; (67) Isaac takes Rebekah as his wife.

Gen. 25 – (1) Abraham takes Keturah for a wife, and she bore him six sons; (5) Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac; (7) Abraham lived to be one hundred and seventy five years old; (9) he is buried with Sarah; (12) genealogy of Ishmael; (21) Isaac pleaded with the Lord because Rebekah was barren; (24) Rebekah has twins, Jacob and Esau; (28) Isaac loved Esau more and Rebekah loved Jacob; (33) Esau sells his birthright (as firstborn) to Jacob when he was hungry.

Gen. 26 – (1) God’s promise to Isaac; (6) he dwells in Gerar; (7) Isaac tells the people that Rebekah was his sister; (8) The king sees him with Rebekah and asked why Isaac said she was his sister; (11) the king charges his people to not touch either Isaac or Rebekah; (13) Isaac had great possessions; (16) Abimelech asks him to move; (18) Isaac dug wells again that Abraham had dug and the Philistines had stopped them up; (19) the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with the herdsmen of Isaac, so Isaac’s herdsmen dug another well; (23) Isaac left there and went to Beersheba, and the Lord appeared to him; (28) Isaac makes a treaty with Abimelech; (34) Esau takes two wives who were Hittites; (35) this grieved Isaac and Rebekah.

Gen. 27 – (1) Isaac asked Esau to hunt game, and make him some savory food; (8) Rebekah hears Isaac, and helps Jacob get the blessings intended for Esau; (23) the deception of Jacob – he gets the blessing that Isaac thought he was giving to Esau; (41) Esau threatens to kill Jacob; (46) Rebekah ask Isaac to send Jacob to her family for a wife.

Gen. 28 – (1) Isaac sends Jacob to Padan Aram to Laban to get a wife from their family; (9) Esau takes another wife from Ishmael’s family; (12) Jacob dreams of a ladder to heaven; (13) God’s promise to Jacob that He will multiply him and be with him; (20) Jacob makes a vow to God.

Gen. 29 – (1) Jacob comes to the land of the people of the east; (4) he meets men who knew Laban; (10) Jacob meets Rachel and rolled the stone away from the well so she could water the sheep; (15) Jacob tells Laban he will serve him for Rachel; (20) he serves seven years (as his wages) to Laban, Rachel’s Father, for her; (23) but Laban gives him Leah, the older daughter, first; (30) he then serves another seven years, for Rachel; (32) Leah has these sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah.

Gen. 30 – (1) Rachel was barren; (4) she gave Jacob her handmaid, Bilhah, and she bore Dan and Naphtali; (9) Leah had stopped bearing so she gave Jacob her handmaid, Zilpah; (11) Zilpah bore Gad and Asher; (17) Leah again bore Issachar and Zebulun, and a daughter, Dinah; (22) then God remembered Rachel, and she bore Joseph; (32) Jacob makes a deal with Laban to take the spotted animals and leave; (37) Jacob puts the poplar rods in front of the flocks at the water troughs and they had spotted calves; (43) Jacob became prosperous, and had flocks, female and male servants, and camels and donkeys.

Gen. 31 – (1) Laban’s sons complained that Jacob was taking all their father’s wealth; (3) the Lord tells Jacob to return to the land of his family; (4) Jacob talks to his wives and tells them that God has told him to return to his family; (17) Jacob flees from Laban; (19) Rachel steals the household idols; (23) Laban pursues Jacob; (38) Jacob had served him fourteen years for his wives, and six years for his livestock – twenty years total; (44) Laban makes a covenant with Jacob and leaves.

Gen. 32 – (1) Jacob went on his way and the angels of God met him; (3) Jacob is on his way when he sends a message to Esau; (6) Esau comes to meet him and Jacob is afraid; (16) he sends Esau gifts in groups – one at a time; (23) he sends his wives and children on; (24) when he is alone, he wrestles with a man of God; (28) God changes his name to Israel; (31) his hip is out of joint.

Gen. 33 – (1) Jacob divides his family – servants first, then Leah, then Rachel; (4) Esau meets him; (16) they greet each other and Esau returns home; (19) Jacob buys land.

Gen. 34 – (1) Dinah, Jacob’s daughter went out to see the daughters of the land; (2) Shechem lies with her and defiles her; (13) he wants her for a wife, but Dinah’s brothers are upset for what he had done; (15) her brothers said okay if all the males were circumcised, as they were, so they agreed; (25) then Simeon and Levi (her brothers) took swords and killed all the males including Hamor and Shechem; (28) they took all the women and livestock; (30) Jacob was upset with them.

Gen. 35 – (1) God tells Jacob to go to Bethel; (6) he came to Luz (which is Bethel); (8) Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, dies and is buried; (9) God visits Jacob again and changes his name to Israel; (16) on the way, Rachel dies in childbirth, having Benjamin; (19) Israel buries her and goes to meet his father, Isaac; (28) Isaac dies and his sons, Jacob and Esau bury him.

Gen. 36 – (1) Genealogy of Esau; (6) Esau moves to Mount Seir because he and Jacob both had lots of cattle and family; (9) the genealogy of Esau is repeated.

Gen. 37 – (1) Jacob dwells in the land of Canaan; (3) he makes Joseph a coat of many colors; (4) his brothers hated him because their father loved Joseph more than them; (5) Joseph dreams and tells it to his brothers; (9) he dreams again, and he tells his father and his brothers; (12) the brothers are feeding the sheep and Israel sends Joseph to them to check on them; (18) they saw him coming and were going to kill him but Reuben stopped them; (23) they took his coat and put him in a pit that was empty of water; (27) a company of Ishmaelites came along and Judah suggest they sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites, so they did, for twenty shekels of silver; (31) they took the coat and killed a goat and put the blood on the coat and took it to Israel; (36) the Midianites sold Joseph to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, in Egypt.

