Genesis 3:4

4 And the serpent said to the woman, Ye will not certainly die;

Genesis 3:4 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 3:4

And the serpent said unto the woman
In reply to her answer: ye shall not surely die;
in direct contradiction to the divine threatening, and which he would insinuate was a mere threatening, and which God never intended to put in execution; so that they had nothing to fear from that, God would never be so rigid and severe, and beat so hard upon them as to put them to death for such an offence, if it was one; he only gave out the menace to frighten them, and deter from it: however, at most it was not a certain thing they should die, and they might safely conclude they would not.

Genesis 3:4 In-Context

2 And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden;

3 but of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, God has said, Ye shall not eat of it, and ye shall not touch it, lest ye die.

4 And the serpent said to the woman, Ye will not certainly die;

5 but God knows that in the day ye eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and ye will be as God, knowing good and evil.

6 And the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a pleasure for the eyes, and the tree was to be desired to give intelligence; and she took of its fruit, and ate, and gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.