The Curse

The New King James Version Chapter 3

14 So the LORD God said to the serpent:

“Because you have done this,

You are cursed more than all cattle,

And more than every beast of the field;

On your belly you shall go,

And you shall eat dust

All the days of your life.

The New King James Version Chapter 3

15 And I will put enmity

Between you and the woman,

And between your seed and her Seed;

He shall bruise your head,

And you shall bruise His heel.”

The New King James Version (Chapter 3)

16 To the woman He said:“I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception;In pain you shall bring forth children;Your desire shall be for your husband,And he shall rule over you.”

The New King James Version Chapter 3

17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’:

“Cursed is the ground for your sake;

In toil you shall eat of it

All the days of your life.

The New King James Version Chapter 3

18 Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you,

And you shall eat the herb of the field.

The New King James Version Chapter 3

19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread

Till you return to the ground,

For out of it you were taken;

For dust you are,

And to dust you shall return.”

The New King James Version (Chapter 4)

4 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the LORD.” 2 Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD. 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.6 So the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”8 Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.9 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?”He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

The Bible Knowledge Commentary (4:1–5)

4:1–5. Cain and Abel were played off against each other, reversing the subjects clause after clause. In fact, the entire chapter contrasts them: Cain is mentioned 13 times in verses 1–16. Seven times Abel is mentioned, and three other times “brother” is substituted. Rightly the Apostle John saw murder as a sin against one’s brother (1 John 3:12, 15).The nature of rebellious man unfolds in the person of Cain who had an auspicious beginning as the child of hope. But the narrative lines him up with the curse; he worked the soil (lit., ground, ’ăḏāmâh, Gen. 4:2; cf. 3:17). Abel, however, seems to be lined up with man’s original purpose, to have dominion over life (cf. 1:28); he kept flocks. These coincidental descriptions are enhanced with their actions in worship. Abel went out of his way to please God (which meant he had faith in God, Heb. 11:6), whereas Cain was simply discharging a duty. Abel’s actions were righteous, whereas Cain’s were evil (1 John 3:12). These two types of people are still present.Cain’s lack of faith shows up in his response to God’s rejection of his offering of fruit (Gen. 4:5). Rather than being concerned about remedying the situation and pleasing God, he was very angry.4:6–7. Cain was so angry he would not be talked out of his sin—even by God. Eve, however, had to be talked into her sin by Satan; but Cain “belonged to the evil one” (1 John 3:12). It is as if he could not wait to destroy his brother—a natural man’s solution to his own failure.God’s advice was that if Cain would please God by doing what is right, all would be well. But if not sin would be crouching (rōḇēṣ is used here in the figure of a crouching animal) at his door, ready to overcome him. Sin desires to have Cain (these words show God’s interpretation of “desire,” the same Heb. word, in Gen. 3:16), but Cain could have the mastery over it. Here is the perpetual struggle between good and evil. Anyone filled with envy and strife is prey for the evil one.

Genesis 1–11:26 ((2) Cain and Abel’s Worship of God (4:3–7))

4:6–7 God questions Cain for the same purpose he queried the man and woman in the garden (3:9, 11)—not to scold but to elicit Cain’s admission of sin with the view to repentance. The REB’s rendering, “Why are you scowling?” (v. 6) captures the visual grimace etched across Cain’s face. Cain telegraphed by his facial expression the bitterness of his darkened soul.Verse 7 presents the translator with a number of problems, so much so that Jewish tradition counted it as one of the indeterminate verses (b. Yoma 52a-b), and some modern commentators have given up on discovering its meaning. Proposed solutions, whether ancient or modern, commonly involve emending the text, but there is little agreement, and we can take meager solace in understanding the passage when the understanding is based on rewriting it. Despite the problems, we can achieve a credible understanding of the passage. “Accepted” translates the Hebrew word for “a lifting up” or an “exaltation”;268 this literal rendering is found in the awkward translation of the NJPS: “Surely, if you do right, there is uplift.…” The implication is made explicit in the NASB’s “If you do well, will not [your countenance] be lifted up?” and the REB’s emended option, “You hold your head up.”269 In this understanding the expression reverses the earlier imagery of Cain’s “downcast” face. When Cain practices what is right, there will be an uplifted face, meaning a good conscience before God without shame. Most versions offer the metaphorical sense “accepted,” referring to Cain and his offering (e.g., Vg; NIV, AV, RSV, NRSV). It is best to take the expression “lifting up” as figurative referring to the uplifted face, indicating acceptance from God that comes with a pure heart.The Lord forewarned Cain that right action would be rewarded but a wrong course meant giving sin an opportunity to destroy him (v. 7a). The rhetorical question put to Cain has the same purpose as the exhortation of the later prophets: “Learn to do right!” (Isa 1:17; cf. Amos 5:14). The rationale of the Lord’s question assumes a correspondence between doing “what is right” and receiving divine approval, but the very tenor of the question shows that Cain was not doing “what is right.” What is more important here for Cain, however, is what action he will take now that his sin has been found out (v. 7b). The consequences of his reaction to God’s correction are more far-reaching than the initial sin itself, for if he pursues sin’s anger, it will result in sin’s mastery over him. This is his decision. It is possible for Cain to recover from sin quickly if he chooses the right thing.Here we come to another interpretive obstacle in the verse, how to understand sin as “crouching” and what is meant by “door.” “Sin” is likened to an animal “crouching” or “lurking” (NRSV) at the “door,” meaning the animal’s resting place, ready to stir if incited. “Crouch” (rābaṣ) is commonly used of domesticated animals in repose (i.e., 29:2; 49:9; Exod 23:5), including wild animals such as the lion (Gen 49:9). This pictures sin temporarily at bay and subject to its master but coming alive when stirred. Some commentators have compared the Hebrew rōbēṣ (“crouch”) to the cognate Akkadian term rābiṣum, a mythological demon attending the doorways of buildings to guard its inhabitants or conversely to threaten them. The REB thus reads, “Sin is a demon crouching at the door.” If there is an allusion to the door demon, then the narrative is personifying sin as a demonic spirit ready to pounce on Cain once he opens the “door” of opportunity. This may well correspond with the “seed” of the serpent in 3:15, which will do battle with the “seed” of the woman Eve. The imagery is effectively the same and the message clear: sin can be stirred up by wrong choices.The Lord instructed Cain that though sin “desires” him he can still “master” it (4:7b). This language is a lexical allusion to the judgment oracle against the woman (3:16b), reminding Cain of the earlier consequences of sin’s realization. By this divine analysis we learn that sin has a pervasive power that seizes occasion to enslave its victims (cp. Rom 3:9; 1 Cor 15:56; 1 John 5:19). But Cain is urged to repent lest he be consumed; he cannot claim helplessness nor ignorance, for he has divine counsel. The apostle Paul testified to the inner struggle against the power of sin and conceded that the power of Christ alone could liberate him (Rom 7:15–25). Cain’s refusal to deal rightly with his sin permitted his anger to fester into murder.

