GENESIS 3: The FALL of MANKIND

Genesis 3 was the pivotal section in the bible for mankind. God gave the human couple He recently created a simple test of their loyalty to Him for His goodness to them. He forbade them to eat fruit from one particular tree in the Garden that was previously described in Genesis 2. This account recorded how they were tempted to eat the forbidden fruit and what they did. The reason for this test is explained in Topical note 10, “Why God created the physical universe and His plan for humanity”.

The Genesis 3 commentary below reads "between the lines" of scripture and provides evidence for why these events happened as they did.

Origin and Authorship.

Genesis 3 continued the account of Genesis 2 using the same compound name for God, English, "LORD God" (Hebrew, Yahweh Elohim). So, Adam evidently also originated this account, with input from Eve about her private conversation with the serpent in vv1-6. It was passed on with the account in Genesis 2 to their later son Seth and recorded after writing was developed before the Flood.

v1. The SERPENT was the most “crafty” [written Hebrew, “orum”]* of the wild animals that God had made. It's noteworthy this Hebrew word was instead translated as “subtle” in several bible versions (see commentary for vv2-5 below). The serpent was acquainted with God Who v8 implied appeared as a human. God must have been the pre-incarnate Christ (Messiah) because He is the only member of the Godhead who scripture clearly described appeared in human form (New Testament Matthew 16:15-16). Genesis 2:20 recorded God brought the serpent and the other animals to Adam to name. Adam named him “Serpent” before he knew all the trouble this animal would cause. Serpent in written Hebrew, “nchsh”, can mean "bright coppery one”, and he is called a “dragon” in New Testament Revelation 12:9, 20:2. These clues suggest that the Serpent was originally a dragon-like reptile with bright copper-colored scales and/or flaming breath! He was a very intelligent (v1) and impressive-looking speaking animal. (For more evidence about the serpent's appearance with images see commentary for vv14-15, Was the Garden's serpent a snake…?)

*This commentary references words in the Scrpture4All Hebrew online interlinear bible.

The record in the Book of Job 41:18-21 describes Leviathan, a dragon-like creature with flaming breath that once existed. Current research with the bombardier beetle provides insight of how legends of dragons with flaming breath are not far-fetched myths. Bombardier beetles can produce a scalding mixture (212 deg F, 100 deg C) of noxious toxic chemicals to disperse predators.  These chemicals are first mixed and react in a tiny, pressurized chamber in their abdomen.  When they are disturbed the heated mixture is explosively released as a high-rate repetitive blast of steaming, noxious spray through a pointable nozzle in their rear{4}. About half of the beetles that are swallowed by toads survive after being vomited up. Actual dragons might have produced reactive chemicals in their mouths they exhaled that combined with enriched oxygen outside and ignited there into flames without burning themselves{4a}.      

Did the serpent (who was an animal) really speak to the woman?

Because animals don’t speak human language today this seems incredulous! The woman’s calmness during their conversation as recorded in Genesis 3 implied she wasn’t surprised that the serpent spoke to her, and apparently other animals in the Garden did, too.  Jewish historian Josephus contributed that humans and living creatures (and God) then all spoke a common language*.  However, she didn’t know what a tricky liar and a schemer the serpent was!  God controls speech and its understanding both in humans and animals according to Genesis 11:7-9, Numbers 22:28-30, and New Testament Acts 2:4-12. It is scientifically well documented that animals in general and specifically birds, whales, and porpoises communicate with each other using sounds they can make and hear.  Parrots still have a functional vocal apparatus that can repeat human speech phrases, but their brains lack the ability to use their voice to converse with humans.  Since no animals use human language to communicate today God evidently ended animal speech sometime after the serpent abused it to trick the woman (vv2-5 below).  Presumably God caused the brain regions for thought organization into speech and its understanding to atrophy in animals. If some would believe the smaller over-all brain size of many creatures would prevent them from speaking, realize that many small creatures exhibit incredibly clever behavior to hunt or set traps for others for food, or for self defense despite their tiny brain sizes.  It has been claimed that bees have social and reasoning capabilities similar to mammals{8}. An Orangutan{7} and Chimpanzees{9} have been documented to use natural plant substances as medicine to heal their wounds.

