There are two kinds of paragraph divisions in the Hebrew text given by the inspiration of the Spirit. A p’tuchah marker {p} is a strong division and indicates completion of a topic or theme. A stumah marker {s} is a weak division and indicates a new facet of the same topic or theme. The Hebrew Bible in English includes the paragraph divisions which the English translators have discarded.
(Jump to outline of genesis by its strong themes)
The topic sentences following the divisions are my own; your study may come up with something different.
Gen 1:1-5 {p} First day of Creation
Gen 1:6-8 {p} Second day of Creation
Gen 1:9-13 {p} Third day of Creation
Gen 1:14-19 {p} Fourth day of Creation
Gen 1:20-23 {p} Fifth day of Creation
Gen 1:24-31 {p} Sixth day of Creation
Gen 2:1-3 {p} Seventh day of Creation
Gen 2:4-3:15 {s} Disobedience to YHVH’s command is sin
Gen 3:16 {s} Consequences for the woman (painful toil)
Gen 3:17-21 {p} Consequences for the man (painful toil)
Gen 3:22-24 {s} Exile from YHVH’s presence is a consequence of sin
Gen 4:1-26 {s} Exile from family is the consequence of sin
Gen 5:1-5 {s} Mortality of Adam
Gen 5:6-8 {s} Mortality of Seth
Gen 5:9-11 {s} Mortality of Enosh
Gen 5:12-14 {s} Mortality of Kenan
Gen 5:15-17 {s} Mortality of Mahalalel
Gen 5:18-20 {s} Mortality of Jared
Gen 5:21-24 {s} Enoch walked with God and did not die
Gen 5:25-27 {s} Mortality of Methuselah
Gen 5:28-31 {s} Mortality of Lamech
Gen 5:32-6:4 {p} Holy Spirit will not strive with flesh forever
Gen 6:5-8 {p} Exile is a consequence of sin, but Noah found grace in the eyes of YHVH
Gen 6:9-12 {s} Contrast righteous Noah/ corrupt earth
Gen 6:13-8:14 {s} Righteous preserved through the judgment of the wicked
Gen 8:15-9:7 {s} Blessing on the righteous, be fruitful and multiply
Gen 9:8-17 {p} Elohiym’s everlasting covenant with the earth
Gen 9:18-29 {p} Shem and Japheth blessed/ Canaan cursed
Gen 10:1-14 {s} The sons of Japheth and Ham
Gen 10:15-20 {s} The sons of Canaan
Gen 10:21-32 {p} The sons of Shem
Gen 11:1-9 {p} The tower of Babel rebellion against God
Gen 11:10-11 {s} Shem the father of Arphaxad
Gen 11:12-13 {s} Arphaxad the father of Shelah
Gen 11:14-15 {s} Shelah the father of Eber
Gen 11:16-17 {s} Eber the father of Peleg
Gen 11:18-19 {s} Peleg the father of Reu
Gen 11:20-21 {s} Reu the father of Serug
Gen 11:22-23 {s} Serug the father of Nahor
Gen 11:24-25 {s} Nahor the father of Terah
Gen 11:26-32 {p} Terah the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran
Gen 12:1-9 {p} Promise of land and descendants
Gen 12:10-13:18 {p} Abram’s faith in the promise tested + promise reaffirmed
Gen 14:1-24 {s} Signs of Messiah: victory over death, Melchizedek, bread and wine
Gen 15:1-21 {s} Promise reaffirmed by covenant
Gen 16:1-16 {s} Abram’s faith in the promise tested (Ishmael)
Gen 17:1-14 {s} Circumcision, sign of the covenant, given
Gen 17:15-27 {p} Promised seed through Sarah (Isaac)
Gen 18:1-19:38 {s} Abraham’s intercession and the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah
Gen 20:1-18 {s} Abimelech takes but then restores Sarah, Abraham’s wife
Gen 21:1-21 {p} Isaac becomes Abraham’s heir when he is weaned
Gen 21:22-34 {p} Abimelech and Abraham make a covenant of peace
Gen 22:1-19 {p} Abraham and the offering of Isaac
Gen 22:20-24 {p} The seed of Nahor
Gen 23:1-20 {s} Heth gives Abraham a possession in Canaan
Gen 24:1-67 {p} The servant finds a bride for Isaac, the promised seed
Gen 25:1-11 {p} The seed of Abraham
Gen 25:12-18 {p} The seed of Ishmael
Gen 25:19-34 {p} The seed of Isaac
Gen 26:1-33 {s} Life of Isaac repeats events from the life of Abraham
Gen 26:34-35 {s} Esau’s wives
Gen 27:1-28:9 {s} Jacob receives the blessing + Jacob’s wife (Life of Jacob repeats events from the life of Isaac)
Gen 28:10-32:2 {p} God fulfills His promise to Jacob
