GENESIS: Reboot Study
Chapters 1,2,3
Summary
By Dr. Robert Fieldhouse, Disciples Path Ministry – St. Augustine, Fla.
The following is a summary of Genesis Chapters 1,2, and 3. I sourced information from Internet-based research, the ESV, and the NKJV. I refined, edited, and added personal content to the sourced material. This summary aims to serve as a springboard for your research and hopefully clarify any confusion that has arisen up to this point in our study of the Book of Genesis. The first and second Creation accounts refer to two distinct narratives in the Book of Genesis that describe how God Created the world and humanity (humankind). These accounts are presented in Genesis 1:1–2:3 and Genesis 2:4–3:24, respectively. They differ in structure, focus, and style, offering complementary perspectives on Creation.
Genesis 1: Creation of the Universe and Earth (The First Creation Account)
Day 1: God Creates light, separating day from night.
Day 2: God forms the sky by dividing the waters above and below.
Day 3: Dry land appears, and vegetation is Created.
Day 4: God Creates the sun, moon, and stars to govern time and seasons.
Day 5: Birds and sea creatures are Created.
Day 6: God Creates land, animals, and humankind in His image, giving humans dominion over all Creation.
Day 7: God rests, declaring His Creation "very good."
Genesis 1:1–2:3
The First Creation Account (Genesis 1:1–2:3) is often credited to the Priestly Tradition, characterized by its formal structure, emphasis on order, and cosmic or celestial viewpoint.
Style: Structured, poetic, and ordered.
Focus: The Creation of the universe in a systematic series of six days, followed by a seventh day of rest.
Sequence: Light and darkness, sky, sea, land, plants, celestial bodies, animals, and finally, humanity (male and female) Created in God's image.
God's Role: Divine Creator, referred to as Elohim. "Elohim" is a plural form of the Hebrew word for "god" (el). Still, it is usually treated as singular when referring to the one God of Israel, highlighting God's supreme majesty and authority.
Humanity's Role: Humans are given dominion over Creation and commanded to be fruitful and multiply.
Tone: Majestic and celestial, emphasizing God's sovereign control over the universe.
We should have at least a little understanding of the Priestly Tradition mentioned above.
Characteristics of the Priestly Tradition
Date: Likely composed during or after the Babylonian Exile (6th century BC).
Theological Emphasis:
1. Focuses on God as Divine, majestic, and omnipotent (all-powerful).
2. God is portrayed as speaking commands rather than interacting directly with Creation.
3. Emphasis on ritual purity, worship practices, genealogies, and covenantal signs (such as circumcision and the Sabbath).
Style:
1. Formal, structured, and repetitive.
2. Use of numbers, dates, and genealogies to organize material.
Key Themes:
1. Order, separation, and sanctity (e.g., separating light from darkness, clean from unclean).
2. The importance of obedience to religious law and worship practices.
3. God's faithfulness to His covenant with Israel.
The understanding of writing with the characteristics, or influence, of the Priestly Tradition will become more apparent as we continue to study Scripture. Hang in there!
Genesis 2:4–3:24 Creation of Humanity (The Second Creation Account)
. The focus shifts to Adam and Eve (humankind) and the Garden of Eden.
. God forms Adam from dust and breathes life into him.
. The Garden of Eden is described as a lush paradise with the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil at its center.
. God instructs Adam to care for the garden and warns him not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
. God Creates animals for companionship but finds none suitable for Adam.
. God Creates Eve from Adam's rib, establishing the companionship between man and woman.
Genesis 2:4–3:24
The Second Creation Account (Gen. 2:4-3:24) is attributed to the Yahwist Tradition, which uses a more personal narrative style, focuses on relationships, and emphasizes God's intimate interaction with Creation.
Style: Narrative and more intimate.
Focus: The Creation of humanity and their relationship with God, the land, and each other.
Sequence:
1. Creation begins with a dry, barren earth. God forms Adam from dust and breathes life into him.
2. God creates a garden (Eden), plants trees, and places Adam there to care for it.
3. Eve is Created from Adam's rib as a companion for him.
God's Role: Personal and relational Creator, referred to as Yahweh Elohim (Lord God), highlighting intimacy and care.
Humanity's Role: Caretakers of the Garden of Eden, with specific instructions not to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Tone: Personal and focused on human experiences, relationships, and moral choices.
We should have at least a little understanding of the Yahwist Tradition mentioned above.
Name Origin: "Yahwist" comes from the use of the Divine name Yahweh (translated as "LORD" in many English Bibles).
Characteristics of the Yahwist Tradition
Date: Likely composed around the 10th century BC during the united monarchy of Israel,
possibly under King David or Solomon.
Theological Emphasis:
1. Focuses on God's personal and intimate relationship with humanity.
2. God is portrayed anthropomorphically (as having human-like characteristics) — walking in the garden, speaking directly to Adam and/or Eve,
and evidently showing emotions.
3. Emphasis on God's covenant promises, especially with the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who we will study in future narratives.
Style:
1. Narrative, vivid storytelling with dramatic and emotional elements.
2. Detailed descriptions of events and characters.
Key Themes:
1. Human moral struggles and failures, e.g., the Fall, Cain, and Abel. We will study Cain and Abel in a future narrative.
2. God's mercy despite human disobedience.
3. Land and descendants as signs of Divine blessing.
Genesis 3: The Fall of Humanity
. The serpent tempts Eve to eat from the forbidden Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, promising wisdom and godlike understanding.