A Handbook on Genesis Genesis 4:7

This verse is difficult to interpret, as can be seen by comparing different translations. The questions in verse 6 show that the Lord does not approve of Cain’s reaction, and so he goes on to advise Cain what he should do.

If you do well means “If you behave, conduct yourself in the right way.” Will you not be accepted? is a rhetorical question in RSV that expresses the consequence of the condition; that is, “If you do what is right, you will certainly be accepted,” or “I will surely accept you,” “I will not at all reject you.” Be accepted is literally “[there will be] lifting up.” It is possible that the expression “lifting up” in Hebrew refers to the countenance or “face” that has fallen in verses 5 and 6, and so the meaning may be “lifting up the face,” or as TEV says, “you would be smiling.” NEB has “accepted” in the text and “You hold your head up” in the footnote. NJB translates “You ought to hold your head high,” FRCL “You will get the upper hand again.”

The first part of the verse appears to give Cain a warning that it is up to him to mend his ways. The second part seems to give the alternative of what will happen if he fails to correct his attitude. TEV translates the first “if” clause as past time: “If you had done.…” The Hebrew form of “do well” is in the imperfect, which is more commonly translated here as present: “If you do well” (RSV, NEB and others), “If you do what is right” (NIV). In many languages the passive form Will you not be accepted? must be changed to the active: “Will I not accept you?” “I will not reject you,” or “I will accept you.”

The second part of the verse begins with the alternative if you do not do well, and the reader expects a word to follow that balances with “lifting up” in the first part. However, no such word follows in Hebrew. Instead there is the figurative expression sin is couching at the door. The meaning of this expression is not entirely clear. It appears that sin is here pictured as an animal stretched out in rest at the entrance of its den. Although the Hebrew verb translated couching refers mainly to an animal lying at rest, sin is not passively resting, because its desire is for Cain. Accordingly sin is pictured as the animal waiting for its victim. Couching is an archaic English word referring to an animal lying at rest or in concealment ready to spring. It is in the latter sense that TEV and others use “crouching.”

A Handbook on Genesis (Genesis 4:7)

Its desire is for you: desire translates the same word used in 3:16, speaking of Eve’s longing for her husband. The sense is that “sin wants to be your master” or, as in TEV, “It wants to rule you.” Its desire refers to the desire that sin has to master Cain (like an animal in ambush). If the translation of the preceding clause is “sin is like an animal …,” its will refer to the “sin … animal.” It is also possible to translate desire … you as an extension of couching at the door; for example, “Sin is like an animal crouching behind your door wanting to dominate you.”But you must master it: that is, “you must overcome sin,” “you must rule over it,” “you must not let sin rule you.” In some languages sin cannot be the object of such verbs as “overcome” and “rule.” Furthermore sin is sometimes not expressed as an abstract noun but only as a verb phrase. Therefore some adjustments may be required. For example, we may say negatively, “You must not let the evil things you do be a chief for you,” “You must say ‘No’ to the bad things you do,” “You must not obey your desire to do evil things,” or “You must command yourself so that you do not do what is evil.”

