Encountering the Book of Genesis Quotes

“Truthfulness is not decided by the collective opinions of those who seek it.”
― Bill T. Arnold, Encountering the Book of Genesis

“[I]t was the obligation of the closest brother of a deceased member of the family to produce a son for the dead brother. This second marriage is known as “levirate” marriage. The term comes from the Latin levir, which translates the Hebrew word for “brother-in-law” (yābām). The purpose of marrying a widow in the family was to guarantee the childless woman would have children who would receive the deceased family member’s inheritance. The children would also care for the woman in her elderly years.”
― Bill T. Arnold, Encountering the Book of Genesis

“Indeed, anything that hinders us on our journey to spiritual maturity is useless, no matter how valuable it appears to the world (Heb 12:1).”
― Bill T. Arnold, Encountering the Book of Genesis

“Just as sin and death entered the world by one man, so salvation and life came into the world through one righteous man, Jesus Christ.”
― Bill T. Arnold, Encountering the Book of Genesis

“Old Testament authors often used paronomasia (or wordplay), and the expression “the LORD God formed the man [ʾādām] from the dust of the ground [ʾădāmâ]” emphasizes humanity’s relationship to the land (Gn 2:7). There is grammatical evidence for reading “Adam” as a personal name for the first time in Genesis 4:25–26 (or perhaps 5:1–2). Likewise, the names “Eve” and “Eden” have symbolic significance for our narrator. “Eve” (ḥawwâ) is a wordplay on the verb for “live,” and therefore explains the man’s comment that she would “become the mother of all the living” (Gn 3:20). The garden’s name “Eden” should be associated with the Hebrew word “pleasure” or “delight.” It is also likely that other names in the Genesis narrative, such as Cain and Abel, have symbolic significance.”
― Bill T. Arnold, Encountering the Book of Genesis