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*Genesis 03, 8-19

readeralexey — Tue, 19 May 2026 10:56:30 GMT

8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

***

Suggested questions

Why would the Lord God be walking in the garden in the cool of the day? Who could He be speaking with?

Why did Adam and Eve hid themselves amongst the trees? What does an attempt to hide from God tell about the state of their minds and souls?

Why would the Lord God address Adam the question "Where art thou?" Didn't He know? Why it wasn't the question "Where are you?"

What does Adam's response "I was afraid, because I was naked" add to our understanding of nakedness? Why is it necessary to hide it?

Why would God ask such a strange question as "Who told thee that thou wast naked?" Is it something you need to be told? Isn't it self-evident?

Adam formally tells the truth when he responds to God's question "Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?" the way he does - "The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat." But is it a true answer to the question? Why/why not?

Eve formally tells the truth when she responds to God's question "What is this that thou hast done?" by saying "The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat." But is it a true and full answer to the question? Why/why not?

Why does God ask no questions of the serpent? What kind of serpent was it, judging from God's decree concerning it in vs. 15-16?

Why would God, Who is good and is love, put "enmity" not just between two of His own creatures (the serpent and the woman) - but also between "seed"? How long is this enmity supposed to last?

What is meant by the serpent's "seed"?

What is meant by the woman's "seed"? The Greek word used here in the Septuagint (σπέρμα) traditionally has male associations.

Comment upon syntactical incongruity in the phrase about the woman's seed: "it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel" (v. 15).

Why God, Who is good and Who is love, would "greatly multiply" (v. 16) woman's sorrow in bearing children, simultaneously with planting in the woman desire towards her husband (which would normally lead to further childbirth), together with His own previous commandment to "multiply"? Reflect on the implications of this for the present-day child-free movement, as well as the painless delivery trend and overall family and gender crisis.

What do God's words "he shall rule over thee" add to the fact that the woman had been created as "an help" for the man (Gen. 2:18)?

Whom does God believe to be ultimately responsible for the Fall (cf. Gen. 2:16-17; Gen. 3:11; Gen. 3:17)?

Why does God give a reason when pronouncing His punishment upon the serpent and the man ("Because thou hast...", vs. 14 & 17) but gives no similar reason to the woman (v. 16)?

Who of the three persons involved in the Fall gets the greatest punishment of all? Support your view (cf. vs. 14-19).

*Genesis 03, 20-24

readeralexey — Tue, 19 May 2026 10:36:55 GMT

20 And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.

21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

***

Suggested questions

Adam already had given a name to the woman (Gen. 2:23: "she shall be called Woman [Heb. issa (אִשָּׁ֔ה)], because she was taken out of Man [Heb. is (אִ֖ישׁ)]"). Why would Adam change the woman's name now (v. 20)?

Why would God make coats of skins and clothe Adam and his wife (v. 21)? Firstly, they already had aprons of their own making. Why did they need new type and make of clothes? Secondly, how worthy is it of God to serve as a tailor for His creation, let alone fallen? Thirdly, where did these skins come from? Finally, if they were not literal coats, what were they?

The serpent promised to the Woman that after eating of the tree " [their]eyes shall be opened, and [they]shall be as gods, knowing good and evil" (Gen. 3:5). Later it is said that after the fall "the eyes of them both were opened" (Gen. 3:7). And still later "the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil" (Gen. 3:22). It turns out all the serpent's promises came true, doesn't it? If so, what are the implications of this?

What does this "to know good and evil" mean, why does it make man "as God" and why was it therefore necessary to isolate man from the tree of life (vs. 22-24)?

What is the difference between "dressing" and "keeping" the garden (Gen. 2:15) and "tilling" the ground? Aren't they both forms of labour?

Why would the Scripture say "to till the ground from whence he was taken"?

Genesis 18, 1-10

readeralexey — Tue, 19 May 2026 09:35:05 GMT

1 And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;

2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,

3 And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:

4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:

5 And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.

6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.

7 And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.

8 And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.

9 And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.

10 And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.

*Genesis 04, 1-8

readeralexey — Tue, 19 May 2026 09:32:03 GMT

1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.

2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.

4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

***

Suggested questions:

Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived, only after they had fallen and left paradise. Does this mean they were not supposed to live as man and wife and have children before the fall? Support your view.

Comment upon Eve's comment upon the birth of Cain "I have gotten a man from the LORD".

Comment upon the meaning of the names of Cain and Abel.

Comment upon the respective occupations of Cain and Abel. Do they have a symbolic meaning?

Just as we hear about conception and birth for the first time only after the Fall, so do we hear about "an offering unto the Lord", i.e. sacrifice offered to God, only outside the paradise. Why do you think that is so?

Why do you think "the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering, but unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect"?

Why do you think Cain was so upset that God rejected his offering?

Why did God address to Cain some questions? What do His words in verse 7 mean?

What were the motives of Cain in slaying his brother?