The New Bible Commentary (2:4–3:24 The Garden of Eden)

The sentence on Eve blighted her calling as mother. To be a joyful mother of children was the hope of every OT woman (30:1; Ps. 113:9), but the pain of childbirth was a constant reminder of the first mother’s sin. Furthermore, instead of marriage being a relationship of mutual care, tension was often to characterize it. Your desire may be a desire for sexual intercourse or for independence, but ultimately the husband’s headship will prevail. He will rule over you may indicate harsh domination, but it may simply be reaffirming the chain of authority (God—man—woman) established at creation but reversed at the fall (1). The latter interpretation is more likely in view of the introduction to Adam’s sentence of Because you listened to your wife (17). God then decreed that the man must suffer frustration in his work (gardeners and farmers face a running battle with weeds to produce food). Hard work would enable him to live, but eventually he would die. This is a hint that he was about to be expelled from Eden and deprived of access to the tree of life.

Calvin: Commentaries (4. Marriage)

4. MARRIAGEAnd the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make a helpmeet for him. Gen. 2:18.Here Moses explains God’s purpose in creating woman. God wished the earth to be populated by men who would live together and create a society. Some may question whether God’s purpose included offspring; for the words say only that since it is not well for a man to be alone, a woman had to be created to be his helpmate. But as I understand it, when God took the first steps towards a human society, he intended the others to follow each in turn. We have then a general principle: man was created to be a social animal. Now since the human race could not exist without woman, no bond whatever in human relations is more sacred than that by which husband and wife unite to become one body and one soul. On this point, nature itself taught Plato and others among the saner philosophers to speak with wisdom.But although God made the statement that it is not good for man to be alone about Adam, I do not restrict it to his single person. I consider it rather a general rule for human living. Therefore everyone ought to take as a precept directed to himself that solitude is not good—except for a man whom God exempts as a matter of unusual privilege.Many think celibacy furthers their plans and refrain from marriage to avoid trouble. But it is not only worldly people who say that, if a man wants to be happy, he should stay away from a wife. Jerome’s book against Jovinian is crammed with petulant insults by which he tries to make sacred marriage hateful and to disgrace it. Let men of faith learn to fight the evil suggestions of Satan with this Word of God, by which he decrees married life for man, not for his ruin but for his well-being.I will make a helpmeet for him. Why is the verb used here not plural, as it was in the account of the creation of man when it said, Let us make? (Gen. 1:26). Some think that the change indicates a difference between the sexes and shows how greatly superior man is to woman. But a different, although not altogether contradictory, interpretation pleases me better. When the human race was created in the person of a man, a dignity common to all humanity was universally conferred with the words let us make man. There was no need to repeat this at the creation of a woman, for she was really a supplement to the man. We certainly cannot deny that woman also, perhaps in a secondary way, was created in the image of God. Hence it follows that what was said of man applies equally to woman.Now when God designates woman as man’s helper, he is not giving women a rule to determine their vocation in life by assigning them a special task; he is rather declaring that marriage itself will be man’s best help in life. Let us then accept it as a rule of nature that a woman is a man’s helper. Of course we know the common proverb that she is a necessary evil, but we ought to listen to the voice of God which asserts that woman was given to man as a companion and partner to help him to live really well.I confess indeed that in the present corrupt state of the human race, God’s blessing as here described is not often seen and amounts to little. But we must keep in mind the reason for this evil. We have perverted the order of nature instituted by God. If man still had today the wholeness which he had in the beginning, God’s ordinance would be fulfilled and the sweetest harmony would reign in marriage. For man would look to God; and woman, equally faithful, would be his helper. Being both of one mind, they would cherish an association no less holy than friendly and peaceful. Now because of our own wickedness and corrupt nature such married bliss is for the most part lost or at least is marred by many annoyances. Quarrels arise, and hurt feelings, bitterness, discords, and a great sea of trouble. So it happens that men are often seriously distressed by their wives and think of them as a hindrance.Yet marriage cannot be so wholly spoiled by man’s sin that the blessing with which God hallowed it by his word is entirely abolished and no longer exists. Therefore in spite of the many troubles of married life, which arise from our degenerate nature, there remains a residuum of divine good; in a fire which is almost smothered, some sparks still glow.From this truth follows another: women should learn their duty, strive by helping their husbands to fulfill God’s purpose. And men also ought to consider carefully what they owe in return to half of the human race. A mutual obligation binds both sexes. By God’s law woman is given to man as helper, so that he may do his part as the head and leader.We must observe one more thing. It is not only because of the necessity which we have suffered since Adam’s fall that the woman is called man’s helper. Even if man had remained obedient and whole, the woman would still have become his helpmate. But now when marriage is also a remedy for lust, we have in it a double gift from God. But the second is incidental.

The New King James Version (Chapter 5)

22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

The New King James Version (Chapter 3)

18 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them.20 Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.22 Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. 23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. 25 But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.

The New King James Version (Chapter 2)

8 I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; 9 in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, 10 but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works. 11 Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. 12 And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. 15 Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.

The New King James Version (Chapter 3)

8 Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money, 9 holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. 10 But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. 11 Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. 13 For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

The New King James Version (Chapter 5)

3 Honor widows who are really widows. 4 But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents; for this is good and acceptable before God. 5 Now she who is really a widow, and left alone, trusts in God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day. 6 But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives. 7 And these things command, that they may be blameless. 8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.9 Do not let a widow under sixty years old be taken into the number, and not unless she has been the wife of one man, 10 well reported for good works: if she has brought up children, if she has lodged strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, if she has diligently followed every good work.11 But refuse the younger widows; for when they have begun to grow wanton against Christ, they desire to marry, 12 having condemnation because they have cast off their first faith. 13 And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not. 14 Therefore I desire that the younger widows marry, bear children, manage the house, give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully. 15 For some have already turned aside after Satan. 16 If any believing man or woman has widows, let them relieve them, and do not let the church be burdened, that it may relieve those who are really widows.

