Genesis 3:1-22

The Fall of Man

1 Now ¹the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed *, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden '?"

2 The woman said to the serpent, "²From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat;

3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.' "

4 ³The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die!

5 "For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and ⁴you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

6 ⁵When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.

7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they ⁶knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.

8 They heard the sound of ⁷the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, ⁸and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

9 Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "⁹Where are you?"

10 He said, "¹⁰I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself."

11 And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?"

12 ¹¹The man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate."

13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman said, "¹²The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

14 The LORD God said to the serpent, "¹³Because you have done this, Cursed are you more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you will go, And ¹⁴dust you will eat All the days of your life;

15 And I will put ¹⁵enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; ¹⁶He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel."

16 To the woman He said, "I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you will ¹⁷bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And ¹⁸he will rule over you."

17 Then to Adam He said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat from it'; ¹⁹Cursed is the ground because of you; ²⁰In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life.

18 "Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field;

19 By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you ²¹return to the ground, Because ²²from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return."

20 Now the man called his wife's name ²³Eve, because she was the mother of all the living.

21 The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.

22 Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of ²⁴Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from ²⁵the tree of life, and eat, and live forever "-

Genesis 3:1-22 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.

Cross References

• 1. 2 Corinthians 11:3; Revelation 12:9; Revelation 20:2
• 2. Genesis 2:16, 17
• 3. John 8:44; 2 Corinthians 11:3
• 4. Isaiah 14:14; Ezek 28:2, 12-17
• 5. Romans 5:12-19; 1 Timothy 2:14; James 1:14, 15; 1 John 2:16
• 6. Isaiah 47:3; Lamentations 1:8
• 7. Genesis 18:33; Leviticus 26:12; Deuteronomy 23:14
• 8. Job 31:33; Psalms 139:1-12; Hosea 10:8; Amos 9:3; Revelation 6:15-17
• 9. Genesis 4:9; Genesis 18:9
• 10. Exodus 20:18, 19; Deuteronomy 5:25
• 11. Job 31:33; Proverbs 28:13
• 12. 2 Corinthians 11:3; 1 Timothy 2:14
• 13. Deuteronomy 28:15-20
• 14. Isaiah 65:25; Micah 7:17
• 15. Revelation 12:17
• 16. Romans 16:20
• 17. John 16:21; 1 Timothy 2:15
• 18. 1 Corinthians 14:34
• 19. Genesis 5:29; Romans 8:20-22; Hebrews 6:8
• 20. Job 5:7; Job 14:1; Ecclesiastes 2:23
• 21. Psalms 90:3; Psalms 104:29; Ecclesiastes 12:7
• 22. Genesis 2:7
• 23. 2 Corinthians 11:3; 1 Timothy 2:13
• 24. Genesis 1:26
• 25. Genesis 2:9; Revelation 22:14

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "every"
• [b]. Or "girdles"
• [c]. Lit "wind, breeze"
• [d]. Or "crush"
• [e]. Lit "and your pregnancy, conception"
• [f]. Or "sorrow"
• [g]. Lit "plant"
• [h]. I.e. living; or life