*Maier, Paul, 1988, Josephus- The Essential Writings, Kregel pub.l, p20. As perhaps the most intelligent animal in the Garden, the serpent naturally resented that God who appeared as a human gave the later-arriving humans charge to rule over him and the other creatures (Genesis 1:28, 2:19).  He wanted God to take away their rulership.  And Satan surely wanted to accuse God’s newly created humans of doing what He forbade so they would share his ultimate demise (Revelation 20:10).  The serpent’s grudge against these humans who seemed to think they were superior would let Satan control him to get them in trouble with God.  Verse 1 implies the speaking serpent heard that God forbade the humans to eat fruit from one tree in the Garden.

The MAN and WOMAN could break only the one command that God gave them- to DOUBT His warning and eat fruit from “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” that He forbade them to eat.  They were loyal to God so Satan knew they wouldn't listen to his direct suggestions.   So, the serpent was the intermediary Satan wanted to approach the humans- this habitual lying animal that lived in the Garden with the humans and secretly held a grudge against them.  By manipulating the serpent’s grudge, Satan would empower and possess him to seduce the humans to doubt God and eat the forbidden fruit! 

SATAN is God’s original enemy and he was actually the major player in Genesis 3 (New Testament, Revelation 12:9, 20:2-3) but he wasn’t mentioned because he worked unseen by the humans who originated this account.  Satan knew their human natures and even their personal desires very well. He watched them carefully and listened in on their thought lives from his spiritual vantage point.  Satan was first revealed to humans in scripture in Job 1:6-12 and 2:1-7 (Authorship of the Hebrew Law, The book of Job), long after Adam and Eve lived. So the humans were unaware of Satan’s conflict with God and how their own actions would fit in (Why God created the universe with intelligent life, below). The verses in Job clearly show the Bible teaches that Satan (the devil) is a powerful spirit being who has an individual personality and a free will, and is not merely an impersonal evil “force” as some suppose. He has power to control susceptible living creatures within the realm of ideas by making suggestions to them (John 13:27).  His control in the physical realm (eg., to cause disease) is limited by God's permission as recorded in the Book of Job 1,2. Regardless of Satan’s efforts, if the humans obeyed God they would have remained safe.  Although the serpent was intelligent enough to be scheming, as an animal he wasn’t created in God’s image so he lacked spiritual discernment and was also unaware of Satan. Satan’s prompts that “popped into his head” were consistent with his grudge against the humans so he simply followed them.

Why did the serpent tempt the woman rather than the man? Satan apparently reasoned that since God personally warned the man about the forbidden tree, he wouldn’t listen to the serpent to do what God directly forbade.  However, there is no record that God personally told the woman the fruit of the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” was forbidden.  So God expected the man to warn his wife.  The man apparently did, adding to “not touch it”, as the woman told the serpent in v3. (Genesis 2:17 recorded God said only not to eat the fruit).  God surely expected her to believe her husband as a test of her loyalty and trust (v13) in their marriage relationship that He designed. But this second-hand warning isolated her from God’s direct command, and it could let her doubt her husband who might have misunderstood God about the tree being deadly. And impersonal ”God” (Elohim) that she used in v3 rather than "Lord God" (Yahweh Elohim) as Adam used seemed distant to her because God arranged for her husband to care for her.

Satan watched her as she lived an easy life in God’s idyllic Garden for perhaps a few days where the couple simply picked luscious fruits from trees for food.  She was given a man who she didn’t seem to need so she naturally longed to be “herself” rather than his close lifetime companion (Genesis 2:18).  The high modern divorce rate shows this is a popular concept even today. Human nature hasn’t changed since our first ancestors briefly lived in the Garden of Eden.