Gen. 38 – (1) Judah (son of Israel) takes a wife of the Canaanites; (3) she has children; (6) Judah takes a wife for his son, Er, and her name was Tamar; (7) the Lord killed Er as well as his brothers who took Tamar; (15) she deceives Judah as a harlot and he lies with her; (27) she has twins by him.

Gen. 39 – (1) Potiphar buys Joseph from the Ishmaelites; (2) the Lord was with him and made all that he did prosper; (4) Potiphar makes him overseer of everything he has; (7) Potiphar’s wife tries to get Joseph to lie with her; (14) she accuses Joseph to Potiphar, and Joseph is imprisoned; (22) he then is made overseer of the prison.

Gen. 40 – (1) The butler and the baker are imprisoned; (5) they both dreamed; (12) Joseph interprets the dreams; (13) the butler would be restored and the baker would be put to death in three days; (14) Joseph asks the butler to remember him; (21) the butler is restored but forgets about Joseph.

Gen. 41 – (1) Pharaoh dreams two different dreams, and when he is trying to get them interpreted, the butler remembers Joseph; (25) Joseph interprets his dreams and tells him what to do to get ready for a famine; (40) Pharaoh makes Joseph second in command (Governor); (45) He gives Joseph, Asenath for a wife (who was the daughter of a priest); (47) Joseph prepares for the famine; (50) Manasseh and Ephraim are born to him; (53) seven years of plenty ended; the famine starts and Joseph distributes the stored grain.

Gen. 42 – (1) Jacob hears that there is grain in Egypt; (3) Joseph’s ten brothers come to buy grain; (4) Jacob keeps Benjamin at home; (7) Joseph recognizes them but they don’t know him; (9) he remembers his own dreams, and he accuses them of being spies; (16) he tells them they have to bring Benjamin (the youngest brother); (17) he puts them in prison three days then tells them that one must stay and the others can go back home; (23) he speaks through an interpreter to them; (24) Simeon is held and Joseph has their sacks filled with grain and their money; (29) they tell Jacob what happened.

Gen. 43 – (1) The famine was severe, and they used up the grain they had bought; (15) Israel’s sons return to Egypt and take Benjamin and double money along with a present (balm, honey and spices); (16) Joseph gives instructions to fix food for them to eat with him; (27) Joseph asks about their father and sees Benjamin; (30) he has to leave to cry; (33) he came back and seated the men according to age and they were surprised.

Gen. 44 – (1) Joseph tests his brothers; (2) Joseph has his silver cup put in Benjamin’s sack; (12) when it is found, they return; (16) Judah pleads for Benjamin.

Gen. 45 – (1) Joseph could not restrain himself any longer, so he made everyone leave while he talked with his brothers; (3) Joseph identifies himself; (10) he tells his brothers to return and bring their father and their families to live in Egypt; (21) he gives them the carts and provisions for the journey; (26) they tell Israel about Joseph.

Gen. 46 – (1) Israel leaves for Egypt with all of his sons and their families (except Joseph); (8) the names of Israel’s sons who went down to Egypt is given; (29) Joseph goes to meet them and sees Israel; (34) Joseph tells his brothers to tell Pharaoh that their occupations are with livestock, because shepherds are an abomination to Egyptians.

Gen. 47 – (1) Joseph tells Pharaoh that his brothers and father have come; (2) he takes five brothers to meet Pharaoh; (6) Pharaoh tells Joseph to let them dwell in Goshen – the best of the land; (7) Israel meets and blesses Pharaoh; (16) the Egyptians ran out of money, so Joseph told them to bring their livestock in exchange for grain; (17) then they sold to Joseph (for Pharaoh) their land; (21) Joseph moved the people into the cities, so all the land was Pharaoh’s, except for the priests; (23) Joseph gave them seed to plant and when it was harvested, one fifth went to Pharaoh and four fifths the people kept; (28) Israel lives in Egypt seventeen years; (30) he makes Joseph swear to take him back to bury him with his father’s family.

Gen. 48 – (1) Joseph brings his sons Manasseh and Ephraim to see Israel; (14) Israel blesses them, putting the younger one over the older son.

Gen. 49 – (1) Then Jacob (Israel) called his sons and told them what would happen to each of them; (8) in Judah, Shiloh (Jesus Christ) would come; (30) he then tells his sons where to bury him (to take him back to the Cave of Machpelah where Leah is buried); (33) he then dies.

Gen. 50 – (1) Joseph tells the physicians to embalm Israel; (7) Joseph and his brothers take Jacob and bury him in the land of Canaan; (17) when they returned to Egypt, the brothers ask Joseph for forgiveness for selling him to the Ishmaelites; (21) he reassures them that he will take care of them; (24) he said God would visit them and carry them back to Canaan; (25) Joseph instructed them to carry his bones when they left Egypt; (26) Joseph was one hundred and ten years old when he died.

Exodus

Ex. 1 – (1) The names of the children of Israel that cane to Egypt, are listed; (7) the children of Israel multiplied; (8) a new king arose who did not know Joseph; (11) he set taskmasters over the children of Israel; (13) he made it hard for them to work; (15) the Israelites multiplied so the king told the midwives to kill the males that were born to the Israelites during birth; (17) the midwives feared God, and did not kill the males; (20) God dwelt well with the midwives, and provided them households; (22) Pharaoh ordered all the males born to the Israelites to be killed.

Ex. 2 – (1) A man of the house of Levi, took a wife; (2) Moses is born, and his mother hides him for three months, then puts him in an ark and into the water; (5) Pharaoh’s daughter finds him, and Moses sister helps to