The Names of the Books of the Torah

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ 

The Torah comprises the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.  This is a brief explanation of the origin of the names of these books. 

The word “genesis” has come into the English lexicon, and means “beginning”.  However, the word “genesis” itself comes into English via the Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible, from the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint.  The original, Latin transliteration of “Γένεσις” (Genesis), means “origin”.  In turn, it is from the Biblical Hebrew “בְּרֵאשִׁית”, (B’rishit) literally meaning, “In the beginning”.  “B-” is a preposition in Hebrew meaning “in.”  “R’shit” means “beginning.”  Therefore, the Book of Genesis takes its name from its opening words: 

Gensis 1:1

¹ God, at the beginning of time, created Heaven and Earth. 

¹ ἐν ἀρχῇ ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν 

¹ In principio creavit Deus cælum et terram. 

Exodus gets its name from the book title from the Latin Vulgate, from the Greek Septuagint, although the ending of the word is modified - the Latin “Exodus” is derived from “Exodos” in Greek.  When a word is brought into Latin from Greek, this happens.  In the English language, the word “exodus” essentially means “departure,” or “emigration.”  The English name Exodus comes from the Ancient Greek “ἔξοδος” (exodos), which is derived from the preposition “ἐξ-” (ek), meaning “out”; and “ὁδός” (hodos), which means “path”, or “road”.  However, in Hebrew, the book is titled “שְׁמוֹת” (shemut), which means “Names”.  This is taken from the first line: 

Exodus 1:1

¹ Here are the names of Israel’s sons; these were the men who betook themselves to Egypt, each with his family, when Jacob went there; 

¹ ταῦτα τὰ ὀνόματα τῶν υἱῶν Ισραηλ τῶν εἰσπεπορευμένων εἰς Αἴγυπτον ἅμα Ιακωβ τῷ πατρὶ αὐτῶν ἕκαστος πανοικίᾳ αὐτῶν εἰσήλθοσαν 

¹ Hæc sunt nomina filiorum Israël qui ingressi sunt in Ægyptum cum Jacob: singuli cum domibus suis introierunt: 

“Leviticus” comes directly from the Latin word, which is from the Ancient Greek: “Λευιτικόν” (Leuitikon).  It is in reference to the tribe of Levi.  The Greek word is a variant of the rabbinic Hebrew “תורת כהנים” (torat kohanim), the law of priests.  In Hebrew, however, the book is “וַיִּקְרָא” (Vayikra) from the first line: 

Numbers 1: 1

¹ The Lord summoned Moses, and, from the tabernacle that bore record of him made known his will. 

¹ καὶ ἀνεκάλεσεν Μωυσῆν καὶ ἐλάλησεν κύριος αὐτῷ ἐκ τῆς σκηνῆς τοῦ μαρτυρίου λέγων 

¹ Vocavit autem Moysen, et locutus est ei Dominus de tabernaculo testimonii, dicens: 

“Numbers” is the English name, a translation of the Latin “Numeri”, which is a translation of the Greek “Ἀριθμοί” (Arithmoi).  It refers to the census of the tribes.  In Hebrew, however, the name of the book is “בְּמִדְבַּר” (Bəmidbar), meaning “… in the desert of …”.  Again, this is taken from the verse: 

Numbers 1:1

¹ In the second year after the escape from Egypt, on the first day of the second month, the Lord spoke to Moses in the tabernacle which attested His Covenant, there in the desert of Sinai, Giving him this Message: 

¹ καὶ ἐλάλησεν κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ τῇ Σινα ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ τοῦ μαρτυρίου ἐν μιᾷ τοῦ μηνὸς τοῦ δευτέρου ἔτους δευτέρου ἐξελθόντων αὐτῶν ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου λέγων 

¹ Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen in deserto Sinai in tabernaculo fœderis, prima die mensis secundi, anno altero egressionis eorum ex Ægypto, dicens: 

“Deuteronomy” is from Latin “Deuteronomium”, from Greek “Δευτερονόμιον” (Deuteronomion).  It is derived from “δεύτερος” (deuteros), meaning “second”; and “νόμος” (nomos), meaning “law” or “custom”.  The Hebrew title is “דְּבָרִים‎” (Dəbarim), meaning “Words”.  This is from the opening words in Hebrew: 

Deuteronomy 1:1

¹ It was thus Moses spoke to the people of Israel while they were still on the other side of Jordan, in the desert plain that looks towards the Red Sea, with Pharan and Thophel and Laban and Haseroth, a country where gold abounds, for its frontiers; 

¹ οὗτοι οἱ λόγοι οὓς ἐλάλησεν Μωυσῆς παντὶ Ισραηλ πέραν τοῦ Ιορδάνου ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ πρὸς δυσμαῖς πλησίον τῆς ἐρυθρᾶς ἀνὰ μέσον Φαραν Τοφολ καὶ Λοβον καὶ Αυλων καὶ καταχρύσεα 

¹ Hæc sunt verba quæ locutus est Moyses ad omnem Israël trans Jordanem in solitudine campestri, contra mare Rubrum, inter Pharan et Tophel et Laban et Haseroth, ubi auri est plurimum: 

In summary, Genesis is a summary of the beginning of the Israelite mythos, from the creation of the world to how the Israelites ended in Pharaonic Egypt to the time of Moses.  Exodus is about the events leading to their exile and migration to the Promised Land.  Leviticus is about the rabbinic law that was passed down.  Numbers is the census before the invasion of Canaan.  Finally, in Deuteronomy, Moses (a.s.) delivered the law to the Children of Israel for the second time.  In addition to the Ten Commandments, there was a much broader body of jurisprudential legislation.  The generation that originally received the Law ended up dying in the wilderness, as Divine Punishment.  It was their children that entered the Promised Land, and thus completed the exodus from Egypt.  Moses (a.s.) summarised for them the Revelation God Sent.  Hence, this was a second giving of the Law.  Moses (a.s.) passed away after this, and did not enter the Promised Land.