  Disappointment with her role gave Satan a foothold in her thought life to work with.  All of these issues made the woman seem easier to trap than the man with what Satan working through the serpent had to work with: words.  And Satan knew if she chose to eat the fruit, she would use her natural influence that God gave her to have her husband eat it too.  Then he would also trap the man- with no additional effort!  Satan reasoned she would listen to the serpent while she was away from her husband if he seemed personable to her. So, he would tailor a verbal lure for the woman spoken by the willing serpent. Then Satan prompted the serpent to approach her to eat the forbidden fruit while she was by herself in the garden. vv2-5. The serpent deceptively (vv1,13) made a shallow friendship with her. Historian Josephus recorded he "maliciously lured the woman into tasting of the tree"*. This surely was caused by his grudge against the humans. Because the serpent lived in the Garden before the humans he was able to impress her with his expert knowledge about the animals and plants there which smoothly led to a conversation about the forbidden tree. His impressive appearance and social grace enticed her to like and trust him. Verses 6-7 imply the serpent told her the tree had the most beautiful and tastiest fruit in the Garden and it would make her wise. After she objected (v3), Satan prompted the serpent to tell her that God knew when she ate the fruit from this tree her eyes would be opened to “be like God, knowing good and evil” [1984 NIV]- and she would not surely die as God said (vv4-5). Satan’s words spoken through the serpent subtly (v1) sparked her inner desire: They led her to reason that having God’s wisdom of good and evil would empower her to live independently**. Then she would be free CHOOSE her own moral values and lifestyle! And apparently her only consequence for eating the tasty forbidden fruit that would make her as wise as God was His empty death threat.  So why not try it? 

* Maier, Paul, 1988, Josephus- The Essential Writings, Kregel publ, p10.

** Jerusalem Bible, original version with commentary notes (p17).

Her root sin against God was she didn’t believe His warning about eating the forbidden fruit, which led to her disobedience.  Instead, she chose to trust the serpent whose advice (from Satan) subtly tempted her with the freedom she desired to live independently of God and her husband.  Although God appeared to them as an ordinary man similar to her own husband, He was the pre-incarnate Messiah and Son in God’s triunity (see Genesis 1: Origin and Authorship commentary, The nature of God).  He had made everything on the earth including the human couple- for His purposes (see Why did God create the physical universe? below).

The Fall of mankind vv6-7. After being deceived by the serpent (v13) the woman led her husband to the middle of the garden.  There she gazed at the forbidden tree with its delicious looking fruit to gain wisdom from (v6a).  She knew God told her husband this fruit was forbidden for both of them to eat (vv2-3) yet she took and ate some and also gave him some to eat (v6b).  Then she wouldn’t face God alone if He confronted her for this disobedience. The man surely noticed she enjoyed the taste of the fruit and it didn’t seem to have an immediate harmful effect.  Yet he knew God forbade them to eat fruit from this tree (Genesis 2:17) so he certainly objected.  Although to avoid ruining the relationship with his wife who was determined they both eat the fruit, the man ate it with her (v17). They would be in this together.

By using their free-will choice to disobey God and eat the forbidden fruit their spiritual “likeness” to Him they were initially created with immediately ended (see the commentary for Genesis 1:26-27 below).  So, they died right then as God apparently meant in Genesis 2:17. (See critics’ objection in the commentary for Genesis 2:17 about their threatened immediate deaths for this offense that is in most bible versions.) And Genesis 3:22-24 recorded they and all of their descendants would also physically die because they ate the forbidden fruit: God banished them from His idyllic garden so they forfeited continuing to eat from the “tree of life” that would have let them live forever (see Genesis 2:15-17 commentary).  

This account contains Life Lessons about similar troubles today:

1.Dwelling on a personal grudge like the serpent did makes it grow into bitterness that Satan can use to manipulate. The serpent paid dearly for holding his grudge against the humans God created (v14).

2. Choosing to follow a source of advice that tells people what they naturally want to hear and opposes God’s word like the woman did may lead to disaster.

