Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning" First of five occurrences in Hebrew. The others:
Jeremiah 26:1, 27:1, 28:1, 49:34.
"God," Heb. Elohim אלהים is plural to emphasize God's creative
greatness. [Ges. 124g]. The first of 35 (5 x 7) occurrences to the end of the section at 2:4.
"Heaven" Heb. shamayim שמים also is in the plural form
to point out the vastness of this expanse [Ges. 124b].
Angels created in the beginning, but the fall of angels brought on the disaster
recorded in Gen 1:2. Eze 28:15 refers
to this period.
"create" Heb. bara Note the three "created" in
Genesis: 1:1, 1:21, 1:27.
Heb. Elohim refers to God as the creator. Heb. Jehovah
refers to His relationship to what He created. [B, App. 4.II].
Genesis 1:2 Refers to 2 Peter 3:5-7.
"And the earth... [Verse 2] And the earth..." Fig. anadiplosis
This figure appears in Isa
24:4, Hos 2:21,22. It also begins
the repetition of "ands" marking the 102 separate acts of God
in the 34 verses after Gen 1:1.
Fig. polysyndeton The purpose of this figure of speech is to
emphasize God throughout: "... and God.., and God..., and God..."
God was always the prime mover.
When God created the heavens and the earth in the beginning, He did not
create them in the chaos found in verse 2. The word translated "was"
should be translated "became", because the earth was not created
in Genesis 1:1 formless and void, but it became that way. The second "was"
is in italics in the KJV and has no corresponding Hebrew word.
"form, and void" Fig. paronomasia "similar in
sound but not in sense or meaning" Heb. tohu va bohu .
The heavens and earth were not created a "wasteland and a destruction".
Cp. Isa 45:18. Jer
4:23.
The result of the rebellion of Lucifer is recorded in Rom 8:22: "whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain"
“spirit of God” Heb. ruach elohim.
Here, Gen 41:38 Exodus 31:3 35:31 Numbers 24:2 1Sam 10:10 11:6 (16:15,16,23 18:10 with “evil”) 19:20 19:23 Ezekiel 11:24 2Chron 15:1 24:20.
Heb. ruach eloah Job 27:3
Heb. ruach el Job 33:4
First occurrence in NT: Matthew 3:16.
"moved"=brooded Heb. rachaph Fig. anthropopatheia The Spirit of God is pictured as a hen brooding, sitting on eggs. Same word in Deuteronomy 32:11 "As an eagle..fluttereth over her young"
The "spirit" of God moved upon the face of the waters. Also, compare with wind over the earth during the flood of Noah (Genesis 8:1), and the wind that blew over the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21).The heavens and the earth were created by God "in the beginning". Afterwards all was spoken into being.
“And God said” Heb. vayomer elohim First of 26 occurrences: 20 in Genesis, 1 in Exodus 3:14, 1 in Num 22:12, 2 in 1Kings (3:5,11), 1 in 2Chron 1:11, 1 in Jonah 4:9.
First of ten utterances by God "and God said" in chapter 1.Genesis 1:14 The sun and moon in their natural courses are for "signs" and "times", not miracles. See Matthew 2:2.
Genesis 1:17,18 "light, rule, divide" The three purposes of the heavenly bodies. These three words occurring in proximity only here.
“image” Heb. tselem “likeness” Heb. dmuth Together only here and 5:1
Genesis 1:29
“the face of all the earth” 11 occ. Here, 7:3, 8:9, 11:4,8,9 Deu 11:25 1Sa 30:16 2Sa 18:8 Dan 8:5 Zech 5:3.
Appendix 13, CB, lists the following usages of Heb. nephesh meaning a dead
person: Lev 19:28 21:1,11 22:4 Num 5:2 6:6,11 9:6,7,10 19:11,13 Hag 2:13.
Of these the occurrences of "dead soul", a phrase with Heb. nephesh
meth are: Lev
21:11 Num 6:6 19:11 19:13.
Genesis 2:8
No covenant here as no shedding of blood.
Genesis 2:18
"help meet " First of 21 occ., most of which refer to God as man's help. But this first usage indicates
the primary purpose of marriage is companionship.
“the Lord God said” Heb. yomer yhwh elohim Here, 3:13,14; 3:22.
Four things He said:
“not good that man be alone” 2:18
to the woman: “What this thou hast done?” 3:13
to the serpent: “cursed above all ...” 3:14
“Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil” 3:22
In chapter 2, one utterance by God, here, and one by Adam, verse 23.
