Includes bibliographical references (pages 527-534)

EDITORS'PREFACE 6 HOWTO READ THE SDAIBC 8 AUTHOR'S PREFACE 10 GLOSSARY (FOR THE BOOK OF GENESIS) 11 ABBREVIATIONS 13 TRANSLITERATION 19 INTRODUCTION The Importance of Genesis 21 The Author of Genesis 22 The Setting and the Purpose of Genesis 27 The Structure of Genesis 29 The Theology of Genesis 31 1. CREATION: ADAM AND EVE IN EDEN GENESIS 1-2 The Place of Creation 39 The Beauty of Creation 40 The Historicity of Creation 42 The Creation of Heavens and Earth (1:1-2:4a) 48 The Garden of Eden (2:4b-25) 72 2. FROM EDEN TO BABEL: SETH-NOAH-SHEM GENESIS 3-11 The Fall (3:1-24) 89 Excursus: The Interpretation of Genesis 3:16 in Ellen White: A Theology of Man-Woman Relations 106 A Time to Be Born, a Time to Kill (4:1-26) 114 The Genealogy of Adam (5:1-32) 126 The Flood (6:1-7:24) 133 The Preparation of the Flood (6:1-22) 134 The Completion of the Flood (7:1-24) 144 Deliverance From the Flood (8-9) 150 The End of the Flood (8:1-20) 151 The Genealogy of the Sons of Noah (10:1-32) 166 Table of Nations: Geography, History, and Archaeology (10:1-32) 168 The Tower of Babel (11:1-9) 182 3. FROM BABEL TO THE PROMISED LAND: ABRAHAM GENESIS 12-22:19 Lek Leka "Go!" Call to Abraham to Leave His Past (12:1-9) 196 Sojourn in Egypt (12:10—13:1a) 203 Abram and Lot (13:1b—14:24) 207 The Abrahamic Covenant (15-17) 218 Abraham and Lot (18-19) 242 Sojourn in Gerar (20-21) 260 Lek Leka "Go!" Call to Abraham to. Leave His Future (22:1-19) 274 4. FROM THE PROMISED LAND TO EGYPT: ISAAC JACOB JOSEPH GENESIS 22:20-48:22 Genealogy of Rebekah (22:20-24) 289 Sarah's Death and Burial (23:1-20) 290 A Wife for Isaac (24:1 -67) 295 Abraham's New Wife (25:1 -6) 309 Death of Abraham (25:7-11) 310 Genealogy of Ishmael (25:12-18) 311 The Cycle of Jacob (25:19-35:26) 312 Birth of Isaac's Sons (25:19-34) 313 Isaac and Abimelech (26:1-33) 317 Jacob Steals the Blessing From Esau (26:34-28:9) 324 Encountering God at Bethel (28:10-22) 338 Jacob Arrives at Laban's House (29:1-14) 342 Laban Deceives Jacob (29:15-30) 345 Birth of Jacob's Children (29:31-30:24) 348 Jacob Deceives Laban (30:25—31:2) 354 Jacob Leaves Laban (31:3-55) 359 Encountering God at Peniel (32:1-32) 368 Jacob Returns the Blessing to Esau (33:1-17) 377 Jacob's Sons, Struggle at Birth (35:1-26) 388 Death of Isaac (35:27-29) 394 The Genealogy of Esau (36:1-43) 395 Genealogy of Esau/Edom: History, Geography, and Archaeology (36:1 -43) 396 Esau's Descendants (36:1-19) 396 Seir's Descendants (36:20-30) 405 Kings of Edom (36:31-43) 407 The Cycle of Joseph (37:1-48:20) 411 Joseph and His Brothers (37:12-36) 415 God Saves Tamar Through Judah (38:1-30) 420 From Slave to Manager (39:1-23) 427 Two Dreams in Prison (40:1-23) 433 Pharaoh's Two Dreams (41:1-57) 437 From Jacob to Joseph (42:1-24) 448 From Joseph to Jacob (42:25-38) 455 Jacob Sends His Sons to Egypt (43:1 -15) 460 Joseph Dines With His Brothers (43:16-26) 463 Joseph Recognizes His Brothers (43:27-34) 465 Joseph Fills the Sacks of His Brothers (44:1-34) 467 Joseph Reveals His Identity: Return to Canaan (45:1-28) 473 From Canaan to Egypt (46:1-27) 481 Joseph Meets With His Family and Pharaoh (46:28-47:6) 485 Jacob Meets and Blesses Pharaoh (47:7-10) 488 Joseph Cares for His Family and Egypt (47:11-26) 489 From Egypt to Canaan (47:27-31) 493 Jacob Blesses Joseph's Sons (48:1-22) 494 5. PROSPECT OF THE PROMISED LAND:THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL GENESIS 49-50:26 The Future of Israel (49:1-28) 501 Jacob's Death and Burial (49:29-50:21) 517 Joseph's Death and Burial (50:22-26) 524 SELECTED ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING OR CONSULTATION Commentaries on Genesis 527 Monographs and Articles on Genesis 528

The book of Genesis has been called “the most important book ever written.” As the first book of the Bible, it not only contains or anticipates all the biblical truths, it is also the book that, more than any other biblical book, has impacted the whole of Scripture, and theology at large. Without the book of Genesis, the Bible would be incomprehensible. According to author Jacques Doukhan, DHL, ThD, “The book of Genesis is…the ideal place to start our study, not only because it will help us understand our origins and destination, but also because it teaches us how to engage with and reach out to others. In the process we will be surprised by a God of love and mercy, whose first revelation is reported in the book of Genesis.” This book is our first introduction to the upcoming Seventh-day Adventist International Bible Commentary. This volume, like the “first fruits” offering of Scripture, gives us a taste of what is to come as well as a promise that it is coming soon.