Genesis

by

Anonymous

God/the LORD God

God is arguably the main character in the Book of Genesis. God is often referred to as simply “God” (in Hebrew, elohim), but in other places, God’s name is rendered “LORD God” to represent… read analysis of God/the LORD God

Eve (“the woman”)

The first woman, Eve’s name comes from the Hebrew word for “living” because she is the mother of all who come after her. God creates her out of one of Adam’s ribs because none… read analysis of Eve (“the woman”)

Adam (“the man”)

The first man, Adam’s name is from the Hebrew for “human being” and is also closely linked to the Hebrew for dust or earth. Adam is formed from the dust of the ground and brought… read analysis of Adam (“the man”)

Noah

Noah is Lamech’s son and is descended from Adam through Seth. Noah’s sons are Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Noah walks with God blamelessly and finds favor in God’s sight. When… read analysis of Noah

Abram (Abraham)

Abram is Terah’s son. God commands Abram to leave his home country behind and travel to the land (Canaan) God will show him; there, God will make a great nation of him. Abram takes… read analysis of Abram (Abraham)
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Isaac

Isaac is the promised son of Abraham and Sarah, born when his father is 100 and Sarah is past 90. His name means “laughter” and speaks to how both Abraham and Sarah laughed in… read analysis of Isaac

Jacob (Israel)

Jacob is the younger of Isaac’s and Rebekah’s twin sons. His name means “he supplants.” Known as a trickster, Jacob is quieter and more wily than his brother, Esau. After getting Esau’s… read analysis of Jacob (Israel)

Joseph

Joseph is Rachel and Jacob’s first son, granted to Rachel by God after many years of barrenness. Joseph becomes Jacob’s favorite son, and his brothers envy him bitterly for this. Joseph makes matters more… read analysis of Joseph

Sarai (Sarah)

Sarai is Abram’s wife. Sarai remains barren for many years, though God has promised children to her and Abram. Eventually, she takes matters into her own hands by giving her slave, Hagar, to… read analysis of Sarai (Sarah)

Rebekah

Rebekah is Nahor’s granddaughter and Bethuel’s daughter; she marries Isaac after Abraham sends his servant to his homeland in search of a wife for his son. At first, Rebekah is barren, but after… read analysis of Rebekah

Rachel

Rachel is one of Laban’s daughters, making her Bethuel’s granddaughter and Jacob’s cousin. She becomes engaged to Jacob soon after he arrives in Haran, having been sent there by his parents to… read analysis of Rachel

Leah

Leah is one of Laban’s daughters, making her Bethuel’s granddaughter and Jacob’s cousin. She is less beautiful than her sister, Rachel. After Jacob has worked for seven years to marry Rachel… read analysis of Leah

Cain

Cain is Adam and Eve’s first child. He becomes a farmer. After God rejects Cain’s offering of fruit, Cain becomes jealous, lures his brother Abel into the field, and murders him. As a… read analysis of Cain

Hagar

Hagar is Sarai’s Egyptian slave-girl and Ishmael’s mother. When Sarai remains barren, she tells Abram to take Hagar as a wife. When Hagar conceives, she looks contemptuously on Sarai, who lashes out at… read analysis of Hagar

Lot

Lot is Haran’s son and nephew of Abram’s nephew. Lot travels to Canaan with Abram and ultimately settles in the plain of the Jordan near Sodom. After Lot and his household are taken… read analysis of Lot

Esau

Esau is the elder of Isaac’s and Rebekah’s twin sons. One day, Esau exchanges his birthright (his inheritance from Isaac) in exchange for some of his brother Jacob’s stew. Later, Jacob tricks… read analysis of Esau

Laban

Laban is Rebekah’s brother and one of Bethuel’s sons. Jacob flees to Laban after tricking Esau out of Isaac’s blessing. Laban agrees to give Jacob his daughter Rachel as a wife in… read analysis of Laban

The Serpent

The serpent is the craftiest animal in the garden of Eden. He questions Eve about God’s command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and he suggests that… read analysis of The Serpent

