^3:22And the Lord God said, “Now⁶⁴ that the man has become like one of us,⁶⁵ knowing⁶⁶ good and evil, he must not be allowed⁶⁷ to stretch out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” ^3:23So the Lord God expelled him⁶⁸ from the orchard in Eden to cultivate the ground from which he had been taken.

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Footnotes

64 The particle הֵן (hen) introduces a foundational clause, usually beginning with “since, because, now.”
65 The man has become like one of us. See the notes on and .
66 The infinitive explains in what way the man had become like God: “knowing good and evil.”
67 Heb “and now, lest he stretch forth.” Following the foundational clause, this clause forms the main point. It is introduced with the particle פֶּן (pen) which normally introduces a negative purpose, “lest.…” The construction is elliptical; something must be done lest the man stretch forth his hand. The translation interprets the point intended.
68 The verb is the Piel preterite of שָׁלַח (shalakh), forming a wordplay with the use of the same verb (in the Qal stem) in v. 22: To prevent the man’s “sending out” his hand, the Lord “sends him out.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

The Lord God said, “Since the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil, he must not reach out, take from the tree of life, eat, and live forever.” So the Lord God sent him away from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken.

NLTNew Living Translation

Then the Lord God said, “Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!” So the Lord God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And Yahweh God said, “Look—the man has become as one of us, to know good and evil. What if he stretches out his hand and takes also from the tree of life and eats, and lives forever?” And Yahweh God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken.

KJV 1900King James Version

And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

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