Chapter Summaries of Genesis

Genesis 1 8 Aug 2010 37 comments

1 God created the heavens, the earth and everything that lives. He made humankind in his image, and gave them charge over the earth.

Genesis 2 9 Aug 2010 21 comments

2 God formed a man and gave him the garden in Eden, except the tree of good and evil. Adam was alone so God made a woman as his partner.

Genesis 3 10 Aug 2010 17 comments

3 The serpent deceived the woman. She and Adam ate from the tree. The ground was cursed, and God sent Adam and Eve out of the garden.

Genesis 4 11 Aug 2010 12 comments

4 Eve's sons made offerings to the LORD. Only Abel's was acceptable, so Cain killed him. Abel's blood cried out and God sent Cain away.

Genesis 5 12 Aug 2010 7 comments

5 Adam's line was: Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech and Noah. Noah's sons were Shem, Ham and Japheth.

Genesis 6 13 Aug 2010 12 comments

6 Humankind corrupted the earth with evil. God decided to destroy them. He told Noah to build an ark to be saved from the flood.

Genesis 7 14 Aug 2010 9 comments

7 Noah and his family went into the ark with two of each creature. It rained for forty days and forty nights and the earth was covered.

Genesis 8 15 Aug 2010 6 comments

8 The flood abated. Noah sent out a raven and two doves. When the earth was dry God called them all out of the ark. Noah built an altar.

Genesis 9 16 Aug 2010 11 comments

9 God blessed Noah and set the rainbow as a sign that he would never flood the earth again. Noah got drunk and cursed Ham's son Canaan.

Genesis 10 17 Aug 2010 3 comments

10 Japheth's line lived in the coastlands; Ham's included Nimrod and the Canaanites; Shem's lived in the East. These formed the nations.

Genesis 11 18 Aug 2010 6 comments

11 They began building a great tower for themselves, but the Lord confused their language. Shem's line included Abram who married Sarai.

Genesis 12 19 Aug 2010 13 comments

12 God told Abram, "Go, I will make you a great nation. You will be a blessing." In Egypt Abram lied about Sarai and Pharaoh was cursed.

Genesis 13 20 Aug 2010 3 comments

13 Abram journeyed with his nephew Lot. Their servants argued, so Lot went to Sodom, Abram to Canaan. The LORD promised Abram the land.

Genesis 14 21 Aug 2010 9 comments

14 The kings went to war and took Lot captive. Abram rescued Lot. Melchizedek blessed Abram and Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

Genesis 15 22 Aug 2010 11 comments

15 The Lord promised Abram an heir and many descendants. Abram believed. He was told that they would be enslaved but would then return.

Genesis 16 23 Aug 2010 4 comments

16 Sarai told Abram to have children with Hagar. Hagar conceived, then ran away, but an angel sent her back. Hagar's son was Ishmael.

Genesis 17 24 Aug 2010 9 comments

17 God made a covenant with Abram and renamed him Abraham. He renamed Sarai Sarah and promised them a son. The men were circumcised.

Genesis 18 25 Aug 2010 9 comments

18 Three visitors came and said that Sarah would have a son next year. Sodom was very evil; Abraham pleaded with the LORD for the city.

Genesis 19 26 Aug 2010 9 comments

19 Angels took Lot out of Sodom. The city was destroyed by fire and Lot's wife was turned to salt. His daughters had children for him.

Genesis 20 27 Aug 2010 7 comments

20 In Gerar Abraham said, "Sarah is my sister." King Abimelech took her but God warned him in a dream. He restored Sarah to Abraham.

Genesis 21 28 Aug 2010 12 comments

21 As promised, Sarah had a son: Isaac. She had Hagar and Ishmael sent away but God preserved them. Abraham and Abimelech made a treaty.

Genesis 22 29 Aug 2010 15 comments

22 God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. As Abraham obeyed, an angel stopped him. The LORD provided a ram instead and blessed Abraham.

Genesis 23 30 Aug 2010 4 comments

23 Sarah died in Kiriath-arba. Abraham asked the Hittites for a burial site. He bought a cave from Ephron and buried Sarah there.

Genesis 24 31 Aug 2010 9 comments

24 Abraham's servant went to Nahor to find a wife for Isaac. He met Rebekah by the well. She went back with him and married Isaac.

Genesis 25 1 Sep 2010 3 comments

25 Abraham died and was buried with Sarah. Isaac and Rebekah had twins: Esau and Jacob. Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for a meal.

Genesis 26 2 Sep 2010 2 comments

26 In Gerar Isaac lied about Rebekah. He grew so rich that Abimelech sent him away. He dug wells, and at Beersheba the LORD blessed him.

