Genesis 3:3-13

3 soothly God commanded to us, that we should not eat of the fruit of the tree, which is in the midst of paradise (which is in the middle of the garden), and that we should not touch it, lest peradventure we die.
4 Forsooth the serpent said to the woman, Ye shall not die by death (Ye shall not die);
5 for why God knoweth that in whatever day ye shall eat thereof, your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as Gods, knowing good and evil. (for God knoweth that on whatever day ye shall eat of it, your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be like gods, knowing good and evil.)
6 Therefore the woman saw that the tree was good, and sweet to eat, and fair to the eyes, and delightable in beholding; and she took of the fruit thereof, and ate, and gave to her husband, and he ate.
7 And the eyes of both (of them) were opened; and when they knew that they were naked, they sewed [together] the leaves of a fig tree, and made breeches to themselves (and made breeches for themselves).
8 And when they heard the voice of the Lord God going in paradise at the wind after midday, Adam and his wife hid them(selves) from the face of the Lord God in [the] midst of the trees of paradise. (And when they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the evening breeze, the man and his wife hid themselves from the face of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.)
9 And the Lord God called Adam, and said to him, Where art thou?
10 And Adam said, I heard thy voice in paradise, and I dreaded, for I was naked, and I hid me. (And the man said, I heard the sound of you walking in the garden, and I was afraid, for I was naked, and so I hid myself.)
11 To whom the Lord said, Who showed to thee that thou were naked, no but for thou hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded to thee that thou shouldest not eat? (To whom the Lord said, Who told thee that thou were naked? hast thou eaten of the tree which I commanded to thee that thou shouldest not eat?)
12 And Adam said, The woman which thou gavest (for) fellow(ship) to me, gave me of the tree, and I ate. (And Adam said, The woman whom thou gavest to me for fellowship, gave to me of the tree, and so I ate.)
13 And the Lord said to the woman, Why didest thou this thing? The which answered, The serpent deceived me, and (so) I ate.

Genesis 3:3-13 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 3

In this chapter an account is given of the temptation of our first parents, of the instrument of it, and of their fall into it, and of the effect of it, Ge 3:1-7 their summons upon it to appear before God, against whom they had sinned, Ge 3:8-10 their examination by him, and the excuses they made, Ge 3:11-13 the various sentences passed of the serpent, the woman, and the man, Ge 3:14-19 some incidental things recorded, expressive of faith and hope in man, and of favour to him, Ge 3:20,21 and his expulsion from the garden of Eden, Ge 3:22-24.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.