4.

Israel’s judgment and deliverance (24:1–27:13)

5. Warnings and Zion restored (28:1–35:10)
6. King Hezekiah withstands Assyria (36:1–39:8)
7. Promises of divine deliverance (40:1–56:8)
8. The final kingdom established (56:9–66:24)
EW NEW
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with book introductions that illuminate the interconnected nature

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H E 7 E R and
A S the theology of the Bible

over seven historical eras:

For topical study, please refer to the index on p. xxxx.

FEATURES:
• Book introductions provide a “Storyline” perspective on how each
book relates to the rest of the Bible
• Over 200 major articles about theological principles, characters of
the Bible, the political and cultural influences on the people of Israel,
9780310080176_Storyline_Bible_04_Isa_Mal_p1.indd 829 4/4/18 8:58 AM
and the Bible’s major events
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 TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

Study Bible Features ............................ p. 2

Excerpt from Genesis........................... p. 9

Excerpt from Matthew ......................... p. 21

Binding Options .................................... p. 28

1
F E AT U R E S

Book introductions
provide a “Storyline”
perspective on how
each book relates to
the rest of the Bible ISAIAH
THOSE WHO HOPE IN THE LORD WILL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH.
THEY WILL SOAR ON WINGS LIKE EAGLES; THEY WILL RUN AND
NOT GROW WEARY, THEY WILL WALK AND NOT BE FAINT.

ISAIAH 40:31

IN TROD UCTION
Isaiah was staggered by a vision of the Lord, who was sitting on His throne, with the train of His
robe filling the temple. Winged seraphim sang His praises; the foundations of the building trembled;
smoke was everywhere. No wonder Isaiah cried out, “Woe to me!” He knew that he was “a man
of unclean lips,” and that he was not fit to be in the presence of the holy God. But then and there,
God cleansed him and called him to be His spokesman (Isaiah 6:1–10).

B AC KG ROU N D
God called Isaiah around 740 BC, roughly 200 years after the twelve tribes were split into two
entities—Israel in the north and Judah in the south. Now the northern tribes were on the brink of
destruction for their sins at the hands of the Assyrian army. To the south in Jerusalem, the chief
city of the southern kingdom of Judah, Isaiah spoke words of warning to his northern neighbors,
and also to his countrymen—who would face their own destruction some 150 years later.
Scarcely anything is known of Isaiah’s personal life. The Bible simply says that he was the son
of Amoz and a family man (Isaiah 1:1; 7:3; 8:3,18). The essential thing to know is that he proclaimed
God’s full counsel in a time of national disintegration, and that he did so with courage and elo-
quence. He was present when God defended Jerusalem from the Assyrians by killing off their
mighty army before they could engage the city (see chapters 36 and 37). But Isaiah knew that
another enemy—Babylon to the east—would be God’s agent of punishment in the years ahead.

CON TEN T
Isaiah’s listeners may have enjoyed the first part of his prophecy beginning in chapter 13, for he
verbally circled the region around Jerusalem, declaring judgment on its neighbors—Babylon, As-
syria, Philistia, Moab, Syria, the northern tribes of Israel, Cush, Egypt, Arabia, and Tyre. But, in effect,
God was drawing the rings around Judah, which would prove to be the “bullseye” on His target.
Faced with external military threats, chiefly from Assyrians in the early going, the nation had
to answer the question, “Whom do we trust?” Would they make alliances with other countries
to secure their own future? Or would they trust in the Lord who had promised to deliver them?
In this connection, Isaiah was particularly scathing in his condemnation of attempts to get help
from the people’s former captors, the Egyptians (see chapters 30 and 31).
Chapters 40–55 move the reader to consider events that occurred over a century later, when
Babylon defeated Judah and carried many of its people into exile. With most of God’s people

2
9780310080176_Storyline_Bible_04_Isa_Mal_p1.indd 828 4/4/18 8:58 AM 9780310
 in exile, the message becomes one of comfort and assurance that restoration from the Lord will
one day come. Finally, chapters 56–66 broaden the scope even further, taking in all of history as
the book proclaims eternal salvation for those who trust in God and dire punishment for those
who stubbornly refuse God’s rule.

S TO RYL INE
New Testament writers quote Isaiah frequently because it contains many predictions of the Mes-
siah. Best known are those of Isaiah 53, which declares that “like sheep” all humankind has “gone
astray,” but that the Lord has “laid on him [Jesus] the iniquity of us all” (v. 6) so that He can “justify
many” (v. 11). All those who trust in Jesus for salvation have the hope of “new heavens and the
new earth” in which they will dwell forever with God (Isaiah 66:22).

OUTL INE
1. Judgment and hope of restoration (1:1–6:13)
2. Hope in Assyria or hope in God (7:1–12:6)
3. Prophecies about nations (13:1–23:18)
4. Israel’s judgment and deliverance (24:1–27:13)
5. Warnings and Zion restored (28:1–35:10)
6. King Hezekiah withstands Assyria (36:1–39:8)
7. Promises of divine deliverance (40:1–56:8)
8. The final kingdom established (56:9–66:24)

T H E 7 E R A S

For topical study, please refer to the index on p. xxxx.

8 8:58 AM 9780310080176_Storyline_Bible_04_Isa_Mal_p1.indd 829 3 4/4/18 8:58 AM

F E AT U R E S

Over 200 major articles about

theological principles, characters
of the Bible, the political and
122   exoDus 12:16 cultural influences on the people
first day through the seventh
of Israel, anduse
th must be cut off Bread, because
the Bible’s major
it was on this very day that
from Israel. 16 On the first day hold a sacredevents
I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Cele­
assembly, and another one ne on the seventh brate this day as a lasting ordinancence for the
day. Do no work at all on these
se days, except
except generations to come. 18 In the first month
nth you
to prepare food for everyone to eat; that is are to eat bread made without yeast,
ast, from the
all you may do. evening of the four teenth
enth day until
until the eve­
17 “Celebrate the Fes tival of Un leav
avened
ened ning of the twenty­first day. 19 For seven
seven days

MOSES
ERA 3
THE PASSOVER
Exodus 12:1–14

SYNOPSIS
The last of the plagues directed against

The Passover Pharaoh and the Egyptians was the

Deuteronomy 16:1–8
Rules regarding the
celebration of Passover
Observe it in the month of Aviv
Sacrifice an animal at the place God
chooses
Eat unleavened bread for seven days
Don’t keep any yeast in your
possession
Don’t leave any of the meat from
the sacrifice until morning
death of firstborn males. To protect the
Hebrews, God prescribed a special cer-
emony: Each household was to kill a lamb
and spread its blood on the door frame of
the house. The Lord would then pass over
those marked houses, sparing the He-
brew firstborn who were sheltered inside.
BACKGROUND
Though the first nine plagues were cata-
strophic (see article “Ten Plagues,” p.
xxxx), Pharaoh’s heart was hardened and
he would not let the Hebrews go. Then God
told Moses (see article, p. xxxx) He was
sending the most heartbreaking plague of
all, the death of firstborn males in every
household that didn’t have the blood on
the doorposts.1

Sacrifice the Passover SUMMARY

in the evening
According to God’s instructions, Moses
The meal should told each Israelite household to select a
be roasted one-year-old, unblemished, male lamb
and to kill it at twilight on the fourteenth
Hold an assembly day of the month of Nisan. Then, blood
on the seventh day from the lamb was to be put on the door-
frames of the houses as a sign to the
Work is forbidden Lord. When He moved through Egypt on
His dreadful mission, killing all the first-
born, He would “pass over” the homes
marked with blood. The lamb was to be
roasted and eaten in haste by the Isra-
elites, who were to be dressed for quick
departure.
At each point the Israelites obeyed the Lord’s commandments, and the event came to pass
as had been foretold. The Lord passed over those homes that were covered by the blood,
but took the lives of the firstborn in all of Egypt, including even the livestock. A great cry
of lament went up from all those in Egypt, and Pharaoh finally agreed to let the Israelites
go (Exodus 12:29–32).

4
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 exoDus 12:22   123

no yeast is to be found in your houses. And
anyone, whether foreigner or native­born,
who eats any thing with yeast in it must be
cut off from the community of Israel. 20 Eat
nothing made with yeast. Wherever you live,
you must eat unleavened bread.”
21 Then Moses sum moned all the elders of
Israel and said to them, “Go at once and select
the animals for your families and slaughter
the Passover lamb. 22 Take a bunch of hyssop,
dip it into the blood in the ba sin and put
some of the blood on the top and on both
sides of the doorframe. None of you shall go
out of the door of your house until morning.

CONNECTIONS
When God gave the Israelites instructions for that first Passover meal, He stipulated
that it would be an ongoing celebration (see article “The Passover Celebration,” p. xxxx)
in the life of the nation. Thus, the Old Testament contains many references to Passover
directives and observances. For example, Joshua (see article, p. xxxx) led the Israelites to
observe their first Passover in Canaan on the plains near Jericho (Joshua 5:10–12), and
long afterwards, Josiah restored its observance after years of neglect by Hebrew kings
(2 Kings 23:21–23).
In the New Testament, Jesus’ events recording life and ministry (see article “The Ministry
of Jesus,” p. xxxx) took place during celebrations of the Passover on several occasions,
most significantly at the Last Supper (a Passover observance; see article, p. xxxx), prior
to His crucifixion (Matthew 26:17–20; John 13:1; see article, p. xxxx).

