WHO WROTE:  Moses.  Anyone who would like to argue that this Book (and the other four Books of the “Pentateuch”) has to argue with Philip (John 1:45) and our Lord Jesus Himself (Mat. 8:4; Mark 1:44; 10:3; 12:26; Luke 5:14; 16:29 & 31; 20:37; 24:27 & 44; John 3:14; 5:45 & 46; 6:32; 7:19 & 22 & 23).  See also Exodus 24:4; Numbers 33:2; Deuteronomy 31:9 & 22; Joshua 8:32; Mark 12:19; Luke 20:28.  Who finished the Book of Deuteronomy after Moses died is debatable.  That God told Moses the creation story (else how would Moses know it; he wasn’t there) should be understood when one realizes that Moses talked with God.

 

It used to be argued that the first five Books of the Bible could not have been written by Moses since there was no alphabetical system developed during his time.  However, the discovery of the “A Proto-Sinaitic Inscription,” from Serabit El-Khadim, now known as, “Sinai 361,” proves that writing was most certainly available then.  Also, Egyptian lone words were used in the writing of the Book of Exodus; obviously because of the influence and upbringing of Moses in Egyptian schools.

 

“As the years rolled on, and he [Moses] wandered with his flocks in solitary places, pondering upon the oppressed condition of his people, he recounted the dealings of God with his fathers and the promises that were the heritage of the chosen nation, and his prayers for Israel ascended by day and by night.  Heavenly angels shed their light around him.  Here, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he wrote the Book of Genesis.”  PP:251.

 

“The long years spent amid desert solitudes were not lost.  Not only was Moses gaining a preparation for the great work before him, but during this time, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he wrote the Book of Genesis and also the Book of Job, which would be read with the deepest interest by the people of God until the close of time.”  ST, February 19, 1880.

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WHAT TIME PERIOD IS COVERED:  In regards to time, the Book of Genesis covers 2,369 years (B.C. 4015 - B.C. 1646); that being from the creation of Adam, to the death of Joseph.

 

 

WHEN WRITTEN:  B.C. 1499 - B.C. 1489.

 

 

INTRODUCTION:  Most Books of the Bible carry with them, as their title, the first word in the Book.  And the first Hebrew word in the Book of Genesis is, “Bereshity,” which means and signifies, “in the beginning.”  In the Syriac and Arabic versions, the title of this Book is, “The Book of the Creation.”  However, the Greek version calls the Book, “Genesis,” which is where we derive our modern versions Title from.

 

Jewish Rabbis give this Book the title of, “The Five Fifths of the Law,” because It is also called the “First Book of Moses,” of which he is the writer of the other four Books that begin our Canon; although it is acknowledged that Moses also wrote the Book of Job.

 

The greater part of the Old Testament was written in Hebrew, usually called ancient Hebrew in order to distinguish it from Mishnaic and Modern Hebrew.  Mishnaic Hebrew is the Hebrew of the Christian era, an artificially revived language in which the Jewish rabbis wrote their scholarly works, and which is now employed as the official language of the state of Israel.  The term “Hebrew language,” is found for the first time in the prologue to the Apocryphal book Ecclesiasticus (written in B.C. 132), and was used by the Jewish historian Josephus in the First Century of the Christian Era, and appears later in the rabbinical writings.  The Biblical term used for the language spoken by the Old Testament Israelites is the “language of Canaan,” Isaiah 19:18, or “the Jews’ language,” Second Kings 18:26 & 28; Nehemiah 13:24.

 

Jewish authorities upon the Scriptures claim four degrees of inspiration.  The First and foremost is the Decalogue (which is the Ten Commandments).  The Second would be the Pentateuch (the five Books of Moses, excluding the Book of Job).  The Third is the prophets.  The Fourth degree of inspiration is composed in the writings of the Scriptures called in Hebrew, the “writings (kethubim),” which would be comprised in the Books of Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, and Nehemiah.

 

In the Book of Genesis, we often are met with the phrase, “and these are the generations.”  We do not meet with this phrase again until we come to the Third Chapter of Numbers (verse 1); and even then, it is only applied in a subordinate sense to the family of Aaron and Moses and the priesthood connected with them.  Thus it follows that the Book of Genesis comes immediately from the hand of Moses, with the Book of Numbers carrying the same weight.  However, First Chronicles 1:29 also utilizes the same phrase.

 

The title of this Book in Hebrew could very well have been, “The Book of Generations,” which is adapted from Genesis 2:4, “These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth,” and others like it (see Gen. 5:1; 6:9; 10:1; 11:10 & 27; 25:12 & 19; 36:1; 37:2).  However, Its real title is and should be the Hebrew name “Bereeshit,” which comes from this Books opening words, “In the beginning.”  It is titled, “The first Book of the Law or Pentateuch [a word of Greek origin meaning “the five-fold Book”],” in the Septuagint (LXX).

 

On an interesting note, the first question in the Old Testament was to the “First Adam,” that being, “Where art thou,” Genesis 3:9.  While the first question in the New Testament was about the “Last Adam,” that being, “Where is He that is born King of the Jews?”  Matthew 2:2.

 

In the Book of Genesis, we have some prophecies concerning the redemptive power of Christ (Gen. 3:15; 12:3; 18:18; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14; 49:10).

 

Granted, the Chapters in the Bible were not divided by God.  However:  In Genesis, Chapter One, there are 31 verses in which we have the Word “God” 31 times in the Chapter.  In Genesis, Chapter Two, “God” is changed to, “The Lord God.”  Thus, Chapter One brings out the creative Character of “God,” giving Him rulership over all of creation.  While Chapter Two brings out better the authoritative Character of God.  In other words, because He is the Creator, He has the right to rule His creation.

 

“Heavenly angels shed their light around him [Moses].  Here, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he wrote the Book of Genesis.  The long years spent amid the desert solitudes were rich in blessing, not alone to Moses and his people, but to the world in all succeeding ages.”  PP:251.

 

“The long years spent amid desert solitudes were not lost.  Not only was Moses gaining a preparation for the great work before him, but during this time, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he wrote the Book of Genesis and also the Book of Job, which would be read with the deepest interest by the people of God until the close of time.”  ST, February 19, 1880.