“this” Only place in OT to occur three times in one verse. "This" occurs five times in three verses: John 18:36 - 38 seven times in three verses: 1 Cor. 11:24-27 three times in two verses 2 John 6,7
Genesis 2:23 "and Adam said" Heb. vayomer hadam And so the first marriage was proclaimed with a declaration. So, today with an oath. And the oath is the difference between a union to become “one flesh” and “fornication”.
This phrase only here and Gen 3:12 the only two recorded utterances by Adam.
Genesis 2:24 "one flesh" Only occ. in OT. Matthew 19:5 first of five occ. in NT, all but one of which refer to marriage.
Genesis 3:1
Utterances in chapter 3: 2 by the “serpent”, 2 by Eve , 2 by Adam
yhvh elohim “called” 3:9, spoke: 3:11 3:13 3:14 3:16 3:17 3:22.
Adam “called” 3:20
Genesis 3:7 "eyes of them both were opened" Other OT occurrences of "eyes
opened" are Gen 21:19, Hagar; Num 22:31, Balaam; 2Ki 6:17, Elisha's
servant;
all of these were revelation. Also, 2Ki 6:20, the host of Syria, which was
a
miracle, after first being blinded. The first healing of blind persons in
the
NT are in Mat 11:5 and Luk 7:21. The record in John 9 is the first record
of
the opening of the eyes of a man born blind.
Genesis 3:8 "presence of the Lord" Heb. pnai yhwh First of 276 occurrences.
Genesis 3:15 "her seed"=Christ. Ref. Gal 3:16. “bruise” Heb. shuph Here, Job 9:17 Psa 139:11
Genesis 3:21 "coats of skins" Shedding of blood implied, but not stated, nor a "covenant".
“Lord God made” Heb. ya’as yhwh elohim Only here. But ya’as yhwh “Lord made” 12 times:
Gen 21:1 Exo 8:13,24,31 9:6 Ruth 1:8 1Sa 19:5 28:17 2Sam 2:6 23:10,12 Jer 40;3.
Genesis 3:22 "LORD God said" Heb. vyomer yhvh elohim Last occ. of this phrase in OT. See 15:2.
Genesis 4:5 "unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect" Compare 1 John 3:12.
Genesis 4:14
"from thy face shall I be hid " First occurrence.
Genesis 4:26
"Enos"=frail. "then began men to call upon the name of the
Lord" -
In Enos' day the profanation of the name of Jehovah took root.
Genesis 5:4
"sons and daughters" - Adam's progeny married their own brothers
and
sisters. In our day the bloodlines have become so contaminated that intra-
family marriage is forbidden by law as too many undesirable characteristics
come out with close in-breeding. Because of purer blood,
people lived longer in the early Biblical records.
Genesis 6:1
"when men began to multiply [in wickedness]" The sons
of
God, the believers, came out of the Seth line, the righteous ones. The
daughters of men,
the unbelievers, came out of the line of Cain, the
unrighteous.
Genesis 6:4
"sons of God"=faithful of God "daughters of men"=unbelievers.
Reference is not specifically to male or female. "Sons of God"
does not refer
to angels; otherwise, Gen 1 would be violated in that all things would not
be
after their kind.
Heb. nephilim = giants or champions of wickedness. Hebrew root means "to
fall";
they were fallen ones. Aram. gbra Intensive form of gbra meaning "very
mighty" or "champions."
Heb. molam "of old"
Occurs here and :
A structure noted in this section of Genesis is:
A Noah (6:10)
B Shem, Ham and Japheth (10b)
C Ark to be built (14-16)
D Flood announced (17)
E Covenant with Noah (18-20)
F Food in the ark (21)
G Command to enter ark (7:1-3)
H 7 days waiting for flood (4-5)
I 7 days waiting for flood (7-10)
J Entry to ark (11-15)
K God shuts Noah in (16)
L 40 days flood (17a)
M Waters increase (17b-18)
N Mountains covered (19-20)
O 150 days waters prevail (21-24)
P GOD REMEMBERS NOAH (8:1)
O' 150 waters abate (3)
N' Mountain tops visible (4-5)
M' Waters abate (5)
L' 40 days (end of ) (6a)
K' Noah opens window of ark (6b)
J' Raven and dove leave ark (7-9)
I' 7 days waiting for waters to subside (10-11)
H' 7 days waiting for waters to subside (12-13)
G' Command to leave ark (15-17)
F' Food outside ark (9:1-4)
E' Covenant with all flesh (8-10)
D' No flood in future (11-17)
C' Ark (18a)
B' Shem, Ham and Japheth (18a)
A' Noah (19)
VT,Vol XXVIII,No.3,July 1978,
G.J. Wenham, "The coherence of the flood narrative",p. 338.
