MARTIN LUTHER’S COMMENTARY GENESIS CHAPTERS 1-4 STUDY EDITION LUTHER’S GENESIS COMMENTARY, CHAPTER 1 2 CONTENTS CONTENTS INTRODUCTION TO EVERYONE’S LUTHER ........ 5 DEDICATION OF BASIL FABER ................................... 7 DR. MARTIN LUTHER TO THE CHRISTIAN READER ................................................................................11 GENESIS ONE ................................................................. 15 GOD’S WORK ON THE SIX DAYS IN PARTICULAR.......................................................................19 GOD’S WORK ON THE FIRST DAY ...........................19 GOD’S WORK ON THE SECOND DAY .....................37 GOD’S WORK ON THE THIRD DAY .........................51 GOD’S WORK ON THE FOURTH DAY .....................61 GOD’S WORK ON THE FIFTH DAY ..........................71 GOD’S WORK ON THE SIXTH DAY ..........................79 GENESIS TWO .............................................................. 103 GOD’S REST & THE CREATION OF ADAM ......... 103 PARADISE ......................................................................... 121 THE INTRODUCTION OF MAN INTO THE GARDEN ............................................................................ 139 THE CREATION OF EVE ............................................ 157 THE INSTITUTION OF MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY ............................................................................... 177 GENESIS THREE........................................................... 191 THE TEMPTATION TO FALL .................................... 191 THE AWFUL FALL ......................................................... 215 GOD JUDGES OUR FIRST PARENTS...................... 227 SATAN CURSED & THE FIRST PROMISE ............. 245 THE PUNISHMENT OF OUR FIRST PARENTS ... 265 AFTERMATH IN THE GARDEN .............................. 293 3 LUTHER’S GENESIS COMMENTARY, CHAPTER 1 GENESIS FOUR ............................................................ 315 GENERATION, MARRIAGE, BIRTH AND EDUCATION OF CAIN AND ABEL ......................... 315 OFFERINGS OF OUR FIRST PARENTS & OF CAIN AND ABEL ......................................................................... 329 CAIN, AFTER THE OFFERING ................................. 345 HOW CAIN MURDERED HIS BROTHER .............. 359 CAIN’S PUNISHMENT .................................................. 375 CAIN’S CONDUCT UPON BEING PUNISHED .... 391 ABOUT THE TRANSLATION .................................... 399 4 INTRODUCTION TO EVERYONE’S LUTHER “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me,” (John 10:27). Hearing the voice of Jesus is the life of the Christian. His voice gives us faith. His voice forgives our sins. His voice sounds with mercy and kindness. We hear the voice of Jesus echoed in the great teachers and preachers of the church. This is especially true in the teaching of Martin Luther. Luther is the great teacher and preacher of the Reformation. This is to say that he is the great teacher and preacher of the Gospel. Luther points us to Christ. He unfolds the Scripture. His writing radiates with the clear distinction of Law and Gospel. For five centuries Luther’s writings have delighted the church. His teaching is as fresh now as it is was when as it flew off the printing press or echoed in the classroom and pulpit, but most of his works have been in collections aimed at professional theologians. Everyone’s Luther endeavors to make Luther accessible for the church at large. 2017 is the 500th anniversary of the posting of the Ninety- Five Theses. This will, no doubt, renew the church’s attention on the Wittenberg theologians. Everyone’s Luther hopes to join the conversation, offering up important selections from Luther for the church. All of this with the hope and confidence that in the reading of Luther we will hear the voice of Jesus, and find our life and our joy in being the sheep of the Good Shepherd. May God grant it. Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller Hope Lutheran Church, Aurora, Colorado Reformation, 2016 5 LUTHER’S GENESIS COMMENTARY, CHAPTER 1 6 DEDICATION OF BASIL FABER DEDICATION OF BASIL FABER To the Worthy, Honorable and Illustrious Christopher von Steinberg, my Gracious Lord: How one should read the books of Moses and what one should chiefly learn from them are fully set forth by our beloved and highly honored father, Doctor Luther, in many places of his writings; namely, one should first of all and above all concentrate his attention upon the very loving and comforting promises concerning our Lord and Saviour, some of which are very clear and plain in the sacred writings of Moses, as Gen. 3:15, "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." Also, Gen. 22:18, "And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." Likewise Deut. 18:15, "Jehovah thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him shall ye hearken." In the second place attention should be given to the glorious and beautiful examples of faith, of love, of suffering, of patience, of prayer and other spiritual characteristics and traits in the saints, as in Adam, Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and others. How God was disposed toward