To Workers For Jesus Online Bible Study Table of Contents

About this Bible Study........The King James Version of the Bible is written in a beautiful form of the English language. It can be hard for modern English readers to understand.  In this study, you will find notes and summaries in brown just above the the verses from the Bible. We recommend that you read the notes and summaries first, and then read the verses in their KJV form. 


The book of Genesis was written by Moses. It is divided into three main parts.  
1) God creates the universe, the first man, and the first woman.    
2) God destroys the earth with a flood but saves Noah, his family, and the animals. 
3) God chooses Abraham and his descendants to be a great nation.
 


Bible Timeline
 
Here is a good timeline to see the book of Genesis in the history of the Bible
http://www.sundayschoolresources.com/timeline.htm

 


 


Genesis 6 - 11

God calls Noah to build an ark
God destroys the world with a flood
Noah's descendants spread out to repopulate the earth
Abram is born

 

 


Genesis 6


The beginning of Genesis 6 is hard to understand. People have different opinions about exactly what it means.  There were many people on the earth, and they had daughters. The sons of God saw the beautiful women on the earth and married them.   
[1] And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,
[2] That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

In the past, the people lived for hundreds of years. Now, God said that people would live for only 120 years. 
[3 ] And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

There were giants on the earth at that time. The sons of God and the women of earth had children.
[4 ] There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.



God decides to destroy all people and animals on earth with a flood.  God will save Noah, his family, and 2 of each kind of animal.

God was not happy with the people on earth at that time. The people were very wicked and bad.  God was sorry that he had made man. God decided to destroy the people and animals that were living then. 
[5 ] And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
[6] And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
[7 ] And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.


Noah was a man living then.  He was a good man who obeyed God's laws.  Noah had three sons:  Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
[8] But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
[9] These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.
[10] And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

God spoke to Noah and told him that he planned to destroy the people on earth.
[11] The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
[12] And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
[13 ] And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
 

Standard Bible Story Reader
Book Three

by Lillie A. Faris
From the
La Vista Church of Christ web site

 God told Noah to build an ark (a very large boat).  He told Noah to use gopher wood. He told Noah the exact measurements to use. The ark was 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. It had three floors, a window, and a large door on the side. 
[14] Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.
[15 ] And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.
[16] A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.


The Lord told Noah that there would be a flood that would destroy all of the animals and people on earth. The Lord told Noah that he, his wife, his three sons, and his three daughters-in-law would be safe in the ark.  Also, he told Noah to get two of every animal on earth: one male and one female.  God told Noah to take food into the ark  Noah obeyed God and did everything he asked him to do.
[17] And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.
[18 ] But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee.
[19 ] And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.
[20 ] Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.
[21] And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them.
[22] Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.


Genesis 7

The Lord told Noah to bring two of each of the unclean animals, but that he should bring seven pairs of the clean animals. Clean animals are animals that could be used for food or sacrifices. 
[1 ] And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.
[2 ] Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.
[3] Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth.


God said it would rain for forty days and forty nights. That would flood the earth and destroy all the people and animals. Noah did everything that the Lord told him to do.

[4 ] For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.
[5] And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him.

 



It rains for 40 days and 40 nights



Noah was 600 years old when the flood began. Noah, his family, and all of the animals went into the ark.

[6] And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.
[7] And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.
[8] Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth,
[9] There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah.


The rain began. As God said, it rained for 40 days and 40 nights.
[10] And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.
[11 ] In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
[12] And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.


Noah and his family were safe in the ark.  The animals were safe, too.  Noah did what God told him to do. He had brought at least two animals of every kind.  He brought a male and a female so that after the flood, the animals could have babies and fill the earth again.
[13 ] In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark;
[14] They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort.
[15] And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life.
[16] And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in.


The rain fell, and the water lifted up the ark and made it float. The flood covered the earth and the mountains.
[17 ] And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth.
[18] And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters.
[19] And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered.
[20] Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered.