The New King James Version (Chapter 2)

2 But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: 2 that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; 3 the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things—4 that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.6 Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded, 7 in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, 8 sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.9 Exhort bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back, 10 not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.

The New King James Version (Chapter 3)

12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

The New King James Version (Chapter 31)

10 Who can find a virtuous wife?For her worth is far above rubies.11 The heart of her husband safely trusts her;So he will have no lack of gain.12 She does him good and not evilAll the days of her life.13 She seeks wool and flax,And willingly works with her hands.14 She is like the merchant ships,She brings her food from afar.15 She also rises while it is yet night,And provides food for her household,And a portion for her maidservants.16 She considers a field and buys it;From her profits she plants a vineyard.17 She girds herself with strength,And strengthens her arms.18 She perceives that her merchandise is good,And her lamp does not go out by night.19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff,And her hand holds the spindle.20 She extends her hand to the poor,Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.21 She is not afraid of snow for her household,For all her household is clothed with scarlet.22 She makes tapestry for herself;Her clothing is fine linen and purple.23 Her husband is known in the gates,When he sits among the elders of the land.24 She makes linen garments and sells them,And supplies sashes for the merchants.25 Strength and honor are her clothing;She shall rejoice in time to come.26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,And on her tongue is the law of kindness.27 She watches over the ways of her household,And does not eat the bread of idleness.28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;Her husband also, and he praises her:29 “Many daughters have done well,But you excel them all.”30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,And let her own works praise her in the gates.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary (3:14–19)

3:14–19. God spoke to the serpent (vv. 14–15), to Eve

(v. 16), and to Adam (vv. 17–19). God’s words to the serpent included (a) the announcement that the snake, crawling and eating dust, would be a perpetual reminder to mankind of temptation and the Fall, and (b) an oracle about the power behind the snake. God said there would be a perpetual struggle between satanic forces and mankind. It would be between Satan and the woman, and their respective offspring or “seeds.” The “offspring” of the woman was Cain, then all humanity at large, and then Christ and those collectively in Him. The “offspring” of the serpent includes demons and anyone serving his kingdom of darkness, those whose “father” is the devil (John 8:44). Satan would cripple mankind (you will strike at his heel), but the Seed, Christ, would deliver the fatal blow (He will crush your head).Then God told the woman that she would have pain in bearing children, and that she would be mastered by her husband whom she desired. Because Eve’s desire probably refers in this context to her prompting Adam to sin, it is better to translate the verse “Your desire was for your husband.” Having overstepped her bounds in this, she would now be mastered by him.God then told Adam that he would experience great pain in scratching out a livelihood (3:17–19). (Painful toil translates the same word used in v. 16 for the woman’s pain. This word occurs only three times in the OT, in vv. 16–17 and 5:29.) Death will be his end—he will return to the ground (’ăḏāmâh; a gracious provision in view of the suffering), and he will return to dust and become the serpent’s prey again (cf. 3:14). So much for ambitions for divinity! Man may attempt to be like God, but he is dust.These punishments represent retaliatory justice. Adam and Eve sinned by eating; they would suffer in order to eat. She manipulated her husband; she would be mastered by her husband. The serpent destroyed the human race; he will be destroyed.God also made gracious provisions. Mankind will die and not live forever in this chaotic state, and children will be born (v. 16) so that the human race will endure and continue. Ultimate victory will come through Christ, the Seed (Gal. 3:16) of the woman (cf. Gal. 4:4, “born of a woman”).

Genesis 1–11:26 ((4) God’s Judgments Pronounced (3:14–21))