STORYLINE
Throughout the Old Testament, celebration of the Passover feast commemorated God’s
protection and deliverance from Egypt. But there is a much deeper meaning to the Passover,
revealed in the New Testament. As Paul (see article, p. xxxx) proclaims in 1 Corinthians
5:7, “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” This is necessary to salvation, for
as the writer of Hebrews explains, “[W]ithout the shedding of blood there is no forgive-
ness” (Hebrews 9:22). So the application is clear: Those protected by the blood of Christ
will be spared in the coming judgment. And as Jesus instructed in Matthew 26:26–29, His
followers still commemorate His sacrificial death (see article “The Death of Jesus,” p.
xxxx) by eating unleavened bread and drinking wine, which, respectively, represent His
broken body and spilled blood (see article “The Lord’s Supper,” p. xxxx). There is no need
for lamb’s blood when the Lamb’s blood has been offered, once for all, for deliverance.
With this understanding, Christians echo John the Baptist’s declaration, “Look, the Lamb
of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).

FOR FURTHER STUDY

J. A. Motyer, The Message of Exodus: The Days of Our Pilgrimage (Downers Grove, IL: InterVar-
sity, 2005); Peter E. Enns, Exodus, in NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan,
2000); Oswald T. Allis, God Spake by Moses: An Exposition of the Pentateuch (Philadelphia:
Presbyterian and Reformed, 1958); Brevard S. Childs, Book of Exodus (Louisville: West-
minster John Knox, 2004); Stephen G. Dempster, Dominion and Dynasty: A Biblical Theology
of the Hebrew Bible (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2003); Eugene H. Merrill, Kingdom of
Priests: A History of Old Testament Israel, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2008).

1. The description of the Passover event in Exodus does not specify that it was only firstborn males who were
killed, but this seems to have likely been the case, in light of the later parallels between the Passover event
and the requirement to redeem all firstborn Israelite males by offering a sacrifice at the temple (see Exodus
13:11–16).

8 2:58 PM 9780310080176_Storyline_Bible_Gen_Duet_p1.indd 123

5 3/13/18 2:58 PM
 F E AT U R E S

124   exoDus 12:23

23 When
the Lord goes through the land to well. 30 Pharaoh and all his of ficials and all
strike down the Egyptians, he will see the the Egyptians got up during the night, and
blood on the top and sides of the doorframe there was loud wailing in Egypt, for there
and will pass over that door way, and he will was not a house without someone dead.
not permit the destroyer to enter your hous­
es and strike you down. The exodus
24 “Obey these instruc
in struc tions as a last ing 31 Dur ing the night Pharaoh sum moned

ordinance for you and your descendants. Moses and Aaron and said, “Up! Leave my
Over 180 smaller articles r the land that the Lord
25 When you enter
people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship
will give you as he promised, observe this the Lord as you have requested. 32 Take your
that serve ascer
applications
emony. 26 And when your children ask flocks and herds, as you have said, and go.
of the topicsyou,
discussed in this ceremony mean to
‘What does And also bless me.”
you?’ 27 then tell them, ‘It is the Passover 33 The Egyptians urged the people to hur ry
the major articles
sacrifice to the Lord,, who passed over the and leave the country. “For other wise,” they
houses of the Israeliteses in Egypt and spared said, “we will all die!” 34 So the people took
our homes when he struck down the Egyp­ their dough before the yeast was added, and
tians.’ ” Then the peo
people
ple bowed down and car ried it on their shoulders in kneading
worshiped. 28 The Israelit
Israelites did just what the troughs wrapped in clothing. 35 The Israel­
Lord command anded
ed Moses
Moses and Aaron. ites did as Moses instructed and asked the
29 At mid night the Lord struck down all
Egyptians for ar ticles of silver and gold and
the firstborn in Egypt, from the firstborn for clothing. 36 The Lord had made the Egyp­
of Pharaoh,
Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the tians favorably disposed toward the people,
firstborn of the pris
firstborn prisoner,
oner,
er who was in the dun­ and they gave them what they asked for; so
geon, and the firstborn
firstborn of all the livestock as they plundered the Egyptians.

MOSES
ERA 3
THE EXODUS
Exodus 12:31–36

In the mind of an Israelite, there was no greater deliverance no more miraculous and
astonishing experience of salvation—than the Exodus. The people of Israel were in slav-
ery to an unrelenting Egyptian pharaoh—subject to backbreaking work and harsh living
conditions. So God sent Moses as a deliverer who would lead His people through the sea,
as if they were walking on dry land, and who would lead them to a land where they would
finally have true rest—rest from alienation, weariness, and frustration.
When the prophet Isaiah spoke about the future restoration of Israel, he loved to describe
a coming deliverer in terms reminiscent of Moses, the former deliverer. He would lead
people through the raging waters to a land of rest.
There are some who have suggested that the literary genre that we call a Gospel is unlike
any other in ancient literature, because it is modeled on one unique book: Exodus. And
that makes perfect sense; both describe an enslaving enemy, the sacrifices taken by the
deliverer to save His people, a great deliverance, and the hope of a promised land.
This explains why Jesus stilled the stormy seas and why He walked on water as if He were
on dry land. It’s why when Jesus was transfigured, Luke says that He was speaking with
Moses and Elijah about His departure; literally, His “exodus.” On the cross, Jesus defeated
the ultimate enslaving enemy—not Pharoah, but rather sin and death itself. And instead
of merely risking his life as Moses did, Jesus voluntarily gave His life.
Why? To lead us out of slavery and into a land of rest. This is why the writer of Hebrews
says that even though Moses did not bring God’s people to their appointed rest, because
Jesus Christ brought about a greater deliverance as a greater Moses, there is a Sabbath
rest yet to come for the people of God (Hebrews 3:1–6; 4:1–11).

For more information on this subject, see article “Exodus,” p. xxxx.

9780310080176_Storyline_Bible_Gen_Duet_p1.indd 124
6 3/13/18 2:58 PM
 Over 200 full-color
photos, graphs,
and charts
776   ProVErbS

ISRAEL
ERA 4
SOLOMON
Proverbs 1:1–7

Solomon’s Vast Wealth

1 Kings
Solomon owned a large palace as well as huge quantities of food and
livestock; he also owned the following:

12,000 horses 4:26

4,000 stalls for chariot horses 4:26

666 talents of gold received per year

(about 25 tons) 10:14
Ivory
540 talents of gold from Ophir and Sheba and
(about 20 1/2 tons) 9:28; 10:10 gold
throne
10:18
500 gold shields 10:16–17

Fleet of trading ships Gold goblets; Revenues from Precious Large

that brought him all household merchants, traders, stones quantities
gold, silver, ivory, articles pure governors, Arabian 10:10 of spices
apes and baboons gold kings 10:10
10:22 10:21 10:15

Solomon was so wealthy that he made silver as common as stones! 10:27

SYNOPSIS
King Solomon ruled Israel during its golden age. He had great wisdom, given by God, but
he ultimately turned away from God into compromise with idolatrous practices. The last
to rule over a united kingdom, Solomon brought Israel to its height but unfortunately also
set it on the path toward ruin.

BACKGROUND
Solomon was conceived through David’s (see article, p. xxxx) union with Bathsheba (2 Sam-
uel 12:24–25).1 Though he was David’s tenth son, Solomon became king of Israel when
his mother and the prophet Nathan intervened on his behalf shortly before his father’s
death. His son Rehoboam succeeded him as king of Judah in Jerusalem (1 Kings 11:43;
see article, p. xxxx).

