Genesis 3:18

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

Genesis 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.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Genesis 3:18 In-Context

16 To the woman He said, "I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he 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'; Cursed is the ground because of you; In 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 return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return."

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