GENESIS
Gr. «genesis», «origin».
Name given in the LXX version to the first book of the OT; comes from heb. “B’rëshith”, “in the beginning”, phrase with which the book begins.
Genesis is divided into three sections:
(a) Description of the world, its creation and its relationships with God, beginning of human history (Gen. 1:1-2:2).
(b) Outline of the history of humanity before Abraham; revelation of the relationships between God and the human race; beginning of the history of the chosen people (Gen. 2:4-11:26).
(c) History of the covenant people until their going to Egypt (Gen. 11:27-50:26).
Regarding the first section, see CREATION. Regarding the second section, see FLOOD, BABEL, etc.
(a) SYNOPSIS.
A brief synopsis of Genesis is as follows:
Creation of the universe and the earth with everything it contains (Gen. 1:1-2:3);
particularized account of the creation of man and woman (Gen. 2:4-25);
the fall (Gen. 3),
progress of sin (Gen. 4:1-15),
the ungodly line (Gen. 4:16-24),
the chosen line (Gen. 4:25-5:32),
the increase of sin (Gen. 6:1-8),
the flood (Gen. 6:9-9:17),
the repopulation of the earth (Gen. 9:18-10:32),
the construction of the tower of Babel (Gen. 11:1-9) and
the origin of the Semitic race (Gen. 11:10-26),
the beginning of Abraham’s career, his calling, his pilgrimage in Canaan (Gen. 11:27-25:10),
Isaac’s life, from the death of his father to Jacob’s departure for Mesopotamia (Gen. 25: 11-27: 40),
the life of Jacob from his departure to Mesopotamia until the death of Isaac (Gen. 27: 41-35: 29),
the offspring of Esau (Gen. 36),
the beginning of Joseph’s story until he was sold into Egypt (Gen. 37),
the sin of Judah (Gen. 38),
Joseph’s condition in Egypt (Gen. 39-45),
the circumstances relating to the life of Jacob, his family and Joseph in Egypt (Gen. 46-49),
the death of Jacob and Joseph (Gen. 50).
Genesis has ten natural divisions headed by the formula “These are the origins” (Heb. “tol’doth,” see GENERATION), or equivalent translations (Gen. 2:4; 5:1; 6:9; 10: 1; 11:10; 11:27; 25:12; 25:19; 36:1, 9; 37:2).
For the question of the author, of unity, authenticity, see PENTATEUCH.
(b) SPIRITUAL MESSAGE.
This fundamental book introduces us in a masterful way to the written revelation of God. By explaining the origins, he simultaneously traces the guidelines that lead through the entire Bible to the final consummation of the Apocalypse.
In Genesis we actually find the origin of all things: the creation of the heavens and the earth, of man, of paradise, of the tree of life, the first mention of the tempter, the fall and the beginning of sin among the human race. , first universal judgment by water, the tower of Babel, confusion of languages, the vocation of the people of God.
In the Apocalypse everything is consummated: new heavens and new earth, glorified humanity, eternal paradise and the tree of life (Rev. 2:7; 22:2), definitive punishment of Satan, end of sin, second universal judgment by fire (Rev. 20:11; 2 Pet. 3:5-12), gathering of men of all languages around the Lamb (Rev. 5:9), his eternal reign in the New Jerusalem in the immediate presence of God (Rev. 21:22).
This is one of the proofs of the extraordinary unity of the inspiration of the Bible, written over some 16 centuries by a group of different authors.
Naturally, Genesis is cited incessantly directly or indirectly in the OT. The Lord constantly presents himself as “the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob”, a name that would be incomprehensible without the book of Genesis. And neither the origin nor the calling of Israel could be conceived without this book.
We would find ourselves in a great void if we lacked the first 11 chapters, which serve as the seedbed for the entire story of redemption. Let us also note that chapters 12-50 (39 chapters, almost 3/4 of the book) are dedicated to four biographies, full of teachings about the individual, the family, education, and the action of God through the generations.
As for the NT, there are over 60 quotes from Genesis:
Christ himself confirms the main stories about him:
the creation of man and woman (Mt. 19:4-6),
murder of Abel (Luke 11:49-51),
the flood (Lk. 17:26-27),
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Mt. 22:32; Jn. 8:56),
circumcision of the patriarchs (John 7:21-23), etc.
In Acts, Stephen summarizes from Abraham’s call to the descent into Egypt with Joseph (Acts 7:1-17).
Paul makes constant allusions to the characters and spiritual events of Genesis (e.g., Rom. 4; 5:12-21; 9:7-13; 1 Cor. 11:7-12; 2 Cor. 11:3; Gal. 3:6-18; 4:21-31; 1 Tim. 2:13, etc.).
Regarding the epistle to the Hebrews, cp. Melchizedek (Heb. 7:1-22), about creation, and about the patriarchs, from Abel to Joseph (Heb. 11:3-22).
(c) PLACE OCCUPIED BY CHRIST.
The place occupied by Christ in Genesis is what gives greater value to this book. Jesus himself warned that Moses had written about him, and that if we do not believe Moses we cannot believe his words (Lk. 24: 25-27, 44; Jn. 5: 46-47; 8:56).
Already in the account of Creation we can see a veiled allusion to the Trinity with the plural used in reference to God (Gen. 1:1, Elohim, etc.), and in the council held within the Deity at the time of the creation of man (Gen. 1:26; cp. Jn. 1:1-3; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:10).
Adam was a figure of Him who was to come (Rom. 5:14, 15; 1 Cor. 15:22, 45-49). The promise of the seed of the woman who will crush the head of the serpent (Gen. 3:15) is called the “protoevangelium”, the first announcement of redemption through the incarnation and sufferings.
Abel is declared righteous by his faith in a bloody sacrifice, more excellent than that of Cain (Gen. 4:4; Heb. 11:4).
The water of the flood was a figure of baptism, and the ark is one of the images of salvation in Christ, who passes through judgment giving refuge to those who come to Him, and who die and rise with Him (1 Pet. . 3:21; Rom. 6:3-4).
Melchizedek is a type of our eternal and perfect High Priest (Gen. 14:18-20; Heb. 7:1-8, 24-25).
The angel of Jehovah (see) is likewise a theophany, a manifestation of the One who gives visible evidence of the presence of God (Gen. 16:7 ff.; 18:2 ff.; 22:11 ff.; 32:24 ff. .).
The sacrifice of Isaac, the long-awaited only son, at Moriah (cp. 2 Chron. 3:1), presents extraordinary analogies with those of the only begotten Son of God in almost the same place (Gen. 22; Heb. 11:17 -19; Gal. 3:16).
Shiloh, the ruler, will one day come from the tribe of Judah (Gen. 49:9-10). This is how the line of the Messiah is specified: he will be born from our race (Gen. 3:15), the people originating from Abraham (Gen. 22:17-18), from the tribe of Judah (Gen. 49:10), from the family of David (2 Sam. 7:13-16), from Mary (Lk. 1:32).