3:14 At the head of the pronouncement against the serpent is the cause for the ensuing judgment. “You have done this” echoes the question God put to the woman (v. 13). There is a clear tie between the serpent’s actions and the punishment that follows. God does not render judgment arbitrarily or capriciously. Moreover, there is a correspondence between the nature of the judgment and the crime committed. As the cleverness of the serpent distinguishes it from the other animals (3:1), the “curse” for that trickery distinguishes the serpent from them as well.In the stream of the narrative’s focus on blessing, this pronouncement stands out as the first occurrence of divine “curse.” Its root (ʾārar) appears fifty-five times in the Old Testament, predominantly in the Pentateuch with eight occurrences in Genesis. It is important particularly to the listed curses and blessings regarding Israel’s covenant (Deut 27–28). “Curse” conveys the idea of imprecation where verbal or written utterances invoke misery against a person or thing. The word ʾālâ (“curse”) commonly is used for such imprecations, whereas ʾārar often indicates a decree or pronouncement against someone by an authority. Only God can actually impose this decree, and thus it supposes, even if spoken by a man, that the power carrying out the malediction can come only from deity (as Noah’s curse, 9:25). “Cursed” (ʾārûr), as found here and in v. 17, is the typical way of introducing a decree of doom (also 4:11; 9:25; cf. 27:29; Deut 27:15–26; 28:16–20).The serpent’s punishment has three aspects: (1) consignment to crawling on its belly, (2) the eating of dust “all the days of your life” (v. 14), and (3) its ultimate destruction by the wounded “seed” of the woman (v. 15). Several elements in the oracle echo the temptation (3:1–5). “Cursed” (ʾārûr) is another wordplay on the earlier “crafty” (ʿārûm; cf. 3:1). Both verses describe the serpent’s distinction within the animal world. Ill-use of his shrewdness resulted in divine censure. “Eating” dust reflects Eve’s temptation to “eat” of the tree and the couple’s subsequent fall by eating. Also the retaliation of the woman’s seed over against the viper’s offspring (v. 15) answers the snake’s first triumph. His triumph will not be the last word.These punishments are related to the snake’s life of humiliation and subjugation in the natural world. God’s condemnation is not directed against the reptile per se but the adversary that it represents. While some Jewish interpreters surmised that the serpent must have originally been four-legged, there is no compelling reason for this conclusion. It is enough to describe the present characteristics of the snake, which indicate by themselves the disgrace of the beast. As mentioned earlier (v. 1), the food laws of the Mosaic covenant declare that animals whose locomotion is on the ground are abhorred as unclean and to be avoided (Lev 11:42).Eating dust is a common figure for personal humiliation elsewhere in Scripture. Moreover, by “dust” there is an anticipation of God’s pronouncement of Adam’s death (3:19). The reptile is responsible for the demise of the man, who returns to the “dust,” and as the serpent’s diet it will be a perpetual reminder of its crime. “All the days of your life” speaks to the ultimate end of the serpent and its offspring. “Your life” (ḥayyêkâ) may be an allusion to the snake’s false promise, “You will surely not die” (v. 4), made to Eve, who ironically is later recognized as the source of “all the living” (ḥay; 3:20). Hence, the snake brought about his own death by his treachery, but ultimately Eve through her seed will outlive her adversary.3:15 The curse upon the serpent includes its final destruction by the descendant of the woman. This animosity is at the instigation of God. The serpent was instrumental in the undoing of the woman, and in turn the woman will ultimately bring down the serpent through her offspring. At one level the hostility between serpent and woman reflects the universal enmity people have for such reptiles and therefore serves as a prototype. However, this is no etiology designed to explain why man abhors snakes since the verse indicates there is a future history for the serpent and the woman. That future history of antagonism is not delineated here, yet the conclusion of the matter is made explicit: the serpent has a limited life expectancy that will come to a violent end.“Enmity” has the intensity of hostility experienced among nations in warfare (e.g., Ezek 25:15; 35:5) and the level of animosity that results in murder (e.g., Num 35:21). The language of the passage indicates a life-and-death struggle between combatants. “Crush” and “strike” translate the same Hebrew verb šûp (AV, “bruise”)203 and describe the combatants’ parallel action, but the location of the blow distinguishes the severity and success of the attack. The impact delivered by the offspring of the woman “at the head” is mortal, while the serpent will deliver a blow only “at the heel.” Continuing the imagery of the snake, the strike at the human heel is appropriate for a serpent since it slithers along the ground, while the human foot stomps the head of the vile creature.“Between you [serpent]” has the singular pronoun (as elsewhere in the verse), meaning that this hostility begins with the beast and the woman as individuals. Yet their experience is shared by their offspring too; the serpent and woman are distinct from their offspring yet also one and the same with them. Here we have the common case where an individual represents many. Eve and her adversary are the progenitors of a lifelong struggle that will persist until a climactic moment when the woman’s offspring will achieve the upper hand.This continuum of experience between parent and offspring is seen by the parallelism of the verse (v. 15b//15c): “between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring.” Moreover, “offspring” is the rendering of the Hebrew term for “seed” (zeraʿ), which may refer to an individual or to a group. It is ambiguous by itself since it may be singular, referring to a specific child (e.g., 4:25), or a singular collective indicating a plural progeny (e.g., 12:7; Isa 41:8). Modern versions show this by their diverse renderings, proposing singular or plural translations for the following pronouns. “Seed” is a resourceful term for speaking of all human history while at the same time permitting a reference to a specific individual descendant. This explains why the individual offspring of the woman (“he,” “his heel”) can be said to do battle with the progenitor serpent (“your head,” “you”) in v. 15d and 15e.