maner, Iacob otherwise called Israel, with al his progenie, descended from the Land of Canaan into Ægypt, and were there entertayned. So this booke contayneth the historie of two thousand three hundred & odde yeares. And it may be diuided into eight partes. The first contayneth the Creation of Heauen and Earth, & other Creatures, and lastly of Man chap. 1. & 2. The second part is of the trangression & fal of man, & his casting out of Paradise, of multiplication of men, and of sinne, though stil some were iust, of the general floud, that drowned al except eight persons, & few other liuing creatures of the earth. from the third chap. to the 8. The third part is of the new increase, & multiplication of the same. from the 8. chap. to the 11. The fourth, of the confusion of tongues, & the diuision of nations. in the 11. chap. The fift relateth Abrahams going forth of his countrie, Gods promise, that in his seede al Nations should be blessed, & the commandment of Circumcision, from the 12. chap. to the 21. The sixth part recounteth the progenie, and other blessings, especially the great vertues of Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob. from the 21. chap. to the 37. The seuenth part reporteth the selling of Ioseph into Ægypt, and his aduancement there. from the 37. chap. to the 46. The eight and last part is of Iacob, and his progenies going into Ægypt, their intertainment there, and of Iacobs, and finally of Iosephs death, in the fiue last chapters.
The signification of the markes here vsed, for direction of the reader.
The numbers in the argumentes of chapters point to the verse, where the matter mentioned beginneth.
This forme of crosse [†] in the text, sheweth the beginning of euerie verse.
The numbers in the inner margent ouer against the crosse, shew the number of verses in the same chapter.
This marke ʺ signifieth that there foloweth an Annotation after the chapter, vpon the word, or wordes, wherto it is adioyned. The number also of the same verse is prefixed to the Annotation.
These foure prickes :: shew that there is an Annotation in the margent, vpon that place. And when manie occurre, the first answereth to the first marcke, the second to the second, and so forth. In like maner the citations of places in the inner margent, are applied to the authores alleaged.
But when there be more such marginal annotations, then may easely be applied, we vse the letters of the Alphabete for direction.
This forme of a starre [*] in the text or annotations, pointeth to the explication of some word or wordes, in the margent.
Sometimes we put the Concordance of other Scriptures in the inner margent of the text.
VVe haue also noted in the margent, when the Bookes of holie Scripture (or partes thereof) are read in the Churches Seruice. For their sakes, that desire to reead the same, in order of the Ecclesiastical Office.
