Genesis Reading Room

Note: this content was originally curated by Arnold Neufeldt-Fast and is no longer being maintained. Some links may not work. Content posted for archival purposes only.

This page is designed to help make commentaries, monographs and articles on Genesis available to those without easy access to a theological library. Many of the links below connect you to scanned, published books and articles made available by Google Books (often 75% of content). Importantly, Google Books allows you to search within a volume and also across volumes (rather than across the entire WWW). The Google Book Project also makes hard to find and expensive monographs readily accessible to researchers. This Reading Room collects those materials on one page.

NB: For bibliographic management and notetaking while reading, Zotero is highly recommended ("a free, easy-to-use Mozilla Firefox extension to help you collect, manage, and cite your research sources"). For page snapshots and printing of Google Book pages, try Microsoft's snipping tool (paste text into Word -- or Zotero).

Reading Genesis

Blue Letter Bible: Various English translations of Genesis plus Hebrew & Greek Septuigent text (excellent site).
Hebrew Interlinear Bible (OT), Online with free pdfs (Scripture 4 All).
New Revised Standard Version (Oremus Bible Browser)
Genesis 1-11: A Handbook on the Hebrew Text. Ed. Barry Bandstra. Baylor University, 2008.

Commentaries and Introductions

Alter, Robert. Genesis. W. W. Norton, 1997.
Borgman, Paul C. Genesis: The Story We Haven t Heard. InterVarsity Press, 2001.
Brodie, Thomas L. Genesis as Dialogue: An Orientation Commentary, Literary, Historical, and Theological. Oxford, 2001.
Brueggemann, Walter. Genesis. Westminster John Knox, 1982.
Calvin, John. Genesis. Ed. J.I. Packer and Alister McGrath. Good News Publishers, 2001.
Coats, George W. Genesis, with an Introduction to Narrative Literature. Eerdmans, 1983.
Davidson, Robert. Genesis 1-11 (also copy 1; copy 2); Genesis 12-50. Cambridge, 1973.
Gibson, John C.L. Genesis, Vol. 1 (and copy); Vol. 2 (and copy). Westminster John Knox, 1981-82.
Gowan, Donald E. From Eden to Babel: A Commentary on the Book of Genesis 1-11. Eerdmans, 1988 (also copy).
For a missional reading of Genesis, see Chris Wright s The Mission of God. All MTS Modular students are encouraged to acquire and read this book. See also review
Hamilton, Victor P. The Book of Genesis: Chapters 1-17. 7th ed. Eerdmans, 1990 (also copy 1; copy 2); Vol. 2: Chapters 18-50. 2nd ed. Eerdmans, 1995.
Hendel, Robert. Reading Genesis: Ten Methods. Cambridge University Press, 2010 (and copy).
Gunkel, Hermann. Genesis. Tr. Mark Biddle. Mercer, 1997 (also German original, 9th edition, Vandenhoek & Ruprecht, 1977).
Hendel, Ronald S. The Text of Genesis 1-11: Textual Studies and Critical Edition. Oxford, 1998.
Janzen, J. Gerald. Abraham and all the Families of the Earth: A Commentary on the Book of Genesis 12-50. International Theological Commentary. Eerdmans, 1993.
Kissling, Paul J. Genesis, Vol. 1. College Press, 2004.
Longman, Tremper. How to Read Genesis. InterVarsity, 2005.
Louth, Andrew, ed. Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: Old Testament I. Genesis 1-11. Taylor & Francis, 2001.
Marshall, Celia B. Genesis. Interpretation Bible Studies. Westminster John Knox, 2005.
Mathews, Kenneth A. The New American Commentary: Genesis 11:27-50:26 (New International Version). B&H Publishing Group, 2005.
McKeown, James. Genesis. Eerdmans, 2008.
Rogerson, John W. Genesis 1-11. T&T Clark Study Guide. Continuum, 2004.
Roop, Eugene. Genesis. Believers Church Bible Commentary Series. Herald Press, 1987 (Note: Tyndale faculty and students only have access to this commentary via Netlibrary eBooks).
Sheridan, Mark, ed. Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: Old Testament II. Genesis 12-50. InterVarsity Press, 2002.
Towner, Wayne S. Genesis. Westminster Bible Companion. Westminster John Knox, 2001.
von Rad, Gerhard. Genesis: A Commentary. Rev. ed. Westminster John Knox Press, 1972.
Westermann, Claus. Genesis 1-11; Genesis 12-36; Genesis 37-50. A Continental Commentary. Tr. John J. Scullion. Fortress, 1994; 1995; 1986.

