Talks on the Book of Genesis

Conversation 1. A word of exhortation at the onset of the Holy Pentecost Conversation 2. (Gen. 1:1) At the beginning of creation: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Conversation 3. (Gen. 1:1–5) Continuation with the words: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” to the words: “and there was evening, and there was morning, one day” Conversation 4. (Gen. 1:6) “And God said: Yes there shall be a firmament in the midst of the waters: and let there be a parting in the midst of the waters and the waters. And it came to pass” Conversation 5. (Gen. 1:9) “And God said: Let the waters be gathered together, even under the heavens, and let the dry land appear.” Conversation 6. (Gen. 1:14) “And God said: Let there be lights in the expanse of heaven, to illuminate the earth, and to separate between day and night: and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and for years.” Conversation 7. (Genesis 1:20-21) “And God said: Let the waters of the creeping things take away the souls of the living, and the birds that fly on the earth through the firmament of the heavens. And be it. And God created the great whales, and every living creature that moves along the waters, according to their kind." Conversation 8. (Gen. 1:26) "And God said: Let us make man in Our image, in our likeness: and let them have possession of the fish of the sea, and the birds of the air, and the cattle, [and beasts], and all the earth, and every creeping thing that creepeth on the earth" Conversation 9. (Gen. 1:26) In response to the words: “Let us make man in our image,” and against those who say: “why were beasts created, and what is the benefit of creating them”; also that from this the honor shown to man is especially revealed, and the inexpressible love of God for mankind Conversation 10. (Gen. 1:27) An admonition to those who are ashamed to come to evening worship after dinner, and a continuation of the explanation with the words: “Let us make man in our image and likeness”; also an explanation of the words: “And create God man, in the image of God create him: husband and wife create them” Conversation 11. About the fact that we need to make great efforts about virtue and imitate the saints who, being of the same nature with us, did it with zeal, and that if we do not care, we will not have any excuse Conversation 12. (Gen. 2:4) For the following a legend about the creation of the words: “This is the book of the existence of the heavens and the earth, when there was, in the same day God created the heavens and the earth.” Conversation 13. (Genesis 2:8) “And the Lord God planted Paradise in Eden on the east, and brought there the man he created” Conversation 14. (Genesis 2:15) “And the Lord God took man, whom he had created, and brought him into the sweet Paradise, to make it and keep it.” Conversation 15. (Genesis 2:20–22) “But Adam was not found with a helper like him. And God put a curse on Adam, and succeeded: and took one from his side, and filled it with flesh in his place. And the Lord God created the rib, taking from Adam, for a wife” Conversation 16. (Gen. 2:25) About the fall of the primordial. “And the besta was both naked, Adam and his wife, and were not ashamed.” Conversation 17. (Gen. 3:8) “And she heard the voice of the Lord God, walking into paradise at noon.” Conversation 18. (Gen. 3:20–22) “And Adam called his wife’s name ‘Life,’ for she is the mother of all living. And the Lord God made for Adam and his wife garments of skins: and clothed them. And God said: Behold, Adam was one of Us." Conversation 19. (Gen. 4:8) "And Cain said to his brother Abel, Let us go into the field." Conversation 20. (Gen. 4:16) "And Cain went out from the presence of God, and dwelt in the land of Naid, right to Eden," and so on. Conversation 21. (Gen. 5:1-2) “This is the book of the existence of man, on the same day that God created Adam: in the image of God created him, husband and wife; and he called their name Adam, on the same day thou shalt create them." Conversation 22. (Gen. 5:32, 6:1) "And Noah was five hundred years old, and Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And it came to pass, when men began to be many on the earth, that daughters were born to them." Conversation 23. (Genesis 6:8-9) "But you found grace before the Lord God. These are the generations of Noah: Noah is a righteous man, perfect in his generation; God pleases Noah." Conversation 24. (Gen. 6:10-11) "And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. But the earth was corrupt before God, and the land of unrighteousness was filled." Conversation 25. (Genesis 7:6) "But Noah was six hundred years old, and a flood of water came upon the earth." Conversation 26. (Genesis 8:1) "And God will remember Noah, and all the beasts, and all the cattle, and all the birds, and all the creeping things that ran with him in the ark: and God will bring spirit upon the earth, and the water ceased." Conversation 27. (Gen. 8:20) "And Noah built an altar to the Lord: and he took of all the clean cattle and of all the clean birds, and offered burnt offerings upon the altar." Conversation 28. (Gen. 9: 8-10) "And God spoke to Noah and his son with him, saying: Behold, I have made my covenant to you and to your seed for you, and for every living creature that lives with you, from the birds and from the cattle, and to every beast of the earth" Conversation 29. (Gen. 9:20-21) "And Noah began the man, the worker of the earth, and planted grapes: and drank of the wine, and the grapes" Conversation 30. (Gen. 11: 1) "And the whole earth had one mouth, and the voice of all was one" Conversation 31. (Genesis 11:31) “And Terah gave drink to Abram and Nahor his sons, and Lot the son of Arran his son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, the wife of Abram his son: and I brought from the land of the Chaldeans to the land of Canaan, and came even to Haran, and dwelt there.” Conversation 32. (Genesis 12:7) “And the Lord appeared to Abram, and said to him: To your seed will I give this land. And there he built an altar to the Lord, who appeared to him." Conversation 