“Seed” (zeraʿ) is a critical term in the whole of Genesis and the Pentateuch. It first occurs in a literal sense in the creation account (1:11–12, 29), but here it is metaphorical and takes on programmatic significance. Of its fifty-nine occurrences in Genesis, the majority are found in the patriarchal narratives (47×), where the focal concern lies with the genealogical lineage of the chosen family. The patriarchal accounts explain what is only introduced in 3:15. The creation blessing (1:28), which was jeopardized by the couple’s disobedience, is particularized through the Hebrew fathers, who will be instrumental in its realization. Chapter 3’s oracle implies a hope for the human family that despite their sin there will be a fulfillment of the blessing through progeny as foreseen at creation (1:26–28). This hope for the appointed “seed” is unveiled progressively by the offspring of Eve through Seth (“another seed,” 4:26; his genealogy, 5:1–32), through Noah’s offspring (9:9), and the seed of Abraham first described in 12:7 (with 12:1–3). Moreover, this promise points to the Mosaic community, which defined itself as the offspring promised to Abraham (e.g., Exod 32:11–14; Deut 11:8–12).Also this hostility finds immediate expression between wicked Cain and his brother Abel (4:8). God’s forewarning of Cain that “sin is crouching at your door” (4:7) may be an allusion to the struggle that 3:15 envisions. But the adversary wins the first battle when Cain yields to sin and murders the woman’s seed, Abel. This strife between the elect line and the cursed is again envisioned in Noah’s curse and blessing (9:24–27). It also foreshadows the tension between the patriarchs and the nations as they experience an uneasy coexistence in Canaan and Egypt (e.g., chap. 38). For later Israel this hostility comes to full fury when Egypt instigates a purge of Hebrew children, from which baby Moses is delivered, and climaxes with God’s tenth plague against Pharaoh’s firstborn. It also anticipates Moses’ wars and the hostility Israel faces as it migrates to the land of Canaan.Christian tradition has referred to 3:15 as the protevangelium since it has been taken as the prototype for the Christian gospel. Historically interpreters have differed about whether “her seed” refers to an individual or is a collective singular indicating all humanity. The LXX version may be the earliest attested interpretation of “seed” as an individual. It translates the Hebrew zeraʿ (“seed”) with the Greek sperma, a neuter noun. The expected antecedent pronoun is “it [auto] will crush your head,” but the Greek has “he” (autos), which suggests that the translators interpreted “seed” as an individual. The Targums, Jewish pseudepigrapha, and later rabbinic commentators, however, generally viewed the “seed” as collective for humankind. Christian interpreters showed a mixed opinion. Justin and Irenaeus interpreted the woman of 3:15 as the virgin Mary by drawing a parallel with Eve. Greek Fathers, such as Chrysostom, viewed 3:15 as a depiction of the struggle between Satan and humanity. Still others interpreted “seed” as the church. Among the Latin Fathers, Augustine with others allegorized or moralized the verse, indicating a collective use. Others saw in it a specific reference to the virgin birth. This was aided by some Old Latin texts and the Vulgate, which had the feminine pronoun “she [ipsa] shall crush” rather than the masculine. It was Ambrose who first quoted 3:15 as not “her seed” but “the woman’s seed.” Among the Reformers, Luther took “her seed” as reference to both humanity in general and Christ in particular; Calvin demurred such a view and applied it as a collective, not to all humanity but rather to the church under the headship of Christ, which would prove victorious (quoting Rom 16:20).Our passage provides for this mature reflection that points to Christ as the vindicator of the woman (cp. Rom 16:20). There may be an allusion to our passage in Gal 4:4, which speaks of God’s Son as “born of a woman.” Specifically, Paul identified Christ as the “seed” ultimately intended in the promissory blessing to Abraham (Gal 3:16), and Abraham’s believing offspring includes the church (Rom 4:13, 16–18; Gal 3:8). This is further developed in John’s Gospel, where the spiritual dimension is at the forefront. Jesus alluded to our verse when he indicted the Pharisees as children of the “devil” because of their spiritual apostasy (John 8:44), contrary to their claims to be the offspring of righteous Abraham (8:39). John used similar imagery when he contrasted God’s “seed” and those who are “of the devil” (1 John 3:7–10). This is heightened by his appeal to Cain’s murder of righteous Abel as paradigmatic of one “who belonged to the evil one” (3:11–15). Finally, the Apocalypse describes the “red dragon,” who is identified as “that ancient serpent” (Rev 12:9), opposing the believing community (i.e., the woman) and plotting the destruction of her child (i.e., the Messiah). Ultimately, “that ancient serpent” is destroyed by God for its deception of the nations (Rev 20:2, 7–10).3:16 Unlike the penalties announced against the serpent and the man (i.e., “the ground,” v. 17), there is no occurrence of “curse” related to the woman’s suffering. Moreover, there is no cause specified for her suffering, whereas the serpent is charged with deception (v. 14) and the man with eating disobediently (v. 17). This is due to the woman’s culpability through deception, in contrast with the willful rebellion of the serpent and man; also the oracle has a gentler word for the woman since her punishment entails the salvation of the human couple (v. 15). Whereas the man’s action condemned the human family, Eve will play the critical role in liberating them from sin’s consequences. This is realized in part immediately since the woman gives birth to new life (e.g., 4:1, 25), but v. 15 indicates that the final conflict will also be humanity’s victory by virtue of the woman’s role as childbearer.Controversial opinion has arisen in recent times regarding the interpretation of the woman’s judgment since contemporary feminism has awakened a reconsideration of women’s roles in the home, society, and the church. Whereas traditionally