What does TOLeDOT mean?

The Hebrew word toldot is the major structural word of the Book of Genesis.  It is expressed by the clause “these are the generations of” as is seen in the toldot of the heavens and the earth (2:4-4:26), the toldot of Adam (5:1-6:8), the toldot of Noah (6:9-9:29), the toldot of the sons of Noah (10:1-11:9), the toldot of Shem (11:10-26), the toldot of Terah (11:27-25:11), the toldot of Ishmael (25:12-18), the toldot of Isaac (25:19-35:29), the toldot of Esau (36:1-37:1), and the toldot of Jacob (37:2-50:26).  Other usages of the word can be found in Numbers 3:1, Ruth 4:18, and 1 Chronicles 1:29.

Toldot is a feminine noun that comes from the verb yalad (“to give birth”).  The verb form is derived from the hiphil stem which means “to beget” or “to bear.”  It is because the word is always used in the plural that toldot is commonly translated as “generations.”1  Traditionally, the word has been used as a heading.  This would indicate that the fullest meaning of toldot would prohibit the possibility of the word being used as an appendix to what has been previously recorded.2  E. J. Young3 would view toldot as a heading, whereas R. K. Harrison4 would take the word to be a conclusion to what has preceded.

Primarily, toldot is used to document the descendants of a man.  Consequently, the etymological structure is that of a genealogical history of a man or his family (cf. Numb. 1:20-40).  The basic meaning of toldot has to do with a specific period of time, that is, from a man’s birth followed by the birth of his son.  The period of time differs (Gen. 15:13, 16; Deut. 1:35; 2:14; Job 42:16) at various periods of history.

1 Allen P. Ross, Creation and Blessing (Grand Rapids:  Baker Books, 1996), pp. 69-70.

2 C.F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament:  The Pentateuch, trans. James Martin (Peabody:  Hendrickson Publishers, 1996), p. 44.

3 E. J. Young, An Introduction to the Old Testament (Grand Rapids:  Eerdmans, 1949), pp. 52-66.

4 R. K. Harrison, Introduction to the Old Testament (Grand Rapids:  Eerdmans, 1969), pp. 543-551.