9780310080176_Storyline_Bible_03_Job_SS_p1.indd 776
7 3/26/18 10:55 AM
 F E AT U R E S

NEW NEW
EASY TO READ
EASY TO READ
Comfort 1476   1 CoRInTHIans
nTHI 12:7
Print ®
7 Now to each one the man ifestation of the second prophets, third teachers, then mir­
or the common good. 8 To one
Spirit is given for acles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of
Exclusive NEW
Zondervan
there
EASY TOis given through the Spirit a message
READ guidance, and of different kinds of tongues.
Comfort
NIV Comfort Print
of wis®Print
dom,
®
another a m
m, to another message of knowl­ 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all

edge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to anoth­
typeface er faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts
of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another
mirac u lousus powers,
powers, to another prophecy,
to another dis
distinguish
tinguishing between spirits,
to another speak
speaking
ing in dif ferent kinds of
a
tongues, and to still another the inter pre­
ngues. 11 All these are the work of
tation of tongues. a
one and the same Spirit, and he distributes
them to each one, just as he determines.
Unity and Diversity in the Body
12 Just as a body, though
tho one, has many
parts, but all its many parts form one body,
so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all bap­
tized by b one Spirit so as to form one body —
whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free — and
we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
14 Even so the body is not made up of one
part but of many.
15 Now if the foot should say, “Be cause I
am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,”
it would not for that reason stop being part
of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Be­
cause I am not an eye, I do not belong to the
body,” it would not for that reason stop being
part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an
eye, where would the sense of hearing be?
If the whole body were an ear, where would
the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has
placed the parts in the body, every one of
them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they
were all one part, where would the body be?
20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
21 The eye can not say to the hand, “I don’t
need you!” And the head cannot say to the
feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary,
those parts of the body that seem to be weak­
er are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we
think are less honorable we treat with special
honor. And the parts that are unpresentable
are treated with special modesty, 24 while our
presentable parts need no special treatment.
But God has put the body together, giv ing
greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so
teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have
gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues c ?
Do all inter pret? 31 Now eagerly desire the
greater gifts.
Love Is Indispensable
And yet I will show you the most excel­
lent way.
13 If I speak in the tongues d of men or of
angels, but do not have love, I am only
a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I
have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all
mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a
faith that can move mountains, but do not
have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I pos­
sess to the poor and give over my body to
hardship that I may boast, e but do not have
love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not
envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It
does not dishonor others, it is not self­seek­
ing, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record
of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but
rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects,
always trusts, always hopes, always perse­
veres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are
prophecies, they will cease; where there are
tongues, they will be stilled; where there is
knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know
in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when
completeness comes, what is in part disap­
pears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a
child, I thought like a child, I rea soned like
a child. When I became a man, I put the ways
of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see
only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall
see face to face. Now I know in part; then I
shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope
and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Intelligibility in Worship
14 Follow the way of love and eagerly de­
sire gifts of the Spirit, especially proph­
ecy. For anyone who speaks in a tongue f
2

that there should be no division in the body, does not speak to people but to God. Indeed,
but that its parts should have equal concern no one understands them; they utter myster­
for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every ies by the Spirit. 3 But the one who prophesies
part suffers with it; if one part is honored, speaks to people for their strengthening, en­
every part rejoices with it. a 10 b 13 Or with; or
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and Or languages; also in verse 28
in c 30 Or other languages d 1 Or languages
each one of you is a part of it. 28 And God e3Some manuscripts body to the flames f 2 Or in

has placed in the church first of all apostles, another language; also in verses 4, 13, 14, 19, 26 and 27

9780310080176_Storyline_Bible_06_Rom_Rev_p1.indd 1476
8 4/10/18 2:54 PM
 UNCORRECTED PROOF

GENESIS
IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED
THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH.

GENESIS 1:1

I N T R O D U CT ION
God had just created planet earth. The land teemed with animals, colorful plants stretched as
far as the eye could see, and cool rivers meandered through the landscape. But something was
missing. So the Lord scooped dust from the ground, fashioned it into a man, and breathed life
into his nostrils. A short time later, He caused the man to fall into a deep sleep, took one of his
ribs, and created a woman from it. Now the creation was complete. It had God’s crowning jewel—
humans—living in it. They would do what no animal could: serve as God’s “managers” to carry
out His decrees and care for His world. Finally, with all the elements of this new world in place,
God rested.

B AC KGR O U N D
“Genesis,” a Greek word meaning “origin,” is a fitting title for the book containing this story, for it
is the book of beginnings. Indeed, Genesis lays the groundwork for all that follows in Scripture. It
shows that the universe was created from nothing, ex nihilo, by the decree of God. And it estab-
lishes that before space, time, or matter came to be, God existed. Genesis even provides an early
glimpse into the foundational doctrine of the Trinity. For God the Father decided to create; His
Word, later revealed to be Jesus Christ (John 1:1–18), accomplished the creation; and His Spirit “was
hovering over the waters” (Genesis 1:2). Traditionally the authorship of Genesis has been ascribed
to Moses in the second millennium BC, along with the other four books of the Pentateuch. Indeed,
Jesus Himself credited Moses with writing these books (Mark 7:10; John 5:46).

CONT E NT
Genesis can be divided into two major sections: Chapters 1–11 depict the history of the world be-
fore Abraham. That includes God’s creation of the universe, humanity’s catastrophic decision to
sin and the resultant curse on creation, a flood that destroyed all humanity except one man and
his family, and humanity’s prideful rebellion against God at the Tower of Babel.
Chapters 12–50 begin the story of God’s dealings with one family. The Lord revealed Himself to
the first patriarch, Abraham, in Genesis 12, promising to give him land, make him a great nation,
and bless all peoples of the earth through his descendants (Genesis 12:1–3). The remainder of
Genesis shows how God began to fulfill those promises to Abraham’s son Isaac, Isaac’s son Jacob,
and Jacob’s twelve sons, especially Joseph. The book ends with Jacob’s entire family moving to
Egypt to gain relief from a great famine.
 UNCORRECTED PROOF

STOR Y L INE
When God rebuked Satan in Genesis 3:15, He outlined the plot of the entire rest of the Bible: “I
will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush
your head, and you will strike his heel.” Indeed, the devil would fight against Eve’s descendants;
but one of them, Jesus of Nazareth, would deal him a fatal blow by defeating sin and death on
the cross. Because Genesis encapsulates many foundational truths, it is not surprising that many
New Testament books reference this book in some way. For example, Jesus, Paul, and the author
of Hebrews draw from the Bible’s opening book to give the basis for marriage (Matthew 19:4–5),
explain humanity’s fallen condition (Romans 5:12), and provide examples of walking by faith (He-
brews 11). And key salvation-related concepts like sin, covenant, sacrifice, judgment, mercy, and
obedience all have their origins in this book.

O U T L INE
1. The universe, the earth, and human beings (1:1–2:25)
2. The fall of humanity and the results of sin (3:1–5:32)
3. The story of Noah (6:1–9:29)
4. The scattering of the human race (10:1–11:32)
5. The life of Abraham (12:1–25:18)
6. Isaac and his family (25:19–26:35)
7. Jacob and his sons (27:1–37:1)
8. The life of Joseph (37:2–50:26)

T H E 7 E R A S

For topical study, please refer to the index on p. xxxx.

 UNCORRECTED PROOF
Genesis 1:12   3

The Beginning arated the water under the vault from

1 In the beginning God created the heav­
ens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was
formless and empty, dark ness was over
the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of
9 And God said, “Let the water under the
God was hovering over the waters.
3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and
there was light. 4 God saw that the light
was good, and he sepa rated the light
from the dark ness. 5 God called the
light “day,” and the dark ness he called
“night.” And there was evening, and
there was morning — the first day.
6 And God said, “Let there be a vault be­
tween the waters to separate water from
water.” 7 So God made the vault and sep­
the water above it. And it was so. 8 God
called the vault “sky.” And there was
evening, and there was morning — the
second day.
sky be gathered to one place, and let dry
ground appear.” And it was so. 10 God
called the dry ground “land,” and the
gathered waters he called “seas.” And
God saw that it was good.
11 Then God said, “Let the land pro­
duce vegetation: seed­bear ing plants
and trees on the land that bear fruit
with seed in it, according to their var­
ious kinds.” And it was so. 12 The land
produced vegetation: plants bear ing

CREATION
CREATION OF EVERYTHING
ERA 1
OUT OF NOTHING Genesis 1:1

SYNOPSIS
The Christian doctrine of creatio ex nihilo (to use its Latin expression) states that God cre-
ated all that existed out of nothing; the Lord did not simply rework material was already
there. This means that God is utterly transcendent, distinct from, and sovereign over His
entire creation.
STATEMENT OF THE DOCTRINE
God (see article, p. xxxx) alone is eternal. There was nothing before there was God. God
did not form the universe from preexistent matter but brought into existence all that was
(see article “The Creation Event,” p. xxxx). Thus, everything in the universe is under His
control and is dependent upon Him for its continuing existence. This doctrine is captured
in the opening words of the ancient Nicene Creed,1 “We believe in one God, the Father, the
Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.”
HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION
Atheists have always proclaimed the self-sufficiency of the material world, but even some
thinkers who believe in a deity have relegated their god to manipulating already-existing
material at hand. This was the approach of Plato in his dialogue the Timaeus, 2 and Lucretius
in his poem On the Nature of Things.3 Their perspective influenced some early Christian
philosophers, but by the second century AD, thanks to the writing of Theophilus of Antioch,
Clement of Alexandria, and Tertullian, the Church clarified the doctrine of creation ex nihilo.
Finally, in the fourth century, Augustine, writing in Confessions, firmly secured this doctrine
in the Church.4
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DOCTRINE
Throughout the centuries secular philosophers have reasoned that, if God used unformed
matter to create the universe, then matter must be coeternal with God (as the Greeks be-
lieved) or even identical with God (as pantheism teaches). Against these errors, the doctrine
of creatio ex nihilo maintains the rule of God over everything and the utter dependence of
everything upon His continuing indulgence. So miracles are an integral part of God’s work
in the world, and nothing can threaten His plans. Thus, without the slightest hindrance,
the Lord superintends history according to His perfect purposes.
 UNCORRECTED PROOF
4   Genesis 1:13

seed according to their kinds and trees
bearing fruit with seed in it according
to their kinds. And God saw that it was
good. 13And there was evening, and there
was morning — the third day.
14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the
vault of the sky to separate the day from
the night, and let them serve as signs to
mark sacred times, and days and years,
15 and let them be lights in the vault of
the sky to give light on the earth.” And
it was so. 16 God made two great lights —
the greater light to govern the day and
the lesser light to govern the night. He
also made the stars. 17 God set them in
the vault of the sky to give light on the
earth, 18 to govern the day and the night,
and to separate light from darkness. And
God saw that it was good. 19 And there
was evening, and there was morning —
the fourth day.
20 And God said, “Let the water teem with
liv ing creatures, and let birds fly above
the earth across the vault of the sky.” 21So
God created the great creatures of the
sea and every liv ing thing with which
the water teems and that moves about
in it, according to their kinds, and every
winged bird according to its kind. And
God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed
them and said, “Be fruitful and increase
in number and fill the water in the seas,
and let the birds increase on the earth.”
23 And there was evening, and there was
morning — the fifth day.
24 And God said, “Let the land produce liv­
ing creatures according to their kinds:
the livestock, the creatures that move
along the ground, and the wild animals,
each according to its kind.” And it was so.
25 God made the wild animals according