Genesis 30, 37-43

readeralexey — Wed, 13 May 2026 16:37:59 GMT

37 And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chesnut tree; and pilled white strakes in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods.

38 And he set the rods which he had pilled before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink.

39 And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.

40 And Jacob did separate the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ringstraked, and all the brown in the flock of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not unto Laban's cattle.

41 And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the cattle in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods.

42 But when the cattle were feeble, he put them not in: so the feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's.

43 And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.

*Genesis 02, 1-14

readeralexey — Tue, 05 May 2026 22:28:09 GMT

1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

4 These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,

5 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.

6 But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.

7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.

11 The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold;

12 And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone.

13 And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia.

14 And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.

***

Suggested questions:

What do the phrases "were finished" (v. 1), "ended his work" (v. 2) suggest about creation? About the theory of evolution?

Do you keep the Sabbath? If yes, in what way? What does it mean for you that "God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it" (v. 3)?

Why do you think the writer of Genesis would return to the creation of plants and climatic conditions which existed before they were created in verses 5-6?

What is meant by "the dust of the ground" man is formed of (v. 7)? Why do you think the way man was created ("formed") is different from creation of other creatures ("let there be")? What implications does it have for the theory of evolution?

Why do you think the writer of Genesis returns to the subject of man's creation in ch. 2 after describing it in ch. 1, vs. 26-27)?

Why do you think God puts the man in a garden (v. 8) after giving him commandment to "be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth" (1, 28)?

Why do you think it is mentioned that the trees of the garden of Eden were not only "good for food", but also "pleasant to the sight" (v. 9)?

What is the tree of life? The tree of knowledge of good and evil (v.9)?

Most names mentioned in vs. 11-14 are unknown to historians. Why do you think that is?

*Genesis 02, 15-25

readeralexey — Tue, 05 May 2026 21:12:54 GMT

15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;

22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

***

Suggested questions:

Why do you think God commanded Adam not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (vs. 16-17)?

What did God mean by "die" in verse 17? Did Adam die in the day he ate of the tree? Meanwhile, God promised this quite emphatically: "thou shalt surely die" (v. 17).

God always saw that all his creation was "good". In v. 18 we hear for the first time "it is not good" - about man being alone. How does this affect our perception of this statement? How bad is "not good" when God speaks about His own creation?

Why do you think God defines the woman as "an help" for the man (v. 18)? What kind of help does man need from a woman?

What is the point in God's bringing creatures to Adam for naming them (v. 19)?

Why did God make a woman out of Adam's rib?

Why do you think it is necessary for man to leave his father and mother before he cleaves unto his wife? What do you think is meant here by "leave"?

The expression “one flesh” is sometimes understood to be about having sex. Do you think this is the right interpretation? If not, what does “they shall be one flesh” mean?

Why do you think Adam and Eve were not ashamed being naked at this stage?

*Genesis 01, 20-31

readeralexey — Tue, 05 May 2026 19:08:59 GMT

20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.

21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.

23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.

25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

***

Suggested questions

"Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly..." (v. 20). How does this correspond to the modern theories of the origin of life?

Compare phrases: "God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly..." (v. 20), "God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature..." (v. 24) -- and phrases "God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly..." (v. 21), "God made the beast of the earth..." (v. 24). Is there any ambiguity about the origin of higher forms of life (were they "brought forth" by water/earth or created by God directly)?

Why do you think the phrase "after his/their kind" is repeated every so often when describing creation (cf. earlier vs. 11-12 about plants)? What might it refer to, if we speak in scientific terms?

Why and how do you think God's blessing is connected to His commandment to "multiply" (verses 22, 28)?

What is the difference between the image and the likeness of God in man (v. 26)?

What are the implications of God's cosmic design that man has "dominion" over all creation (vs. 26, 28)? How relevant is this today?

"Male and female created he them" (v. 27). What is the relevance of this for modern gender theories?

What do verses 29-30 tell us about vegetarianism?

*Genesis 01, 9-19

readeralexey — Tue, 05 May 2026 13:41:44 GMT

9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.

14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:

15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.

17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,

18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

***

Suggested questions

How do events described in verse 9 correspond to modern scientific views about early periods of the Earth?

Plants are said to be created before the Sun. Why do you think that is? What does it tell us about the life of plants?

"God saw that it was good" is repeated seven times in total throughout the creation story. Why do you think that is?

Stars are said to be created "for signs" (v. 14). Can you think of an example?

*Genesis 01, 1-8

readeralexey — Tue, 05 May 2026 13:40:47 GMT

1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

***

Suggested questions

1. What is meant by "the heaven and the earth" in verse 1?

2. How can anything, including "the earth" (verse 2), be "without form"?

3. What is meant by "the waters" in verse 2?

4. Stars were created on the fourth day. What kind of light is then meant in verse 3?

5. In what ways is the firmament of Heaven created on the second day different from "the heaven" created "in the beginning" (verse 1)?

6. It seems that words which mean well-known things (heaven, earth, light, water, day, night) do not have in this excerpt their usual meanings. Why do you think this is?