3 英翻中 Genesis 4 創世記4 8/3/2025

3 英翻中                                  Genesis 4                                  創世記4                          8/3/2025

CHAPTER TWO  第二章                                                                                                                            Genesis 1  創世記 1 

WHEN GOD SPEAKS, SOMETHING HAPPENS    當上帝說話時，就會有事情發生 

Some people call the president of the United States “the most powerful leader in the world,” but more than one former president would disagree. Ex presidents have confessed that their executive orders weren’t always obeyed and that there wasn’t much they could do about it.                                                有些人稱美國總統為“世界上最有權勢的領導人”，但不止一位前總統不同意。前總統都承認，他們的行政命令並不總是得到遵守，而且他們對此無能為力。                                                                    For example, during President Nixon’s first term in office, he ordered the removal of some ugly temporary buildings on the mall, eyesores that had been there since the World War I era, but it took many months before the order was obeyed. When journalists began writing about “the imperial presidency,” Nixon called the whole idea “ludicrous.” 1 Presidents may speak and sign official orders, but that’s no guarantee that any thing will happen.                                                                                                 例如，尼克森總統在第一任期下令拆除商場上一些醜陋的臨時建築，這些建築自第一次世界大戰以來一直存在，但花了好幾個月的時間才執行。當記者開始談論「帝國總統」時，尼克森稱整個想法「荒謬」。  總統可能會發表演說並簽署官方命令，但這並不能保證任何事情都會發生。                                                                                                                                                                      However, when God speaks, something happens! “For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast” (Ps. 33:9 nkjv). When you consider the acts of God recorded in Genesis 1, you can’t help but bow in reverent worship, for His creative acts reveal a God of power and wisdom whose word carries authority.                                                                                                                                 然而，當上帝說話時，事情就發生了！ 「因為祂說，事就成就；祂一吩咐，事就立定」（詩篇 33:9 新欽定版）。當你思想創世記第一章所記載的神的作為時，你會情不自禁地低頭敬拜，因為他創造的作為彰顯了一位有能力和智慧的神，他的話語帶著權柄。                                              God creates (1:1–2) .  Three books of the Bible open with “beginnings”: Gen. 1:1; Mark 1:1; and John 1:1. Each of these beginnings is important. “In the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1) takes us into eternity past when Jesus Christ, the living Word of God, existed as the eternal Son of God. John wasn’t suggesting that Jesus had a beginning. Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God who existed before all things because He made all things (John 1:3; Col. 1:16–17; Heb. 1:2). Therefore, John’s “beginning” antedates Genesis 1:1.2 .                                                                                                                                         上帝創造 (1:1-2).  聖經的三卷書都以「開端」開頭：創 1:1；馬可福音 1:1；和約翰福音 1:1。每一個開始都很重要。 「太初有道」（約翰福音 1：1）將我們帶入永恆的過去，那時耶穌基督，上帝的活話，作為祂永恆兒子而存在。約翰並不是說耶穌有一個開始。耶穌基督是上帝永恆的兒子，祂在萬物之前就存在了，因為祂創造了萬物（約翰福音 1:3；歌羅西書 1:16-17；希伯來書 1:2）。因此，約翰福音的「開頭」早於創世記 1:1.2.                                                                     The gospel of Mark opens with, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” The message of the gospel didn’t start with the ministry of John the Baptist, because the good news of God’s grace was announced in Genesis 3:15. As Hebrews 11 bears wit ness, God’s promise was believed by people throughout Old Testament history, and those who believed were saved. (See Gal. 3:1–9 and Rom. 4.) The ministry of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus, was the beginning of the proclamation of the message concern ing Jesus Christ of Nazareth (see Acts 1:21–22 and 10:37).                      馬可福音的開頭是「上帝的兒子耶穌基督福音的開頭」。 福音聖人的信息並不是從施洗約翰的事工開始的，因為祂恩典的好消息是在創世記3:15中宣告的。正如希伯來書第 11 章所見證的，在整個舊約歷史中，上帝的應許都為人們所相信，並且那些相信的人都得救了。 （參考加拉太書 3：1-9 和羅馬書 4。）耶穌的先驅施洗約翰的事工是宣講有關拿撒勒人耶穌基督信息的開始（參考使徒行傳 1：21-22 和 10：37）。                                                                                                 “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Gen. 1:1) refers to the dateless past when God brought the universe into existence out of nothing (Ps. 33:6; Rom. 4:17; Heb. 1:3). 3 Genesis 1:1–2 is the declaration that God created the universe; the detailed explanation of the six days of God’s creative work is given in the rest of the chapter.                                                                                                   「起初上帝創造天地」（創 1:1）指的是神從無到有創造宇宙的永恆過去（詩篇 33:6；羅馬書 4:17；希伯來書 1:3）。 3  本章的其餘部分給出了上帝六天創造工作的詳細解釋。                               Thirty–two times in this chapter, this creative God is called Elohim, a Hebrew word that emphasizes His majesty and power. (The covenant name “Jehovah” appears for the first time in Gen. 2:4.) Elohim is a plu ral noun that is consistently used in connection with singular verbs and adjectives. (Hebrew tenses are singular, dual, or plural.) Some think that this plural form is what grammarians call the “plural of majesty,” or it might also be a hint that God exists in three persons. In Scripture, Creation is attributed to the Father (Acts 4:24) and to the Son (John 1:1–3) and to the Holy Spirit (Ps. 104:30).               在這一章中，這位富有創造力的上帝有三十二次被稱為耶洛因（Elohim），耶洛因是希伯來詞，強調祂的威嚴和力量。 （盟約名稱「耶和華」首次出現在創世記 2:4 中。）耶洛因是一個複數名詞，始終與單數動詞和形容詞連用。 （希伯來語時態有單數、雙數或複數之分。）有些人認為這種複數形式就是語法學家所說的 “威嚴複數”，或者也可能暗示上帝以三個位格存在。在聖經中，創造被歸因於聖父（使徒行傳 4：24）、聖子（約翰福音 1：1-3）和聖靈（詩篇 104：30）。                                                                                                                                                      Elohim reveals His power by creating everything by merely speaking the word. Matter is not eternal; it began when God spoke everything into existence (Eph. 3:9; Col. 1:16; Rev. 4:11; 5:13). Scripture doesn’t reveal why God chose to start His creative work with a chaotic mass that was dark, formless, and empty,4 but the Holy Spirit, brooding over the waters, 5 would bring order out of chaos and beauty and fullness out of emptiness. 6 He can still do that today with the lives of all who will yield to Him.                                                                                                                                                                     耶洛因(Elohim)啟示出話語就創造了一切，從而揭示了祂的力量。物質不是永恆的；物質開始於祂用話語創造一切（弗 3:9；西  1:16；啟 4:11；5:13）。聖經並沒有揭示為什麼上帝選擇從黑暗、無形、空虛的混亂物質開始祂的創造工作，4  但是聖靈在水面上運行，5  可以從混亂中帶來秩序，從空虛中帶來美麗和充實。 6  上帝今天仍然可以用所有願意對屈服祂的人生命來做到這一點。                                                                                                                                                         The nations that surrounded the people of Israel had ancient traditions that “explained” the origin of the universe and humankind. These myths involved mon sters that battled in deep oceans and gods who fought 14 Genesis 1 battles to bring the universe into being. But the simple account in Genesis presents us with one God who alone created all things and is still in control of His cre ation. Had the Jewish people paid close attention to what Moses wrote, they would never have worshipped the idols of their pagan neighbors.                                                                                                                                            以色列人民周圍的國家有著「解釋」宇宙和人類起源的古老傳統。這些神話涉及在深海中戰鬥的怪物和為創造宇宙而進行的 14 場創世紀 1 戰鬥的諸神。但創世記中的簡單記載向我們展示了一位上帝，祂獨自創造了萬物，並且仍然掌管著祂的創造。如果猶太人密切注意摩西所寫的內容，他們就永遠不會崇拜異教鄰居的偶像。創世記1章 1到2節是說明上帝創造宇宙的其餘部分給出了上帝六天創造工作的詳細解釋。                                                                                                        Thirty–two times in this chapter, this creative God is called Elohim, a Hebrew word that emphasizes His majesty and power. (The covenant name “Jehovah” appears for the first time in Gen. 2:4.) Elohim is a plu ral noun that is consistently used in connection with singular verbs and adjectives. (Hebrew tenses are singular, dual, or plural.) Some think that this plural form is what grammarians call the “plural of majesty,” or it might also be a hint that God exists in three persons. In Scripture, Creation is attributed to the Father (Acts 4:24) and to the Son (John 1:1–3) and to the Holy Spirit (Ps. 104:30).               在這一章中，這位富有創造力的上帝有三十二次被稱為耶洛因（Elohim），耶洛因是希伯來詞，強調祂的威嚴和力量。 （盟約名稱「耶和華」首次出現在創世記 2:4 中。）耶洛因是一個複數名詞，始終與單數動詞和形容詞連用。 （希伯來語時態有單數、雙數或複數之分。）有些人認為這種複數形式就是語法學家所說的 “威嚴複數”，或者也可能暗示上帝以三個位格存在。在聖經中，創造被歸因於聖父（使徒行傳 4：24）、聖子（約翰福音 1：1-3）和聖靈（詩篇 104：30）。                                                                                                                                                      Elohim reveals His power by creating everything by merely speaking the word. Matter is not eternal; it began when God spoke everything into existence (Eph. 3:9; Col. 1:16; Rev. 4:11; 5:13). Scripture doesn’t reveal why God chose to start His creative work with a chaotic mass that was dark, formless, and empty,4 but the Holy Spirit, brooding over the waters, 5 would bring order out of chaos and beauty and fullness out of emptiness. 6 He can still do that today with the lives of all who will yield to Him.                                                                                                                                                                     耶洛因(Elohim)啟示出話語就創造了一切，從而揭示了祂的力量。物質不是永恆的；物質開始於祂用話語創造一切（弗 3:9；西  1:16；啟 4:11；5:13）。聖經並沒有揭示為什麼上帝選擇從黑暗、無形、空虛的混亂物質開始祂的創造工作，4  但是聖靈在水面上運行，5  可以從混亂中帶來秩序，從空虛中帶來美麗和充實。 6  上帝今天仍然可以用所有願意對屈服祂的人生命來做到這一點。                                                                                                                                                         The nations that surrounded the people of Israel had ancient traditions that “explained” the origin of the universe and humankind. These myths involved mon sters that battled in deep oceans and gods who fought 14 Genesis 1 battles to bring the universe into being. But the simple account in Genesis presents us with one God who alone created all things and is still in control of His cre ation. Had the Jewish people paid close attention to what Moses wrote, they would never have worshipped the idols of their pagan neighbors.                                                                                                                                            以色列人民周圍的國家有著「解釋」宇宙和人類起源的古老傳統。這些神話涉及在深海中戰鬥的怪物和為創造宇宙而進行的 14 場創世紀 1 戰鬥的諸神。但創世記中的簡單記載向我們展示了一位上帝，祂獨自創造了萬物，並且仍然掌管著祂的創造。如果猶太人密切注意摩西所寫的內容，他們就永遠不會崇拜異教鄰居的偶像。                                       