CREATION OF EVERYTHING
OUT OF NOTHING (CONTINUED)
Genesis 1:1

STORYLINE
The creation account in Genesis 1 makes no mention of prior material. God simply spoke
everything into existence. This truth is echoed throughout the Bible, including the testimony
of such New Testament passages as Colossians 1:16 (“For in him all things were created:
things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers
or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him”), Acts 17:24 (which
speaks of “the God who made the world and everything in it”), and Hebrews 11:3 (“By faith
we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was
not made out of what was visible”).

FOR FURTHER STUDY

Robert Louis Wilken, The Christians as the Romans Saw Them (New Haven: Yale University
Press, 1984), 83–90; Jaroslav Pelikan, The Emergence of the Catholic Tradition (100–600) (Chi-
cago: University of Chicago Press, 1971), 35–37; Gerhard May, Creatio ex Nihilo: The Doctrine
of ‘Creation out of Nothing’ in Early Christian Thought, trans. A. S. Worrall (Edinburgh: T&T
Clark, 2004); Paul Copan, “Is Creatio Ex Nihilo a Post-Biblical Invention? An Examination of
Gerhard May’s Proposal,” Trinity Journal 17 (Spring 1996): 77–93; Paul Copan and William
Lane Craig, Creation out of Nothing: A Biblical, Philosophical, and Scientific Exploration (Grand
Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004).

1. 4th century AD
2. Plato presented God as the wise craftsman who fashioned the world from preexistent matter just as a potter
models a lump of unformed clay.
3. In this poem, he declared, “Nothing from nothing, that is Nature’s law. Because there must be seed from which
they spring.” See Lucretius, On the Nature of Things, trans. Robert Andrew Allison (A. L. Humphreys, 1919), 10.
4. An interesting side note: It was Galen, the second-century Greek physician and opponent of Christianity, who
led out in arguing that Genesis taught creatio ex nihilo. See Galen’s work On the Usefulness of the Parts of the
Body (written approximately 170 AD). He recognized that Moses’ biblical account did not mention pre-existent
matter and thus implied creatio ex nihilo. The physician then rejected Genesis and argued that Plato’s view was
correct.
 UNCORRECTED PROOF
Genesis   5

CREATION
ERA 1
THE CREATION EVENT
Genesis 1:1–31

SYNOPSIS
Genesis chapters 1 and 2 provide the foundation for the entire biblical story, demonstrat-
ing God’s ownership, ordering, protection, and love for the world He Himself had made.
GOD BEFORE CREATION
The Bible introduces readers immediately to the creating God, the main character of the
biblical story. God is eternal, all-powerful, and personal. The opening verses of Genesis
show a primordial world where “the earth was formless and empty” and “darkness was
over the surface of the deep” (Genesis 1:2). God the Spirit hovered over the waters and
by His word commanded all things into existence, ordering their design and purpose.1
THE ORDERING OF THE WORLD
Over a period of six days, the Lord engaged in a series of creative acts, each introduced by
the phrase, “and God said” and most including the refrain, “it was good.”2
On the first day, God spoke, “Let there be light,” and light became a reality. God pronounced
the light good, calling the light “day,” and the darkness “night.”3
On the second day, God ordered the heavens, separating the skies into the waters of heaven
and the waters of the earth.4
On the third day, God ordered the waters of the earth to gather together into seas and set
boundaries for the dry land.5 He made the ground fruitful, causing it to sprout seed-bearing
plants, grasses, and trees.
On the fourth day, God created the sun, the moon, and the stars.
On the fifth day, God filled the waters with living creatures, and the skies with birds. He
blessed these living things, giving them the ability to procreate and fill the earth. The earth
teemed with life.
On the sixth day, God created the wild animals and livestock. Then, as the crown of God’s
handiwork, He created the first human from the dust of the earth and called him Adam

PARALLEL DAYS
Genesis 1

Day 1: Light Day 4: Sun and moon

Day 2: Water and sky Day 5: Fish and birds
Day 3: Plant life Day 6: Animals and people

Beautiful! God’s power, wisdom, and sense of order are

revealed in the parallels between days 1–3 and 4–6.
 UNCORRECTED PROOF
6   Genesis

THE CREATION EVENT

(CONTINUED)
Genesis 1:1–31

(see article, p. xxxx). Adam was commissioned to watch over and care for creation and, as
a steward, to bring all of it under subjection and order (see article “Humanity, the Crown
of Creation,” p. xxxx).
Finally, on the seventh day, seeing that everything was “very good,” God rested from His
work, culminating the creation act and establishing an order for work and rest. The creation
was complete, requiring only the sustaining grace of God’s presence.6
HUMANITY IN GOD’S PLAN
While God is the central character of the biblical story, there are other characters as well.
Adam and Eve were placed in the Garden of Eden where they enjoyed special communion
with God and were given the tasks of procreation, cultivation, and classification (see articles
“Adam,” p. xxxx, “Eve,” p. xxxx, and “The Garden of Eden,” p. xxxx). Through patterns of
work, rest, and intimacy, they glorified their Creator. Nothing was lacking.

STORYLINE
Genesis chapters 1 and 2 show the origins of the world, revealing the Creator to be all-
powerful (omnipotent), all-knowing (omniscient), ever-present (omnipresent), and good.
The Lord is intimately involved in every aspect of His creation, which He ordered according
to His plan and called “very good” (see article “God,” p. xxxx). But, according to Genesis
3, something drastic and traumatic happened (see article “The Fall,” p. xxxx). The biblical
story is a story of creation and covenant, rebellion and fall, and redemption and restora-
tion. What began in a primordial garden will end in a celestial city (Revelation 21:1–27).

FOR FURTHER STUDY

K. A. Mathews, Genesis 1–11:26, vol. 1a, New American Commentary (Nashville: Broad-
man & Holman, 1996); Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 1–15, vol. 1, Word Biblical Commentary
(Waco, TX: Word, 1987); Timothy Keller, What Were We Put in the World to Do? (New York:
Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2006); Bruce K. Waltke, Genesis: A Commentary (Grand
Rapids: Zondervan, 2001); Victor P. Hamilton, The Book of Genesis: Chapters 1–17 (Grand
Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990); Kenton L. Sparks, Ancient Texts for the Study of the Hebrew Bible:
A Guide to the Background Literature (Peabody: Hendrickson, 2005); Tremper Longman III,
How to Read Genesis (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2005).

1. The Bible brings this plurality of God’s personhood into greater detail—the Trinity, with the three persons of
God coexistent and eternal.
2. Every day except Day 2. The Greek Septuagint “corrected” the omission, but English translations leave it out.
Some scholars posit that the term, “and God saw that it was good,” was omitted because the creation on Day 2
was as yet incomplete. Note that Day 3 includes this statement twice. For an examination of other Ancient Near
Eastern creation accounts see the article “Ancient Near Eastern Creation Artifacts.” p.xxxx.
3. This light did not come from the celestial bodies such as the sun and moon, as they were not yet created. Later
Scripture perhaps indicates that this light came from the very presence of God Himself (as the poet in Psalm
104:2 depicts the Creator wrapped in light as with a garment).
4. Genesis’ description of the expanse comes from the position of the observer (a feature the modern reader
should recognize running through this narrative).
5. The ancient cultures would recognize that the barrier between the seas and the dry land resulted from God’s
protective order, without which all life would be overrun by the waters.
6. As a whole, the six-day story of creation provides a unique literary picture: the opening three days (Genesis
1:3–13) change the barren world into a land that produces vegetation (Genesis 1:11–13), and the final three
days inundate the empty terrain with life above and below (Genesis 1:14–31). Days one and four regard light and
the light bearers; days two and five speak of the skies and waters that are filled with fowl and fish; and the third
couple, days three and six, concern the productivity of the land that sprouts its flora for the sustenance of the
created beast and human. Even the literary structure of the passage emphasizes the ordered and structured
results of God’s work, as opposed to its original disordered state. We might describe the first three days of
creation as a forming process and the final three days as God filling the newly formed world.
 UNCORRECTED PROOF
Genesis 2:2   7

to their kinds, the livestock according
to their kinds, and all the creatures
that move along the ground according
to their kinds. And God saw that it was
good.
26 Then God said, “Let us make man­
kind in our image, in our likeness, so
that they may rule over the fish in the
sea and the birds in the sky, over the
livestock and all the wild animals, a and
over all the creatures that move along
the ground.”
27 SoGod created mankind in his own
image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
28 God
blessed them and said to them,
“Be fruit ful and increase in number;
fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over
the fish in the sea and the birds in the
sky and over every liv ing creature that
moves on the ground.”
29Then God said, “I give you every seed­
bearing plant on the face of the whole
earth and every tree that has fruit with
seed in it. They will be yours for food.
30And to all the beasts of the earth and all
the birds in the sky and all the creatures
that move along the ground — everything
that has the breath of life in it — I give
every green plant for food.” And it was so.
31 God saw all that he had made, and it
was very good. And there was evening,
and there was morning — the sixth day.
2 Thus the heavens and the earth were
completed in all their vast array.
2 By the seventh day God had fin ished
the work he had been doing; so on the
a 26Probable reading of the original Hebrew text
(see Syriac); Masoretic Text the earth