All living things on the earth died.  The water covered the earth for 150 days.
[21 ] And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man:
[22] All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died.
[23 ] And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.
[24] And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days.


 



The flood ends


Genesis 8

The rain stopped. God made the wind pass over the earth to dry the land.
[1 ] And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged;
[2] The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained;
[3 ] And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated.

 

 

Mt. Ararat
Photo from AboutTurkey.com


The ark stopped on the top of a very high mountain, Mt. Ararat.  This mountain is located in the modern-day country of Turkey.
[4] And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.

The water started to go down. Noah could see the tops of the mountains.  He opened the window of the ark. He sent a raven and a dove (types of birds) out to fly to look for dry land.  The dove came back to the ark because it couldn't find a place to stop. The raven did not come back. Ravens are stronger birds than doves, and the raven could keeping flying until it found some dry land.
[5 ] And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen.
[6] And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made:
[7] And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.
[8] Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground;
[9 ] But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark.

 


 

 

The Dove Returns to Noah
by C.F. Vos
From
Bible Picture Gallery

Seven days later, Noah sent out a dove again.  The dove came back to the ark with a leaf from an olive tree in her mouth.  Then Noah knew that the flood was drying up a little.
[10] And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark;
[11 ] And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.


Seven days later, Noah send out the dove for the third time. This time it did not come back to the ark. Then Noah knew the earth was drying up more. 
[12] And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more.


Noah took the door off the ark and saw that the earth was dry again.  They could live in the earth again. Noah and his family had stayed in the ark for a total of 378 days. 
[13 ] And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry.
[14] And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried.


God told Noah and his family to leave the ark and let all of the animals out.
[15] And God spake unto Noah, saying,
[16] Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee.
[17 ] Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.
[18] And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him:
[19 ] Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark.

 



God and Noah make a covenant (promise).


Noah built an altar (a place to worship God) and made sacrifices to God.  The Lord promised that he would never again flood the earth. 
[20 ] And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
[21 ] And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.
[22] While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.



Genesis 9


God told Noah and his sons to have many children to fill up the earth again with people. God said that man would be in control over the animals. 
[1] And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.
[2 ] And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.

God told Noah that they were allowed to eat animals and plants for food.  But they were not allowed to eat raw blood.
[3] Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.
[4] But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.


God said that animals were not to kill men.  Also, men were not to kill other men.  Any man or animal who killed a man was to be put to death. 

[5 ] And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man.
[6] Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

"Where the Rainbow Rises" taken by Wing-Chi Poon and published in Wikipedia Commons

God made a covenant (promise) with Noah and all of the animals.  He said that he would never again flood the earth. He gave the rainbow as a sign of his promise. When a storm came and people saw a rainbow, they would remember that God promised that he would never flood the earth again.
[7] And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.
[8] And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying,
[9] And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you;
[10 ] And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth.
[11] And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.
[12 ] And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:
[13] I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.
[14] And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:
[15 ] And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.
[16] And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.
[17 ] And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.



The sons and descendants of Noah
 

Noah had three sons. Their names were Shem, Ham, and Japheth.  After the flood, Noah became a farmer and grew grapes for wine.  One day, Noah drank wine and became drunk.  He was lying in his tent with no clothes on.  Ham saw Noah in the tent and told his two brothers. Shem and Japheth walked into the tent backwards. They covered up Noah without looking at him.
[18] And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan.
[19] These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread.
[20] And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:
[21] And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.
[22] And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.
[23 ] And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness.

When Noah woke up, he was angry at Ham for looking at him.  Noah cursed Ham's son and his descendants.  He said that Ham's descendants would always be slaves to his brothers' descendants. Noah died when he was 950 years old.
[24] And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.
[25] And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.
[26] And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
[27] God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
[28] And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years.
[29] And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years: and he died.


 



Genesis 10


Noah's descendants


The sons of Noah and their descendants are listed.  The descendants moved to different parts of the world.  They moved to the modern day countries of:  Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Syria, and Greece.
[1] Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.
[2] The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.
[3] And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah.
[4] And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
[5 ] By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.
[6] And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan.
[7] And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtecha: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan.