. Eve eats the fruit and shares it with Adam.
. Their eyes are opened, and they realize their nakedness, prompting them to cover themselves with fig leaves.
. God confronts them and pronounces judgments.
1. The serpent is cursed to crawl and be at enmity with humanity.
2. Eve is cursed with pain in childbirth and a complex relationship with her husband.
3. Adam is cursed to toil for sustenance from a now-cursed ground.
4. Adam and Eve are banished from Eden to prevent them from accessing the Tree of Life and living forever.5. God places cherubim with a flaming sword to guard the entrance of the Garden, as well as to protect the Tree of Life.
Genesis 3 is traditionally associated with the Yahwist Tradition in the Documentary Hypothesis [see block below]. This hypothesis posits that the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) was compiled from several distinct sources or traditions: the Yahwist (J), Elohist (E), Priestly (P), and Deuteronomic (D).
Uh-oh! What are the Elohist and the Deuteronomic Traditions? I'm glad you asked! But first, what is the Documentary Hypothesis?
The Documentary Hypothesis is a "scholarly theory" that seeks to explain the origins and composition of the Torah, the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). It proposes that the Torah was not authored by a single person, such as Moses, but instead was compiled from multiple distinct sources or traditions that were edited together over time. (source: Internet-based search)
This hypothesis is one of the key frameworks in biblical scholarship for understanding the complex development of the Pentateuch.
Key Elements of the Documentary Hypothesis
The hypothesis identifies four primary sources or traditions, each with its own style, themes, and theological perspectives. Those are the Yahwist, Elohist, Deuteronomic, and Priestly Traditions. One often finds the traditions designated Y, E, D, and P when studying.
Development and Redaction
Compilation: The sources were likely combined by redactors (editors) over several centuries to create the unified Torah. These redactors wove together the different traditions, sometimes leaving visible seams where the sources overlap or differ.
Evidence of Multiple Sources: Scholars identify differences in language, style, theology, and perspective to support the hypothesis. For example:
1. Doublets: Stories that appear twice with slight differences (e.g., two Creation accounts in Genesis 1 and 2 or two accounts of Sarah being taken by
foreign rulers in Genesis 12 and 20).
2. Contradictions: Variations in chronology, details, or emphasis (e.g., differing flood timelines in Genesis 6–9).
3. Distinct Vocabulary: Specific terms or phrases associated with certain sources (e.g., YHWH vs. Elohim).
Modern Perspectives
While the Documentary Hypothesis was first fully developed by 19th-century scholar Julius Wellhausen, it has evolved over time. Many scholars today recognize its foundational insights, but approach the composition of the Torah as a more complex process involving additional sources, traditions, and layers of editing.
The hypothesis remains a key framework for understanding the literary and theological diversity within the Pentateuch, even as scholars debate its specifics. Let's remember that the Documentary Hypothesis is a "scholarly theory." Key words there are hypothesis and theory. I included this for additional information and did not present this as a fact. Remember that what I offer in my narratives is a springboard for your research.
Elohist Tradition
Name and Key Features:
1. The Elohist Tradition is named for its use of the Divine name Elohim, often translated as "God," in its early sections until the revelation of the Divine name YHWH.
2. Focuses on themes of prophecy, Divine communication through dreams or intermediaries, like angels, and fear or reverence of God.
Theology:
1. Portrays God as more distant and Divine compared to the human-like interpretation in the Yahwist Tradition.
2. Stresses morality, ethical responsibility, and faithfulness to God.
Characteristics:
1. Less personal interaction between God and humans than in the Yahwist Tradition.
2. Emphasizes northern Israel's religious traditions, reflecting concerns relevant to the northern kingdom before its fall in 722 BC.
3. The covenant is central, highlighting key figures like Abraham, Jacob, and Moses. We will study Abraham, Jacob, and Moses in future narratives.
Deuteronomic Tradition
Name and Key Features:
1. Associated primarily with the Book of Deuteronomy and its theological and literary style.
2. Centered on law, covenant renewal, and Israel's relationship with God through obedience to His commands and associated primarily with the Book of Deuteronomy, which we will study in a future narrative, and its theological and literary style.
Theology:
1. Strong focus on monotheism and the centralization of worship in Jerusalem.
2. Emphasizes Blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, reflecting a covenant theology of reward and punishment.
Characteristics:
· Concerned with the preservation of religious identity and purity, particularly in the context of covenant loyalty.
· Uses sermons, speeches, and didactic (teaching) style to call the community to faithfulness.
· Likely influenced by reforms during King Josiah's reign (7th century BC) to centralize worship in the Jerusalem temple.
Final Thoughts
If you made the time to do it, I would wager that you could write an excellent summary of the first three Chapters of Genesis. Why not give it a try? I found that writing down my thoughts in a summary fashion was extremely helpful as I continued to study our Bible. My summaries provided me with references that I understood…because I wrote them. Also, as you continue to study, make time to revisit your summaries for updating and/or editing. I suggest you have a separate notebook, aside from your journal, for collecting facts, references, and even other thoughts not fitting for your journal. Chapter four is our next study. Trust me – you'll need to start taking notes to keep up with all that is about to unfold! And finally, have fun with your Bible study and all it entails. There is no better way to spend your time than to spend it talking to God! (p.s. He loves to hear from you!)
Disciples Path Ministry – St. Augustine, Florida