Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

• Scope
  The events recorded in Genesis stretch historically from Creation to Joseph's death, a period of at least 2500 years. The first part of the book (ch. 1-11) is not as easy to date precisely as the second part (ch. 12-50). The ...
• Purpose
  Genesis provides the historical basis for the rest of the Bible and the Pentateuch, particularly the Abrahamic Covenant. Chapters 1-11 give historical background essential to understanding that covenant, and chapters 12-50 re...
• Outline
  The structure of Genesis is very clear. The phrase "the generations of"(toledotin Hebrew, from yaladmeaning "to bear, to generate") occurs ten times (really eleven times since 36:9 repeats 36:1), and in each case it introduce...
• I. PRIMEVAL EVENTS 1:1--11:26
  Chapters 1-11 provide an introduction to the Book of Genesis, the Pentateuch, and the whole Bible."What we find in chaps. 1-11 is the divine initiation of blessing, which is compromised by human sin followed by gracious prese...
• The third day 1:9-13
  1:9 "Seas"(Heb. yammim) refers broadly to all bodies of water, not just oceans.1:10 "Good"indicates beauty as well as purpose and order.65It was only when the land was ready for man that God called it good. This shows God's l...
• 1. The effects of the curse on humanity ch. 5
  There are at least three purposes for the inclusion of this genealogy, which contains 10 paragraphs (vv. 1-5, 6-8, 9-11, 12-14, 15-17, 18-20, 21-24, 25-27, 28-31, and 32).1. It shows the development of the human race from Ada...
• 2. God's sorrow over man's wickedness 6:1-8
  As wickedness increased on the earth God determined to destroy the human race with the exception of those few people to whom He extended grace."Stories of a great flood sent in primeval times by gods to destroy mankind follow...
• The sins of the sons of God 6:1-4
  6:1-2 There are three major views about the identity of the sons of God.1. They were fallen angelswho married women.278Arguments in favor of this view follow with responses.a. The term "sons of God"as it occurs here in Hebrew...
• The sins of humanity generally 6:5-8
  The second reason for the flood was the sinfulness of humanity generally.6:5 Men's and women's actions were very wicked and their thoughts and affections were completely evil by this time (cf. vv. 11-12; Rom. 1:18-32)."Near t...
• Conditions and events before the Flood 6:9-7:10
  6:9-12 "The same explanation for Enoch's rescue from death (he walked with God') is made the basis for Noah's rescue from death in the Flood: he walked with God' (6:9). Thus in the story of Noah and the Flood, the author is a...
• The Flood proper 7:11-24
  There are two views among evangelicals as to the extent of the Flood.1. A universal flood.Evidence:a. The purpose of the Flood (6:5-7, 11-13).b. The need for an ark (6:14).c. The size of the ark (6:15-16).d. The universal ter...
• 2. The Noahic Covenant 9:1-17
  Following the Flood God established human life anew on the earth showing His high regard for it. He promised to bless humanity with faithfulness, and He prohibited murder. He also promised with a sign that He would not destro...
• 2. The dispersion at Babel 11:1-9
  The main emphasis in this section is not the building of the tower of Babel but the dispersion of the peoples. We can see this in the literary structure of the passage.361AAll the earth had one language (v. 1)Bthere (v. 2)C o...
• F. What became of Shem 11:10-26
  "The Babel account (11:1-9) is not the end of early Genesis. If it were, the story would conclude on the sad note of human failure. But as with earlier events in Genesis 1-11, God's grace once again supersedes human sin, insu...
• II. PATRIARCHAL NARRATIVES 11:27--50:26
  One of the significant changes in the emphasis that occurs at this point in Genesis is from cursing in the primeval record to blessing in the patriarchal narratives. The Abrahamic Covenant is most important in this respect. H...
• The divine promises 12:1-9
  "These verses are of fundamental importance for the theology of Genesis, for they serve to bind together the primeval history and the later patriarchal history and look beyond it to the subsequent history of the nation."414"W...
• 2. Abram in Egypt 12:10-20
  The second crisis Abram faced arose because of a famine in Canaan. Abram chose to sojourn in the Nile Valley until it was past. In this incident Abram tried to pass Sarai off as his sister because he feared for his life. By d...
• 6. The birth of Ishmael ch. 16
  Sarai and Abram tried to obtain the heir God had promised them by resorting to a culturally acceptable custom of their day even though it involved a failure to trust God. This fleshly act created serious complications for Abr...
• 8. Jacob's mishandling of God's blessing 29:31-30:24
  God formed Jacob's family, the ancestors of the tribes of Israel, as He had promised Jacob at Bethel. Unfortunately Jacob and his wives lived in envy and friction over how God chose to bless them."Jacob had planned to take Ra...
• Bibliography
  Aalders, Gerhard Charles. Genesis. The Bible Student's Commentary series. 2 vols. Translated by William Heynen. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981.Aharoni, Yohanan, and Michael Avi-Yonah. The Macmillan Bible Atlas...
