Genesis 3

Genesis 03 General Notes

Structure and formatting

This chapter continues the second creation account that began in Gen. 2:4. But a new section of this account begins in 3:1. The ULB reads, "Now the serpent was more shrewd than any other beast of the field which Yahweh God had made," because this is how the Scriptures introduce the serpent into the account. However, many languages prefer different ways to introduce new characters or things into stories, for example, "One of the wild animals made by God was the serpent" or "This is about the serpent, one of the wild animals that God had made."

Scholars typically refer to the events of this chapter as "the fall" or "the fall of man" because sin is introduced into creation. (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tw?section=kt#sin)

Special concepts in this chapter
Curses

In this chapter, God curses the man, the woman, and the serpent for their sins. In general, cursing is calling down God's punishment on someone or something. In this chapter, however, it is God himself who is doing the cursing. Of course, he does not call down punishment on the man, the woman, and the serpent from someone else. Instead, he is promising that he himself will punish them. (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tw?section=kt#curse)

Serpent

Most scholars believe that the serpent is Satan, even though his name is not used in this chapter. There are other places in Scripture where the serpent is used as an image for Satan. (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tw?section=kt#satan and /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=translate#figs-explicit))

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Genesis 3:1

Now

The writer is beginning a new part of the story.

more shrewd

"more cunning" or "smarter at getting what he wanted by telling lies"

Has God really said, 'You ... garden'?

The snake is pretending to be surprised that God has made this rule. This rhetorical question can be translated as a statement. Alternate translation: "I am surprised that God said, 'You ... garden.'" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=translate#figs-rquestion)

You must not eat

The word "you" is plural and refers to the man and the woman. (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=translate#figs-you)

Genesis 3:2

We may eat

"We are allowed to eat" or "We have permission to eat"

Genesis 3:3

but concerning the fruit ... garden, God said, 'You may not eat it, nor may you touch it, or you will die

These words are the end of Eve's description of God's command to them that begins with the words "We may eat" in verse 2. Eve told the serpent what God had permitted them to do first and then what God had told them not to do. Some languages would say what they were told not to do first and then say what they were allowed to do, as in the UDB.

You may not ... nor may you ... you will die

The word "you" is plural and refers to the man and the woman. (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=translate#figs-you)

You may not eat it

"You must not eat it" or "Do not eat it"

nor may you touch it

"and you must not touch it" or "and do not touch it"

Genesis 3:4

You will ... not die

These words refer to the man and the woman and so are dual or plural. (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=translate#figs-you)

Genesis 3:5

you ... your ... you

These words refer to the man and the woman and so are dual or plural. (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=translate#figs-you)

your eyes will be opened

"your eyes will open." This idiom means "you will become aware of things" or "you will understand new things." This meaning can be stated clearly. Alternate translation: "It will be as though your eyes were opened" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=translate#figs-idiom)

knowing good and evil

Here "good and evil" is a figure of speech that refers to both extremes and everything in between. See how you translated "knowledge of good and evil" in Genesis 2:9. Alternate translation: "knowing everything, including both good and evil" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=translate#figs-merism)

Genesis 3:6

it was a delight to the eyes

"the tree was delightful to look at" or "it was nice to look at" or "it was very beautiful"

that the tree was desirable to make one wise

"she wanted the tree's fruit because it could make a person wise" or "she wanted its fruit because it could make her understand what was right and wrong just as God does"

Genesis 3:7

The eyes of both of them were opened

"Then their eyes opened" or "They became aware" or "They understood." See how you translated "your eyes will be opened" in Genesis 3:5.

sewed

put together, probably using vines as thread

fig leaves

If people do not know what fig leaves are like, this can be translated as "large leaves from a fig tree" or simply "large leaves."

made coverings for themselves

They did this because they were ashamed. This implicit information can be made explicit if needed as in the UDB. Alternate translation: "clothed themselves with them because they were ashamed" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=translate#figs-explicit)

Genesis 3:8

in the cool of the day

"at the time of day when a cool breeze blows"

from the presence of Yahweh God

"from Yahweh God's sight" or "so that Yahweh God would not see them" or "from Yahweh God"

Genesis 3:9

Where are you?

"Why are you trying to hide from me?" God knew where the man was. When the man answered, he did not say where he was but why he was hiding.

you

In verses 9 and 11, God was speaking to the man. Languages that have a singular form of "you" would use that here. (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=translate#figs-you)

Genesis 3:10

I heard you

"I heard the sound you were making"

Genesis 3:11

Who told you

God knew the answer to this question. He asked it in order to force Adam to confess that he had disobeyed God. (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=translate#figs-rquestion)

Have you eaten ... from?

Again, God knew this had happened. Translate this question in a form that shows God was accusing Adam of disobedience. The sentence can be translated as a statement. Alternate translation: "You must have eaten ... from." (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=translate#figs-rquestion)

Genesis 3:12

General Information:

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Genesis 3:13

What is this you have done?

