Genesis

About Genesis

Genesis is the Bible's book of beginnings: the creation of the world, the entrance of sin, and God's plan to set things right. It follows one family—Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph—through whom God promises to bless all the families of the earth. Nearly every big idea in the Bible starts here, which makes Genesis the foundation the whole story is built on.

Written by

Traditionally attributed to Moses; the book itself doesn't name its author, and many scholars think it reached its final form over a long period.

When

The traditional view places its writing in Moses' lifetime (around 1400s–1200s BC), though many scholars date its final form centuries later; the events it describes reach all the way back to the beginning.

Themes

• Creation and new beginnings
• Sin and its consequences
• God's covenant promises
• Blessing for all nations
• God's providence in hard times

Key verses

• Genesis 1:1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
• Genesis 12:2-3I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you. ”
• Genesis 50:20As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people.