33. (Gen. 13:2-4) "But Abram was rich in cattle and in silver and gold. And when he had come from nowhere, he went into the wilderness to Bethel, to the place where his tent was first, between Bethel and between Haghe, to the place of the altar, where he had made it first." Conversation 34. (Gen. 13:14-15) "The Lord spoke to Abram, that Lot should always be separated from him: having looked upon your eyes, see from the place where you now are, to the north and south, and east and sea: for all the land that you see, I will give to you." Conversation 35. (Gen. 14: 1-2) "And it came to the kingdom of Amarthal, king of Shinar: Arioch, king of Ellasarsk, and Hodollogomor, king of Elamsk, and Fargal, king pagan, created an army with... the king of Sodom" Conversation 36. (Gen. 15:1) “Now according to these words, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision at night, saying: Fear not, Abram; I protect you, your reward will be great." Conversation 37. (Gen. 15:7-8) "The Lord said to Abram: I [am] the God who brought you out from the land of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit. Speech: Sovereign Lord, by this I will understand that the imam will inherit him." Conversation 38. (Gen. 16:1) "But Sarah, Abram's wife, did not give birth to him: but she had an Egyptian servant, whose name was Hagar." Conversation 39. (Gen. 17:1) "When Abram was ninety-nine years old, God appeared to him." Conversation 40. (Gen. 17:15) “And God said to Abraham: Your wife Sarai shall not be called Sarah, but Sarah will be her name.” Conversation 41. (Gen. 18:1) “And God appeared to Abraham at the oak of Mamre, and I sat with him before the door of his canopy at noon.” Conversation 42. (Gen. 18:16) “And the men stood up and looked upon face of Sodom and Gomorrah" Conversation 43. (Gen. 19:1) "And two angels came to Sodom in the evening" Conversation 44. (Gen. 19:27) "And Abraham arose, and in the morning [went] to the place where he stood before God." Conversation 45. (Gen. 20:1) "And Abraham went from there to the land of midday, and dwelt among Cadiz and between Sur: and dwells in Gerareh" Conversation 46. (Gen. 21:7) “And Sarah said, Who will tell Abraham that Sarah fed the boy with milk, because in my old age he gave birth to a son?” Conversation 47. (Genesis 22:1) “And it came to pass that God tested Abraham.” Conversation 48. (Genesis 23:5–6) “The sons of Hittite answered Abraham: ... thou art a king from God in us: in our chosen graves bury thy dead man.” Conversation 49. (Genesis 25:19) “And this being Isaac, the son of Abraham" Conversation 50. (Gen. 25:21-22) "And Rebekah was conceived in the womb..., and the child played in her" Conversation 51. (Gen. 26:1) "Now there was a famine in the land, except for the famine that was before in the time of Abraham" Conversation 52. (Gen. 26:12) "And Isaac sowed in that land, and ye obtained it in that year a hundredfold fruit of barley." Conversation 53. (Gen. 26:34-35) "And Esau was about forty years old, and he gave water to the wife of Judith, the daughter of Beel the Hittite, and to Basematha the daughter of Elom the Hivite. And he resisted Isaac and Rebekah" Conversation 54. (Gen. 27:42) "And Rebekah called her youngest son, and spoke to him." Conversation 55. (Gen. 29:15) "And Laban said to Jacob: For thou art my brother, thou shalt not work for me: tell me what is thy reward." Conversation 56. (Gen. 29:21) “And Jacob said to Laban: Give me my wife before the end of the day, that I may go in to her.” Conversation 57. (Genesis 30:25) “And it came to pass, when Rachel gave birth to Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Let me go, that I may go to my place and to my land.” Conversation 58. (Genesis 32:1-2) “And when Jacob looked, he saw the army of God in arms: and the angels of God gathered together. Jacob said when he saw them: This is the army of God; and he called the name of that place: Polki" Conversation 59. (Gen. 33:18-20) "And Jacob came to Salem, the city of Sikimsk,... and bought part of the village... from Hamor, the father of Shecheml, for a hundred lambs. And you built an altar there, and called the God of Israel." Conversation 60. (Gen. 35:7) "And having built an altar, he called the name of the place Bethel: for there God appeared to him, as he fled from the presence of his brother Esau." Conversation 61. (Gen. 37:2) "And these begat Jacob: Joseph was seventy years old, tending the sheep. (his father) with his brethren" Conversation 62. (Gen. 38: 2-3) "And Judah saw the daughter of the Canaanite man, whose name was Sheba, and he gave her drink, and went down to her. And when she was conceived, she gave birth to a son, and she called his name Ir.” Conversation 63. (Gen. 39:23) “The elder of the prison guards knew nothing for Joseph’s sake.” Conversation 64. (Gen. 41:46–49) “And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt. And in seven years the earth created a bountiful harvest... and gathered... wheat like the sand of the sea." Conversation 65. (Gen.45:25-26) “And Joseph’s brothers came out of Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to Jacob their father, and told him, saying, For thy son Joseph is alive, and he rules over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob was horrified at the thought: “You have no faith in them.” Conversation 66. (Gen. 47:29-31) “And when the day drew near,” it is said, “for Israel to die, he called his son Joseph and said to him: If I have found grace before you, put your hand under my shoulder, and show me mercy and truth, so that I cannot be buried.” me in Egypt: but may I rest with my fathers: and carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their tomb. He said: I will do according to your word. The speech is: swear to me. And they swear to him. And Israel bowed down to the end of his staff." Conversation 67. (Gen. 48:21-22) "And Israel said to Joseph: Behold, I die, and God will be with you, and God will bring you back from the land of the sow to the land of your fathers. But I give to you Sikim, chosen before your brethren, who took him... with my sword and bow.” You might be interested in: