The fifth book of the Torah or Pentateuch is Deuteronomy. The name means “second law” or “copy of the law” and comes from the Greek δευτερονόμιον, which appears in Deuteronomy 17:18 of the LXX. That said, this text doesn’t appear to be the source of naming the book. The book retells the Law for the new generation ready to enter the promised land. The book is called mydbr, in Hebrew, meaning, “These are the words” (1:1).
Continue reading “Deuteronomy: The Second Giving of the Law – Bible Overview”Numbers: Israel Wandering in the Wilderness – Bible Overview
The fourth book of the Torah or Pentateuch is Numbers. The name is descriptive, for in the book the children of Israel are numbered twice. The first census is the exodus generation (1:2-3), the second census is of their children (26:2-4). The Hebrew name for the book is rbdm, “in the wilderness,” coming from Numbers 1:1, “Now the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of meeting…”
Continue reading “Numbers: Israel Wandering in the Wilderness – Bible Overview”Exodus: God’s Covenant from Sinai for Israel – Bible Overview
The second book of the Torah or Pentateuch is Exodus. The name of the book in English is from the Greek exodov, which means “going out.” The Hebrew title for the book is twms, “Names,” derived from the opening phrase of the book, “Now these are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt…” (Exodus 1:1).
Exodus is the continuation of Genesis. The last verse in Genesis (50:26) spoke of Joseph’s death. After reminding us of the sons of Jacob who had journeyed to Egypt, Exodus 1:6 says, “…Joseph died, all his brothers, and all that generation.”
Continue reading “Exodus: God’s Covenant from Sinai for Israel – Bible Overview”Genesis: the Book of Beginnings – Bible Overview
The first five books of the Bible are called the Law or Toral (instruction). They are also known as the Pentateuch, which literally means “five volumes.” The first in this series of books is Genesis, a name which comes from the Septuagint (Greek) translation of Genesis 2:4, “This is the book of the generation (genesewv) of heaven and earth…” The word means “creation or generation.”1 The Hebrew name for the book is “Bereshit,” which is the opening word, “beginning.”
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