the woman’s submission to her husband was accepted as an ordinance of creation215 that was corrupted by the fall and which can only be restored through the Christian gospel, new voices propose that Eve’s submission was an altogether new state resulting from sin. Alternatively, it has been proposed that the submissive role of the woman at 3:16b, whether or not viewed originally as a creation ordinance, is read as a “blessing” that insures that salvation will be accomplished by the seed of the woman.Confusion revolves around the extent to which the penalty in 3:14–19 altered the condition of the participants, many reasoning that the serpent’s anatomy was altered and the woman’s position as Adam’s peer changed. There is no anatomical alteration, however, and no change in the essential position of the serpent and the woman; rather there is added the burden of humiliation. The snake remains the crafty beast that he was, but now he is distinguished from the animals in humiliation as well (cp. vv. 1 and 14). Likewise the woman continues her ordained role as childbearer and, as we contended at 2:23, her followship function, but now she will experience “painful labor” in childbirth, and her submission is insured. Also the man carries on his commission to lead in agricultural pursuits, but now his vocation will be marked by strenuous “labor,” and he will return to “dust” in humiliation.The woman’s penalty impacts her two primary roles: childbearing and her relationship with her husband. It is appropriate punishment since procreation was central to her divine commission and because she had been instrumental in her husband’s ruin (cf. 3:17a). Just as God initiates the enmity between the woman and serpent, he is responsible (“I will greatly increase”) for the pain she will experience in the birth of that “seed,” which will ultimately defeat her archenemy (cf. Gal 4:4; 1 Tim 2:15). The verse consists of two parallel lines (literally): “I will greatly increase your painful labor and your conception”// “in painful labor you will bear sons (v. 16a); and to your husband (will be) your desire”//“and he will rule over you” (v. 16b)First, her penalty stresses the “painful labor” she must endure in childbirth, but the punishment also nurtures hope since it assumes that she will live to bear children.219 As parallel terms ʿiṣṣābôn and ʿeṣeb are rendered “painful-labor,” which reflects the customary meaning of ʿiṣṣābôn, “toil.” It occurs just twice more (v. 17; 5:29) and indicates hard labor. Thus the penalty is the attendant labor or hard work that childbearing will now mean for Eve. This matches the “labor” that Adam will undergo as a consequence of the curse against the ground (3:17). By procreation the blessing for the human couple will be realized, and ironically the blessing is assured in the divine pronouncement of the penalty. By this unexpected twist the vehicle of her vindication (i.e., labor) trumpets her need for the deliverance she bears (cp. 1 Cor 11:12). Painful childbirth signals hope but also serves as a perpetual reminder of sin and the woman’s part in it.Second, her sin also tainted her relationship with her husband. “Desire” (tĕšûqâ) occurs but twice more (Gen 4:7; Song 7:10 [11]), and its meaning in our passage is highly disputed. It has been explained widely as sexual desire on the basis of Song 7:10 [11] and the reference to childbirth in 3:15. If so, the adversative rendering of the following clause, “yet he will rule” (as NASB, NRSV), would mean that despite her painful experience in childbirth she will still have (sexual) desires for her husband. In other words, the promissory blessing of procreation will persist despite any possible reluctance on her part due to the attendant pain of delivery. Others view the woman’s desire as broader, including an emotional or economic reliance on her husband. In other words, she acted independently of her husband in eating the fruit, and the consequent penalty is that she will become dependent on him. Her new desire is to be submissive to the man, and, quite naturally, he will oblige by ruling over her.221 Some have mitigated the idea of penalty by contending that Eve’s submission is a penalty only when her husband takes advantage of his position and mistreats her. Others argue that 3:16 is no part of the judgment; it is a description of the inherent consequences of sin wherein the headship of the man has been corrupted by sin.Although sexual “desire” conforms to v. 15, better is the explanation suggested by Gen 4:7b, where “desire” and “rule” [māšal] are found again in tandem: “It desires to have you, but you must master [māšal] it.” In chap. 4 “sin” is like an animal that when stirred up will assault Cain; it “desires” to overcome Cain, but the challenge God puts to Cain is to exercise “rule” or “mastery” over that unruly desire. If we are to take the lexical and structural similarities as intentional, we must read the verses in concert. This recommends that 3:16b also describes a struggle for mastery between the sexes. The “desire” of the woman is her attempt to control her husband, but she will fail because God has ordained that the man exercise his leadership function. The force of the defeat is obscured somewhat by the rendering “and he will rule”; the conjunction is better understood as “but he will rule.” The directive for “rule” is not given to the man, for that has already been given and is assumed (2:15, 18); rather, the issue of “rule” is found in God’s directive toward the woman, who must succumb by divine edict. Thus the Lord affirms in the oracles of judgment the creation order: the serpent is subjected to the woman, the woman to the man, and all to the Lord. “In those moments of life’s greatest blessing—marriage and children—the woman would serve most clearly the painful consequences of her rebellion from God.”What is the nature of the man’s “rule”? “Rule,” as verb or derivative, is found seven additional times in Genesis, where it may indicate governance (1:16 [twice], 18; cf. Ps 136:7–9) and refers to exercising jurisdiction (24:2; 37:8; 45:8, 26). The temperament of “rule” in the Old Testament is dependent on the varying circumstances in which that power is exercised. The term is used too broadly to isolate its meaning in 3:16b lexically as either beneficent or tyrannical. Human jurisdiction over the lower orders, however, is expressed by the different verb “dominate” (rādâ; 