CREATION
ERA 1
IMAGE OF GOD (IMAGO DEI)
Genesis 1:27

SYNOPSIS
God created humanity in His own image. This doctrine is a key to understanding the sa-
credness and dignity of every human life.
STATEMENT OF THE DOCTRINE
Among all the creatures of the earth, only human beings are made in God’s own image and
likeness. The Creator established a unique relationship with humanity, giving to humans
a special moral status and vesting them with dignity and respect.
HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION
Historically, there are several prominent interpretations of the imago Dei. First, the relational
view highlights God’s closeness to human beings in personal relationship. Second, the
structural view of the image of God points to certain qualities or abilities that distinguish
humans from animals: rational capacity, volition, moral awareness, and consciousness, for
instance. Finally, the functional view focuses on the functions humans are called to serve
in God’s created order: namely, to be dominion stewards over the earth (Genesis 1:28).
There is truth in all of these options. The most important point to make, however, is that
human beings, and only human beings, are imagers of God. This accords every human
being special status in God’s eyes (see Psalm 8) and requires that they be treated with
dignity and respect.
ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS
Human beings are, by nature, religious. They may even know that a powerful Deity exists
(see Romans 1:19–20 and Acts 17:22–28). Yet, as Augustine famously said, “[O]ur heart is
restless until it rests in you [God].”1 Furthermore, God loves human beings. He sent His
own Son in human flesh to die for human beings. Finally, He is concerned for the ways
humans treat one another. The doctrine of the sanctity of every human life and the notion
 UNCORRECTED PROOF
8   Genesis 2:3

seventh day he rested from all his work.
3 Then God blessed the seventh day and
made it holy, because on it he rested
from all the work of creat ing that he
had done.
trees grow out of the ground — trees that were
pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the
middle of the garden were the tree of life and
the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
10 A river water ing the garden flowed from

Eden; from there it was sepa rated into four

Adam and eve
4 This is the account of the heavens and
the earth when they were created, when the
Lord God made the earth and the heavens.
5 Now no shrub had yet appeared on the
earth a and no plant had yet sprung up, for
the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth
and there was no one to work the ground,
6 but streams b came up from the earth and
watered the whole sur face of the ground.
7 Then the Lord God formed a man c from
the dust of the ground and breathed into
his nostrils the breath of life, and the man
became a liv ing being.
8Now the Lord God had planted a garden in
the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he
headwaters. 11 The name of the first is the
Pi shon; it winds through the entire land of
Hav i lah, where there is gold. 12 (The gold of
that land is good; aromatic resin d and onyx
are also there.) 13 The name of the second riv­
er is the Gi hon; it winds through the entire
land of Cush. e 14 The name of the third river
is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of
Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
15 The Lord God took the man and put him
in the Garden of Eden to work it and take
care of it. 16 And the Lord God com manded
a 5 Or land ; also in verse 6 b 6 Or mist c 7 The
Hebrew for man (adam) sounds like and may be
related to the Hebrew for ground (adamah) ; it is
also the name Adam (see verse 20). d 12 Or good;

had formed. 9The Lord God made all kinds of pearls e 13 Possibly southeast Mesopotamia

IMAGE OF GOD (IMAGO DEI)

(CONTINUED)
Genesis 1:27

of human dignity form the basis for the Judeo-Christian conception of human rights and
the protection of human life from conception until natural death.

STORYLINE
The image of God (Latin: imago Dei) is one of the foundational concepts revealed in the
opening chapter of the Bible. Establishing a unique relationship with humans, the triune
God declared, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness” (Genesis 1:26a). In
short, the Bible teaches that to be human is to image God and to image God is to be human.
The doctrine of the image of God plays an important role in the history of salvation. The
author of Genesis teaches that Adam’s (see article, p. xxxx) son, Seth, was an imager of
God just as his father was (Genesis 5:1–3). Moreover, in the covenant (see article, p. xxxx)
God made with Noah (see article, p. xxxx) and his children after the flood (see article, p.
xxxx), the image of God is provided as the reason human life is distinct from animal life
(Genesis 9:6). Furthermore, the apostle James says that because all people are imagers
of God, we should not curse other humans (James 3:9).

FOR FURTHER STUDY

G. C. Berkouwer, Man: The Image of God (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1962); D. J. A. Clines,
“The Image of God in Man,” Tyndale Bulletin 19 (1968): 53–103; Anthony Hoekema, Created
in God’s Image (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986); Bruce Ware, “Male and Female Comple-
mentarity and the Image of God,” in Biblical Foundations for Manhood and Womanhood, ed.
Wayne Grudem (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2002): 71–92.

1. Augustine, Confessions, trans. Henry Chadwick (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998), 3. In other editions, see
the beginning of book 1.
 UNCORRECTED PROOF
Genesis   9

CREATION
ERA 1
THE GARDEN OF EDEN
Genesis 2:8

SYNOPSIS
The Bible portrays the wonderful Garden
of Eden as a historical location, essential
for understanding God’s intentions for
creation, mankind’s role in the world, and
the hope of eternal blessing. By word and
deed, God revealed, in Eden, both his love
and justice toward mankind. First, there
was peace and bounty; then there was
judgment and a promise of restoration—
all under the Lord’s sovereignty and provi-
dence.
Garden imagery such as pomegranates were later
DESCRIPTION OF THE GARDEN used to adorn Solomon’s temple (1 Kings 7:42).
©annat zisovich/Shutterstock

In Genesis 2, God (see article, p. xxxx)

placed mankind into a garden named
Eden, which He had planted near Mesopotamia (see article, p. xxxx).1 Here, Adam (see
article, p. xxxx) and Eve (see article, p. xxxx) were appointed stewards over creation. God
gave them work assignments (Genesis 1:28), but this activity was joyful, not a burden (see
article “Humanity, the Crown of Creation,” p. xxxx). The garden was beautiful and abundant,
containing “trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food” (Genesis 2:9). Indeed,
Eden provided for all human physical needs. And in this garden, God planted two special
trees, the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
EXPULSION FROM THE GARDEN
The Garden of Eden was a place of close communion with God, who is pictured as walking
in the garden (Genesis 3:8). Tragically, Adam and Eve fractured this fellowship by doing
the one thing God told them not to do: eating fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil. So the Lord cast them out and barred them from re-entry (see article “The Fall,”
p. xxxx). Thus they forfeited their wonderful home, for which humanity has yearned ever
since (see article “Alienation from God,” p. xxxx).
CONCLUSION
Eden shows the depth of God’s kindness and the enormity of human calamity. In this
garden, Adam and Eve had everything they needed but, absurdly, they grasped for more.
They exchanged their living dream for a nightmare, and a large measure of their grief lay
in recalling what they once enjoyed. Still, without a glimpse at Eden, humanity cannot
fully understand the rich provision and fellowship God promises those who turn to Him in
repentance (see article, p. xxxx) and faith (see article, p. xxxx).

STORYLINE
After Adam and Eve’s expulsion, the Garden of Eden provided a benchmark for later biblical
authors, as they pointed toward the relational intimacy God intended for His people. The
garden stood as a picture of hope for believers and a model for future blessing.2 Further-
more, garden imagery adorned the worship centers of Israel—the tabernacle (see article,
p. xxxx) in the wilderness and the temple (see article, p. xxxx) of Jerusalem. Finally, in the
book of Revelation, the Bible places a river and fruit-bearing trees (with healing leaves)
in the middle of the Holy City (Revelation 22:2), which is the destiny of the redeemed (see
 UNCORRECTED PROOF
10   Genesis

THE GARDEN OF EDEN

(CONTINUED)
Genesis 2:8

article “The End of History,” p. xxxx). Here men and women will again experience abun-
dance, safety, and intimacy with their Creator.