3. In modern marriages if one spouse pressures the other to do what’s wrong as God’s word defines it the wayward one should be corrected, not followed like the man did. 

4. A modern parallel to eating forbidden fruit from “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” is listening to gossip about people: Gossip likewise promises to make the hearers wise but instead it causes a lot of trouble when they naturally act on it (as planned by those who use it to manipulate them).

A timely aside: “Gossip” is idle talk about people and the bible condemns it{5}. Listening to gossip that makes fun of others behind their backs while in the security of their social circle may seem to be attractive entertainment. However, many people who directly listen, overhear, or pick it up as second-hand gossip will act on it and cause trouble for those who are targeted (see Topical note 4, Noah’s Vineyard).  Most gossip is verbal manipulation that is used by its originators to control listeners, whether positive or negative comments are made about another person. And many people specifically choose personal friends who will listen to their gossip.  Gossip may be stopped in its tracks by not chatting about people and avoiding those who habitually do this. It’s wise to think before speaking about other people to avoid this idle talk (New Testament Matthew 12:36).

Internet sites that pose as information sources about people can provide the ultimate controlling gossip. Readers are unaware of the personalities and motives involved behind posting this information. Gossip has a wide potential audience at school and in the workplace, but some very nasty purposeful gossip is spread at prearranged private social gatherings including informal “get-togethers”, parties, and games.  Gossipers use (or even arrange) these venues to attract listeners where targeted gossip victims aren’t invited. 

Purposeful gossip seeks to manipulate listeners to accomplish a goal. Most commonly, it’s malicious gossip that is intended to shame or vilify another person behind their back to make others hate them, with a specific purpose in mind.  Those who habitually use malicious gossip are skilled conversationalists and their tales sound convincing.  They use supportive “hear-say”, slant their stories by telling half truths, and exaggerate and twist facts, with emotional emphasis added. And they swear any secret second-hand information sources they cite are trustworthy. These people unleash their tirades when they encounter a person who they dislike or feel threatened by. Their goal is to marginalize and eliminate a targeted person from their social surroundings that may be at school or work, their neighborhood, or even at church. And they continue to “badmouth” them even after they leave!  People who personally use malicious gossip usually do it sporadically so they normally seem nice. Malicious gossip sometimes masquerades innocently as a request for “advice” that comes from someone who claims to be hurt by another person and is exaggerated because of dislike for them.  They intend their story to be spread covertly as second-hand gossip to cause others to dislike them and often try to recruit others to get involved. Because of gender roles men tend to be helpfully compliant when this comes from a woman. Perhaps the most viscous malicious gossip is covertly used by social cliques who verbally gang up to malign someone without cause who they dislike and is unpopular. They prefer to target unpopular people because others will not speak up for them. And normally they deceptively behave friendly toward the person who they are working against. Gossip may also be unintentionally harmful.  It may be spread by carelessly “talking too much” to fill voids in social conservations “to keep the flow going” by volunteering personal information about others that causes trouble. These gossip scenarios are real-life examples that actually happen. It’s noteworthy that many major gossipers regularly attend church and even spread gossip there.       

For some, their bad behavior goes beyond malicious gossip: These include professional con artists who deceive others by using malicious gossip. As an example from real life, certain employees at educational institutions who are also smooth, professional thieves operate secret “gossip clubs” that lure selected students to join and share “juicy” gossip about others in the campus community. Then they slyly use them as sentinels and for special tasks. These clubs are kept unknown to outsiders. The leader may claim to work with law enforcement to recover stolen property from the campus and has an authentic looking credential. The students are directed to bring “gossip” to meetings that keeps the leader informed of campus talk- who actually steals equipment for private sale and assists off-campus thieves for a price then will patsy off the thievery on an innocent person using student help. The clueless students are led to think they’re providing a valuable service for their campus. A male leader will have a female consort who shares the illicit perks to moderate club gossip meetings. She also personably works with girl students to entice their male friends to join, and to deceptively gather personal information about others for the leader using their "feminine touch" (read the similar story about Sampson and Delilah in Judges 16:4-21).  Membership grows to include many students. This real-life example illustrates how those who are attracted to gossip can unknowingly become involved with helping professional crooks who use it! 