A great grandson of Noah (grandson of Ham) was Nimrod. He was a very powerful leader.
[8] And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth.
[9] He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.
[10] And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
[11] Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah,
[12] And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city.
[13] And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim,
[14] And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim,) and Caphtorim.


Another son of Ham was Canaan.  Canaan settled in the area of Canaan which is modern day Israel.  Later, the Canaanites, the people of Canaan, would be driven out by the Israelites.
[15] And Canaan begat Sidon his firstborn, and Heth,
[16] And the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgasite,
[17] And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite,
[18] And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad.
[19 ] And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as thou comest to Gerar, unto Gaza; as thou goest, unto Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even unto Lasha.
[20] These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their nations.


These are the descendants of Shem.
[21] Unto Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were children born.
[22] The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram.
[23] And the children of Aram; Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash.
[24] And Arphaxad begat Salah; and Salah begat Eber.
[25 ] And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother's name was Joktan.
[26] And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazar-maveth, and Jerah,
[27] And Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah,
[28] And Obal, and Abimael, and Sheba,
[29] And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab: all these were the sons of Joktan.
[30] And their dwelling was from Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar a mount of the east.
[31] These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations.
[32 ] These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations: and by these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood.



Genesis 11
 

The Tower of Babel

From http://www.wels.net/wmc/html/clip_art_--_volume_2__part_a.html

Nimrod was leading a group to the east, toward modern day Iraq.  The group decided to stop and build a tall monument.  They wanted to "make a name for themselves" (to become famous).  The tower was very tall.  The people wanted the tower to reach into the heavens.
[1] And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.
[2] And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.
[3 ] And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.
[4 ] And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.




God was not happy about the tower. The people were not obeying Him by stopping to build a monument to themselves. God had told the people to move to other parts of the world after the flood.  Because He wanted the people to move on to other parts of the world, God made the people talk in many different languages. Then, they obeyed and moved to other parts of the world.
[5] And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.
[6 ] And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
[7] Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.
[8] So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.
[9 ] Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

 



Abram is born


Shem's descendants are listed.

[10] These are the generations of Shem: Shem was an hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood:
[11] And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.
[12] And Arphaxad lived five and thirty years, and begat Salah:
[13] And Arphaxad lived after he begat Salah four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters.
[14] And Salah lived thirty years, and begat Eber:
[15] And Salah lived after he begat Eber four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters.
[16] And Eber lived four and thirty years, and begat Peleg:
[17] And Eber lived after he begat Peleg four hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters.
[18] And Peleg lived thirty years, and begat Reu:
[19] And Peleg lived after he begat Reu two hundred and nine years, and begat sons and daughters.
[20] And Reu lived two and thirty years, and begat Serug:
[21] And Reu lived after he begat Serug two hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters.
[22] And Serug lived thirty years, and begat Nahor:
[23] And Serug lived after he begat Nahor two hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.


One of his descendants was Terah.  Terah had 3 sons: Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran had a son named Lot. They lived in the land of Ur (in the area of modern day Iraq).
[24] And Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and begat Terah:
[25] And Nahor lived after he begat Terah an hundred and nineteen years, and begat sons and daughters.
[26] And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
[27] Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot.


Haran died when he was young. He died before his father Terah died.

[28] And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees.


Abram married Sarai, and Nahor married Milcah. Sarai could not have children.

[29 ] And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah.
[30] But Sarai was barren; she had no child.

 

Map of Abarham's Journey from http://www.hope.edu/bandstra/RTOT/CH2/CH2_F3.JPG


Terah and his sons and their wives left Ur.  They decided to move to Canaan (modern day Israel). First they came to the land of Haran (in the area of modern day Syria) and stayed there. Terah died when he was 205 years old. He died in the land of Haran.

[31 ] And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.
[32] And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran.

 

 

 

 

 

 


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