[jen-uh-sis] Pronunciation Key ] Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
[jen-uh-sis] Pronunciation Key | the first book of the Bible, dealing with the Creation and the Patriarchs. Abbreviation: Gen. |
[juh-nee-see-ak] Pronunciation Key, Gen·e·si·a·cal
[jen-uh-sahy-uh-kuhl] Pronunciation Key, Gen·e·sit·ic, adjective Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
| gen·e·sis
(jěn'ĭ-sĭs) Pronunciation Key
n. pl. gen·e·ses (-sēz')
[Latin, from Greek; see genə- in Indo-European roots.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
genesis
| genesis | |
noun | |
| 1. | a coming into being |
| 2. | the first book of the Old Testament: tells of Creation; Adam and Eve; the Fall of Man; Cain and Abel; Noah and the flood; God's covenant with Abraham; Abraham and Isaac; Jacob and Esau; Joseph and his brothers |
Genesis
The first book of the Old Testament; its first words are “In the beginning” (genesis is a Greek word for “beginning”). It covers the time from the beginning of the world through the days of the patriarchs, including the stories of the Creation, Adam and Eve, the Fall of Man, Cain and Abel, Noah and the Flood, God's covenant with Abraham, Abraham and Isaac, Jacob and Esau, and Joseph and his brothers.
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
genesis gen·e·sis (jěn'ĭ-sĭs)
n. pl. gen·e·ses (-sēz')
The coming into being of something; the origin.
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Genesis
Gen"e*sis\, n. [L., from Gr. ge`nesis, fr. the root of gi`gnesqai to beget, be born; akin to L. genus birth, race. See Gender.]1. The act of producing, or giving birth or origin to anything; the process or mode of originating; production; formation; origination. The origin and genesis of poor Sterling's club. --Carlyle. 2. The first book of the Old Testament; -- so called by the Greek translators, from its containing the history of the creation of the world and of the human race. 3. (Geom.) Same as Generation.
Genesis
The five books of Moses were collectively called the Pentateuch, a word of Greek origin meaning "the five-fold book." The Jews called them the Torah, i.e., "the law." It is probable that the division of the Torah into five books proceeded from the Greek translators of the Old Testament. The names by which these several books are generally known are Greek. The first book of the Pentateuch (q.v.) is called by the Jews Bereshith, i.e., "in the beginning", because this is the first word of the book. It is generally known among Christians by the name of Genesis, i.e., "creation" or "generation," being the name given to it in the LXX. as designating its character, because it gives an account of the origin of all things. It contains, according to the usual computation, the history of about two thousand three hundred and sixty-nine years. Genesis is divided into two principal parts. The first part (1-11) gives a general history of mankind down to the time of the Dispersion. The second part presents the early history of Israel down to the death and burial of Joseph (12-50). There are five principal persons brought in succession under our notice in this book, and around these persons the history of the successive periods is grouped, viz., Adam (1-3), Noah (4-9), Abraham (10-25:18), Isaac (25:19-35:29), and Jacob (36-50). In this book we have several prophecies concerning Christ (3:15; 12:3; 18:18; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14; 49:10). The author of this book was Moses. Under divine guidance he may indeed have been led to make use of materials already existing in primeval documents, or even of traditions in a trustworthy form that had come down to his time, purifying them from all that was unworthy; but the hand of Moses is clearly seen throughout in its composition.
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