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Genesis Bible Study Resources

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Genesis Bible Study Resources | WednesdayintheWord.com

Study questions, maps, charts, key words, history, background, outlines, and links to help you study the Old Testament book of Genesis.

Jump to: Background; ** Maps; ** Key Words; ** Encyclopedias; ** Commentaries; ** Articles; ** GotQuestions ** Next **

Basics

  • Title: The Hebrew bereshith refers to “in the beginning”. The name Genesis means “origin” and refers to beginnings.
  • Author: Moses, probably written around 1400 BC while in the wilderness
  • Abraham’s family tree
  • Genesis is not a scientific document. (You don’t read Shakespeare to learn English history.)

Literary Structure

  1. Introduction – Gen 1:1-2:3
  2. “The account of the heavens and the earth” – Gen 2:4-4:26
  3. “The written account of Adam’s line” – Gen 5:1-6:8
  4. “The account of Noah” – Gen 6:9-9:29
  5. “The account of Shem, Ham and Japheth” – Gen 10:1-11:9
  6. “The account of Shem” – Gen 11:10-26
  7. “The account of Terah” – Gen 11:27-25:11
  8. “The account of Abraham’s son Ishmael” – Gen 25:12-18
  9. “The account of Abraham’s son Isaac” – Gen 25-19-35:29
  10. “The account of Esau” – Gen 36:1-37:1
  11. “The account of Jacob” – Gen 37:2-50:26

Thematic Structure

Primal History

  1. Creation – Gen 1:1-2:3
  2. Adam and Eve in Eden – Gen 2:4-25
  3. The fall and its consequences – Gen 3:1-24
  4. The rapid “progress” of sin – Gen 4:1-16
  5. Two genealogies – Gen 4:17-5:32
  6. The extent of sin before the fall- Gen 6:1-8
  7. The great flood – Gen 6:9-9:29
  8. The spread of the nations – Gen 10:1-11:26

Patriarchal History

  1. The life of Abraham – Gen 11:27-25:11
  2. The descendants of Ishmael – Gen 25:12-18
  3. The life of Jacob – Gen 25L19-35:29
  4. The descendants of Esau – Gen 36:1-37:1
  5. The life of Joseph – Gen 37:2-50:26

Genre: Understanding Narrative

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Section 1: Background

Background & Outlines

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Section 2: Maps

Maps from Bible-History.com

Maps from Holman Bible Atlas

The Face of the Ancient Near East

Natural Regions of Palestine

Before Abraham

The World of the Patriarchs

ESV Charts & Maps

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Section 3: Key Words

Key Words

  • God said (89x) – Gen 1:3; Gen 1:6; Gen 1:9; Gen 1:11; Gen 1:14; Gen 1:20; Gen 1:24; Gen 1:26; Gen 1:28; Gen 1:29; Gen 2:18; Gen 3:1; Gen 3:3; Gen 3:9; Gen 3:13; Gen 3:14; Gen 3:22; Gen 4:25; Gen 6:13; Gen 9:1; Gen 9:12; Gen 9:17; Gen 9:26; Gen 14:19; Gen 14:22; Gen 15:2; Gen 15:8; Gen 15:13; Gen 16:13; Gen 17:1; Gen 17:9; Gen 17:15; Gen 17:18; Gen 17:19; Gen 17:23; Gen 20:3; Gen 20:6; Gen 20:11; Gen 20:13; Gen 21:6; Gen 21:12; Gen 21:17; Gen 22:1; Gen 22:8; Gen 22:12; Gen 24:12; Gen 24:27; Gen 24:42; Gen 26:24; Gen 27:20; Gen 28:13; Gen 28:17; Gen 30:2; Gen 30:6; Gen 30:18; Gen 30:20; Gen 30:23; Gen 31:5; Gen 31:11; Gen 31:16; Gen 31:24; Gen 32:2; Gen 32:9; Gen 32:28; Gen 32:30; Gen 33:5; Gen 33:10; Gen 35:1; Gen 35:10; Gen 35:11; Gen 40:8; Gen 41:25; Gen 41:39; Gen 41:51; Gen 41:52; Gen 42:18; Gen 42:28; Gen 43:23; Gen 43:29; Gen 44:16; Gen 46:2; Gen 46:3; Gen 48:3; Gen 48:9; Gen 48:11; Gen 48:15; Gen 48:21; Gen 50:19; Gen 50:24;
  • God commanded (4x) – Gen 2:16; Gen 6:22; Gen 7:9; Gen 7:16; Gen 21:4.
  • generations (14x) – Strong’s H8435 – Gen 5:1; Gen 6:9; Gen 9:12; Gen 10:1; Gen 11:10; Gen 11:27; Gen 17:7; Gen 17:9; Gen 17:12; Gen 25:12; Gen 25:19; Gen 36:1; Gen 36:9; Gen 37:2.
  • covenant (23x) – Strong’s H1285 in Gen 6:18; Gen 9:9; Gen 9:11; Gen 9:12; Gen 9:13; Gen 9:15; Gen 9:16; Gen 9:17; Gen 15:18; Gen 17:2; Gen 17:4; Gen 17:7; Gen 17:9; Gen 17:10; Gen 17:11; Gen 17:13; Gen 17:14; Gen 17:19; Gen 17:21; Gen 21:27; Gen 21:32; Gen 26:28; Gen 31:44.
  • circumcised (15x) – Strong’s H4135 in Gen 17:10; Gen 17:11; Gen 17:12; Gen 17:13; Gen 17:14; Gen 17:23; Gen 17:24; Gen 17:25; Gen 17:26; Gen 17:27; Gen 21:4; Gen 34:15; Gen 34:17; Gen 34:22; Gen 34:24.
  • altar (11x) – Strong’s H4196 – Gen 8:20; Gen 12:7; Gen 12:8; Gen 13:4; Gen 13:18; Gen 22:9; Gen 26:25; Gen 33:20; Gen 35:1; Gen 35:3; Gen 35:7.
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Section 4: Encyclopedias

Dictionaries & Encyclopedias

Genesis

Abraham, Abram

Jacob

  • Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology: Jacob
  • American Tract Society: Jacob
  • Bridgeway Bible Dictionary: Jacob
  • Easton’s Bible Dictionary: Jacob
  • Fausset Bible Dictionary: Jacob
  • Holman Bible Dictionary: Jacob
  • Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible: Jacob
  • Morrish Bible Dictionary: Jacob
  • International Standard Bible Encyclopedia:  Jacob (1); Jacob (2)
  • McClintock and Strong: Jacob
  • The Nuttall Encyclopedia: Jacob
  • The Jewish Encyclopedia: Jacob

Joseph

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Section 5: Commentaries

Commentaries

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Section 6: Articles

Institute for Creation Research

Articles

John Ankerberg, John Weldon

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Section 7: Got Questions

GotQuestions.org

Treat these like any commentary: read carefully and critically.

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Section 8: Next

Next: Exodus

Series: Resources by Book

Photo by Pierre Bamin on Unsplash

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Related posts:

  1. Genesis Quotes in the New Testament
  2. 2 Peter Bible Study Resources
  3. Joshua Bible Study Resources
  4. Amos Bible Study Resources
  5. Jude Bible Study Resources

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