God forms (1:3–13)                                                                                                                                  上帝創造 (1:3-13)                                                                                                                                      There’s a pattern to God’s activities during the creation week: first He formed and then He filled. He made three spheres of activity: the heavens, the landmasses, and the waters; and then He filled them with appropri ate forms of life.                                                                                                                      祂在創造週期間的活動有一個模式：首先祂創造，然後祂充滿。祂創造了三個活動領域：天空、陸地和水域；然後祂用適當的生命形式充滿了他們。                                                                            Day one (vv. 3–5). God commanded the light to shine and then separated the light from the darkness. But how could there be light when the light-bearers aren’t mentioned until the fourth day (vv. 14–19)? Since we aren’t told that this light came from any of the luminaries God created, it probably came from God Himself who is light (John 1:5) and wears light as a garment (Ps. 104:2; Hab. 3:3–4). The eternal city will enjoy endless light without the help of the sun or moon (Rev. 22:5), so why couldn’t there be light at the begin ning of time before the luminaries were made? 7                                           第一天（3-5節）。  上帝命令有光, 便發光，然後將光與暗分開。但是，為什麼直到第四天為才提到光（14-19節），怎麼會有光呢？由於我們沒有被告知這光，是來自上帝創造的任何發光體，因此，它可能來自上帝本身，上帝本身就是光（約翰福音1:5），並且穿著發光的衣服（詩篇104:2；哈巴谷書3:3-4）。永恆之城無需太陽或月亮的幫助，就能享受無盡的光明（啟示錄 22:5），那麼為什麼在發光體被造之前的時間之初，就不能有光呢？   7                                              Life as we know it could not exist without the light of the sun. Paul saw in this creative act the work of God in the new creation, the salvation of the lost. “For it is the God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6 nkjv). “In him [Jesus] was life; and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4).                                                                                                                                                    我們知道沒有太陽的光, 生命就不可能存在,  保羅在這創造的作為中，看到了上帝在新創造中的工作，即對失喪者的拯救。 「因為那吩咐光從黑暗裡照出來的上帝，已經照在我們心裡，叫我們認識祂在耶穌基督面上的榮耀」（哥林多後書 4:6 新欽定版）。 「生命在祂〔耶穌〕裡；生命就是人的光」（約翰福音1:4）。                                                                                                       In Scripture, light is associated with Christ (8:12), the Word of God (Ps. 119:105, 130), God’s people (Matt. 5:14–16; Eph. 5:8), and God’s blessing (Prov. 4:18), while darkness is associated with Satan (Luke 23:53; Eph. 6:12), sin (Matt. 6:22–23; John 3:19–21), death (Job 3:4–6, 9), spiritual ignorance (John 1:5), and divine judgment (Matt. 8:12). This explains why God separated the light from the dark ness, for the two have nothing in common. God’s people are to “walk in the light” (1 John 1:5–10), for “what communion has light with darkness?” (2 Cor. 6:14–16; Eph. 5:1–14).                                          在聖經中，光與基督（8:12）、上帝的話語（詩篇 119:105, 130）、上帝的子民（太 5:14-16；以弗所書 5:8）與上帝的祝福相關（箴 4:18），而黑暗則與撒但相關（路加福音 23:53；以弗所書 6:12），與罪（馬太福音 6 : 22-23; 約 3 : 19 - 21）、死亡（約伯記 3:4-6, 9）、屬靈的無知（約 1:5）和神聖的審判（太 8:12）。這解釋為什麼上帝將光明與黑暗分開，因為兩者沒有任何共同點。上帝的子民要 “行在光明中”（約翰一書 1:5-10），因為  “光明與黑暗有何相通？” （哥林多後書 6：14-16；弗 5：1-14）。                                                                                                        From the very first day of creation, God established the principle of separation. Not only did He separate the light from the darkness (Gen. 1:4) and the day from the night (v. 14), but later He also separated the waters above from the waters beneath (vv. 6–8), and the land from the waters (vv. 9–10). Through Moses, God commanded the people of Israel to remain sepa rated from the nations around them (Ex. 34:10–17; Deut. 7:1–11), and when they violated this com mandment, they suffered. God’s people today need to be careful in their walk (Ps. 1:1) and not be defiled by the world (Rom. 12:1–2; James 1:7; 4:4; 1 John 2:15–17).                                                                                                                             從創造的第一天起，上帝就確立了分離的原則。他不僅將光與暗分開（創 1:4）、晝與夜（14節），後來祂也將水上與下面的水分開（6-8節），將陸地與水中分開（9-10節）。上帝透過摩西命令以色列人與周圍的國家保持隔離（出埃及記 34:10-17；申命記 7:1-11），當他們違反這條誡命時，他們就會受苦。今天上帝的子民需要謹慎行事（詩篇 1:1），不要被世界所玷污（羅馬書 12:1-2；雅各書 1:7；4:4；約翰一書 2:15-17）。                                                                             Since God is the Creator, He has the right to call things whatever He pleases, and thus we have “day” and “night.” The word “day” can refer to the portion of time when the sun is visible as well as to the whole period of twenty-four hours composed of “evening and morning” (Gen. 1:5). 8   Sometimes biblical writers used “day” to describe a longer period of time in which God accomplishes some special purpose, such as “the day of the Lord” (Isa. 2:12) or “the day of judgment” (Matt. 10:15).                                 既然上帝是創造者，祂有權隨心所欲地稱呼事物，因此我們有「白天」和「夜晚」。 「日」這個字可以指太陽可見的那段時間，也可以指由「晚上和早晨」組成的整個二十四小時（創世記 1:5）。8  有時聖經的作者用 "日" 表示長一些的時間, 當上帝用在完成一件特別的事件, 如 "主的日子 " ( 賽  2:12) 或 “審判的日子” (太  10:15).                                                                                    When we speak about spiritual things, it’s important that we use God’s dictionary as well as His vocabulary. Words carry meanings and giving the wrong meaning to a word could lead to serious trouble. It would be fatal to a patient if a physician confused “arsenic” with “aspirin,” so medical people are very careful to use accurate terminology. The “Christian vocabulary” is even more important because eternal death could be the consequence of confusion. The Bible explains and illustrates words like sin, grace, for giveness, justification, and faith, and to change their meanings is to replace God’s truth with lies. “Woe to them who call evil, good, and good, evil; who put dark ness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter” (Isa. 5:20).                                                              當我們談論屬靈的事時，使用上帝的字典和詞彙非常重要。單字帶有含義，賦予單字錯誤的含義，可能會導致嚴重的麻煩。如果醫生將 “砷” 與 “阿斯匹靈” 混淆，對患者來說，將是致命的事，因此醫務人員非常小心地使用準確的術語。 「基督教詞彙」甚至更為重要，因為永恆的死亡，可能是混亂的結果。聖經對罪、恩典、給予、稱義和信心等字眼，進行了解釋和說明，改變它們的意義，就是用謊言取代上帝的真理。 「那些稱惡為善，稱善為惡的人有禍了！他們以黑暗為光明，以光明為黑暗；他們以苦為甜，以甜為苦」（賽 5:20）。                                               Day two (vv. 6–8). God put an expanse between the upper waters and the lower waters and made “heaven,” what we know as “the sky.” It seems that these waters were a vaporous “blanket” that covered the original creative mass. When separated from the land mass, the lower waters eventually became the ocean and the seas, and the upper waters played a part in the flood during Noah’s day (Gen. 7:11–12; 9:11–15).                                                                                                                                                 第二天（6-8節）。上帝在上層水域和下層水域之間，放置了一片廣闊的空間，創造了  “天堂”，也就是我們所說的 “天空”。這些水似乎是一層氣態的 “毯子”，覆蓋了最初的創造性物質。當與陸地分離時，較低的水域,  最終變成了海洋，而較高的水域，則在諾亞時代的洪水中發揮了作用（創世記  7：11-12；9：11-15）。                                                                                                           The word translated “firmament” (expanse) means “to beat out.” In Scripture, the sky is sometimes referred to as a dome or a covering; however, Scripture nowhere supports the pagan mythological notion that the sky is some kind of solid covering. The luminaries were set in this expanse (1:14–17) and that’s where the fowl flew (v. 20).                                                                                                    翻譯為“穹蒼”（廣闊）的字的意思是 “出局”。在聖經中，天空有時被稱為，穹頂或覆蓋物；然而，聖經中沒有任何地方支持異教神話觀念，即天空是某種堅固的覆蓋物。發光體就安置在這片天空上（1:14-17），那是鳥飛翔的地方（20節）。                                                                        Day three (vv. 9–13). God gathered the waters and caused the dry land to appear, thus making “earth” and “seas.” Israel’s pagan neighbors believed all kinds of myths about the heavens, the earth, and the seas; but Moses made it clear that Elohim, the one true God, was Lord of them all. For the first time, God said that what He had done was “good” (v. 10). God’s creation is still good, even though it travails because of sin (Rom. 8:20–22) and has been ravaged and exploited by sinful people.                             第三天（9-13節）。上帝聚集了水，使旱地出現，因而創造了「地」和「海」。以色列的異教鄰居相信各種有關天、地、海的神話。但摩西明確表示，埃洛希姆(Elohim)，獨一真神，是萬物之主。上帝第一次說祂所做的都是「善」（10節）。上帝的創造仍然是美好的，儘管因罪而勞苦（羅馬書8:20-22），並被罪人蹂躪和剝削。                                                                                       God also caused plant life to appear on the earth: the grasses, the seed-producing herbs, and the fruit bearing trees. God decreed that each would reproduce “after its kind,” which helps to make possible order in nature. God has set reproductive limits for both plants and animals (Gen. 1:21) because He is the Lord of Creation. There’s no suggestion here of any kind of “evolution.” God was preparing the earth for a habita tion for humans and for animals, and the plants would help to provide their food. A second time, God said that His work was good (v. 12).                                                                     上帝也使植物生命出現在地球上：青草、結種子的草本植物和結果子的樹木。上帝規定每個物種都「各從其類」繁殖，這有助於使自然界變得可能有秩序。上帝為植物和動物設定了繁殖限制（創 1:21），因為祂是創造之主。這裡沒有任何形式的「進化」的建議。上帝正在為人類和動物準備地球的棲息地，而植物將幫助他們提供食物。上帝第二次說他的工作很好（12節）。                                                                                                                                                            