However, legitimate “passing information” about another person may be necessary to alert someone of danger and isn’t gossip if it’s done properly: Some qualifications for this legitimate talk about others are- it must be all true and the whole truth, it is told only to the persons who need to know- by not “broadcasting” it, any personal hurt for sharing it is restrained by consideration for all parties involved, and it is told without personal selfish or manipulative motives.  Only the originator knows for sure whether this talk is “passing information” or “gossiping”, and they may be just “kidding themselves”. About gossip: commonly, people who gossip to you about someone else will also gossip to others about you.   

Satan’s plan worked perfectly! The forbidden fruit did enhance the couple's awareness but what they gained was unexpected: they realized they were naked and felt ashamed! (v22). God in human form (v8) surely would have kept covered when He met with them and even the creatures had fur, scales, or feathers as coverings. So, they sewed together the large fig tree leaves to make aprons[KJV] to cover their nakedness. v8-13. The humans felt guilty about disobeying God’s command, so they hid when He looked for them in the garden on a breezy late afternoon. The man used his nakedness as an excuse when God called for him. God already knew everything that happened and He confronted them certainly expecting repentance, but the man blamed his given wife and she blamed the deceptive serpent. Even their forced confessions didn’t admit wrongdoing or ask God to forgive them. God’s Judgments

Since no one gave God reason to show mercy for their offenses He then judged all involved starting with the most causative party. vv14-16. The SERPENT- God didn’t ask the serpent (an animal not created in His image and likeness) why he deceived the woman, and he was speechless when God confronted him. God knew the serpent had called Him a liar and he let Satan use his crafty nature to harm the humans He created.

Verse 14 recorded God punished the serpent for his part in deceiving the woman:  He made the serpent crawl on his belly and eat dust for the rest of his life.  Verse 15a recored as God spoke to the serpent He added a judgment for both him and Satan who had possessed him: God would put continued hostility between their offspring and the woman’s. Then v15b recorded while God was still speaking to the serpent He continued his judgments through him specifically to Satan who was within him (see SATAN- v15b below). Jewish historian Josephus illuminated vv14-15a by recording that God "deprived the serpent of speech, putting poison under its tongue, and He removed its feet so it would have to wiggle along the ground".*  The venom God gave the crippled serpent and his offspring to defend themselves certainly would have caused hostility with humans. At some later time not told in scripture God took away the ability of all creatures to speak with humans because it had been abused. By the time of Moses c1450BCE, God allowed only Balaam’s donkey to speak briefly with its human rider (Numbers 22:28-30).  The cursed serpent lived the rest of his life as a mute, floundering animal as God said, not as a streamlined slithering snake like He made during creation week.  Everyone who saw the crippled serpent knew this was God’s punishment for what he did and avoided his poisonous bite!

*Maier, Paul, 1988, Josephus- The Essential Writings, Kregel publ, p20 

Was the Garden’s serpent a snake or something else?

Apparently because God made him crawl on his belly and eat dust (like a snake), human tradition fabricated him into an actual “snake”! The name Adam originally gave the serpent, written Hebrew “nchsh”, meant "bright coppery one". It was also used much later during the Hebrew Exodus from Egypt, to name both the venomous snakes in the wilderness and the coppery snake image that Moses erected there as the visual cure for their deadly bites (Numbers 21:7-9). Written about 700BCE, Isaiah 27:1 described the monstrous marine amphibious reptile, leviathan{3} from the Book of Job 41:1-34 as a coiled gliding serpent with impenetrable scales (vv13-17,23) and limbs (v12). Isaiah 14:20 described other serpents as darting and venomous that apparently were snakes. Adding to the confusion, some modern simple-English bible translations use “snake” in place of “serpent” in all of Genesis 3 because today these names are synonyms. And religious artists sometimes render a snake tempting the woman with fruit from the forbidden tree.

