What is Genesis about?
Origins, covenant promises and the family narratives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph.
This page brings together selected questions about Genesis, with context, references and links for further study. The aim is not to impose a doctrinal interpretation, but to help you recognise what appears in the text and verify each answer in its cited passage.
What this quiz helps you practise
Questions span different difficulty levels and may cover names, places, narrative sequences, teachings, references and connections within the book itself.
Sample questions and answers
Use these examples as a short diagnostic. Open each question, answer before revealing the panel, and then verify the wording in the cited passage.
Which city was destroyed along with Gomorrah?
Reference: Genesis 19:24–29
Sodom and Gomorrah were judged and destroyed.
What new name was given to Jacob?
Reference: Genesis 32:28
God changed Jacob’s name to Israel.
Who killed his brother Abel?
Reference: Genesis 4:8
Cain killed Abel in the field.
What was the name of Abraham and Sarah’s promised son?
Reference: Genesis 21:1–3
Isaac was the promised son born to Abraham and Sarah.
Which son of Jacob received a special robe from his father?
Reference: Genesis 37:3
Jacob gave Joseph a richly ornamented robe.
At what event did God confuse human language?
Reference: Genesis 11:1–9
God confused the people’s language at Babel.
Who built the ark before the flood?
Reference: Genesis 6:13–22
Noah obeyed God by building the ark.
What did God create on the first day?
Reference: Genesis 1:3–5
God said, “Let there be light,” and separated the light from the darkness.
Who is named Adam, the first man formed from the dust in Genesis?
Reference: Genesis 2:7; 3:17
Genesis describes God forming the man from the dust; the Hebrew term also functions as the personal name Adam.
Who was the first woman, later named in Genesis 3:20?
Reference: Genesis 2:21–23; 3:20
Genesis 2 describes the creation of the first woman, and Genesis 3:20 records that Adam named her Eve.
Which brother killed Abel?
Reference: Genesis 4:8
Cain became angry and killed his brother Abel.
What sign did God place in the clouds after the flood?
Reference: Genesis 9:12–17
The rainbow was given as the sign of God’s covenant after the flood.
What structure did people attempt to build at Babel?
Reference: Genesis 11:1–9
The people built a city and tower, after which their languages were confused.
What new name did God give Abram?
Reference: Genesis 17:5
God changed Abram’s name to Abraham as part of the covenant.
What new name did God give Sarai?
Reference: Genesis 17:15
God changed Sarai’s name to Sarah.
Who was Isaac’s wife?
Reference: Genesis 24:61–67
Rebekah became Isaac’s wife after Abraham’s servant met her near a well.
Which twin sold his birthright for bread and stew?
Reference: Genesis 25:29–34
Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for bread and lentil stew.
Which son of Jacob received a richly ornamented robe?
Reference: Genesis 37:3
Jacob loved Joseph and gave him a special robe.
Who interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams in Egypt?
Reference: Genesis 41:14–36
Joseph explained that Pharaoh’s dreams foretold years of abundance followed by famine.
How many sons did Jacob have?
Reference: Genesis 35:22–26
Jacob’s twelve sons became the ancestors of the tribes of Israel.
Who laughed when told she would have a son in old age?
Reference: Genesis 18:9–15
Sarah laughed at the promise that she would bear a son.
Who dreamed of a stairway reaching from earth to heaven?
Reference: Genesis 28:10–17
Jacob saw a stairway with angels ascending and descending.
Which son of Jacob was the youngest?
Reference: Genesis 35:16–18; 42:13
Benjamin was Jacob’s youngest son.
Who became Isaac’s wife?
Reference: Genesis 24:58–67
Rebekah travelled to Canaan and married Isaac.
Who sold his birthright for food?
Reference: Genesis 25:29–34
Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for bread and stew.
Which son of Jacob rose to authority in Egypt?
Reference: Genesis 41:39–44
Joseph became second in command under Pharaoh.
Which of Joseph’s brothers suggested selling him rather than killing him?
Reference: Genesis 37:26–27
Judah proposed selling Joseph to the passing traders.
Which Old Testament leader interpreted dreams in both a prison and Pharaoh’s court?
Reference: Genesis 40–41
Joseph interpreted dreams for fellow prisoners and later for Pharaoh.
Who wrestled through the night and received a new name?
Reference: Genesis 32:22–30
Jacob wrestled until daybreak and was renamed Israel.
A four-part reading map for Genesis
- Genesis 1–11 — beginnings: creation, Eden, Cain and Abel, the flood and Babel.
- Genesis 12–25 — Abraham: journeys, covenant promises, family tensions and the birth of Isaac.
- Genesis 25–36 — Isaac and Jacob: Esau and Jacob, marriages, children, return to Canaan and reconciliation.
- Genesis 37–50 — Joseph: betrayal, Egypt, famine, family reunion and Jacob’s final words.
How to use this quiz as a study tool
Start with a ten-question round before rereading. Record the passages behind missed answers, read those verses in context, and retake the same book without a timer. Separate recognising an answer from being able to explain where it occurs. For narrative-order questions, build a simple sequence of people, journeys and locations instead of memorising isolated names.
Context and careful reading
Genesis moves between primeval narratives and family histories set across the ancient Near East, including Mesopotamia, Canaan and Egypt. Dates and historical reconstructions are discussed differently across traditions, so this quiz concentrates on details that can be checked directly in Genesis. Translation wording can vary; the reference is supplied so learners can compare the wording in the Bible edition they use.