God fills (1:14–27; 2:7)                                                                                                                              上帝充滿（1:14-27；2:7）                                                                                                                    God has now created three special “spaces”: the land, the seas, and the expanse of the sky. During the next three creative days, He will fill these spaces.                                                                                        上帝現在創造了三個特別的「空間」：陸地、海洋和天空。在接下來的三天創造日裡，祂將填補這些空間。                                                                                                                                                          Day four (vv. 14–19). Into the expanse of the sky God placed the heavenly bodies and assigned them their work: to divide the day and night and to provide “signs” to mark off days, years, and seasons. Light had already appeared on the first day, but now it was con centrated in these heavenly bodies.                   第四天（14-19節）。上帝將天體安置在浩瀚的天空中，並分配給它們各自的工作：劃分白天和黑夜，並提供「記號」來標記日子、年份和季節。光在第一天就已經出現了，但現在卻集中在這些天體上。                                                                                                                                               Because of their religious observances, the Jews needed to know the times and the seasons, when the Sabbath arrived and ended, when it was a new month, and when it was time to celebrate their annual feasts (Lev. 26). Before the invention of the clock and the compass, the activities of human life were closely linked to nature’s cycles, and navigators depended on the stars to direct them. Israel would need the help of the heavenly bodies to direct their activities, and God would occasionally use signs in the heavens to speak to His people on earth.9 Israel was commanded not to imitate their pagan neighbors by worshipping the heavenly bodies (Ex. 20:1–6; Deut. 4:15–19; 17:2–7). They were to wor ship the true God who created the “heavenly host,” the army of heaven that did His bidding. However, the Jews didn’t obey God’s commandment (Jer. 8:2; 19:13; Ezek. 8:16; Zeph. 1:4–6) and suffered greatly for their sins.                                                                                                                                                                 由於他們的宗教儀式，猶太人需要知道時間和季節，安息日什麼時候到來和結束，什麼時候是新的一個月，什麼時候慶祝他們一年一度的節日（利  26）。在時鐘和指南針未發明之前，人類的生命活動與大自然的循環密切相關，航海家依靠星星來指引方向。以色列需要天體的幫助來引導他們的活動，上帝有時會使用天上的徵兆來對地上祂的子民說話。他們要敬拜創造「天軍」的真神，這支天軍執行祂的命令。然而，猶太人並沒有遵守上帝的誡命（耶利米書 8:2；19:13；以西結書 8:16；西弗書 1:4-6），並因他們的罪而遭受極大的痛苦。                                      The ancient peoples were fascinated by the moon and stars and the movements of the sun and planets, and it was but a short step from admiration to worship. “If the stars should appear one night in a thousand years,” wrote Ralph Waldo Emerson, “how would men believe and adore, and preserve for many generations the remembrance of the city of God which had been shown …”10                                          古代人們對月亮和星星以及太陽和行星的運動著迷，從崇拜到崇拜只有一步之遙。拉爾夫·沃爾多·愛默生(Ralph Waldo Emerson)寫道：「如果星星在一千年中的一個晚上出現，人們將如何相信和崇拜，並為世世代代保留對上帝之城的記憶…」10                                                                         Day five (vv. 20–23). God had created the sky and the waters, and now He filled them abundantly with living creatures. He made birds to fly in the sky and aquatic creatures to frolic in the seas. “O Lord, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your possessions—This great and wide sea, in which are innumerable teeming things, living things both small and great” (Ps. 104:24–25 nkjv).                                                                                                                                              第五天（20-23節）。上帝創造了天空和水，現在祂怎樣充滿了豐富的生物。祂讓鳥兒在天上飛翔，讓水生生物在海裡嬉戲。 「主啊，祢的作為何其多！祢用智慧創造了這一切。大地充滿了祢的財產－這片廣闊無垠的大海，其中有無數的生物，無論大小，都有生物」（詩篇 104:24-25 新欽定版）。                                                                                                                                       A new element is added to God’s work on this day: He not only called His work “good,” but He blessed the creatures He had made. This is the first time the word “bless” is used in the Bible. God’s blessing enabled the creatures and the fowl to reproduce abun dantly and enjoy all that He had made for them. God would also bless the first man and woman (Gen. 1:28; 5:2), the Sabbath day (2:3), and Noah and his family (9:2). After creation, perhaps the most important occa sion for God’s blessing was when He gave His gracious covenant to Abraham and his descendants (12:1–3). That blessing has reached down to God’s people today (Gal. 3:1–9).                                                                                                               上帝在這一天的工作中添加了新的元素：上帝不僅稱祂的工作為“善”，而且祝福了祂所創造的生物。這是聖經中第一次使用「祝福」這個字。上帝的祝福使生物和飛禽能夠繁衍生息，並享受上帝為它們創造的一切。上帝也會祝福第一個男人和女人（創 1:28；5:2）、安息日（2:3）以及挪亞和他的家人（9:2）。創造之後，上帝賜福的最重要時刻也許就是他向亞伯拉罕和他的後裔立下恩典之約的時候（12:1-3）。這祝福已經臨到今天神的子民（加拉太書 3:1-9）。                                                                                                                                                                       Day six (vv. 24–31; 2:7). God had formed the sky and filled it with heavenly luminaries and flying birds. He had formed the seas and filled the waters with var ious aquatic creatures. Creation reaches its climax when on the sixth day He filled the land with animal life and then created the first man.                                                                                                                                                                         第六天（24-31節；2:7）。上帝創造了天空，並充滿了天上的光體和飛翔的鳥兒。祂創造了海洋，並讓水中充滿了各種水生生物。第六天，創造達到了頂峰，祂讓動物充滿了大地，然後創造了第一個男人，他和他的妻子將統治地球及其生物。                                                                         Like the first man, the animals were formed out of the dust of the ground (2:7), which explains why the bodies of both humans and animals go back to the dust after death (Eccl. 3:19–20). However, humans and ani mals are different. No matter how intelligent some animals may appear to be, or how much they are taught, animals are not endowed with the “image of God” as are humans.11                                像第一個人一樣，動物也是由地上的塵土形​​成的（2:7），這解釋了為什麼人類和動物的身體在死後都會回歸塵土（傳道書 3:19-20）。然而，人和動物是不同的。無論某些動物看起來多麼聰明，或者它們受過多少教育，動物都不像人類那樣被賦予「上帝的形象」。      11                            The creation of the first man is seen as a very special occasion, for there’s a “consultation” prior to the event. “Let us make man in our image” sounds like the conclusion of a divine deliberation among the persons of the Godhead. 12   God couldn’t have been talking with the angels about His plans because angels weren’t made in God’s image (“Our image”), and angels had nothing to do with the creation of Adam.                                                                                                                                                   第一個人的創造被視為一個非常特殊的場合，因為在該事件之前有一個「協商」。 「讓我們按照我們的形象造人」聽起來像是神格中神聖深思熟慮的結論。 12                                                        “And the Lord formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Gen. 2:7). The verb “formed” suggests the potter making a work of art in his skilled hands. The human body is indeed a work of art, an amazingly complex organism that only the wisdom of God could design and the power of God create.                                                                  「耶和華用地上的塵土造人，將生命的氣息吹進他的鼻孔；人就成了有靈的活人」（創 2:7）。動詞「形成」暗示陶工用他熟練的雙手製作藝術品。人體確實是一件藝術品，是個極其複雜的有機體，只有上帝的智慧才能設計，只有上帝的力量才能創造。                                                    The physical matter for Adam’s body came from the ground, for the name “Adam” means “taken out of the ground,” but the life Adam possessed came from God. Of course, God is spirit and doesn’t have lungs for breathing. This statement is what theologians call an “anthropomorphism,” the using of a human characteristic to explain a divine work or attribute.  13                                                                               亞當身體的物質來自於地，因為 “亞當” 這個名字的意思是  “從地裡取出來的”，但亞當所擁有的生命卻來自於上帝。 當然，上帝是靈，沒有呼吸的肺。這種說法就是神學家所說的 “擬人論”，即利用人類特徵來解釋神聖的作品或屬性。13                                                       n                           Several important facts must be noted about the origin of humans. First, we were created by God. We are not the products of some galactic accident nor are we the occupants of the top rung of an evolutionary lad der. God made us, which means we are creatures and wholly dependent on Him. “For in him we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28). Luke 3:38 calls Adam “the son of God.”              有關人的起源，必須說明幾點重要事實。首先，我們是上帝創造的。我們不是某種銀河事故的產物，也不是進化階梯最頂層的佔據者。上帝創造了我們，這意味著我們是受造物並完全依賴祂。 「因為我們生活、動作、存留都在乎祂」（使徒行傳 17:28）。路加福音 3:38 稱亞當為「上帝的兒子」。                                                                                                                                                