Genesis 6:17 "under heaven" First of 13 occ.: Exo 17:14; Deu 7:24, 9:14, 25:19;
29:20; 2Ki 14:27; Ecc 1:13; Luk 17:24 (2X); Act 2:5, 4:12; Col 1:23. In
Pentateuch, always of utter destruction: once, of the whole world, twice
of
Amalek, once of the kings of Canaan, once of Israel as a nation, once of
an
unbelieving Israelite. Once in Kings that God would not blot out Israel;
once
in Ecclesiastes of things done "under heaven" instead of the usual
phrase
"under the sun." Twice in Luke of lightning likened to Christ's
return, twice
in Acts, and once in Colossians - all of salvation made available to all by
the
gospel.
Genesis 6:18
"covenant" First occurrence of 284 in OT.
Genesis 7:19
"under the whole heaven" This phrase occcurs in KJV in Deu 2:25,
4:19; Job 28:24; 37:3, 41:11; Dan 7:27, 9:12.
Genesis 8:4
"mountains of Ararat" Strong-"of foreign origin" Occurs
also
2Ki 19:37 "land of Armenia"; Isa 37:38 "land of Armenia";
Jer 51:27
"kingdom of Ararat" Young's:"creation,holy land" BDB:Assyrian
Urartu
"a district in Eastern Armenia between the river Araxes and lakes Van &
Oroomish (quoting Peshitta): i.e., Kurdistan, specif. Gebel Gudi, a
striking mountain SW of Lake Van, commanding a wide view over the Mesopatamian
plain - so the Koran ICC
Genesis 8:15
"and God said" Heb. vayedabar elohim First of three occurrences. Exodus 6:2, Exodus 20:1.
Also without "and" in Deuteronomy 5:24.
Genesis 8:21
"smelled a sweet savour" Heb. "smelled a smell" Fig. polyptoton Only here and 27:27.
Genesis 9:11
"destroy the earth" Here and Rev. 11:18.
Genesis 9:16
"everlasting covenant" Heb. berith ‘olam 16 OT occ.; 1 in NT:
Genesis 9:16 17:7 17:13 17:19 Leviticus 24:8
2 Samuel 23:5 1 Chronicles 16:17 Psalms 105:10 Isaiah 24:5 55:3
Isaiah 61:8 Jeremiah 32:40 50:5 Ezekiel 16:60 37:26 Hebrews 13:20
Genesis 9:26
"Blessed be the Lord God" Heb. baruk yhvh elohi First of 13 occurrences.
Here, 24:27, 1Sa 25:32, 2Sa 18:28, 1Ki 1:48, 8:15, 1Ch 16:36, 2Ch 2:12, 6:4, Ezr 7:27 Psa 41:13, 72:18, 106:48.
14th occurrence is Luke 1:68: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel”. Compare 1Sa 25:32.
Genesis 10
Greeks=Japetos, Iapetos (Aristophanes' "The Clouds"); Indian Aryans=
Iyapeti, with Sharme and C'harma,("Noah"=Satyaurata); Gomer=northof
Black Sea,
Crimea, area of Cappadocia, Gaul, Galicia, Celts; Ashkenaz=north of fertile
crescent, migrated as far north as Scandanavia, Saxons; Riphath=obscure;
Togarmah=Armenia? Germans? Phrygians?; Magog=obscure, but likely Russia
- same as Gog; Madai=Medes; javan=Ionians; Elishah=several identifications:
"Hellas", Aeolians, Eze 27:7,which would be Greece; Tarshish=obscure,Spain?;
Kittim=Cyprus; Dodanim=obscure,Rhodes?; Meshech/Tubal=south shore of Black
Sea; Tiras=Thrace, then to Europe?
Noah's Three Sons Arthur C. Custance, Zondervan.
Genesis 12:3
Israel's blessings, as well as the blessings on the Gentiles through Israel, and
the
coming and the works of the Messiah, were no secrets. Not the secret of Ephesians 3.
Genesis 13:13
"sinners before the Lord exceedingly" Only here.
Genesis 14:1
"came to pass in the days of" Always marks a time of trouble ending
in blessing. Occurs Rut 1:1 2Sa 21:1 Est 1:1 Isa 7:1 Jer 1:3 [CB]
Genesis 14:4
"thirteenth" First occ. Here associated with rebellion.