God already knew what the woman had done. When he asked this question, he was giving her the opportunity to tell him about it, and he was expressing his disappointment with what she had done. Many languages use rhetorical questions for scolding or rebuking. If possible, use a form that expresses this disappointment. It can also be translated as a statement. Alternate translation: "You have done a terrible thing." (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=translate#figs-rquestion)

Genesis 3:14

cursed are you alone

"you alone are cursed." The word "curse" is first in Hebrew in order to emphasize the contrast between God's blessing on the animals and this curse on the serpent. This is a "curse formula," or the way that curses were expressed. By saying this curse, God made it happen.

all the livestock and all the beasts of the field

"all domestic animals and all wild animals"

It is on your stomach that you will go

"You will move along the ground on your stomach." The words "it is upon your stomach" comes first to emphasize the contrast between the way other animals would move along using their legs and the way the serpent would slither along on its stomach. This is also part of the curse formula.

it is dust that you will eat

"you will eat dust." The words "it is dust" comes first to emphasize the contrast between the plants above the ground that other animals would eat and the dirty food on the ground that the serpent would eat. This is part of the curse formula.

Genesis 3:15

hostility between you and the woman

This means that the serpent and the woman would become enemies.

seed

The word "seed" refers to what a man puts into a woman to cause a baby to grow inside the woman. Like the word "offspring," it can refer to more than one person. Try to find a word that is singular but can refer to more than one person.

He will bruise ... his heel

The words "he" and "his" refer to the woman's descendant. If "seed" was translated as plural, this can be translated as "they will bruise ... their heel"; in this case, consider inserting footnotes to say that the "they" and "their" are used to translate a singular pronoun. (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=translate#figs-pronouns)

bruise

"crush" or "strike" or "attack"

Genesis 3:16

I will greatly multiply your pain

"I will make your pain increase much" or "I will make your pain to be very severe"

in having children

"in giving birth to children" or "when you give birth to children"

Your desire will be for your husband

"You will have a strong desire for your husband." Possible meanings are 1) "You will want very much to be with your husband" or 2) "You will want to control your husband"

he will rule over you

"he will be your master" or "he will control you"

Genesis 3:17

Adam

The name Adam is the same as the Hebrew word for "man." Some translations say "Adam" and some say "the man." You may use either form as it refers to the same person.

you have listened to the voice of your wife

This is an idiom. Alternate translation: "you have obeyed what your wife said" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=translate#figs-idiom)

have eaten from the tree

You can say what it was that they ate. Alternate translation: "have eaten the fruit of the tree" or "have eaten some of the fruit of the tree" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=translate#figs-explicit)

You may not eat from it

"You must not eat from it" or "Do not eat its fruit"

cursed is the ground

The word "curse" comes first in the sentence to emphasize that the ground, which had been "good" (Genesis 1:10), was now under God's curse. This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: "I am cursing the ground" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=translate#figs-activepassive)

through painful work

"by doing hard work"

you will eat from it

The word "it" refers to the ground and is a metonym for the parts of the plants, which grow in the ground, that people eat. Alternate translation: "you will eat what grows from it" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=translate#figs-metonymy)

Genesis 3:18

the plants of the field

Possible meanings are 1) "the plants that you take care of in your fields" or 2) "the wild plants that grow in the open fields."

Genesis 3:19

By the sweat of your face

"By doing hard work that makes your face sweat"

you will eat bread

Here the word "bread" is a synecdoche for food in general. Alternate translation: "you will eat food" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=translate#figs-synecdoche)

until you return to the ground

"until you die and your body is put in the ground." In some cultures, they put the bodies of people who have died in a hole in the ground. Man's hard work does not end until the time of his death and burial.

For dust you are, and to dust you will return

"I made you from soil, so your body will become soil again." Translate both occurrences of "dust" with the same word in order to show that man begins and ends in the same condition.

Genesis 3:20

The man

Some translations say "Adam."

called his wife's name Eve

"gave his wife the name Eve" or "named his wife Eve"

Eve

Translators may write a footnote saying "The name Eve sounds like the Hebrew word that means 'living.'"

all the living

The word "living" refers to people. Alternate translation: "all people" or "all living people" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=translate#figs-nominaladj)

Genesis 3:21

garments of skins

"clothing made out of animal skins"

Genesis 3:22

the man

Possible meanings are 1) God was referring to one human, the man, or 2) God was referring to humans in general, so this would mean the man and his wife. Even if God was speaking about one person, what he said applied to both of them.

like one of us

"like us." The pronoun "us" is plural. See how you translated "Let us make" in Genesis 1:26.

knowing good and evil

Here "good and evil" is a figure of speech that refers to both extremes and everything in between. See how you translated "knowledge of good and evil" in Genesis 2:9. Alternate translation: "knowing everything, including both good and evil" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=translate#figs-merism)

he must not be allowed

This can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: "I will not allow him" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=translate#figs-activepassive)

tree of life

"the tree that gives people life." See how you translated this in Genesis 2:9.

Genesis 3:23

the ground from which he had been taken

"dirt because he had been taken from dirt." This does not refer to the particular place on the land that the God took man from.

to cultivate

This means to what is needed so that plants grow well. See how you translated this in Genesis 2:5.

Genesis 3:24

So God drove the man out of the garden

"God forced the man to leave the garden." This refers to the event in Genesis 3:23, where it says "Yahweh God sent him out of the garden of Eden." God did not send the man out a second time.

in order to guard the way to the tree of life

"in order to stop people from going to the tree of life"

flaming sword

Possible meanings are 1) a sword that had flames coming from it or 2) a fire that was shaped like a sword. Languages that do not have swords could use another weapon such as a spear or arrow.