3:1 serpent The Hebrew word used here, nachash, means “snake” or “serpent.” The Hebrew word satan does not appear in this passage, but the nt associates the events recorded here with Satan (Rev 12:9; 20:2). The attribution of human characteristics (cleverness and speech) to the nachash suggests it is more than an ordinary member of the animal kingdom.

Did God indeed say The serpent’s question omits the positive statement made by God in Gen 2:16. The serpent also distorts the earlier statement by presenting God as saying Adam and Eve could not eat from any tree at all.

3:2 we may eat The woman corrects the serpent’s wording, but she does not do so precisely. Instead of echoing 2:16, where God gave the human couple permission to eat from every tree except one, she generalizes the permission, noting simply that they may eat of the trees in the garden.

3:3 nor shall you touch it Eve adds to God’s original prohibition, which states nothing about touching the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

lest you die The original threat of 2:17 points to the certainty of death upon disobedience, but it says nothing of an immediate death. The serpent will introduce the idea of an immediate death into the meaning of 2:17 to deceive the woman (see v. 4).

3:4 You shall not surely die The serpent uses the ambiguity of the penalty’s wording to make the woman less fearful and more apt to follow his solicitation.

3:5 God The Hebrew word used here, elohim, is plural. Depending on grammar and context, the plural form can be translated as plural or singular—God or gods (divine beings). It is the most common word used in the ot to refer to the singular God of Israel (over 2,000 occurrences). But elohim here may be translated as a plural because of v. 22, where elohim says (according to a literal rendering of the Hebrew): “they have become as one of us.”

knowing good and evil This does not refer only to the ability to choose between right and wrong. If the man and woman did not already possess this ability, the original command would have been meaningless. Rather, knowing good and evil refers to divine wisdom, which corresponds with the idea of becoming like God or the gods (elohim in Hebrew).

3:6 husband with her Since there is no mention of the woman leaving the serpent to find Adam, Adam was most likely present for the entire conversation.

3:7 the eyes of both of them were opened Both Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit (v. 6), so they both experienced the new knowledge of rebellion. Their consequent behavior illustrates this: they covered themselves when they perceived that they were naked.

3:8 Yahweh God walking This signals that the writer wants the reader to picture God as a human being (an anthropomorphism) present in the garden of Eden. This is the first theophany in the ot—an appearance of God to human beings in a manner that can be processed by the human senses.

Theophany in the Old Testament

Old Testament Theophanies Table

at the windy time of day Translating this phrase is difficult. The Hebrew term used here, ruach, is normally translated “spirit” or “wind” (see note on 1:2), but is often translated here as “cool.” This may mean that it is intended to evoke the unmistakable power of God’s presence.

3:10 I was afraid Adam says he is afraid because he is unclothed, but he really fears the shame of appearing naked in God’s presence. His awareness of that shame exposes his guilt. Before their disobedience, Adam and Eve had no reason to be ashamed (Gen 2:25).

3:11 Who told you that you were naked God asks not because He lacks information, but to elicit a confession. That God appears so soon after the transgression suggests that He already knew what happened.

3:12 woman whom you gave Adam tries to pass responsibility to his wife—and perhaps even to God.

3:13 The serpent deceived me Just as Adam tries to pass the blame to Eve, now Eve blames the serpent.

3:14 you will be cursed It is unclear how the serpent (nachash in Hebrew) is more cursed than any other animal. This supports the view that the nachash is not an ordinary member of the animal kingdom and the serpent imagery evokes other ancient Near Eastern parallels. See note on v. 1.

On your belly you shall go The language and context suggest that this condition was new in some way. Since the Hebrew word used for serpent, nachash, and its affiliated imagery are often paired with chaotic and disorderly forces in opposition to the divine order in the ancient Near East, there is no need for a literal zoological explanation. Rather, this passage indicates that the serpent, God’s cosmic enemy, has been made docile (i.e., he is defeated).

dust you shall eat Ancient Near Eastern texts, such as the Akkadian work Descent of Ishtar, depict serpents as inhabitants of the underworld that feed on dust and clay.

3:15 hostility This word refers to hostility, not fear. The curse is not aimed at the woman, but at the serpent. Its language speaks of combat—specifically between the serpent and its offspring (those that follow its ways), and the woman and her descendants.

offspring The Hebrew word used here, zera’ (which may be literally rendered “seed”), can refer to one person or many.

he will strike you on the head In the Hebrew text, the singular pronoun here refers collectively to the offspring (zera’ in Hebrew) of Eve. The nt presents Jesus as the ultimate human descendant of Eve who defeats Satan or the devil (Luke 3:38; 10:17–19; Rev 12:9–11; compare Gal 3:16). Paul seems to reference this line when he tells the Roman Christians that God will give them the power to crush Satan (Rom 16:20).

3:16 your pain The Hebrew word used here is also used to describe Adam’s punishment: He will work the ground in pain. The original tasks given to both Adam and Eve (tending to creation, and being fruitful and multiplying) now involve great difficulty because they live outside Eden (Gen 1:28; 3:24). Compare note on 2:18.

to your husband shall be your desire The Hebrew word used here, teshuqah, occurs elsewhere only twice (4:7; Song 7:10). In the Song of Songs the term seems to indicate sexual desire, but that meaning does not work well in this context. In Gen 4:7 the word connotes desire to control or desire to conquer (compare note on 4:7).

3:17 the ground shall be cursed on your account The context of the curse shows that serious effort and the overcoming of obstacles will be necessary to make the earth produce what human survival requires.

3:19 to dust you shall return The consequences of sin include lifelong toil. This line could be understood as indicating that only death is the release from that curse of toil, or that natural death may be another consequence of sin (compare Rom 5:12). It is unclear whether natural death existed prior to Adam and Eve’s sin—whether in Eden or elsewhere (see note on Gen 3:22; note on 6:3).

3:20 the man named his wife Eve Eve’s name in Hebrew, chawwah, is related to the Hebrew verb chayah, which may be translated “to live.” This is wordplay—Eve is described as the mother of all life.

3:22 the man The Hebrew grammar here can be understood as including Eve.

as one of us The plural here refers to more than just the singular God Yahweh—it speaks of the heavenly host or God’s council. See note on v. 5.

the tree of life See note on 2:9.

to know good and evil See v. 5 and note.

lives forever Adam and Eve had to be driven from the garden. To remain in God’s presence and eat of the tree of life would have resulted in them becoming immortal, thus thwarting the penalty for their transgression (2:17). Cut off from God’s presence, immortality was unavailable—they would eventually die.

3:24 cherubim The Hebrew term used here is plural. The noun comes from the Akkadian term karub, which refers to a divine throne guardian. These guardians are often depicted in sculptures as sphinx-like—having the body of a lion and the head of a man. They are commonly depicted as guarding the throne of a deity. This fits the context, as the cherubim are placed as guardians of Eden, God’s dwelling place (see note on 2:8).

Cosmic Garden and Mountain Imagery in the Old Testament

flaming, turning sword This phrase occurs only here in the ot. Fire is a very common motif for the presence of Yahweh—as demonstrated by the descriptions of Yahweh on Sinai (Exod 19:18; 24:17; Deut 4:11; 5:4–5) and the fiery throne of Ezek 1 (which also includes with cherubim; compare Dan 7:9).