FOR FURTHER STUDY

G. K. Beale, The Temple and the Church’s Mission: A Biblical Theology of the Dwelling Place
of God (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2004); William W. Hallo and K. Lawson Younger,
The Context of Scripture (Leiden: Brill, 1997); K. A. Mathews, Genesis 1–11:26, vol. 1a, New
American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1996); Victor P. Hamilton, The Book
of Genesis: Chapters 1–17 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990); Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis
1–15, vol. 1, Word Biblical Commentary (Waco, TX: Word, 1987); Tremper Longman III, How
to Read Genesis (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2005).

1. Four rivers, the Pishon, Gihon, Tigris, and Euphrates, flowed from Eden. The latter two are the source of the
name “Mesopotamia,” which means “between the rivers” in Greek.
2. Outside the early chapters of Genesis, explicit reference to Eden occurs most often in Ezekiel (28:13; 31:9, 16,
18; 36:35). In the case of Isaiah 51:3, Ezekiel 36:35, and Joel 2:3, Eden appears as a symbol of life and fertility.
The first two references are set within oracles directed to Israelites in exile. In each, the Lord’s promise to
restore His people involves the restoration of the land of Israel from a desolate waste to a fertile place. It will be
like the Garden of Eden. In Joel 2:3 the opposite is the case with the threat of judgment in which the land, now
like the Garden of Eden, will be stripped bare by locusts.

THE GARDEN OF EDEN

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 UNCORRECTED PROOF
Genesis 2:20   11

the man, “You are free to eat from any tree
in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from
the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,
for when you eat from it you will cer tain­
ly die.”
18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for
the man to be alone. I will make a helper
suitable for him.”
19 Now the Lord God had formed out of the
ground all the wild animals and all the birds
in the sky. He brought them to the man to
see what he would name them; and whatev­
er the man called each liv ing creature, that
was its name. 20 So the man gave names to
all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all
the wild animals.
But for Adam a no suit able helper was
a 20 Or the man

CREATION
ERA 1
EVE
Genesis 2:18–24

SYNOPSIS
Eve was the first woman, the wife of Adam, and the mother of all humankind. She provided
perfect companionship and help until she fell to the temptation of the serpent. Mercifully,
God promised that her offspring would soundly defeat that evil one.
BACKGROUND
Adam’s Need
After the Lord created Adam (see article, p. xxxx) from the dust of the earth, He said: “It
is not good for the man to be alone: I will make a helper suitable for him” (Genesis 2:18).
God paraded the animals before Adam, giving him the job of “naming” or classifying them.
None was suitable for intimate communion, procreation, and stewardship with Adam.
PERSONALITY TRAITS AND CENTRAL ROLE
The Perfect Match
From Adam’s rib God fashioned a woman. When Adam awakened and saw Eve for the first
time he exclaimed, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called
‘woman’ [isha], because she was taken out of ‘man’ [ish]” (Genesis 2:23, [Hebrew words
added]). As the Christian commentator Matthew Henry said, “the woman was made of a
rib out of the side of Adam; not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet
to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be
protected, and near his heart to be beloved.”
This first human couple loved one another, communed with the living God in the refresh-
ing coolness of the garden (see article “The Garden of Eden,” p. xxxx), and tended the
land God created. They enjoyed a “one flesh” type of union and obeyed God’s command
to multiply, replenish the earth, and subdue it (Genesis 1:27–28; Genesis 2:24). Eden was
truly idyllic. Until . . .
Deception
Genesis 3 recounts the devastating events that led to what is called “the fall” (see article, p.
xxxx). Adam and Eve were forbidden only one thing: to eat from “the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil” (Genesis 2:17). God promised a curse if they did so (see article “Bless-
ings and Curses,” p. xxxx). Yet the crafty serpent (see article, p. xxxx) deceived the woman,
tempting her to disobey her loving Creator, eat the fruit, and give it to her husband. This
was the first human sin, and it sent humanity on a downward spiral of tragedy, rebellion,
and despair that still impacts the entire creation (see Romans 8:20–22; see also articles
“The Origin of Evil,” p. xxxx and “Alienation from God,” p. xxxx).
Consequences
The consequences of the fall were catastrophic. Pain became a hallmark of childbirth. Eve’s
intimacy with God was marred by shame, and her relationship with Adam was plagued by
strife. All their descendants inherit those grievous curses—even today.
 UNCORRECTED PROOF
12   Genesis 2:21

found. 21 So the Lord God caused the man The Fall

to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was
sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs a and
then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then
3 Now the serpent was more crafty than
any of the wild animals the Lord God
had made. He said to the woman, “Did God
the Lord God made a woman from the rib b really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree
he had taken out of the man, and he brought in the garden’?”
her to the man. 2 The wom an said to the ser pent, “We may
23 The man said,
eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but
“This is now bone of my bones God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from
and flesh of my flesh; the tree that is in the middle of the garden,
she shall be called ‘woman,’ and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ”
4 “You will not cer tainly die,” the serpent
for she was taken out
of man.” said to the woman. 5“For God knows that when
24 That
you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and
is why a man leaves his father and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
mother and is united to his wife, and they 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the
become one flesh. tree was good for food and pleasing to the
25 Adam and his wife were both na ked, and

they felt no shame. a 21 Or took part of the man’s side b 22 Or part

EVE
(CONTINUED)
Genesis 2:18–24

Despite Eve’s sin, however, God’s grace prevailed. Not only did she remain Adam’s wife,
bear children, and thus become “the mother of all the living” (Genesis 3:20), redemption
was provided through one of her descendants who finally defeated the serpent forever (see
Genesis 3:14–20)—a prophecy that pointed to the saving work of Jesus Christ.
Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden. They suffered, and all their offspring
still suffer, from the painful consequences of their disobedience.

STORYLINE
The Old Testament does not mention Eve again after Genesis 4:1. In the New Testament
Eve is provided as an illustration of how easy it is to be led astray by Satan (2 Corinthians
11:3, see article, p. xxxx). Furthermore, the apostle Paul (see article, p. xxxx) cites Eve’s
disobedience as a warning against confusion and disorder in the church (1 Timothy 2:13–14).
However, through Adam and Eve, intimacy with God and deep unity in marriage are in-
troduced. Adam, Eve, and their children formed the first family, one of God’s institutional
building blocks for civilization and human flourishing. Finally, God promised that one of
Eve’s offspring would crush the serpent who had unleashed such evil upon the world (see
article “Protoevangelion,” p. xxxx).1

FOR FURTHER STUDY

Paul D. Gardner, New International Encyclopedia of Bible Characters: The Complete Who’s
Who in the Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001); K. A. Mathews, Genesis 1–11:26, vol. 1a,
New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1996); Victor P. Hamilton,
The Book of Genesis: Chapters 1–17 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990); Gordon J. Wenham,
Genesis 1–15, vol. 1, Word Biblical Commentary (Waco, TX: Word, 1987); Tremper Longman III,
How to Read Genesis (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2005).

1. In fact, it is possible that Eve may have thought her first child was the promised Redeemer. The English trans-
lation of Genesis 4:1 supplies the words “with the help of.” Literally, the Hebrew simply reads, “I have gotten a
man, the Lord.” While Cain was decidedly not the Messiah, it makes sense that Eve may have initially thought
that God’s promise to her was coming true.
 UNCORRECTED PROOF

M AT T H E W
SO DO NOT W ORRY, S AYING, “ WHAT SHALL WE EAT?” OR
“ WHAT SHALL WE DRINK?” OR “ WHAT SHALL WE WEAR?” . . .
BUT SEEK FIRST HIS KINGDOM AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS,
AND ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU A S WELL.

M AT T H E W 6 : 3 1 , 3 3

I N T R O D U CT ION
As the crowds gathered, Jesus ascended a nearby mountain, called His disciples closer, and be-
gan to teach all within earshot. He started with a few short statements about what made one a
blessed person—and it was not money, power, or fame. He then led His hearers to look beyond
what was external—to the lust in their hearts, which was tantamount to adultery, and to the anger
that led to murder. He taught them the Golden Rule, to pray the Lord’s Prayer, and to be salt and
light. He even told them to love their enemies. It was spellbinding and revolutionary, a message
like no other: the Sermon on the Mount.

B AC KGR O U N D
Though Matthew is not named as the author within the book, tradition gives him that honor. For
one thing, he enjoyed apostolic authority as one of the Twelve. For another, the list of disciples
in 10:3 calls him a “tax collector.” None of the other Gospels adds this occupational note in their
lists, for it would have been insulting, since tax collectors were despised as instruments of the
hated Roman occupiers. But Matthew, in humility, could insult himself and underscore the grace
of Christ in saving him.
This Gospel was written by a Jew to his fellow Jews, wherein he sought to persuade them that
Jesus was the promised Messiah. The references to Judaism are plentiful. For instance, the Ser-
mon on the Mount makes comparisons to the Old Testament and the teaching of rabbis, with the
formula, “You have heard that it was said” / “But I tell you.” Still, the Sermon assures hearers that
Jesus came not to “abolish the Law or the Prophets,” but rather to “fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17).
Then, beyond the Sermon, the Old Testament connections include the genealogy in chapter 1,
tracing Jesus’ lineage back to Abraham; Jesus’ comparing John the Baptist to Elijah in 11:14; the
habit of referring to Jesus as the “son of David” (e.g., Matthew 1:1; 9:27; 12:23); and accounts of
face-to-face clashes with the Pharisees, as in chapters 15 and 16.