Introductory Chapters/Articles on Genesis

See articles on "Genesis" in OT encyclopedia, handbooks and surveys

Monographs/ Studies on Aspects of Genesis

Berman, Samuel A., ed. Midrash Tanhuma-Yelammedenu. An English Translation of Genesis and Exodus from the Printed Version of Tanhuma-Yelammedenu with an Introduction, Notes, and Indexes. KTAV, 1995.
Berrigan, Daniel. Genesis: Fair Beginnings, Then Foul. Rowman & Littlefield, 2005.
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Creation and Fall: A Theological Exposition of Genesis 1-3. Tr. J.D. Godsey, M. Ruter, I. Todt, D.S. Bax. Fortress, 2004 (also copy).
Brett, Mark G. Genesis: Procreation and the Politics of Identity. Routledge, 2000 (and copy; available as full-text for Tyndale students via eBrary ebooks[endlinks]).
Bruckner, James K. Implied Law in the Abraham Narrative: A Literary and Theological Analysis. Continuum, 2001.
Clines, David J. A., ed. The World of Genesis: Persons, Places, Perspectives. Continuum, 1998.
Cotter, David W. Genesis: Studies in Hebrew Narrative and Poetry. Liturgical, 2003.
de Hoop, Raymond. Genesis 49 in its Literary and Historical Context. Brill, 1999.
Dieckmann, Detlef. Segen für Isaak: eine rezeptionsästhetische Auslegung von Gen 26 und Kotexten. Walter de Gruyter, 2003.
Feyerick, Ada, Cyrus Herzl Gordon, Nahum M. Sarna. Genesis: World of Myths and Patriarchs. NY Univ. Press, 1997.
Fretheim, Terence E. Abraham: Trials of Family and Faith. Univ of South Carolina, 2007.
Frishman, Judith and Lucas van Rompay. The Book of Genesis in Jewish and Oriental Christian Interpretation: A Collection of Essays. Peeters, 1997.
Fung, Yiu-Wing. Victim and Victimizer: Joseph s Interpretation of his Destiny. Continuum, 2000.
Habel, Norman C., and Shirley Wurst, ed. The Earth Story in Genesis. Continuum, 2000.
Harland, P.J. The Value of Human Life: A Study of the Story of the Flood (Genesis 6-9). Brill, 1996.
Hendel, Ronald S. The Text of Genesis 1-11: Textual Studies and Critical Edition. Oxford, 1998; Remembering Abraham: Culture, Memory, and History in the Hebrew Bible. Oxford, 2005 (also copy).
Hess, Richard S., and David T. Tsumura, eds. I Studied Inscriptions from before the Flood: Ancient Near Eastern, Literary, and Linguistic Approaches to Genesis 1-11. Eisenbrauns, 1994.
Humphreys, W. Lee. The Character of God in the Book of Genesis: A Narrative Appraisal. Westminster John Knox, 2001.
Jeansonne, Sharon Pace. The Women of Genesis: from Sarah to Potiphar s Wife. Fortress, 1990.
Jenkins, Everett. The Creation: Secular, Jewish, Catholic, Protestant, and Muslim Perspectives Analyzed. McFarland, 2003.
Kaminski, Carol M. From Noah to Israel: Realization of the Primaeval Blessing After the Flood. Continuum, 2004.
Kessler, Martin, and Karel A. Deurloo. Commentary on Genesis: The Book of Beginnings. Paulist Press, 2004.
Kvam, Kristen E., Linda S. Schearing, and Valarie H. Ziegler, eds. Eve and Adam: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Readings on Genesis and Gender. Indiana University Press, 1999.
Letellier, Robert I. Day in Mamre, Night in Sodom: Abraham and Lot in Genesis 18 and 19. Brill, 1995.
Lewis, Jack P. A Study of the Interpretation of Noah and the Flood in Jewish and Christian Literature. Brill, 1978 (and copy).
Luttikhuizen, Gerard P., ed. Paradise Interpreted: Representations of Biblical Paradise in Judaism and Christianity. Brill, 1999.
Martínez, Florentino García, and Gerard P. Luttikhuizen, eds. Interpretations of the Flood. Brill, 1998.
McEntire, Mark H. The Blood of Abel: The Violent Plot in the Hebrew Bible. Mercer, 1999.
Menn, Esther Marie. Judah and Tamar (Genesis 38) in Ancient Jewish Exegesis: Studies in Literary Form and Hermeneutics. Brill, 1997.
Nwachukwu, Mary Sylvia Chinyere. Creation-Covenant Scheme and Justification by Faith: A Canonical Study of the God-Human Drama in the Pentateuch and the Letter to the Romans. Editrice Pontificia Università Gregoriana, 2002.
Pirson, Ron. The Lord of the Dreams: A Semantic and Literary Analysis of Genesis 37-50. Continuum, 2002.
Pleins, J. David. When the Great Abyss Opened: Classic and Contemporary Readings of Noah s Flood. Oxford, 2003.
Rösel, Martin. Übersetzung als Vollendung der Auslegung: Studien zur Genesis-septuaginta. Walter de Gruyter, 1994.
Rottzoll, Dirk U., ed. Rabbinischer Kommentar zum Buch Genesis: Darstellung der Rezeption des Buches Genesis in Mischna und Talmud unter Angabe targumischer und midraschischer Paralleltexte. Walter de Gruyter, 1994.
Sicker, Martin. Reading Genesis Politically: An Introduction to Mosaic Political Philosophy. Greenwood, 2002 (full-text available to Tyndale students via eBrary ebooks).
Stordalen, Terje. Echoes of Eden: Genesis 2-3 and Symbolism of the Eden Garden in Biblical Hebrew Literature. Peeters, 2000.
Taylor, Marion, and Heather Weir, eds. Let her Speak for Herself: Nineteenth-Century Women Writing on the Women of Genesis. Baylor, 2006.
Tsumura, David T. Creation and Destruction: A Reappraisal of the Chaoskampf Theory in the Old Testament. Eisenbrauns, 2005.
van Seters, John. Prologue to History: The Yahwist As Historian in Genesis. Westminster John Knox, 1992.
Wénin, André, ed. Studies in the Book of Genesis: Literature, Redaction and History. Papers presented at the 48th Colloquium Biblicum Lovaniense, July 28-30, 1999. Peeters, 2001.
Williamson, Paul R. Abraham, Israel and the Nations: The Patriarchal Promise and its Covenantal Development in Genesis. Continuum, 2000.