From the biblical usage above, “serpent” (written Hebrew “nchsh”) is a generic name that refers to a variety of marine or terrestrial reptiles that have coilable tubular bodies, with or without legs. This name included biblical leviathans and all snakes. In the New Testament, Revelation 12:9 and 20:2 referred to the serpent of Genesis 3 as a “dragon”. Renderings of Chinese dragons{4,4a} show they have coilable bodies with short legs so they were serpentine dragons. Then scriptural evidence suggests the Garden’s “serpent” looked like a Chinese dragon with bright coppery scales (and/or flaming breath!). A Chinese dragon figurine{4} and drawings{4a) show his short stubby legs wouldn’t have reached the ground without his large feet. So, he would have wiggled along the ground after God cursed him as recorded in Genesis 3:14. This crippled, venomous serpent certainly died before Noah’s Flood, and none of his direct descendants migrated to the ark so they drowned in the Flood (Topical note 4). Evidently a pair of the serpent’s distant relatives were saved in the ark and continued their kind in the post-Flood world. Chinese dragons are well represented in Chinese lore which suggests these were real animals that became extinct, certainly due to human predation. Other reptiles called “dragons” include lizard-like Komodo dragons that live on certain islands of Indonesia today and some upright-walking dragons are pictured in ancient cultural lore, but these are not “serpents” with coilable tubular bodies. Medieval literature records many large reptiles were killed off by humans{2}. Today all serpents are snakes because their other forms became extinct.

The Garden’s serpent, the craftiest of the wild animals that God had made (v1), then became one with Satan according to New Testament Revelation 12:9 and 20:2 apparently because he let Satan control him at a crucial time to destroy God's friendship with the humans. (However, Satan wasn’t included in the Genesis 3 account because God didn’t tell humans about him until over three thousand years later when the Book of Job was written). A similar illustration with a human was used in New Testament John 13:27 when Judas evidently let Satan control him to help the Jewish leaders kill Jesus. However, this was in fulfillment of the scriptures as stated in John 17:12.

Why did God allow Satan working with the serpent to deceive the humans to disobey Him?

God evidently used the forbidden fruit, Satan and his empowered serpent, and the marriage relationship between the human couple as He intended it (Genesis 2:18) to test their loyalty to Him*. Satan’s plan targeted the weaknesses of both humans, so this scheme was both Satan’s temptation and God’s test! The reason behind this "set up" for the humans is explained in the section, God’s plan to save humanity after this commentary, but had they done as God commanded and not eaten the forbidden fruit they would have remained safe.

*That it was important for God to test the humans’ loyalty to Him is explained below in “Why God created the physical universe and His plan for humanity”.

God judged and punished both humans' offenses against Him in vv16-20 below. Out of compassion He would provide humans with a savior (the Messiah) at His great cost because of their value to Him: God’s redemptive plans for humans in the Old and New Covenants would give them the opportunity to replace Satan and his angels who He cast out of heaven (see below). Although God judged both the man and woman for their offenses, New Testament writers usually mention only Adam in connection with his disobedience. However, Romans 5 shows the purpose for this was to illustrate that Adam's error as described in the ending vv18-20 contrasted two men- the Messiah and Adam: Adam (and all humans) sinned but the Messiah saves.

SATAN- v15b recorded God’s curse on the serpent went beyond him to Satan himself who had prompted his actions.  While God was still speaking to the serpent He redirected His judgment to Satan inside the serpent who controlled him* and worked through him to deceive the woman: 

* Revelation 12:9 and 20:2 refer to Satan and the ancient serpent as one. 

