Genesis, the first book of the Bible, opens with the Hebrew word bereshit, which means "in the beginning." The title "Genesis" was given to the Septuagint (Greek) translation of the book because of its concern with the origin of the world (Genesis 1:1; 2:4), of the human race, and, in particular, of the Hebrew people. (...) The interpreter of Genesis will recognize at once the distinct object that sets Gen 1-11 apart: the recounting of the origin of the world and of man (primeval history). To make the truths contained in these chapters intelligible to the Israelite people destined to preserve them, they needed to be expressed through elements prevailing among that people at that time. For this reason, the truths themselves must therefore be clearly distinguished from their literary garb. With the story of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Genesis 11:27-50:26), the character of the narrative changes. While we do not view the account of the patriarchs as history in the strict sense, nevertheless certain of the matters recounted from the time of Abraham onward can be placed in the actual historical and social framework of the Near East in the early part of the second millennium B.C. (2000-1500), and documented by non-biblical sources. Genesis contains many religious teachings of basic importance: the preexistence and transcendence of God, his wisdom and goodness, his power through which all things are made and on which they all depend; the special creation of man in God's image and likeness, and of woman from the substance of man; the institution of marriage as the union of one man with one woman; man's original state of innocence; man's sin of pride and disobedience; its consequences for the protoparents and their posterity. Despite the severity of their punishment, hope of reconciliation is offered by God through the first as well as the subsequent promises of salvation and blessing. Abraham is blessed for his faith and obedience, and he is to be a blessing for all nations through his offspring, Isaac, Jacob, and Jacob's sons (Genesis 12:3; 18:18; 22:18), of whom the Messiah, mankind's greatest blessing, will eventually be born (Gal 3:8). Frequent references to Genesis are found in the New Testament. Christ becomes the antithesis of Adam: sin and death come to mankind through Adam, justification and life through Jesus Christ (Romans 5:12, 17-19). Noah's ark becomes the symbol of the Church, by which men are saved from destruction through the waters of baptism (1 Peter 3:20-22); Abraham's faith is the model for all believers; the sacrifice of his son Isaac typifies the sacrifice of Christ, Son of the Father. The Liturgy, too, relates the persons of Abel, Abraham and Melchizedek to Christ in his act of sacrifice. - The Book of Genesis is divided as follows: I. The Primeval History (Genesis 1:1-11, 26) II. The Patriarch Abraham (Genesis 11:27-25, 18) III. The Patriarchs Isaac and Jacob (Genesis 25:19-36, 43) IV. Joseph and His Brothers (Genesis 37:1-50:26) - (NAB)
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Revised Standard Version (1966) - English
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