Genesis 14:19
"possessor of heaven and earth" Occurs only here and 14:22.
Compare "heaven and earth" only in Eph. 3:15 in Epistles.
Genesis 14:20
Compare Gal 3:6 and Heb 6:10.
Genesis 15:2 “Lord God” Expression with vyomer yhvh elohim last occurs in 3:22.
The phrase translated as “Lord God” beginning at this verse is adonai yhvh. First of 289 occ., especially concentrated in Isaiah, Ezekiel.
Genesis 15:6
In contrast to us in the Age of Grace, Abraham was not cleansed.
His sins were only covered. The cleansing was not available until Jesus
Christ. By their believing God, God counted or reckoned unto them
righteousness.
Genesis 15:16
"the iniquity ... is not yet full" Only here in OT. Compare
participle form in Jer 32:18. [TCS] Compare NT John 7:8 "not yet full
come".
Genesis 15:18 "great river" First of six occurrences. Deu 1:7, Joshua 1:4, Daniel 10:4, Rev. 9:14, 16:12. All but Daniel, the Euphrates.
Genesis 17:1 "Almighty God" Heb. el shaddai First occurrence. First of 10 occurrences. Also in Gen 28:3 35:11 43:14 48:3 Exo 6:3 Job 8:5 13:3 15:25 Eze 10:5.
The NT equivalent, Gr. pantokrator also has 10 occurrences, in 2Cor 6:18 Rev 1:8 4:8 11:17 15:3 16:7,14 19:6,15 21:22.
Genesis 17:5
Heb. Abram "father of height" Heb. Abraham "father of a
great
multitude" or "father of many nations." Compare Jam 2:23
and Isa
41:8. "Almighty God" indicates that He is a God Who is an all-powerful
God
with every resource for every believer.
Genesis 17:7
"thy seed after thee" - from Isaac to Christ.
Genesis 18:18
See Gen 12:3.
Genesis 22:1
"tempt" Heb. bachan=prove. Compare Jam 1:13.
Genesis 22:2
"burnt offering" Aram. alta "offering" is the word occurring
throughout this record. The word for burning Aram. yaqda does not occur in
this
passage. Every sacrifice is an offering, but not every offering is a
sacrifice. East. In Eastern custom a burnt offering does not mean
sacrifice by fire. A burnt offering was a total, unreserved commitment of
self
to God. Compare Judges 11 of Jephthah giving his daughter as a "burnt offering".
Genesis 22:12
It was not God's will to literally burn and kill the young man.
Yet, even though Abaraham went beyond God's request and was wrong in so
doing, he proved his utter willingness to relinquish his son.
"fearest"=have awe, reverence for
Genesis 22:14
Redemptive name of God. 10 names of God in relation to His
creation. 7 of these are redemptive names. The extra 3 are
"who sanctifies", "of hosts", "Most High."
Redemption= to be bought with a
price; released on receipt of a ransom. Cp. Jhn 10:11.
Genesis 22:18
See Gen 12:3.
Genesis 23:16
East. Only paupers and beggars are buried in free land; so Abraham paid.
[Pillai #729]
Genesis 24:27
“his mercy and his truth” Heb. “mercy” chesed “truth” emeth. First of 28 occurrences of these words together.
Gen 24:49 32:10 47:29
Exo 34:6
Josh 2:14
2Sam 2:6 15:20
Psa 25:10 40:10 40:11 57:3 57:10
61:7 69:13 85:10 86:15 89:14
108:4 115:1 117:2 138:2
Pro 3:3 14:22 16:6 20:28
Hos 4:1
Mic 7:20
Zec 7:9
No occurrences in the New Testament. See John 1:14, “grace and truth”.
Genesis 28:3
"multitude"=assembly. Heb. qahal First usage. Israel was a people
called out from among others and assembled together apart from others.
Genesis 28:4
"blessing of Abraham" Only here.
Genesis 28:14
See Gen 12:3.
Genesis 32:14
Properties of the number 220:Science Digest, May 1985, "Mathematics
in the Bible",, Dr. Crypton Column. 220 is the first of the "friendly"
numbers. 220 is friendly with 284 in that the sum of the proper divisors
of both numbers are equal.
Genesis 33:17
"face of God" Hebrews. pnai elohim Only here and Psa. 42.2
"house" Heb. bayith First occ. "booth" Heb. sukoth First occ.