2 英翻中 Geness (2) 創世記之2 3/6/2025

2 英翻中                           Geness (2)                               創世記之2                           3/6/2025

創世記的記載是實存的事實(realities).    始祖亞當和夏娃因背逆上帝的話而犯罪.  罪人惟一能洗淨自己罪孽的方法  --- 信靠主耶穌基督, 因為祂釘死在十字架上的寶血可洗淨我們的罪.                  The records in Genesis are realities. The first parents, Adam and Eve, sinned because they disobeyed the word of God. The only way sinners can wash away their sins is to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, because the blood of His crucifixion can wash away our sins.  

                                                                                                                                                                              As you study Genesis, keep in mind that Moses didn’t write a detailed history of each person or event. He recorded only those things that helped him achieve his purpose, which was to explain the origin of things, especially the origin of the Jewish nation. Genesis 1— 11 is a record of failure, but with the call of Abraham, God made a new beginning. Man’s sin had brought God’s curse (3:14, 17; 4:11), but God’s gracious covenant with Abraham brought blessing to the whole world (12:1–3).                       當你研讀創世記, 要留意摩西並沒有，詳細的描寫每件事或每一個人。他只是想記載一些事，以達到他寫書的目的, 以說明事情的開始，特別是猶太國的起始。創世記一至十一章是失敗的記錄，但上帝藉著亞伯拉罕的呼召，創造了一個新的開始。人的罪招致了上帝的咒詛（3:14, 17；4:11），但祂與亞伯拉罕所立的恩典之約卻給全世界帶來了祝福（12:1-3）。                                   You will also notice in the Genesis record that when man does his worst and reaches his lowest, God gives him a new beginning. Dr. G. Campbell Morgan said that the cycle in Genesis is “generation, degeneration, and regeneration.”11 Cain killed Abel, but God gave Seth to continue the godly line. The earth became vio lent and wicked, so God wiped out humanity but chose Noah and his family to carry on His work. Out of pagan Ur of the Chaldees, God called Abraham and Sarah and gave them a son, Isaac, and the future of God’s plan of salvation rested with that son. Isaac and Rebekah had two sons, Esau and Jacob, but God rejected Esau and chose Jacob to build the twelve tribes of Israel and inherit the covenant blessings.                                                                                                                                          你也會注意到，在創世記的記載中，當人做了最壞的事，達到最低潮時，上帝給了他一個新的開始。坎貝爾摩根(G.Campbell Morgan)博士說，創世記中的循環是「生成、退化和重生」。地球變得暴力和邪惡，所以上帝消滅了人類，但選擇了諾亞和他的家人來繼續他的工作。在迦勒底的異教吾珥，上帝呼召了亞伯拉罕和撒拉，並賜給他們一個兒子以撒，而祂拯救計劃的未來就落在這個兒子身上。以撒和利百加有兩個兒子，以掃和雅各，但祂拒絕了以掃，並選擇雅各來建立以色列十二支派並繼承聖約的祝福。                                                                                 In other words, from beginning to end, Genesis is the story of God’s sovereign will and electing grace. This doesn’t suggest that the persons in the story were mere robots, because they made mistakes and even tried to thwart God’s plans. But whenever people resis ted God’s rule, He overruled and accomplished His divine purposes anyway. “The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations” (Ps. 33:11 nkjv).                                                                                                              換句話說，創世記從頭到尾都是神主權旨意和揀選恩典的故事。這並不意味著故事中的人只是機器人，因為他們犯了錯誤，甚至試圖阻撓上帝的計劃。但每當人們反抗上帝的統治時，他就會推翻並實現他神聖的目的。 「耶和華的籌算永遠立定，他心裡的籌算萬代常存」（詩篇 33:11 新欽定版）。                                                                                                                                              What begins in Genesis is developed throughout the Bible and then finds its fulfillment in the book of Revelation, as you can see from this summary:                                                                                                從創世記開始的內容在整本聖經中得到發展，然後在啟示錄中得到應驗，正如您從這個摘要中看到的那樣： 

Genesis                                                            Revelation                                                                          創世記                                                             啟示錄                                                                                  The first heaven and earth                               The new heaven and earth                                                    第一個天地                                                     新天新地                                                                              The first garden; the Tree of Life guarded      The “garden city” and the Tree of Life available                  第一個伊甸園；生命樹的守護                  「花園城」和可用的生命樹                                            

The first marriage                                          The last marriage, the marriage of the Lamb                          第一次婚姻                                                   最後一次婚姻，羔羊的婚姻 

Satan tempts Eve to sin                                 Satan thrown into the lake of fire                                          撒旦引誘夏娃犯罪                                       撒旦被扔進火湖        

Death enters the scene                                   “No more death”                                                                  死亡進入現場                                               “不再有死亡”                               

Babylon built                                                Babylon destroyed                                                                  巴比倫建造                                                  巴比倫被毀 

The Redeemer promised                               The Redeemer reigns                                                              救贖主應許                                                  救贖主統治                                                                                                