• Distinctions between clean and unclean animals 11:1-23
  We have here the same threefold division of animals that inhabit the land, sea, and air as the one that appears in the story of creation (Gen. 1:20-23)."It has long been recognized . . . that the order of the purity laws in L...
• 2. Uncleanness due to childbirth ch. 12
  The laws of purification begun in this chapter connect in principle with the preceding ones that deal with unclean food and animals. The defilement dealt with in this group (chs. 12-15) proceeded from the human body. Pollutio...
• Bibliography
  Aharoni, Yohanan, and Michael Avi-Yonah. The Macmillan Bible Atlas. Revised ed. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1977.Albright, William Foxwell, The Archaeology of Palestine. 1949. Revised ed. Pelican Archaeology series. H...
• God's provision of manna and His Spirit 11:4-35
  The "rabble"(v. 4) were the non-Israelites who had come out of Egypt with God's people (Exod. 12:38). It did not take them long to become discontented with conditions in the desert and to complain about their bland diet of ma...
• The report of the spies 13:26-33
  The spies reported that the land was indeed as fruitful as they had heard (v. 27), "nevertheless . . ."(v. 28). Everything the spies said from this word on was uncalled for.116Their commission had been to view the land and to...
• Scope
  The Book of Samuel covers the period of Israel's history bracketed by Samuel's conception and the end of David's reign. David turned the kingdom over to Solomon in 971 B.C.3David reigned for 40 and one-half years (2 Sam. 2:11...
• Solomon's petition for wisdom 3:4-15
  A tabernacle, evidently the Mosaic tabernacle, and the Mosaic tabernacle's bronze altar still stood at Gibeon (lit. little hill; 1 Chron. 16:39-40; 21:28-29; 2 Chron. 1:3, 5-6). Gibeon was one of the so-called high places whe...
• 1. David's appraisal of humanity 14:1-3
  14:1 A fool (Heb. nabal) is a person who does not take God into account as he goes about living and who is therefore morally insensitive (cf. 1 Sam. 25:25). He may or may not really be an atheist, but he lives as though there...
• 3. The sovereignty of Yahweh 29:10-11
  29:10 The present storm reminded David of the inundation of the whole world in Noah's day. The Hebrew word for flood here occurs elsewhere in the Old Testament only in Genesis 6-11. As Yahweh ruled over His creation then, so ...
• The preservation of God's people within a world under divine judgment 24:1-20
  Isaiah revealed that the Lord's people are at the center of His plans for the world (cf. 14:2; 21:10). He will preserve them even though He will judge sinful humanity.227This passage contains many connections with the flood n...
• The divine enablement 57:14-21
  This pericope concludes the section begun at 56:1 dealing with the need for humility and holiness in the redeemed people of God. Isaiah explained that the basis of God's acceptance and blessing of His redeemed people was righ...
• 7. A summary lament over Egypt 32:17-32
  The last of the seven oracles against Egypt fittingly pictures the nation in its final resting place, the grave or Sheol, surrounded by other dead nations that had preceded it in judgment."The language is highly poetical and ...
• E. Judgment on all nations 3:8
  The people of Jerusalem needed to wait a little longer. The Lord would soon rise up as a devouring animal to consume His prey. He had determined to gather nations and kingdoms that were wicked, including Judah, and pour His b...
• The seventh woe 23:29-36
  23:29-30 By building monuments to the prophets and other righteous people that their forefathers had martyred, the Pharisees were saying that they would not have killed them if they had been alive then. These construction pro...
• Characteristics of the last days 17:22-33
  17:22-23 Jesus next gave His disciples more instruction about the coming of the kingdom. One of the days of the Son of Man refers to one of the future days when the Son of Man will be reigning on the earth (cf. vv. 24-25, 30)...
• 3. Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus 3:1-21
  John now presented evidence that Jesus knew people as no others did and that many believed in His name (2:23). This constitutes further witness that He is the Son of God. John summarized several conversations that Jesus had w...
• 2. The argument from creation 11:7-12
  Paul proceeded with a second supporting argument to correct the Corinthians' perversion regarding women's head coverings.11:7 Men should not cover their heads in Christian worship because they are the glory of God. Whereas Pa...
• 2. The Vindication of Christ 3:18-22
  Peter now reminded his readers of the consequences of Jesus' response to unjustified persecution. He did so to strengthen their resolve to rededicate themselves to follow God's will wholeheartedly and confidently. He also wan...
• B. The Consequences of False Teaching 2:4-10a
  Peter next described the consequences that follow false teaching to help his readers see the importance of avoiding it."Verses 4-10a form one long, complex conditional sentence; verses 4-8 form the conditional statement, and ...
• 1. Renouncing sin reaffirmed 3:4-9
  "The present vv, 3:4-9, form six strophes, each of which divides . . . roughly into half. The two halves of the strophes balance one another; for the second part of the v provides a development of the first part (vv 4, 5, 7),...
• 2. The example of certain angels v. 6
  A group of angels also did not remain in their privileged position near God but left that sphere and so incurred God's wrath. Some interpreters believe Jude alluded here to Genesis 6:1-4 (but cf. Matt. 22:30).33Others believe...