God then delivered His concise first prophecy concerning the future Messiah who would provide mankind with an opportunity for their salvation after their fall from His “likeness” (Genesis 1:26). Christian theologians call Genesis 3:15b the “protoevangelium”, or first gospel.  Here, God referred to one of the woman’s male descendants who would be the Messiah, meaning humanity’s Savoir, by saying “He [the Messiah] will crush your [Satan’s] head and you [Satan] will strike his [the Messiah’] heel” [1984 NIV]. This is interpreted by theologians as, the Messiah would deal a death blow to Satan’s power over the salvation of imperfect mankind while Satan would temporarily kill the Messiah who would rise from the dead{6}. The details are explained after the Genesis 3 commentary, below.

v16. The WOMAN- Her basic offense was she didn’t believe God’s warning about the fruit being deadly for them, which led to her disobedience.  She also led her husband to eat it (v6b) that was another offense.  God would greatly increase her and evidently her descendants' pain in childbearing by arranging larger birth size of future human babies. Female animals don’t have a painful labor during birth because they deliver much smaller babies relative to their size, so they fit comfortably through their pelvic opening. Only women have painful labor so, this was God’s judgment and not a fluke of nature.  And she and future women would live under their husband’s authority (v16)* apparently because she led her husband to disobey God.  After God drove them out of the sheltered garden (v23) everyone’s basic needs would be provided with toil. Women naturally would depend on and desire the stronger men as husbands during their hard lives ahead.  Easy-living conveniences of modern human technology that would provide women independence from men would not exist for thousands of years.

*Genesis 3:16 [New Living Translation bible]. The second sentence of v16 in most English translations is confusing because it doesn’t show cause for her judgment. In Hebrew, this compound sentence has two subjects ("husband", "he"), but only the second predicate ("rule over") was used, the first predicate was omitted. Hebrew grammar allows the missing first predicate (that other English bible translations filled in with "will be” or “shall be” and was not in the original Hebrew), to take the same meaning as the second predicate. So then both predicates would mean "control" or "rule over":  The NLT bible renders God saying to her “you will desire to control your husband, and he will rule over you”- during their future hard lives outside of the Garden.  Genesis 4:7b (last phrase of 2nd sentence) has a similar Hebrew sentence structure and was translated this way in English bibles. This similar translation of Genesis 3:16 in the NLT bible translation provides a reason for being placed under her husband's authority as the second part of her judgment, unlike other English translations. Although God created her to be her husband’s companion (Genesis 2 commentary), her action while she lived in His idyllic Garden showed she desired instead to control him- even to disobey God. God’s judgment for this second offense implied He was displeased with her misuse of the influence He gave her over her husband by pressuring him to eat the forbidden fruit and disobey Him (vv3,6,12).  God’s resulting judgment (v16b) limited the influence of her and her female descendants for thousands of years. God would eventually end it like the cursed ground for the man’s descendants as He foretold in Genesis 8:20-21. However, this judgment for the woman’s descendants ended providentially instead (above) because its closure wasn’t specifically foretold in scripture. The ungodly choices the man and woman made ultimately caused big trouble for both of them and all of their descendants.  

v17-20. The MAN- His offense was that he didn’t listen to God God (v17) so he ate the forbidden fruit. God would cause him (and eventually his descendants) to till the soil and cultivate wild plants for food instead of enjoying luscious fruits that they simply picked from trees in the garden.  Beyond this, God also cursed the ground with fast-growing thorny weeds that would quickly choke out his food plants (vv17-19) and would need to be removed daily. However, He ended this second judgment 2200 years later for Noah and his descendants after the Flood (Genesis 8:20-21). Then Adam named his wife "Eve"* because she would become the mother of all living (v20).

* "Eve" means "living" (1984 NIV footnotes)

vv14-19: Why did God also judge the descendants of those who offended Him?