Genesis 27 3 Sep 2010 11 comments

27 Rebekah and Jacob tricked Isaac into giving Jacob his blessing. Esau vowed revenge so Rebekah told Jacob to go to her brother Laban.

Genesis 28 4 Sep 2010 5 comments

28 Isaac sent Jacob to marry one of Laban's daughters. On the way Jacob dreamed of a ladder reaching to heaven and the LORD blessed him.

Genesis 29 5 Sep 2010 2 comments

29 Jacob worked for Laban seven years to marry Rachel, but Laban gave him Leah and made him work seven more for Rachel. Leah had sons.

Genesis 30 6 Sep 2010 6 comments

30 Rachel's maid had sons for Jacob, then Leah's maid, then Leah. Finally Rachel had a son. Laban allowed Jacob flocks as wages to stay.

Genesis 31 7 Sep 2010 5 comments

31 The Lord told Jacob to return home. Jacob left in secret and Rachel took Laban's idols. Laban chased Jacob but they made a treaty.

Genesis 32 8 Sep 2010 12 comments

32 Jacob heard that Esau was coming to meet him. He was afraid and sent gifts. That night he wrestled with a man who renamed him Israel.

Genesis 33 9 Sep 2010 4 comments

33 Esau and his men arrived. Jacob bowed down but Esau ran to embrace him. Jacob settled near Shechem and built an altar.

Genesis 34 10 Sep 2010 1 comment

34 Shechem raped Jacob's daughter and asked to marry her. Jacob's sons told him to circumcise his men, then Simeon and Levi killed them.

Genesis 35 11 Sep 2010 3 comments

35 Jacob went to Bethel and God renamed him Israel. They journeyed on. Rachel died having Israel's twelfth son. Isaac died in Hebron.

Genesis 36 12 Sep 2010 4 comments

36 Esau's sons were Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam and Korah. Esau and his family moved away to Seir. They became the Edomites.

Genesis 37 13 Sep 2010 4 comments

37 Joseph was Israel's favourite son. He had dreams and his brothers were jealous so they sold him. He was bought by Potiphar in Egypt.

Genesis 38 14 Sep 2010 3 comments

38 Judah's sons Er and Onan died, leaving Tamar a widow. Judah sent her away but she put on a veil and he slept with her. She had twins.

Genesis 39 15 Sep 2010 5 comments

39 Potiphar put Joseph in charge of his house. His wife tried to seduce Joseph, then lied about it, so Potiphar put Joseph in prison.

Genesis 40 16 Sep 2010 5 comments

40 Pharaoh put his cupbearer and baker in prison. Joseph interpreted their dreams. The cupbearer was restored but the baker was hanged.

Genesis 41 17 Sep 2010 11 comments

41 Pharaoh had a dream and called for Joseph to interpret it. The dream predicted a famine. Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of all Egypt.

Genesis 42 18 Sep 2010 9 comments

42 Joseph's brothers went to Egypt to buy grain but didn't recognise him. He kept Simeon in prison and sent the rest to fetch Benjamin.

Genesis 43 19 Sep 2010 4 comments

43 When the grain ran out, Joseph's brothers went back to Egypt with Benjamin. Joseph invited them to his house and gave them a feast.

Genesis 44 20 Sep 2010 3 comments

44 Joseph hid his cup in Benjamin's sack, then sent a steward after his brothers. Judah offered himself as a slave instead of Benjamin.

Genesis 45 21 Sep 2010 11 comments

45 Joseph told his brothers who he was. They were afraid, but he told them, "God sent me here." His brothers went to fetch their father.

Genesis 46 22 Sep 2010 2 comments

46 So Israel set out with all his household. God told him not to be afraid. Israel and all his family came to Egypt and Joseph met him.

Genesis 47 23 Sep 2010 2 comments

47 Pharaoh allowed Joseph's family to settle in Goshen. The famine continued and the Egyptians sold all they had to Pharaoh for food.

Genesis 48 24 Sep 2010 6 comments

48 Jacob became ill, so Joseph took his sons to see him. Jacob blessed Joseph's sons as his own, putting Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.

Genesis 49 25 Sep 2010 2 comments

49 Jacob gathered his sons and blessed each of them. He charged them to bury him with Abraham in the cave in Canaan, and then he died.

Genesis 50 26 Sep 2010 2 comments

50 Pharaoh allowed Joseph to go and bury Jacob. Before Joseph died, he said that God would lead his people back to the promised land.

Chris Juby

I summarised all 1,189 chapters of the Bible on Twitter - one tweet per chapter, one chapter per day for over three years.

These are the summaries of the book of Genesis.

They are written to help you understand and remember what's going on in the chapter, but they're no substitute for reading the Bible for yourself.

Find out about the project here, you can buy the Bible Summary book on Kindle or in paperback, and feel free to get in contact if you have any comments or questions.

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