King Abimelech

King Abimelech is the ruler of Gerar. When Abraham claims that Sarah is his sister, he takes her for himself, but is warned by God in a dream not to touch her. A generation later… read analysis of King Abimelech
Minor Characters
Abel
Abel is Adam and Eve’s second child. He becomes a shepherd. Abel brings God an offering of sheep, which God accepts. Out of jealousy, Cain lures Abel into the field and kills him.
Ishmael
Ishmael is Abraham’s son by Hagar. He is born after Sarai gives up on bearing children and makes her husband take Hagar as a wife. When Sarah banishes Hagar for the second time, God spares Ishmael’s life in the wilderness and promises to make a great nation of him.
Seth
Seth is Adam and Eve’s son, born after Abel’s death.
Enoch
Enoch is a descendant of Adam, through Seth, who is noted for walking with God and being taken by God at the end of his life, presumably instead of suffering a natural death.
Methuselah
Methuselah is a descendant of Adam, through Seth, who is noted for living 969 years. He is also Noah’s grandfather.
Lamech
Lamech is Noah’s father.
Shem
Shem is one of Noahs sons. After Ham is cursed for seeing his father’s nakedness, Shem receives a blessing from Noah. Shem’s descendants are said to become the Semitic peoples. Specifically, he is the ancestor of Abram (Abraham) and the people of Israel.
Ham
Ham is one of Noah’s sons. After Ham discovers Noah sleeping naked in his tent, Noah curses him, saying that Ham and his offspring will be slaves to Ham’s brothers and their offspring. Ham’s offspring settle across Egypt, northeastern parts of Africa, and Assyria.
Japheth
Japheth is one of Noah’s sons. After Ham is cursed for seeing his father’s nakedness, Japtheth receives a blessing from Noah. His descendants settle across Asia Minor.
Terah
Shem’s descendant, Terah is the father of Abram (Abraham), Nahor, and Haran. He lives in Ur.
Nahor
Nahor is Terah’s son and Abram’s brother; his wife his Milcah. He is the father of Bethuel, Rebekah’s father.
Haran
Haran is Terah’s son, Abram’s brother, and Lot’s father.
Milcah
Milcah is Nahor’s wife.
King Melchizedek
King Melchizedek is the ruler of Salem (which later becomes Jerusalem), who blesses Abram. His origins are unexplained.
Bethuel
Bethuel is Nahor’s son and Rebekah’s father.
Keturah
Keturah is Abraham’s second wife, who bears him many more children.
Reuben
Reuben is Leah and Jacob’s firstborn son. He talks the rest of Joseph’s brothers out of killing him.
Simeon
Simeon is Leah and Jacob’s second son. He takes part in the murder of Shechem and Hamor.
Levi
Levi is Leah and Jacob’s third son. He takes part in the murder of Shechem and Hamor.
Judah
Judah is Leah and Jacob’s fourth son. Judah begets children with his daughter-in-law Tamar. When Jacob blesses his sons, Judah’s offspring are singled out as future rulers.
Bilhah
Bilhah is Rachel’s maid, whom she gives to Jacob for childbearing purposes. While Rachel remains barren, Bilhah gives birth to Dan and Naphtali.
Dan
Dan is one of Bilhah and Jacob’s sons.
Naphtali
Naphtali is one of Bilhah and Jacob’s sons.
Zilpah
Zilpah is Leah’s maid, whom she gives to Jacob for childbearing purposes. She bears Gad and Asher.
Gad
Gad is one of Zilpah and Jacob’s sons.
Asher
Asher is one of Zilpah and Jacob’s sons.
Issachar
Issachar is Leah and Jacob’s fifth son.
Zebulun
Zebulun is Leah and Jacob’s sixth son.
Dinah
Seventh and last child (and only daughter) of Leah and Jacob. After her family moves back to Canaan, Dinah is raped by Shechem.
Shechem
Shechem, Hamor’s son, rapes Dinah, then desires to marry her. Jacob deceives Shechem and his father by agreeing to a marriage if the men will be circumcised. While the men are recovering from the circumcisions, two of Jacob’s sons murder them to avenge Dinah.
Hamor
Hamor is Shechem’s father, a prince in Canaan. He and Shechem are killed by two of Jacob’s sons in revenge for the rape of Dinah.
Benjamin
Benjamin is the second son born to Rachel and Jacob. Rachel initially names him Ben-oni and dies just as he is born.
Potiphar
Potiphar is Pharaoh’s captain of the guard, who purchases Joseph as a slave. He is so impressed with Joseph that he places Joseph in charge of his household. However, after Potiphar’s wife falsely accuses Joseph of attempted rape (angry that he’s rejected her advances), Potiphar throws him in jail.
Tamar
Tamar marries Judah’s sons Er and Onan in turn. After they both die, Judah intends to marry Tamar to his son Shelah, but Judah ends up sleeping with her himself, believing her to be a prostitute. Tamar later gives birth to Judah’s sons Perez and Zerah.
Pharaoh
Pharaoh refers to the ruler of Egypt during Joseph’s years there. When Joseph successfully interprets Pharaoh’s dreams, Pharaoh places him in charge of Egypt’s affairs to prepare for the predicted famine. Later, he allows Joseph to settle his entire family in the land of Goshen.
Asenath
Asenath is Joseph’s Egyptian wife. She bears him two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
Manasseh
Manasseh is Joseph and Asenath’s older son.
Ephraim
Ephraim is Joseph and Asenath’s younger son. When Jacob is dying, he intentionally gives Ephraim the elder brother’s blessing, prophesying that he will become greater than Manasseh.