CONT E NT
In addition to the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew contains other great teaching sections, obvi-
ous by the red lettering in some Bible versions. One section in chapter 13 focuses on parables,
covering some not mentioned in the other Gospels; e.g., the parables of the hidden treasure and
the pearl (Matthew 13:44–46). Another in chapter 18 offers community instructions, including
 UNCORRECTED PROOF

what to do about a persistently sinful believer. Yet another in chapters 23–25 speaks of the end
times, and Matthew alone uses the image of sheep and goats to describe the division of the lost
and the redeemed in the final judgment. Finally, at the end of the Gospel, the risen Christ delivers
his “Great Commission” (Matthew 28:18–20), whereby He sets out the global task of the Church,
with supporting assurances:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And
surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

S TOR Y L INE
Matthew leads us from one mountain—Sinai, where God gave the law to Moses—to a seaside hill
in Galilee, where Jesus proclaimed the deeper truths of kingdom life. Also, this Gospel presents
a new altar as well as new teaching: in Moses’ day, lambs were sacrificed at the tabernacle; but
here, in Matthew, the Lamb of God is sacrificed on the cross for the sins of His people, once for all.

O U T L INE
1. Background and preparation (1:1–4:25)
2. The Galilean ministry (5:1–18:35)
3. The Sermon on the Mount (5:1–7:29)
4. The ministry through miracles (8:1–10:42)
5. Teaching through parables (11:1–13:52)
6. Opposition and withdrawal (13:53–16:12)
7. Jesus as the Son of God (16:13–18:35)
8. The final period (19:1–28:20)
9. Toward Jerusalem (19:1–20:34)
10. The Triumphal Entry (21:1–17)
11. Christ as teacher (21:18–25:46)
12. Trial, death, and burial (26:1–27:66)
13. Resurrection and ascension (28:1–20)

T H E 7 E R A S

For topical study, please refer to the index on p. xxxx.

 UNCORRECTED PROOF
Matthew 1:1   1177

the Genealogy of Jesus 5 Sal mon the father of Boaz, whose

the Messiah mother was Rahab,

1 This is the genealogya of Jesus the Messi­ Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother
ahb the son of David, the son of Abraham: was Ruth,
2 Abraham
Obed the father of Jesse,
was the father of Isaac, 6 and Jesse the father of King David.
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his David was the father of Solomon, whose
brothers, mother had been Uriah’s wife,
3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, 7 Solomon the father of Rehoboam,

whose mother was Tamar, Rehoboam the father of Abijah,

Perez the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
4 Ram the father of Amminadab,
Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Abijah the father of Asa,
8 Asa the father of Jehoshaphat,
a1Or is an account of the origin b 1 Or Jesus
Christ. Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) both
mean Anointed One; also in verse 18.

JESUS
MESSIANIC FULFILLMENT:
ERA 6
JESUS’ GENEALOGY Matthew 1:1–17

The purpose of Matthew’s version of Jesus’ genealogy is twofold. First, as many Bible com-
mentators are quick to point out, Matthew employs the genealogy of Jesus to demonstrate
that He is the legitimate heir to the throne of David.
This is more than simply a list of names authenticating Jesus’ royal credentials. There’s a
second, even larger purpose for the genealogy. Matthew uses Jesus’ genealogy not merely
to demonstrate that Jesus is the legitimate heir to the Davidic throne, but that He’s the
messianic Son of David who has come to inaugurate the restoration of Israel and bring
about the physical and spiritual redemption of His people from exile.
And that’s the key to understanding Matthew’s genealogy. This “end-of-exile” theme forms
an overarching story. Using the genealogy, Matthew signals the reader that Jesus has come
in fulfillment of God’s promise to redeem Israel. He divides Israel’s past and present into
three great periods of history: from Abraham to David; from David to the exile; and from
the exile to Jesus.
The first group of names reminds Matthew’s readers of God’s covenant with Abraham and
His promise to make his descendants a great nation—a promise that came to fruition in
“David the king.” The second group reminds Matthew’s readers of the national disaster
that befell God’s people because of covenant unfaithfulness and sin.
Now, in verses 12 through 16, Matthew reveals that the shame and humiliation of exile is
over. The third group of names brings Israel’s history to a dramatic climax with the coming
of the Messiah. From Matthew’s perspective, the genealogy of Jesus parallels—and more
importantly, fulfills—the history of Israel’s sin, exile, and ultimate restoration!
The summary statement of verse 17 makes it clear that Matthew attaches symbolic value to
the number fourteen and the division of Israel’s history into these three groups of fourteen
generations each. David is spelled dalet-vav-dalet in Hebrew. When the numeric value of
each Hebrew letter in the name is added up, we arrive at the number fourteen. Matthew
uses this wordplay between the name David and the number fourteen to emphasize the
theme of God’s covenant with David and its fulfillment in Jesus, the ultimate Son of David.
The purpose of Matthew’s genealogy is more theological than chronological. From Mat-
thew’s perspective, the whole of Israel’s history is about God’s covenant with David, and
that covenant comes to its climax with the birth of Jesus the Messiah.

For more information on this subject, see article “Messianic Fulfillment,” p. xxxx.
 UNCORRECTED PROOF
1178   Matthew 1:8

Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram, 15 Elihud the father of Eleazar,

Jehoram the father of Uzziah, Eleazar the father of Matthan,

9 Uzziah the father of Jotham,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
Jotham the father of Ahaz, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the

Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,
10 Hezekiah the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amon,
Amon the father of Josiah,
11 and Josiah the father of Jeconiaha and
husband of Mary, and Mary was the
mother of Jesus who is called the
Messiah.
17Thus there were fourteen generations in all

his brothers at the time of the exile
to Babylon.
12 After the exile to Babylon:
Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
13 Zerubbabel the father of Abihud,
Abihud the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
14 Azor the father of Zadok,
Zadok the father of Akim,
from Abraham to David, fourteen from David
to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the
exile to the Messiah.
Joseph accepts Jesus as his Son
18This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah
came aboutb: His mother Mary was pledged to
be married to Joseph, but before they came to­
gether, she was found to be pregnant through
the Holy Spirit. 19Because Joseph her husband
a 11 That is, Jehoiachin; also in verse 12 b 18 Or

Akim the father of Elihud, The origin of Jesus the Messiah was like this

JESUS
ERA 6
JOSEPH
Matthew 1:18–25

SYNOPSIS
Joseph, a Jew from Nazareth, was Jesus’ earthly father, but he had no role in His conception.
A righteous man who worked as a carpenter, Joseph cared well for his wife, Mary, during
her pregnancy and demonstrated his faith by protecting the child Jesus after His birth.
BACKGROUND
The genealogy of Joseph, as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, connected Abraham (the
cornerstone figure of the Jewish faith; see article, p. xxxx) and the kingly figures of David
(see article, p. xxxx) and Solomon (see article, p. xxxx) to this humble Nazarene man whose
son was the Deliverer and Savior of Israel (Matthew 1:1–17).
PERSONALITY TRAITS
It had to be humiliating to learn that his betrothed,1 Mary (see article, p. xxxx), was preg-
nant, and not by him. Joseph could have reacted with angry retaliation, but he showed
compassion in thinking how to protect her from disgrace and the stoning that a supposed
adulteress might well receive in those days (Deuteronomy 22:22; Matthew 1:19). Then
an angel visited Joseph in a dream, telling him to wed Mary. The angel revealed that the
child was conceived by the Holy Spirit (see article “God the Holy Spirit,” p. xxxx) and would
“save his people from their sins ” (Matthew 1:20–21; see articles “Forgiveness,” p. xxxx,
and “Sin,” p. xxxx). When he awoke, Joseph obeyed without reservation (Matthew 1:24–25).
Later, when Herod (see article “Herod the Great,” p. xxxx) sought to kill the infant Jesus,
Joseph twice followed the directions of an angel in order to protect his family (Matthew
2:13–21). Though there was both stigma and danger attached to standing by Mary through
her pregnancy and early motherhood, Joseph was steadfast in his devotion and care.
As a child and youth, Jesus submitted to Joseph’s family leadership, under which He “grew
in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:50–52). It is likely that Jo-
seph died before Jesus began His earthly ministry. Nevertheless, he is justly celebrated
today as an extraordinarily righteous (see article “Righteousness,” p. xxxx), humble, and
self-sacrificial man.2
 UNCORRECTED PROOF
Matthew 2:6   1179

was faithful to the law, and yeta did not want to the Magi Visit the Messiah

expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind
to divorce her quietly.
20But after he had considered this, an angel
of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and
said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to
take Mary home as your wife, because what is
conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She
will give birth to a son, and you are to give
him the name Jesus,b because he will save his
people from their sins.”
22All this took place to fulfill what the Lord
had said through the prophet: 23“The virgin
will conceive and give birth to a son, and they
will call him Immanuel”c (which means “God
with us”).
24When Joseph woke up, he did what the an­
gel of the Lord had commanded him and took
Mary home as his wife. 25But he did not con­
summate their marriage until she gave birth
to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
2
Af ter Jesus was born in Beth lehem in
Judea, during the time of King Herod,
Magi d from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and
asked, “Where is the one who has been born
king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose
and have come to worship him.”
3 When King Herod heard this he was dis­
turbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When
he had called together all the people’s chief
priests and teachers of the law, he asked
them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In
Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this
is what the prophet has written:
6 “ ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of
Judah,
a 19 Or was a righteous man and b 21 Jesus is the
Greek form of Joshua, which means the Lord saves.
c 23 Isaiah 7:14 d 1 Traditionally wise men

ROLE WITHIN THE BIBLICAL STORY

Joseph had a small but important function in the story of Jesus Christ. As Jesus’ earthly
father, he was the Lord’s early guardian and guide. Thus, when Jesus instructed His dis-
ciples (see article “Jesus’ Disciples,” p. xxxx) to open their prayers with the words, “Our
Father” (Matthew 6:9), He knew well how a righteous earthly father could prepare a person
for understanding the Heavenly Father.

