Genèse 3:18

18 Et il te produira des épines et des chardons; et tu mangeras l'herbe des champs.

Genèse 3:18 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 3:18

Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee,
&c.] Not for his advantage, but to give him more trouble, and cause him more fatigue and sorrow to root them up: these include all sorts of noxious herbs and plants, and troublesome weeds, which added to man's labour to pluck up, that those more useful might grow and flourish: and Rabbi Eliezer F5 was of opinion, that if there had not been a new blessing upon the earth, it would have brought forth nothing else, as that which is rejected and nigh unto cursing does, ( Hebrews 6:8 ) and this curse continued, at least it was not wholly removed, until the times of Noah, ( Genesis 8:21 ) which made it hard and difficult to the antediluvian patriarchs to get their bread.

And thou shall eat the herb of the field;
not the fruits of the garden of Eden, but only the common herbs of the field, such as even the beasts of the earth fed upon: to such a low condition was man, the lord of the whole earth, reduced unto by sin; and this was according to the law of retaliation, that man, who could not be content with all the fruits of Eden, save one, by eating the forbidden fruit should be deprived of them all.


FOOTNOTES:

F5 Apud Fagium in loc.

Genèse 3:18 In-Context

16 Il dit à la femme: J'augmenterai beaucoup ta peine et ta grossesse; tu enfanteras des enfants avec douleur, et tes désirs se tourneront vers ton mari, et il dominera sur toi.
17 Et il dit à Adam: Puisque tu as obéi à la voix de ta femme, et que tu as mangé de l'arbre au sujet duquel je t'avais donné cet ordre: Tu n'en mangeras point! le sol sera maudit à cause de toi; tu en mangeras les fruits avec peine tous les jours de ta vie.
18 Et il te produira des épines et des chardons; et tu mangeras l'herbe des champs.
19 Tu mangeras le pain à la sueur de ton visage, jusqu'à ce que tu retournes dans la terre, d'où tu as été pris; car tu es poussière, et tu retourneras dans la poussière.
20 Or, Adam appela sa femme, Eve (vie), parce qu'elle fut la mère de tous les vivants.
The Ostervald translation is in the public domain.