Gen 32:3-33:17 {s} Jacob renamed Israel, “Upright of El”
Gen 33:18-20 {s} Jacob acquires property in Canaan + altar of Elohiym
Gen 34:1-31 {p} Defilement with Canaanites + killing/ plunder + rebuke
Gen 35:1-8 {p} Repentance and return to the house of God (Bethel)
Gen 35:9-22 {p} Renewal of the covenant
Gen 35:23-29 {p} The seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
Gen 36:1-19 {s} The seed of Esau
Gen 36:20-30 {s} The seed of Seir
Gen 36:31-43 {s} The kings of Edom
Gen 37:1-36 {p} Joseph’s advancement and enslavement
Gen 38:1-30 {s} Judah departed from his brothers among Canaanites
Gen 39:1-23 {p} Joseph departed from his brothers among Egyptians
Gen 40:1-23 {p} Joseph in prison
Gen 41:1-44:17 {s} Joseph the overseer
Gen 44:18-46:7 {s} Joseph revealed to his brothers and father
Gen 46:8-27 {s} Seventy persons of Israel went down to Egypt
Gen 46:28-47:31 {p} Joseph the provider/ Jacob came down + his request to be brought back up
Gen 48:1-22 {p} Jacob blesses Ephraim and Manasseh
Gen 49:1-4 {p} Reuben’s blessing
Gen 49:5-7 {p} Simeon and Levi’s blessing
Gen 49:8-12 {p} Judah’s blessing
Gen 49:13 {p} Zebulun’s blessing
Gen 49:14-15 {s} Issachar’s blessing
Gen 49:16-17 {s} Dan’s blessing
Gen 49:18 {s} “I have waited for your salvation, O YHVH!”
Gen 49:19 {s} Gad’s blessing
Gen 49:20 {s} Asher’s blessing
Gen 49:21 {s} Naphtali’s blessing
Gen 49:22-26 {p} Joseph’s blessing
Gen 49:27-50:26 {p} Benjamin’s blessing + death, burial of Jacob + death of Joseph
outline of genesis by its strong themes
Gen 1:1-2:3 {px7} Seven days of Creation, i.e., Elohiym is our Creator
Gen 2:4-3:21 {s+s+p} Disobedience is sin, and carries the consequence of painful toil and death
Gen 3:22-6:4 {sx11+p} Exile/ death follows from sin/ walking with the flesh; but life follows from walking with YHVH
Gen 6:5-8 {p} YHVH will destroy His creation because their wickedness was great, but Noah found grace in the eyes of YHVH
Gen 6:9-9:17 {sx3+p} God preserves the righteous and destroys the wicked
Gen 9:18-29 {p} Shem and Japheth blessed/ Canaan cursed
Gen 10:1-32 {s+s+p} The seventy descendants of Noah who became the fathers of the nations
Gen 11:1-9 {p} The tower of Babel rebellion against God
Gen 11:10-32 {sx8+p} The seed of Shem
Gen 12:1-13:18 {px2} Promise of land + descendants given to Abraham/ faith in promise tested + reaffirmed
Gen 14:1-17:27 {sx4+p} The promised seed Abraham’s heir, not his father’s house (Lot), his house (Eliezer) nor his flesh (Ishmael)
Gen 18:1-21:21 {s+s+p} The promised seed prophesied + opposition + birth of Isaac
Gen 21:22-34 {p} Abimelech and Abraham make a covenant of peace
Gen 22:1-19 {p} Abraham and the binding of Isaac
Gen 22:20-24 {p} The seed of Nahor
Gen 23:1-24:67 {s+p} YHVH Elohiym has not forsaken His lovingkindness or truth toward Abraham
Gen 25:1-34 {px3} The seed of Abraham by Keturah, Hagar (the seed of Ishmael) and Sarah (the seed of Isaac)
Gen 26:1-32:2 {s+s+s+p} Transfer of the blessing, covenant, and promises from Abraham and Isaac to Jacob
Gen 32:3-34:31 {s+s+p} Jacob’s faith in the promise tested (Esau + Shechem)
Gen 35:1-29 {px3} Repentance, return, renewal of the covenant defines the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
Gen 36:1-37:36 {s+s+s+p} The seed of Esau/ Seir/ Edom + the seed of Jacob (Joseph and his brothers)
Gen 38:1-39:23 {s+p} Judah and Joseph departed from their brothers among the pagans
Gen 40:1-23 {p} Joseph in prison
Gen 41:1-47:31 {s+s+s+p} Joseph the overseer + provider, revealed to brothers + father
Gen 48:1-22 {p} Jacob blesses Ephraim and Manasseh
Gen 49:1-13 {px4} Reuben + Simeon + Levi + Judah + Zebulun’s blessing
Gen 49:14-26 {sx6+p} Issachar + Dan + Yeshua + Gad + Asher + Naphtali + Joseph’s blessing
Gen 49:27-50:26 {p} Benjamin’s blessing + death, burial of Jacob, death of Joseph
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