STORYLINE
Joseph connects with the rest of Scripture in a variety of ways. He joins Abraham and Jacob
(see article, p. xxxx) as an example of godly fatherhood.3 But the overarching connection is
found in Matthew 1, where Jesus’ genealogy is traced back through Joseph to both David
and Abraham. Thus, by virtue of Joseph’s role as earthly father, God fulfilled His covenant
promise (see article “Davidic Covenant,” p. xxxx) to raise up a Davidic king and to “establish
the throne of his kingdom forever” (2 Samuel 7:12–17; see article, “Kingdom of God,” p. xxxx).

FOR FURTHER STUDY

Paul D. Gardner, New International Encyclopedia of Bible Characters: The Complete Who’s
Who in the Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001); Raymond Brown, The Birth of the Messiah:
A Commentary on the Infancy Narratives in Matthew and Luke (New York: Doubleday, 1999).

1. In first-century Jewish culture, betrothal was roughly equivalent to modern engagement, though families were
much more intimately involved and the betrothal was more binding than an engagement. Breaking a betrothal
was a very serious matter.
2. Touchstone: A Journal of Mere Christianity, vol. 22, issue 2 (March 2009) gives special emphasis to Joseph
through three helpful articles: “The Good Father” by Joseph R. Fornieri; “Abba, Joseph!: What the (Other)
Father of Jesus Can Teach Us about Christian Mission in the Twenty-First Century” by Russell D. Moore; and
“Father Joseph” by Patrick Henry Reardon.
3. Furthermore, some, such as Bernard of Clairvaux, see parallels between the Joseph of the Gospels and the
Joseph of Genesis: both were forced into Egypt by potential murderers; both received instructions through
dreams; and both provided bread, whether literal or figurative, to the children of Israel.
 UNCORRECTED PROOF
1180   Matthew

AFTER EXILE
ERA 5
HEROD THE GREAT
Matthew 2:1–12

SYNOPSIS
Herod the Great (73 BC—4 BC ) oversaw
HEROD THE GREAT the transition of Palestine from Hasmo-
nean rule to a Roman province. Though
Age
Second son of Herod a capable administrator, Herod alienat-
25 Antipater II; becomes ed his conservative Jewish subjects and
governor of Galilee in 47 BC
heightened expectations for the entrance
Appointed as of a legitimate Jewish king who would fill
? governor
of Syria the throne of David.
Becomes BACKGROUND
32–35 king of
Judea The autonomous Jewish Hasmonean
Defeats Arabs despite kingdom established by the Maccabean
41? opposition by Cleopatra
and Octavian revolt (see article, p. xxxx) came to an
end when the Roman general Pompey
Executes his wife
43–44 (Mariamne), mother-in-law (see article, p. xxxx) invaded Palestine to
and brother-in-law put an end to the civil war between two
Rebuilds Samaria, Hasmonean rulers. After Pompey cap-
48? Jerusalem, Jericho and
Caesarea tured Jerusalem (63 BC), he left Judea
a Roman subsidiary under the author-
48
Builds royal palace
for himself
ity of Antipater,1 and the Roman Senate
later appointed Antipater’s son Herod as
Begins reconstruction of “king” of all Palestine (37 BC). Herod was
52 the temple, a magnificent
building project
an Idumean (i.e., Edomite), a descendant
of Isaac’s son Esau. Esau and his descen-
64
Kills his two sons dants were not chosen by the Lord to in-
Alexander and Aristobulus
herit the Abrahamic covenant (see article,
Sends the Magi to search p. xxxx), and thus tensions had existed
for Jesus, but they do not
return to him
between the Israelites and the Edomites
for centuries.2 Furthermore, during the
Kills all the male babies in
and near Bethlehem
Hasmonean period, Idumeans like Herod
67
were forced to convert to Judaism, but
Becomes ill just before his
death in 4 BC; leaves the Jews viewed them as false converts.
kingdom to his three sons: Herod attempted to gain Jewish accep-
Antipas, Philip and
Archelaus tance by marrying a Jewish Hasmonean
princess and by completely renovating
the temple of Jerusalem (see article “The
Second Temple,” p. xxxx), but he would
never be accepted by the people as a true king.
PERSONALITY TRAITS
Though Herod proved to be an extraordinary administrator, he was pathologically suspi-
cious of political threats to his power and could resort to extreme brutality. He murdered
his wife, the Hasmonean Mariamne, and several of their own children, when he suspected
their Hasmonean roots were raising expectations among the people for a legitimately Jewish
king. Throughout Herod’s rule, any possibility of revolt was treated with utter ruthlessness.
ROLE WITHIN THE BIBLICAL STORY
As a military leader, Herod subjugated Palestine to Roman rule. Whenever Hasmonean
partisans attempted to throw off foreign subjugation, Herod remained steadfastly loyal to the
Roman senate. With the blessing of Caesar Augustus, Herod swept through Galilee, Judea,
and Idumea, defeated resistant forces, and established permanent control of Jerusalem.
 UNCORRECTED PROOF
Matthew  1181

When Herod beheaded

the last Hasmonean king,
Jewish independence was
brought to an end after 126
years (163–37 BC). Thus,
Herod’s rule was contin-
ued through force of arms
rather than by the will of
the people.
Herod’s ambitious build-
ing programs were more
popular. He was a mas-
ter builder, and his proj-
ects became renowned
throughout the Roman Aerial view of Herod’s palace at Caesarea
Bill Schlegel/www.BiblePlaces.com
empire. He built magnifi-
cent palaces at Jericho
and Masada and transformed Caesarea into a Hellenistic port, complete with theater, am-
phitheater, and agora.3 Herod constructed a temple overlooking the harbor, in honor of the
goddess Roma and Caesar Augustus. In Jerusalem, Herod made marvelous architectural
contributions, the greatest of which was a complete renovation of the temple. However,
after he completed the temple renovation, he deeply offended the Jews of Jerusalem by
placing an eagle—the emblem of Roman rule—on the temple, and one of his last acts in
life was to oversee the execution of the Pharisee Jews who tore it down.
After his death, Herod’s kingdom was divided between his sons and brothers, including
Herod Antipas, Herod Archelaus, Herod Philip, and Herod Agrippa, all of whom play sig-
nificant roles in the biblical story.

STORYLINE
Herod’s only appearance in the Bible is in Matthew 2, an account emphasizing his cruelty.
Warned by the wise men from the east that a new “king of the Jews” had been born in
Bethlehem (see article, p. xxxx), he ordered the slaughter of all baby boys in Bethlehem and
the surrounding area who were less than two years of age (Matthew 2:16). As a usurper of
the Jewish throne and a wicked ruler, Herod had reason to be afraid, for the One who had
been born (see article “The Birth of Jesus,” p. xxxx) would one day reign “with justice and
with righteousness” over an everlasting kingdom (see article, p. xxxx) that included “all
nations, and peoples of every language” (Isaiah 9:7; Daniel 7:14). Though Herod reigned
over Jerusalem for a short time, this newborn King would reign forever.

FOR FURTHER STUDY

Ehud Netzer, The Architecture of Herod, the Great Builder (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2008);
Anson F. Rainey and R. Steven Notley, The Sacred Bridge: Carta’s Atlas of the Biblical World
(Jerusalem: Carta, 2006); Nikos Kokkinos, ed., The World of the Herods (Stuttgart: Franz
Steiner Verlag, 2007); Stewart Perowne, The Life and Times of Herod the Great (New York:
Abingdon, 1959); Michael Grant, Herod the Great (New York: American Heritage, 1971).

1. Antipater was an Idumean (i.e., Edomite) who had been appointed by the last of the Hasmonean kings to help
administer Judea. The Hasmonean rulers had given the Edomites the option either to accept circumcision (see
article, p. xxxx) and convert to Judaism or to leave Palestine under pain of death. In this way, the Edomites were
integrated into Judaism, but they always remained a distinct ethnic group.
2. See Ezekiel 25:12–14; Obadiah 1; Malachi 1:2–5.
3. An open place of assembly in ancient Greek city-states.
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