Genesis stands second to none in its importance for proclaiming the whole will of God (Acts 20:27). Genesis is the essential foundation for the rest of the Bible. In his first volume, Kenneth Mathews said, "If we possessed a Bible without Genesis, we would have 'a house of cards' without foundation or mortar." While Vol. 1A dealt with the primeval history of Genesis 1-11, Vol. 1B begins with the call of Abram and follows the building of the nation of Israel through the death of Joseph in Egypt. Dr. Mathews argues that Genesis in its present form is a cohesive unit that shows thoughtful order and a self consistent theology. "Essentially, there is one mind that has shaped the book, whom we believe to have been Moses." The goals of this commentary are to describe the literary and theological contours of Genesis in the light of the book's overall structure. At the same time he keeps an eye on the place of Genesis within the five books of Moses and within the New Testament canon