them, governed, protected and heard them. And thirdly, study the examples of unbelief among the ungodly and of the divine wrath and judgment, in Cain, Ishmael, Esau, in the Flood and in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. For all these are nowhere described more truly and fully than in the writings of Moses; and such examples illustrate, if they are rightly studied, how the entire Old Testament is to be used with profit; namely, that we learn to trust and believe in God from the examples of the saints set before us, how God received them, ruled and led them and wonderfully protected them. But from the examples of the wrath and judgment of God learn to fear him. Such passages are not only here and there in all the books of Moses, but in his first book he treats also the following important themes: Whence all creatures, especially man, have their origin; also what sin and death are and how man may be delivered from them and become truly pious, which every man seeks and desires; for these are the most important subjects of all the sacred Scriptures. Likewise, 7 LUTHER’S GENESIS COMMENTARY, CHAPTER 1 how the Church originated and grew, often came in need and danger, and was wonderfully preserved by God. The foregoing one should know, if he would read Moses, and especially his first book, Genesis. But so much is in these sound and useful lessons and explanations of Genesis by our honored father, Doctor Martin Luther, of blessed memory, that I will give a short account of it. And first it is true that this dear and great man, our beloved father and prophet, Doctor Martin Luther, served the Church to his last days in many and various labors. In his exposition of the prophetical and apostolical writings, he has most faithfully explained, enforced and defended the doctrines concerning the forgiveness of sins, righteousness before God, and eternal salvation. However his expositions of his "beloved Genesis," as he delighted to call it, are a key or paragon to all his other writings and books, and a very rich treasure in which an excellent theology is gathered and formulated, as every diligent reader will find for himself. For what is now and then treated in many writings of Doctor Luther, flow together here in one work, which might rightly be called Dr. Luther's Theology. Further you find here for the first time many useful reports of all kinds of spiritual and theological discussions, as they spring up continuously, and especially critical and special instruction almost on every article of Christian doctrine, of God, of the three Persons in the divine Essence, of the creation, of sin, of faith and the forgiveness of sin; of the Law and the Gospel, and how both doctrines are to be distinguished from one another, which have never been treated better and more fully than in this book. Also, of the true Church, of the papacy of Rome, against which you will find here very powerful storms, almost on every page. Against the Jews and all their lies, dreams and phantasies; also some powerful discussions and strong refutations of their prejudices, comments, corruptions and misunderstandings. In addition also the correct exegesis or explanations of many difficult passages of the Scriptures, and strong consolation in all kinds of spiritual need and temptations, as against doubt and unbelief, the fear and the crisis of death, and the like. Also, the refutation of many false teachings and heresies both old and new. In addition some fine and useful histories illustrating the course of the Gospel in our day. Likewise prophecies concerning Germany as to its sad future because it lightly esteems the Word and is so very unthankful, some 8 DR. MARTIN LUTHER TO THE CHRISTIAN READER of which have already been realized and others are about to be. Finally you find at times, according to the drift and occasion of the expositions, good counsels and reports also about external and worldly affairs, to know which fully is necessary, useful and pleasant. Therefore then, as I considered it a sin that such a treasure should remain only in the Latin language and that others, who were unacquainted with it, should be robbed of it, especially since Dr. Martin Luther was the teacher and prophet of Germany; and in order that everybody, especially the fathers of homes and the people at large, might enjoy this treasure to their profit, advancement and consolation, have I in my weak ability translated the first two parts of the Exposition into German in the plainest and most faithful manner, and dedicated the same to your high honor and to other Christians of the nobility, who have been admonished to love and further such Christian works, for a testimony and praise that your highness was disposed in a Christian and praiseworthy manner to further such useful church works, and heartily inclined to do them. May our beloved God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ grant that it may be helpful to many pious Christians! Herewith I commend your highness and the benevolent Christians of the worthy nobility to the care and protection of Almighty God. Your humble, willing servant, Basil Faber. Magdeburg, St. Michael, A.D. 1557. 9 LUTHER’S GENESIS COMMENTARY, CHAPTER 1 10