How to Pronounce Genesis
DZHEHN-uh-sihs
Genesis is pronounced DZHEHN-uh-sihs: three syllables, stress on the first. Also heard: JEN-uh-sis.
What does Genesis mean?
Genesis means “beginning”.
Hitchcock’s Bible Names (1869), public domain.
What is Genesis?
The five books of Moses were collectively called the Pentateuch, a word of Greek origin meaning “the five-fold book.” The Jews called them the Torah, i.e., “the law.” It is probable that the division of the Torah into five books proceeded from the Greek translators of the Old Testament. The names by which these several books are generally known are Greek. The first book of the Pentateuch (q.v.) is called by the Jews Bereshith, i.e., “in the beginning”, because this is the first word of the book. It is generally known among Christians by the name of Genesis, i.e., “creation” or “generation,” being the name given to it in the LXX.
Adapted from Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897), public domain.