Articles, Chapters on Aspects of Genesis

Genesis (iTanakh Resources for Academic Study)- a vast collection of academic articles on aspects of Genesis.
Genesis (Old Testament Gateway) - a large collection of links to articles on Genesis.
Search for "Genesis" at Theological Journals Search (free online journals with full-text).
Search for "Genesis" at ETANA for online academic resources for Ancient Near Eastern Studies.
Search for "Genesis" at www.pdf-search-engine.com.
See Tyndale's eJournal Database (note: for Tyndale students and faculty only). Choose EBSCOhost database; log in; choose "EBSCOhost" and then "ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials"; then choose "Scriptures" (at top). You will find many full-text theological journal articles available to you on any verse or chapter of the Bible. See list of Tyndale's academic ejournals with full-text articles for download.

Supplementary Resources

Alexander, T. Desmond From Adam to Judah: The Significance of the Family Tree in Genesis, The
Evangelical Quarterly 61/1 (1989), pp. 5-19.
Bar-Efrat, Shimeon. Narrative Art in the Bible. Continuum, 2004.
Hasel, G.F. The Significance of the Cosmology in Gen 1 in Relation to Ancient Near Eastern Parallels, Andrews University Seminary Studies 10 (1972), pp. 1—20.
Hess, Richard S. Equality with and without Innocence, in: Discovering Biblical Equality: Complementarity Without Hierarchy: Genesis 1-3. Ed. R.W. Pierce, R. Merrill Groothuis,
G.D. Fee. 2nd revd ed. InterVarsity, 2005. Ch. 4, pp. 79-95.
Kaiser, Walter. The Old Testament Documents: Are they Reliable and Relevant?. InterVarsity, 2001.
La Sor, William S., David A. Hubbard, Frederic W. Bush, and Leslie C. Allen. Old Testament Survey: The Message, Form, and Background of the Old Testament. 2nd ed. Eerdmans, 1996.
Stek, John H. What says the Scripture?, in: Portraits of Creation: Biblical and Scientific Perspectives on the Worlds Formation. Ed. H.J. van Till, R.E. Snow, and J.H. Stek. Eerdmans, 1990. Ch. 7, pp. 203-265.
Taylor, J. Glen. The Bible and Homosexuality, Themelios, vol. 21, no. 1 (October 1995), pp. 4-9.
Wenham, Gordon J. The Old Testament Attitude to Homosexuality, Expository Times, vol. 102 (1991), pp. 259-363; Original Sin in Genesis 1-11, Churchman, vol. 104, no. 4 (1990). Pp. 16.

Disclaimer: The content from the Reading Room Archives is for archival purposes only — some links may not work. This content was originally posted on the Tyndale University Website and curated by Tyndale Faculty members. This content is no longer being maintained.

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