Genesis (Understanding the Bible Commentary | UBC)

by John E. Hartley

Publisher:

Baker

, 2012

Overview

Genesis is the chronological and theological gateway to the Bible. It lays the foundations for understanding God, humanity, and his dealings with us. It introduces his promise: the seed of the Gospel. Its stories still resonate with our own experience and pilgrimage with God. This skillfully written commentary guides the reader through the fascinating narrative of the world’s early generations and the beginning of God’s people.

Contents

Top Highlights

“The purpose of this account is threefold. First, it teaches essential facts about the way God ordered the world so that humans might understand their place and role in creation. Second, it leads us to praise God as the wise, all-powerful Creator. Third, it preempts the deification of any created elements or forces regardless of their splendor.” (Page 39)

“The third proposal is that since ‘good and evil’ often have a moral connotation, the issue at stake was moral knowledge. ‘Know’ may be interpreted as ‘to have mastery over.’ Thus humans were seeking to gain for themselves the prerogative of determining what was good and what was evil.” (Pages 66–67)

“Then God stated the highest goal for Abram’s calling. All peoples on earth will be blessed through him. The verb may be better translated ‘find or obtain blessing.’ God’s primary way of working among the nations is through Abram’s seed. Thus, to experience God’s blessing, the various peoples must interact with Abram’s offspring. Having selected one family, God in a sense shows favoritism, but his design is not parochial. God was and is working through one family for the benefit of all families. Through Abram’s seed he is achieving his goal in creating the earth, namely, people worshiping only him. That this program is just rests in God’s wise sovereignty.” (Page 133)

“ in striving to become like God they no longer desired to be in God’s presence.” (Page 68)

“Because the deepest human relationship is found in marriage, any spouse’s abuse or domination of the other denies their mutuality and disrupts the harmony God intended. Divorce, moreover, is a shattering experience.” (Page 64)

Product Details

• Title: Genesis
• Author: John E. Hartley
• Series: Understanding the Bible Commentary Series
• Publisher: Baker
• Print Publication Date: 2012
• Logos Release Date: 2013
• Pages: 416
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subject: Bible. O.T. Genesis › Commentaries
• ISBNs: 9781441251848, 9780801046513, 1441251847, 0801046513
• Resource ID: LLS:BAKERUBOT01GE
• Resource Type: Bible Commentary
• Metadata Last Updated: 2024-08-30T23:52:02Z

About John E. Hartley

John E. Hartley is professor of Old Testament and chair of the department of biblical studies in the C.P. Haggard School of Theology at Azusa Pacific University. He is the author of The Book of Job: New International Commentary on the Old Testament (NICOT), Genesis: Understanding the Bible, and Salvation.