1 Timothy 2:14

14 And it was not Adam who was deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and broke God's law. ¹

1 Timothy 2:14 Meaning and Commentary

1 Timothy 2:14

And Adam was not deceived
There is no need to say with interpreters, that he was not deceived first; and that he was not deceived immediately by the serpent, but by Eve; and that he is never said in Scripture to be deceived, as Melchizedek is never said to have a father or mother. The apostle's positive assertion is to be taken without any such limitations or qualifications; Adam never was deceived at all; neither by the serpent, with whom he never conversed; nor by his wife, he knew what he did, when he took the fruit of her, and ate; he ate it not under any deception, or vain imagination, that they should not die, but should be as gods, knowing good and evil. He took and ate out of love to his wife, from a fond affection to her, to bear her company, and that she might not die alone; he knew what he did, and he knew what would be the consequence of it, the death of them both; and inasmuch as he sinned wilfully, and against light and knowledge, without any deception, his sin was the greater: and hereby death came in, and passed on all men, who sinned in him:

but the woman being deceived was in the transgression:
and the serpent really beguiled her; she owned it herself, ( Genesis 3:13 ) . And this is elsewhere said of her, ( 2 Corinthians 11:3 ) which never is of Adam. She really thought the serpent spoke truth, that she and her husband should not die, if they ate of the fruit; but that it was good to make them wise; and that, upon eating it, they should be as gods, knowing good and evil; and under this deception she fell into the transgression, and was the cause and means, by her persuasions and example, of bringing her husband into the same sin; which involved him and all his posterity in ruin and destruction. And therefore she is called by the Jews ^F16 (Nweh Ma) , "the mother of iniquity and sin"; to which they refer, ( Psalms 51:5 ) . And they say, ^F17 she was the cause of death to Adam, and to all the world: (See Gill on Romans 5:12). And they observe ^F18 the order of the punishment of the serpent, Eve, and Adam, as of their sin; the serpent was first accursed, then Eve, and last of all Adam. They say

``^F19 Samael (the devil) could not subvert Adam, till the serpent came and turned the heart of Eve, and Eve turned his heart, and they both sinned; wherefore it is said, "the woman which thou gavest me"; Samael had no power to turn him, till Eve came, and she was the cause of his eating.''

Now inasmuch as the serpent did not attack Adam, he being the stronger and more knowing person, and less capable of being managed and seduced; but made his attempt on Eve, in which he succeeded; and since not Adam, but Eve, was deceived, it appears that the man is the more proper person to bear rule and authority, as in civil and domestic, so in ecclesiastic affairs; and it is right for the woman to learn, and the man to teach: and seeing that Eve was the cause of transgression to Adam, and of punishment to him and his posterity, the subjection of the woman to the man was confirmed afresh: and she was brought into a more depressed state of dependence on him, and subjection to him; see ( Genesis 3:16 ) . The Ethiopic version renders the text, "Adam hath not deceived, the woman hath deceived and prevaricated".

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FOOTNOTES:

F16 Tzeror Hammor, fol. 141. 3.
F17 T. Hieros. Sabbat, fol. 5. 2. Zohar in Gcn. fol. 27. 3. Caphtor, fol. 37. 2.
F18 T. Bab. Erubin, fol. 18. 1. & Taanith, fol. 15. 2. Bereshit Rabba, sect. 20. fol. 17. 1.
F19 Midrash Ruth in Zohar in Gen. fol. 27. 3.

1 Timothy 2:14 In-Context

12 I do not allow them to teach or to have authority over men; they must keep quiet.

13 For Adam was created first, and then Eve.

14 And it was not Adam who was deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and broke God's law.

15 But a woman will be saved through having children, if she perseveres in faith and love and holiness, with modesty.

Cross References

• 1. 2.14Genesis 3.1-6.