Apparently when God pronounced judgment on the man and woman for their offenses it was for their descendants, too. Starting with their progeny Cain and his wife, judging the descendants of offenders seemed unfair to humans, but later bible accounts repeatedly illustrated they soon forgot their parents’ mistakes and repeated them. Otherwise, after a few generations these offenses to God would be forgotten. The eternal God has a redemptive plan for mankind, so He apparently arranged for their descendants to remember important earlier offenses as lingering living memorials to encourage their better behavior.  But this seems to be mostly ignored by humans!

vv21-24. God’s friendship ended abruptly as He said (Genesis 2:17). He compassionately made garments to clothe the humans for life outside of the sheltered garden from the skins of animals that He apparently killed. They were to replace their frail fig leaf aprons. Later scriptures imply He explained here that the blood of certain plant-eating animals would atone for human offenses: To approach Him, God wanted humans to sacrifice these animals to Him by fire (Genesis 4:3-5, 8:20-21) until He sent them the Messiah to provide a faith-based opportunity for a lasting reunion (v15). Many humans would have learned to eat the delicious smelling roasted meat from animal sacrifices ahead of God's permission, but later God allowed all humans to eat creatures as part of mankind's dominion over them (Genesis 9:2-3).  The man and woman ate the forbidden fruit and became like God, knowing good and evil. But they didn’t become as wise as He is as they supposed they would which must have been very disappointing! Then God’s plural-unity ("like one of us..." in v22) decided to block continued access to the “tree of life” that provided immortality for their bodies (vv22-23).  He placed angelic guardians and a flaming sword that was visible even at night at the Garden entrance on the east side to keep them out. They would eventually die physically because they were deprived of eating its leaves (see New Testament Revelation 22:2,7 and commentary on Genesis 2:15-17), and all of future humanity would also age and die. Everyone’s body would return to the dusty ground where they came from (v19).

Click live web links to select internet references:

1} https://bombardierbeetle.org/bombardier-beetle-research/

 (The bombardier beetle's explosive chemical defense mechanism with anatomical drawings.)

{2} Cooper, Bill, 1995, After the Flood, pp130-161 (book) (Includes ancient large reptiles recorded in medieval literature)

{3}https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leviathan#/media/File:Destruction_of_Leviathan.png

 (A rendering of Leviathan)

{4}https://canary.contestimg.wish.com/api/webimage/57d55b38b1100a4d8d796937-3-large.jpg

 (Traditional Chinese dragon statue).

{4a}Google searches: “Chinese dragon” and "...with flaming breath". Many drawings render them with reddish or orange bodies. Their flaming breath is shown mostly or completely outside of their mouths where it would ignite to protect them.)

{5} What Does the Bible Say About Gossip? Is Gossip a Sin? (crosswalk.com)

What Does the Bible Say About Gossip? - Beliefnet

What Does the Bible Say About Gossip? | Farm and Rural Family Life | lancasterfarming.com

BIBLE VERSES ABOUT GOSSIP (kingjamesbibleonline.org) These internet articles provide advice about gossip with scripture verse references. Note: “malice” in the bible means “malicious gossip”.

For more scripture verses about gossip, use internet Bible Key Word search “idle talk”, or “idle words”.

{6} Walvoord, John, 1999, Every Prophecy of the Bible, Chariot Victor Publishing, paperback, p21.

{7} Incorvaia, Darrwen, 2024, Science News, Orangutan heals wound with a medicinal plant, p5. This article describes an adult Samatran Orangutan deliberately preparing and applying a medicinal concoctian to his facial wound he made from a plant that humans actually use for healing. The healing process was followed by the researcher for several days until the wound fully healed. The article states many cases of animals doing this have been documented, but its the first one where the healing process was followed and confirmed.

{8) Sherwin F. 2024. Science Scripture and Salvation, KWVE FM radio broadcast, November 3, 2024.  The speaker cites recent mainstream secular research about expert bee navigation, precision assembly of perfect hexagonal cells in honeycombs, intricate communication, and social interaction.      

{9} Kerman, Martin J., 2025, Science News, Wild Chimpanzees give first aide to each other, July, p26.  

W. Cook

Independent researcher October 2025

contact: genesismakessense@gmail.com

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