         There are many more comparisons and contrasts between these two books, but this gives you some idea of how important Genesis is to an understanding of God’s program and the rest of Scrip                   這兩本書之間還有更多的比較和對比，但這讓你了解創世記對於上帝的計劃和聖經有多麼重要。   After Genesis: redemption accomplished                                                                                                  God revealed His great plan of salvation gradually. First, He gave a promise (Gen. 3:15), the first salvation promise found in the Bible. It’s the promise of a Redeemer who would be born of a woman, defeat Satan, and bring salvation to mankind. The promised Savior would be a man and not an angel and would save humans and not fallen angels (Heb. 2:5–18).                                                                      創世記之後：救贖的完成.                                                                                                                        上帝逐漸顯明了祂偉大的救贖計畫。首先，祂給了一個應許（創 3:15）這是聖經中第一個救贖，的應許。這是救贖主的應許，祂將由女人所生，擊敗撒旦，為人類帶來拯救。應許的救世主將是一個人，而不是天使，祂會拯救人類而不是墮落的天使（來 2:5-18）。                                        Where would this promised Redeemer come from? Genesis 12:1–3 answers that question: the Redeemer will be a Jew, from the people of Abraham. Through a miracle of God, Abraham and Sarah had Isaac, and Isaac was the father of Jacob. But Jacob had twelve sons who founded the twelve tribes of Israel. Which of them would give the world the Savior? Genesis 49:10 tells us: the Redeemer will come from the tribe of Judah.                                                                                                                                 這位應許的救贖主從何而來？創世記 12:1-3 回答了這個問題：救贖主將是亞伯拉罕後裔的猶太人。藉著上帝的奇蹟，亞伯拉罕和撒拉生下了以撒，而以撒是雅各的父親。但雅各有十二個兒子，他們創立了以色列十二支派。他們中的哪一個會為世界帶來救世主？創世記 49:10 告訴我們：救贖主將來自猶大支派。                                                                                                                         The book of Exodus tells how God built the great Hebrew nation as they suffered in the land of Egypt and then delivered them by His great power. They should have claimed their inheritance in Canaan, but in unbelief they disobeyed God and ended up wander ing forty years in the wilderness (Num. 13—14). Joshua led the new generation into the land and there established the nation.                          《 出埃及記》講述了神如何在埃及地受苦時建立了偉大的希伯來民族，然後用祂的大能拯救了他們。他們本應在迦南獲得繼承權，但由於不信，他們違背了神，最終在曠野漂流了四十年（民 13-14）。約書亞帶領新一代進入那片土地，並在那裡建立了國家。                                              After the tragic era of the rule of the judges and the reign of Saul, recorded in Judges and 1 Samuel, God anointed David as king and revealed that the promised Redeemer would come from David’s family (2 Sam. 7). He would not only be “the son of David,” but he would be born in Bethlehem, the city of David (Mic. 5:2). Through Isaiah the prophet, God announced that the Redeemer would be born of a virgin in a miracu lous way (Isa. 7:14; see Luke 1:26–38).                                                      在《士師記》和《撒母耳記上》中記載的士師統治和掃羅統治的悲慘時代之後，上帝膏立大衛為王，並透露應許的救贖主將來自大衛的家族《撒母耳記下》7。他不僅是“大衛的子孫”，而且還將出生在大衛城伯利恆（彌  5:2）。透過先知以賽亞，上帝宣告救贖主將以神蹟的方式由童女所生（以賽亞書 7:14；參考路加福音 1:26-38）。                                                                                   Of course, throughout the Old Testament ages, Satan did all he could to thwart the plans of God. Cain belonged to the devil (1 John 3:12) and killed his brother Abel, but God gave Seth to continue the godly line (Gen. 4:25–26).  During the flood, God preserved Noah and his family, and from the family of Shem, Abraham was born, the father of the Hebrew nation.                                                                              當然，在整個舊約時代，撒但盡其所能地阻撓上帝的計劃。該隱屬於魔鬼（約翰一書 3:12）並殺死了他的兄弟亞伯，但上帝賜給賽特來延續敬虔的血統（創 4:25-26）。在洪水期間，上帝保全了諾亞和他的家人，閃(Shem)家族誕生了希伯來民族之父亞伯拉罕。                                 On at least four occasions, the godly line was threatened with extinction. Twice Abraham lied about Sarah his wife and she was taken by pagan rulers (12:10–20; 20:1ff.), and his son Isaac committed the same sin and jeopardized his wife Rebekah (26:6–16). During the dark days of the later Hebrew monarchy, the wicked Queen Mother Athaliah had all the royal sons slain, but one little prince, Joash, was rescued to continue the Davidic line (2 Kings 11).                                                                                 至少有四次，敬虔的血統受到滅絕的威脅。亞伯拉罕兩次對他的妻子撒拉撒了謊，導致她被異教統治者帶走（12:10-20；20:1 比照研讀），他的兒子以撒也犯了同樣的罪，危及了他的妻子利百加（26:6-16）。在後來希伯來君主制的黑暗時期，邪惡的太后亞他利雅殺死了所有的王室兒子，但只有一位小王子約阿施被救出來，延續了大衛的血統（王下 11）。                                         How did it all end? “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law” (Gal. 5:4–5 nkjv). The angel announced to the shepherds, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).                                                                                                                                             這一切是如何結束的？ 「及至時候滿足，上帝就差遣祂的兒子為女子所生，且生在律法以下，要把律法以下的人贖出來」（加拉太書 5:4-5  新欽定版）。天使向牧人宣告：「今天在大衛的城裡，為你們生了救主，就是主基督」（路加福音2:11）。                                                               The promise had been fulfilled! And it all started in Genesi.                                                                       承諾已經兌現了！而這一切都始於創世記！                                                                                           Now let’s join Moses and read his magnificent inspired record of the creation of the heaven, the earth, and human life.                                                                                                                                                現在讓我們和摩西一起閱讀他關於創造天地和人類生命的宏偉記錄。                                                                                                                                

Notes                                                                                                                                                              註

1 It’s doubtful that the ancient theologians ever asked this partic ular question, but the topic isn’t totally irrelevant. Angels are spirits and have no physical bodies, except temporarily when sent on special missions; so how do they occupy space? Thomas Aquinas discussed the matter in his Summa Theologica, so the question is important.                                                                                                      1 古代神學家是否曾問過這個特殊問題值得懷疑，但這個主題並非完全無關。天使是靈體，沒有肉體，除非暫時被派去執行特殊任務；那麼它們如何占據空間呢？托馬斯·阿奎那在他的《神學大全》中討論了這個問題，所以這個問題很重要。                                                                                2 A.W.Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy (New York: Harper and Brothers, 1961), 39.    .”                      2 A.W.Tozer，《神聖的知識》（紐約：Harper and Brothers，1961），39。                                      3 Of course, every human being will exist forever, either in heaven or hell, but as far as this world is concerned, we’re all strangers and pilgrims “only passing through. "                                                          3 當然，每個人都會永遠存在，要么在天堂，要么在地獄，但對於這個世界來說，我們都是陌生人和朝聖者，“只是過路的”                                                                                                                      4 “Lonely” doesn’t suggest that God needed friends. The word means “solitary.”                                      4 「孤獨」並不表示上帝需要朋友。這個字的意思是「孤獨」。                                                        5 A.W. Tozer, The Christian Book of Mystical Verse (Harrisburg, Pa.: Christian Publications, 1963), 7.  5 A.W. Tozer，《基督教神秘詩集》（賓夕法尼亞州哈里斯堡：基督教出版社，1963 年），7.      6 Inour day, “process theology” grew out of the teachings of the British philosopher Alfred North Whitehead (1861–1947), and his disciple Charles Hartshorne gave it wide exposure. Process theology was popularized by Rabbi Harold S. Kushner in his book When Bad Things Happen to Good People. Kushner claimed that God was too weak now to do anything about cancer, war, and the tragedies of life; but as we trust Him and do good, we strengthen Him to do better. For the evangelical point of view, see On Process Theology edited by Ronald H. Nash (Baker Book House, 1987), and my book Why Ussis 1 When Bad Things Happen to God’s People (Fleming H. Revell, 1984).                                                      6 今天，「過程神學」源於英國哲學家阿爾弗雷德·諾斯·懷特海（Alfred North Whitehead，1861-1947）的教義，他的弟子查爾斯·哈茨霍恩（Charles Hartshorne）對其進行了廣泛的宣傳。拉比（Rabbi Harold S. Kushner）在他的著作《當壞事發生在好人身上時》中普及了過程神學。庫許納聲稱上帝現在太軟弱了，無法對癌症、戰爭和人生悲劇採取任何行動；但當我們相信祂並行善時，我們就會加強祂的力量，讓祂做得更好。關於福音派的觀點，請參閱 Ronald H. Nash 編輯的 On Process Theology (Baker Book House, 1987) 和我的書 Why Ussis 1 When Bad Things Happen to God’s People (Fleming H. Revell, 1984)。                                                                                7 The conjunction “and” in the Christian baptismal formula is important, for it shows the equality of the Persons of the Godhead.                                                                                                                                7 基督教洗禮公式中的連接詞「和」很重要，因為它顯示了神格中的平等。  9 哈博士艾恩賽德在芝加哥穆迪教堂擔任了十八年的牧師，他常常透過描述一扇門來說明這一真理，門上掛著一塊牌子，上面寫著「任何願意的人都可以來」。相信這一點，你走進門就得救了。然後你回頭一看，看到門內側掛著另一個標語：“在世界創立之前就在基督裡被揀選了。”                                8 The doctrine of divine election is not an excuse to not share the gospel with others. The same God who ordained the end— the salvation of the lost—has also ordained the means to the end, which is the witness of His people and their prayers for success for His Word. God chooses people to salvation and then calls them by His gospel (2 Thess. 2:13–14). The two go together. We don’t know who the elect are, and we have been ordered to take the gospel to the whole world (Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8).                    8 神聖揀選的教義並不是不與他人分享福音的藉口。同一位神既命定了目的－失喪者的救贖－也命定了達到目的的手段，即祂子民的見證和他們為祂的道成功而祈禱。神揀選人得救，然後用祂的福音呼召他們（帖後 2：13-14）。兩人並肩而行。我們不知道選民是誰，但我們奉命將福音傳給全世界（可 16:15；使徒行傳 1:8）。                                                                                            9 Dr. H.A. Ironside, for eighteen years pastor of Chicago’s Moody Church, used to illustrate this truth by describing a door, over which hung a sign that read, “Whosoever will may come.” Believing that, you walked through the door and were saved. Then you looked back and read another sign hanging over the inside of the door: “Chosen in Christ before the foun dation of the world.”                                          9 哈博士艾恩賽德在芝加哥穆迪教堂擔任了十八年的牧師，他常常透過描述一扇門來說明這一真理，門上掛著一塊牌子，上面寫著「任何願意的人都可以來」。相信這一點，你走進門就得救了。然後你回頭一看，看到門內側掛著另一個標語：“在世界創立之前就在基督裡被揀選了。”    10 These chapter divisions are arbitrary since there is an overlap ping of generations in the narratives as there always is in human history. Technically, the “generations of Jacob” begins at 37:2, but Jacob’s story starts much earlier and moves Isaac into the background. There is no section labeled “the genera tions of Joseph” since Joseph is a part of the Jacob narrative which closes the book of Genesis.                10 這些章節的劃分是任意的，因為敘述中存在著世代重疊，就像人類歷史上一直存在的那樣。從技術上講，「雅各的後代」是從 37:2 開始的，但雅各的故事開始得更早，並將以撒移至幕後。沒有標記為「約瑟的後代」的部分，因為約瑟是創世記結尾的雅各敘述的一部分。            11 See Morgan’s The Analyzed Bible and Living Messages of the Books of the Bible, both published by Fleming H. Revell.                                                                                                                                      11 參見摩根的《分析的聖經》和《聖經各書的活生生的信息》，兩本均由弗萊明·H·雷維爾出版。

1 英翻中 Genesis Chapter one 創世記第一課 3/4/2025

1 英翻中                Genesis Chapter one                    創世記第一課                              3/ 4/2025

編輯者是在台灣大學土木系教水文學, 應屬於學科學的一類.  在教授 "洪災防範水文學"時, 查考中國水利史有 "夏禹治洪水"一文, 約於我國四千年前發生.                                                                                 我是基督信仰的人, 讀聖經 "創世記"    在路加福音十七章二十六節記載 "挪亞的日子",  作者路加是一位醫生, 是學科學的.  在創世記第六章, 整章述說, "洪水氾濫", 挪亞造方舟的歷史, 也是發生在約在四千年前.  至今沒人提出意見.  并有學者仍在土耳其附近找停在那附近的方舟.                    由此看來這是實存的事實(reality).  這也是編輯者於95歲的退休之日要介紹給世人的福音 --- 創世記.  人有罪, 罪來自始祖亞當和夏娃背逆上帝的話而成立.  罪人惟一能洗淨自己罪孽的方法  --- 信靠主耶穌基督, 因為祂釘死在十字架上的寶血可洗淨我們的罪. 

