Genesis is the book of beginnings — the origin of the universe, humanity, sin, and the covenant family God chose to bless the nations. It traces creation, the fall, the flood, and the lives of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, laying the foundation for the rest of Scripture and pointing forward to the redemption that comes through the promised seed.
Anciently attributed to Moses; many modern scholars view Genesis as a compilation of older oral and written sources finalized in or after the Babylonian exile.
Traditional dating tied to Moses' lifetime. The events described range from creation through the death of Joseph (c. 1805 BC).
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”
“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”
“And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”
“But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.”