              The editor teaches hydrology at the Department of Civil Engineering at National Taiwan University, which should be classified as a science major.   When teaching "Hydrology for Flood Prevention", I looked up the history of water conservancy in China and found the article "Xia Yu Controlled the Flood", which happened about 4,000 years ago in our country.                                                    I am a Christian and read the Bible "Genesis" in Luke Chapter 17:26. The author Luke is a doctor and is a science student. In Genesis Chapter 6, the entire chapter describes, " "The flood", the history of Noah's building of the ark also happened about 4000 years ago. No one has raised an opinion yet. Some scholars are still looking for the ark parked nearby in Turkey. From this, it is a reality. This is also the gospel that the editor will introduce to the world on the day of his retirement at the age of 95 - Genesis.         Man is guilty, and sin came from the disobedience of God's words. The only way for sinners to wash away their sins is to believe in the Lord. Jesus Christ, because His blood on the cross can wash away our sins.

       This is a blog published in Chinese and English. The "English" is taken from the first volume of the "Be" book, the editor's favorite famous work by the senior pastor of Moody Bible Institute. The English author,   Warren W. Wiersbe  went to Jesus Christ, whom he deeply believed in and died on May 2, 2019.  I am using my life for the Lord and willing to dedtcated the rest of my life to the Lord for engaging in translation. I hope that Western Christian scholars who would like to learn Chinese from it. Help them go to the East to spread the gospel of God in China.                                                                         這是用中英對照來發表的博客, "英文" 取自編輯者最喜歡的慕廸聖經學院的主任牧師的著名大作 ---   "Be" book 中的第一卷.  英文作者, 華倫. W.  魏士比 於2019年5月2日到他深信的耶穌基督那裡, 編輯者為思念他為主而活的一生, 也願藉主賜下的餘生, 從事翻譯, 願喜歡學中文的西方的有基督信仰的學者, 可以藉此學到中文, 幫助他們到東方去宣揚上帝的福音.                          

CHAPTER ONE   第一章                                                                                                                          Genesis 1:1           創世記 1:1                                                                                                                        BC: BEFORE CREATION      BC：創造之前                                                                                            In spite of its name “Genesis,” which means “beginning,” and in spite of its position as the first book in the Bible, the book of Genesis isn’t the beginning of everything. Genesis 1:1 reminds us, “In the beginning God.” So, before we study the basics that are laid down in Genesis 1—11, let’s acquaint ourselves with what God did before what’s recorded in Genesis. After that, we’ll examine what He did that’s recorded in Genesis, and finally, what occurred after Genesis. This will give us the kind of broad overview we need to study the rest of God’s revelation in the Bible.                                                        儘管它的名字是“創世記”，意思是“開始”，儘管它是聖經中第一本書，但創世記並不是一切的開始。創世記一章一節提醒我們：「起初上帝」。因此，在我們學習創世記 1-11 章所規定的基礎知識之前，讓我們先熟悉一下上帝在創世記記載之前所做的事。之後，我們將研究創世記中記載的祂做了什麼，最後，創世記之後發生了什麼事。這將是我們提供研究聖經中上帝其餘啟示所需的廣泛概述。                            

Before Genesis: redemption planned                                                                                                            在創世記之前： 計畫中的救贖                                                                                                                          What was happening before God spoke the universe into existence? That may seem like an impractical hypothetical question, like “How many angels can stand on the point of a pin?” but it isn’t.1 After all, God doesn’t act arbitrarily, and the fact that He created something suggests that He must have had some magnificent purposes in mind. What, then, was the situation before Genesis 1:1, and what does it teach us about God and ourselves?                                                                                                            在上帝創造宇宙之前發生了什麼事？這似乎是一個不切實際的假設性問題，就像“針尖上可以站立多少天使？” 但事實並非如此。1  可是, 上帝並不是單獨創造，那麼，創世記 1 章 1 節之前告訢了我們一些有關上帝與我們的情況是怎麼樣的呢？                                                                            God existed in sublime glory  God is eternal; He Genesis 32—34 Catching Up with Yesterday Genesis 35—36 You Can Go Home Again Genesis 37 Enter the Hero Genesis 38 Judah and Tamar Genesis 39—41 The Lord Makes the Difference Genesis 42—43 When Dreams Come True Genesis 44—45 Truth and Consequences Genesis 46—48 Grandfather Knows Best Genesis 49 The Family with at Future Genesis 50 Three Coffins Be Authentic: A Survey and a Summary 108 113 116 120 120 124 129 133 136 140 144 has neither beginning nor ending. Therefore, He is totally self-sufficient and needs nothing more than Himself in order to exist or to act. “God has a voluntary relation to everything He has made,” wrote A. W. Tozer, “but He has no necessary relation to anything outside of Himself.”  2 God needs nothing, neither the material universe nor the human race, and yet He created both.                                上帝存在於崇高的榮耀中，祂是永恆的；創世記 32-34 追趕昨天; 35-36 你可以再回家; 37 英雄登場;  38 猶大和他瑪;  39-41 上帝使一切變得不同;  42-43 當夢想成真;  44-45 真理與後果; 46—48 祖父最了解創世記; 49 未來創世記的家庭; 創世記 50 三口棺材真實：調查與總結 108 113 116 120 120 124 129 133 136 140 144 既沒有開頭也沒有結尾。因此，祂是完全自給自足的，除了祂自己之外，不需要任何其他東西來存在或行動。托澤(A. W. Tozer)寫道， “上帝與祂所創造的一切都有一種自足的關係，但祂與自己之外的任何事物都沒有必然的關係。” 2    上帝不需要任何其他的東西，既不需要物質宇宙，也不需要人類，但至今祂還沒有創造兩者。                                        If you want something to boggle your mind, meditate on the concept of the eternal, that which has neither beginning nor ending. As creatures of time, you and I can easily focus on the transient things around us, but it’s difficult if not impossible to conceive of that which is eternal.   3 Contemplating the nature and character of the Triune God who always was, always is, and always will be, and who never changes, is a task that overwhelms us. “In the beginning God.” Moses wrote, “Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from ever lasting to everlasting you are God” (Ps. 90:2 niv).   Frederick Faber expressed it like this:                                                                                           如果你想要一些令人難以置信的東西，請默想永恆的概念 --- 無始無終。作為存在於時間中的生物，你我可以很容易地關注我們周圍短暫的事物，但想像永恆的事物是困難的，甚至是不可能的。 3  默想 "三位一體的上帝" 的本質和特徵是一項非常艱辛的任務，祂過去是、現在是、將來也是，並且永不改變。  摩西寫道：“一開始就是上帝。「諸山未曾生出，地與世界你未曾生出；從亙古到永遠，你就是上帝」"（詩篇 90:2 新國際版）。 弗雷德里克 法貝爾 (Frederick Faber) 是這樣表達的：    

                                Timeless, spaceless, single, lonely,  4    永恆，無空間，單一，孤獨， 4                                                             Yet sublimely Three,                              然而崇高的三，                                                                 Thou art grandly, always, only                  你是偉大的，永遠的，唯一                                                          God in unity!  5                                            統一的上帝！ 5 

          “Process theology,” an old heresy in modern dress, affirms a “limited god” who is in the process of becoming a “greater” god. But if God is God, as we understand the word, then He is eternal and needs nothing; and He is all-knowing, all-powerful, and everywhere present. In order to have a “limited god,” you must first redefine the very word “God,” because by definition God cannot be limited.                   「程序神學」是一種披著現代外衣的古老異端，它肯定「有限的神」正在成為一個「更偉大」的神。但如果神是我們所理解的神，那麼祂就是永恆的，不需要任何東西；祂是全知的、全能的、無所不在的。為了擁有  “有限的神”，你必須先重新定義 “神” 這個詞，因為根據定義，神不能是有限的。                                                                                                                                                Furthermore, if God is limited and “getting greater,” then what power is making Him greater? That power would be greater than “God” and therefore be God! And wouldn’t that give us two gods instead of one?  6 But the God of the Bible is eternal and had no beginning. He is infinite and knows no limitations in either time or space. He is perfect and cannot “improve,” and is immutable and cannot change.                                                                                                                                                                    此外，如果神是有限的並且“變得更大”，那麼什麼力量使他變得更大呢？那力量比「神」還要強大，所以就是神！這難道不會帶給我們兩位神而不是一位嗎？6   但聖經中的上帝是永恆的、沒有開始。祂是無限的，不受時間和空間的限制。祂是完美的，無法“改進”，也是一成不變的，無法改變。                                                                                                                                                 The God that Abraham worshipped is the eternal God (Gen. 21:33), and Moses told the Israelites, “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deut. 33:27 niv). Habakkuk said that God was “from everlasting” (Hab. 1:12, and see 3:6), and Paul called Him “the everlasting [eternal] God” (Rom. 16:26; see 1 Tim. 1:17).                                                                                                      亞伯拉罕所敬拜的上帝是永恆的上帝（創  21:33），摩西告訴以色列人：「永恆的上帝是你們的避難所，在祂之下有永遠的膀臂」（申命記  33:27）。先知哈巴谷說上帝是「從亙古而來」（哈巴谷書 1:12，參 3:6），保羅則稱祂為「永在的上帝」（羅馬書  16:26；參考提前 1:17）。           The divine Trinity was in loving communion. “In the beginning God” would be a startling statement to a citizen of Ur of the Chaldees where Abraham came from, because the Chaldeans and all their neighbors worshipped a galaxy of greater and lesser gods and god desses. But the God of Genesis is the only true God and has no “rival gods” to contend with, such as you read about in the myths and fables from the ancient world. (See Ex. 15:1; 20:3; Deut. 6:4; 1 Kings 8:60; 2 Kings 19:15; Ps. 18:31.)           神聖的三位一體的上帝處於愛的共融。 「起初，上帝」對亞伯拉罕的故鄉迦勒底吾珥的公民來說是一個令人震驚的說法，因為迦勒底人和他們所有的鄰居都崇拜一系列大小神靈。但創世記中的神是唯一的真神，沒有「對手神」可以與之抗衡，就像你在古代世界的神話和寓言中所讀到的。 （參考出埃及記 15:1；20:3；申命記 6:4；列王記上 8:60；列王記下 19:15；詩篇 18:31。）                                                                                                                                                                This one true God exists as three Persons: God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. (See Matt. 3:16–17; 28:18–20;7 John 3:34–35; 14:15–17; Acts 2:32–33, 38–39; 10:36–38; 1 Cor. 12:1–6; 2 Cor. 13:14; Eph. 1:3–14; 4:1–6; 2 Thess. 2:13–14; Titus 3:4–6; 1 Peter 1:1–2.) This doesn’t mean that one God manifests Himself in three different forms, or that there are three gods; it means that one God exists in three Persons who are equal in their attributes and yet individual and distinct in their offices and ministries. As the Nicene Creed (AD 325) states it, “We believe in one God—And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of the Father, light of light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father—And in the Holy Ghost.”                                         這位獨一真上帝以三個位格存在：聖父上帝、聖子上帝和聖靈上帝。 （參閱  瑪  3：16-17；28：18-20；約翰福音 3：34-35；14：15-17；使徒行傳 2：32-33、38-39；10：36-38；林前 12：1-6；林後 13：1414；14；提多書 3：4-6；彼前書 1：1-2。它意味著一位上帝存在於三個位格中，祂的屬性是平等的，但祂的職位和事工是個體和獨特的。正如《尼西亞信經》（公元 325 年）所述，“我們信一位上帝，也信一位主耶穌基督，祂的兒子，從父而生，是光中的光，是真上帝之上帝，是上帝所生的，不是被造的，與父上帝同質 —— 並且在聖靈裡。”                                       I once heard a minister open a worship service by praying, “Father, thank You for dying for us on the cross.” But it was God the Son, not God the Father, who died for sinners on the cross, and it is God the Holy Spirit who convicts lost sinners and brings them to repentance and salvation. To scramble and confuse the Persons of the divine Godhead is to change what is taught in Scripture, and this is a dangerous thing to do.                                                                                                                                             我曾經聽到一位牧師在敬拜儀式開始時禱告說：“天父，感謝祢為我們死在十字架上。”  但為罪人死在十字架上的是聖子上帝，而不是聖父上帝，而使迷失的罪人知罪並帶領他們悔改和得救的是聖靈上帝。擾亂和混淆神聖上帝三位一體的位格,  就是改變聖經的教導，這是一件危險的事。                                                                                                                                                                     The doctrine of the Trinity wasn’t clearly revealed in the Old Testament, because the emphasis in the Old Testament is that the God of Israel is one God, uncreated and unique, the only true God. Worshipping the false gods of their neighbors was the great temptation and repeated sin of Israel, so Moses and the prophets hammered away on the unity and uniqueness of Israel’s God. Even today, the faithful Jewish worshipper recites “The Shema” each day: “Hear [shema], O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might” (Deut. 6:4–5 nkjv). The God revealed in Scripture has no peers and no rivals.                                 舊約聖經並沒有明確啟示三位一體的教義，因為舊約聖經強調以色列的神是獨一的神，非受造的、獨一無二的，是獨一的真神。敬拜鄰國的假神是以色列人的巨大誘惑和一再犯下的罪，因此摩西和先知們極力強調以色列神的統一性和獨特性。即使在今天，忠實的猶太崇拜者每天都會背誦「Shema」：「聽[shema]，以色列啊，主我們的神，主是獨一的主！你要盡心、盡性、盡力愛主你的神」（申  6:4-5 新欽定版）。聖經中所啟示的上帝無可匹敵，也無可匹敵。                                                                                                                                                                         But the Old Testament does give glimpses and hints of the wonderful truth of the Trinity, a truth that would later be clearly revealed in the New Testament by Christ and the apostles. The “let us” statements in Genesis (Gen. 1:26; 3:22; 11:7; see also Isa. 6:8) suggest that the Persons of the Godhead worked together in conference, and the many instances when “the angel of the Lord” appeared on the scene indicate the presence of the Son of God. (See Gen. 16:7–11; 21:17; 22:11, 15; 24:7; 40; 31:11; 32:24–20; Ex. 3:1–4 with Acts 7:30–34; 14:19; 23:20–26; 32:33—33:17; Josh. 5:13ff.; Judg. 2:1–5 and 6:11ff.)                                                                                                                                                                    但舊約確實讓我們瞥見並暗示了三位一體的奇妙真理，這個真理後來由基督和使徒在新約中清楚地揭示出來。創世記中的「讓我們」的說法（創世記 1:26；3:22；11:7；另參以賽亞書 6:8）表明神格的位格在會議中一起工作，而「主的使者」出現在現場的許多例子表明神兒子的存在。 （參考  創世記 16：7-11；21：17；22：11、15；24：7；40；31：11；32：24-20；出埃及記 3：1-4 ; 和  使徒行傳 7：30-34；14：19；23：20-26； 6:11比較研讀。)                                          Messiah (God the Son) speaks about Himself, the Spirit, and the Lord (Father) in Isaiah 48:16–17 and 61:1–3, and Psalm 2:7 states that Jehovah has a son. Jesus applied verse 7 to Himself when He challenged His enemies who did not accept Him as the Son of God (Matt. 22:41–46). In Genesis 1:2 and 6:3, the Spirit of God is distinguished from the Lord (Father), and this same distinction is found in Numbers 27:18; Psalm 51:11; Isaiah 40:13; 48:16; and Haggai 2:4–5.                                                                 彌賽亞（聖子上帝）在以賽亞書 48：16-17 和 61：1-3 談到祂自己、聖靈和主（父），詩篇 2：7 說耶和華有一個兒子。 當耶穌挑戰那些不接受祂為上帝的兒子的敵人時,  祂將第 7 節應用到了自己身上（太   22:41-46）, 。在創世記 1:2 和 6:3 中，上帝的靈與主（父）有區別，同樣的區別也見於民數記 27:18；詩篇 51:11；以賽亞書 40:13; 48:16；和哈該書 2:4-5。                                 Though the word “trinity” is nowhere used in the Bible, the doctrine is certainly there, hidden in the Old Testament and revealed in the New Testament. Does this profound and mysterious doctrine have any practical meaning for the believer today? Yes, because the three Persons of the Godhead are all involved in planning and executing the divine will for the universe, including the plan of salvation.                   雖然聖經中沒有使用「三位一體」這個詞，但這個教義確實存在，隱藏在舊約中，並在新約中啟示。這個深奧而神秘的教義對今天的信徒有什麼實際意義嗎？是的，因為三位一體的上帝位格的都參與了對宇宙的神聖旨意的計劃和執行，包括救贖計劃。                                                         The divine Trinity planned redemption. The wonderful plan of redemption wasn’t a divine after thought, for God’s people were chosen in Christ “before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4; Rev. 17:8) and given by the Father to the Son both to belong to His kingdom (Matt. 25:34) and to share His glory (John 17:2, 6, 9, 11–12, 24). The sacrificial death of the Son wasn’t an accident, it was an appointment (Acts 2:23; 4:27–28), for He was “slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev. 13:8).                神聖的三位一體計劃了救贖。奇妙的救贖計畫並不是神想出來的，因為上帝的子民在「創立世界以前」就在基督裡被揀選了（以弗所書 1:4；啟示錄 17:8），並由聖父賜給聖子，讓他們既屬於祂的國度（馬太福音 25:34），又分享祂的榮耀（約翰福音 17:26,12412,12,12,12,124）。聖子的犧牲並不是偶然，而是一個約定（使徒行傳 2:23；4:27-28），因為他「從創世以來就被殺了」（啟 13:8）。                                                                                                                                             In the counsels of eternity, the Godhead deter mined to create a world that would include humans made in the image of God. The Father was involved in Creation (Gen. 1:1; 2 Kings 19:15; Acts 4:24), but so were the Son (John 1:1–3, 10; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2) and the Holy Spirit (Gen. 1:2; Ps. 104:30). God didn’t create a world because He needed anything but that He might share His love with creatures who, unlike the angels, are made in the image of God and can respond willingly to His love.                            在永恆的商議中，神決定創造一個世界，其中包括按照上帝形象創造的人類。聖父參與了創造（創世記 1:1；列王記下 19:15；使徒行傳 4:24），聖子（約翰福音 1:1-3, 10；歌羅西書 1:16；希伯來書 1:2）和聖靈也參與了創造（創世記 1:2；希伯來書 104:30）。上帝創造世界不是因為祂需要任何東西，而是為了與受造物分享祂的愛，這些受造物與天使不同，是按照上帝的形象創造的，並且能夠心甘情願地回應祂的愛。                                                                                        The Godhead determined that the Son would come to earth and die for the sins of the world, and Jesus came to do the Father’s will (John 10:17–18; Heb. 10:7). The words Jesus spoke were from the Father (John 14:24), and the works He did were commissioned by the Father (5:17–21, 36; Acts 2:22) and empowered by the Spirit (10:38). The Son glorifies the Father (John 14:13; 17:1, 4) and the Spirit glorifies the Son (16:14). The Persons of the Holy Trinity work together to accomplish the divine will.            上帝決定聖子來到世上，為世人的罪而死，耶穌來是為了遵行父上帝的旨意（約翰福音 10：17-18；希伯來書 10：7）。耶穌所說的話來自天父（約翰福音 14:24），祂所做的事是受天父委託（5:17-21, 36；使徒行傳 2:22）並得到聖靈的授權（10:38）。聖子榮耀聖父（約 14:13；17:1, 4），聖靈也榮耀聖子（16:14）。神聖三位一體的位格上帝共同努力以實現神聖的旨意。             According to Ephesians 1:3–14, the plan of salva tion is Trinitarian: we are chosen by the Father (vv. 3–6), purchased by the Son (vv. 7–12), and sealed by the Spirit (vv. 13–14), and all of this is to the praise of God’s glory (vv. 6, 12, 14). 8 The Father has given authority to the Son to give eternal life to those He has given to the Son (John 17:1–3). All of this was planned before there was ever a world!                 根據以弗所書 1：3-14，救贖計畫是三位一體的：我們被父所揀選（3-6節），被子買贖（7-12節），並被聖靈所印記（13-14節），這一切都是為了使神的榮耀得著稱讚（6、12、14節）。8   這一切在世界誕生前就已經規劃好了！ 這一切在世界誕生前就已經規劃好了！                        It’s important to see that all three Persons in the Godhead share in the salvation of lost sinners. As far as God the Father is concerned, I was saved when He graciously chose me in Christ before the foundation of the world, but I knew nothing about divine election until after I was converted. As far as God the Son is con cerned, I was saved when He died for me on the cross, and I knew that great truth from the earliest days of my life. But as far as God the Holy Spirit is concerned, I was saved in May 1945 when the Spirit of God con victed me and I trusted Jesus Christ. Then what God had planned from eternity all fell into place in my life.                                                                                                                       重要的是要看到神格中的所有三個位格都參與對迷失罪人的拯救。就父神而言，當祂在創世之前在基督裡仁慈地揀選了我時，我就得救了，但直到我歸信之後，我才對神聖的揀選一無所知。就聖子而言，當祂為我死在十字架上時，我就得救了，我從生命的最初幾天就知道了這個偉大的真理。但就上帝聖靈而言，我在 1945 年 5 月得救了，當時上帝的靈使我知罪，我相信了耶穌基督。然後神從永恆開始的計劃就在我的生命中實現了。                                                                Spiritual birth is something like human birth: you experience it but it takes time to understand it! After all, I wouldn’t know my own birthdate if somebody hadn’t told me. It’s after we’ve been born into God’s family that the wonder of it all is revealed to us from the Word, and then we want to share it with others.                                                                                                                                                                    靈性的誕生有點像人類的誕生：你經歷它，但需要時間來理解它！畢竟，如果沒有人告訴我，我就不會知道自己的生日。當我們出生在神的家裡之後，這一切的奇妙才從神的話語中向我們啟示出來，然後我們想要與他人分享。                                                                                                    When you seek to fathom the depths of the divine eternal counsels, you will be overwhelmed. But don’t be discouraged, for over the centuries, good and godly scholars have disagreed in their speculations and con clusions. One of my seminary professors used to remind us, “Try to explain these things and you may lose your mind; but try to explain them away, and you will lose your soul.”                      當你試圖了解神聖永恆忠告的深度時，你會不知所措。但不要灰心，因為幾個世紀以來，優秀而敬虔的學者在他們的推測和結論中一直存在分歧。我的一位神學院教授曾經提醒我們：“試圖解釋這些事情，你可能會失去理智；但如果你試圖解釋這些事情，你可能會失去理智。”但如果試圖用解釋來消除它們，你就會失去靈魂。                                                                               Moses said it best: “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law” (Deut. 29:29 nkjv). The important thing is not knowing all that God knows but doing all God tells us to do. “For we know in part” (1 Cor. 13:9).                                                                                                                                  摩西說得最好：「隱密的事是屬耶和華我們上帝的；惟有明顯的事是永遠屬我們和我們子孫的，好叫我們遵行這律法上的一切話」（申 29:29 新欽定版）。重要的不是知道祂所知道的一切，而是去做祂告訴我們要做的一切。 「因為我們知道一部分有限」（哥林多前書 13:9）。

Genesis: redemption promised                                                                                                                   創世記：救贖的應許                                                                                                                                            When He wrote the Bible, God didn’t give us a ponderous theology book divided into sections labeled God, Creation, Man, Sin, and so forth. Instead, He gave us a story, a narrative that begins in eternity past and ends in eternity future. It’s a story about God and His deal ings with all kinds of people and how they responded to His Word. As we read these narratives, we learn a great deal about God, ourselves, and our world, and we discover that our own personal story is found some where in the pages of Scripture. If you read long enough and honestly enough, you will meet yourself in the Bible.                        當上帝寫下聖經時，祂並沒有給我們一本又厚又重的神學書，分為神、創造、人、罪等等幾個部分。相反，祂給了我們一個故事，一個始於永恆的過去，結束於永恆的未來的故事。這是一個關於上帝和祂對待各種各樣的人，以及他們如何回應祂的話語的故事。當我們閱讀這些敘述時，我們對上帝、自己和我們的世界有了很多了解，我們發現自己的個人故事，可以在聖經的某些地方找到。如果你讀得夠久、夠誠實，你就會在聖經中遇見你自己。                                        In our versions of the Bible, there are fifty chapters in Genesis, but the original Hebrew text isn’t divided. After describing the creation (1:1—2:3), Moses listed eleven “generations” that comprise the Genesis narra tive: the heavens and the earth (2:4—4:26); Adam (5:1—6:8); Noah (6:9—9:29); Noah’s sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth (10:1—11:9), with an emphasis on Shem, father of the Semites (11:10–26); Terah, father of Abraham (11:27—25:11); Ishmael (25:12–18); Isaac (25:19—35:29); Esau (36:1–8), who is also Edom (36:9—37:1); and Jacob (37:2—50:26). These are the individuals presented in Genesis.                                                                                                                                                                  在我們版本的聖經中，創世記有五十章，但希伯來原文並沒有被分割。在描述了創造（1：1—2：3）之後，摩西列出了構成創世記敘述的十一個「世代」：天和地（2：4—4：26）；亞當（5:1—6:8）；挪亞（6:9—9:29）；挪亞的兒子閃、含和雅弗（10:1—11:9），重點是閃族的祖先閃（11:10-26）；他拉，亞伯拉罕的父親（11:27—25:11）；以實瑪利（25:12-18）；以撒（25:19—35:29）；以掃（36：1-8），也是以東（36：9-37：1）；和雅各（37:2—50:26）。這些都是創世記中出現的人物。                                                                                                                            The first eleven chapters of Genesis deal with humanity in general and focus on four great events: creation (1—2), the fall of man and its consequences (3—5), the flood (6—9), and the rebellion at Babel (10—11). The rest of Genesis focuses on Israel in par ticular (12—50) and recounts the lives of four great men: Abraham (12:1—25:18), Isaac (25:19—27:46), Jacob (28—36), and Joseph (37—50).10    We call these men the “patriarchs” because they were the founding fathers of the Hebrew nation.                                                                                                                                                                    創世記的前十一章討論了整個人類，重點關註四個重大事件：創造（1-2）、人類的墮落及其後果（3-5）、洪水（6-9）和巴別塔的叛亂（10-11）。創世記的其餘部分特別關注以色列（12-50），並敘述了四位偉人的生活：亞伯拉罕（12:1-25:18）、以撒（25:19-27:46）、雅各（28-36）和約瑟（37-50）。10   我們稱他們是祖先，因為他們是創造了希伯來國家的開國祖先。