1:28), suggesting that the man does not “rule” his wife in the sense that he subdues the animals. We cannot understand the divine word “he will rule over you” as a command to impose dominance any more than v. 16a is an exhortation for the woman to suffer as much as possible during childbirth. It is a distortion of the passage to find in it justification for male tyranny. On the contrary, ancient Israel provided safeguards for protecting women from unscrupulous men (e.g., Deut 24:1–4), and the New Testament takes steps to restrain domination. Paul admonished men and women to practice mutual submission (Eph 5:22–33) and cautioned husbands to exercise love and protection without harshness (Col 3:19). Because of the threat of harsh dominance, Paul commanded Christian charity toward women in the community of the home and the church.3:17–18 The final word is directed against the man (vv. 17–19). Adam’s penalty also fit his crime since his appointed role was intimately related to the ground from which he was made and which he was charged to cultivate (2:7, 15). Now the “ground” is decreed under divine “curse” on his account (see 3:14 discussion). The man will suffer (1) lifelong, toilsome labor (vv. 17–18) and finally (2) death, which is described as the reversal of the creation process (v. 19 with 2:7). Although the woman will die too (2:17), the death oracle is not pronounced against her since she is the source of life and therefore living hope for the human couple. It is the man who bears the greater blame for his conduct and is the direct recipient of God’s death sentence.As in the pronouncement against the serpent (v. 14), God pinpoints the reason for the ensuing penalty (v. 17). Adam listened to his wife and ate of the forbidden fruit. Repeating the original prohibition verbatim, “you must not eat of it” (2:17), reinforces the severity of the crime and reminds him of the dire consequences of his rebellion. Emphasis on the second person “you” and “your” sharpens God’s focus on the man’s individual fault. There is no room for avoidance now; he is caught without a word to say.Moreover, the punishment reveals that the man’s sin is the cause for the “curse” against the ground, resulting in its harvest of thorns and thistles. Ironically, the ground that was under the man’s care in the garden as his source of joy and life (2:15) becomes the source of pain for the man’s wearisome existence (v. 17). For the woman childbirth was marked with its attendant pain (v. 16), and in the cultivation of the wild and stubborn ground the man will know the toilsome pain of deriving food from the dust. The ground will now be his enemy rather than his servant. The same expression “all the days of your life” occurred in God’s judgment against the serpent, where he will eat “dust” as his punishment (v. 14). This punishment also involves the “dust” of the ground, tying together the two crimes and their consequences.“Thorns and thistles” become the native product of the land (v. 18), but it was not always so (see 2:5–6 discussion). This new condition of the land, “producing” (ṣmḥ) its yield of thorns, stands in conspicuous contrast to God’s beneficent creative act, where he brought forth (ṣmḥ) a gorgeous and nutritious orchard for the man’s pleasure (2:9). Adam’s sin has spoiled his environment, and it suffers along with him since both are of the “dust.” “You will eat the plants of the field” echoes 2:5 and anticipates his expulsion from the garden (3:23), outside where he must battle the elements as a toiling farmer. Now the conditions of land and life are those we are accustomed to, which at one time did not exist (2:5–7) but have come about by the man’s sin. The passage has brought us full circle from creation’s bliss to sin’s burden. Nevertheless, the sentencing itself contains God’s gracious provision since the man will still derive sustenance from the ground for survival.Moreover, there remains hope for a final, full liberation for both Adam and the environment that will occur at the glorious consummation of the age. Paul’s commentary on vv. 17–18 in Rom 8:19–22 points to the future hope that the natural (nonrational) creation possesses. The world experienced corruption, not of its own choosing but by the condemnation of God for the sin of Adam; however, creation looks to the prospects of redemption that will be realized by it and the saints at the advent of Christ’s glory. Both the creation and the “children of God” groan as with birth pangs (Gen 3:15–16) for the dawning of the new era. Paul’s point was that this very groaning confirms the hope of the children of God for their full future adoption and redemption, which presently is assured by the Spirit.3:19 Here we come to the last word of judgment. Adam’s toil will be without relief until his final destiny of death. This explains Lamech’s later naming of “Noah,” in whom he expresses hope for relief from the drudgery of working the ground that travails under divine curse (see 5:29; 9:20 discussion). Adam is depicted as a broken farmer whose very meals, which are derived from the grain of his agrarian life, are spoiled by the fatigue of his striving. Like the woman’s painful childbirth, the man’s daily labors with their attendant woes are a perpetual reminder of sin’s rewards.The chiasmus underscores the linkage between the man’s creation from “dust” (2:7) and the “return” to the man’s beginnings.A you returnB to the groundC since (kî) from it you were takenC′ for (kî) dust you areB′ and to dustA′ you will returnAdam’s death is portrayed by the dreadful wordplay on his creation and essential physical constitution as the “dust” (ʿāpār) of the “ground” (ʾădāmâ) (2:7; Eccl 3:20; Ps 103:14). His “return” will be from whence he came: ʾādām will become once again ʾădāmâ (“ground”). Death is exactly what God had forewarned (2:17) and what the serpent had denied (3:4). Death comes by the reversal (“returns”) of the man’s God-given state, that is, a “living being” (2:7). This reversal is the deterioration of the body that will “return” to the dust from which it was made (cf. Job 10:9; Ps 104:29). The inner elements of the structure are introduced by parallel conjunctions (kî), rendered as causal in most versions (NIV, NASB, NAB, NJPS, NJB), but the second occurrence has sometimes been taken as emphatic, “indeed dust you are” (REB). “Dust you are” always overcomes the progress of medicine and the ingenuity of cosmetology; every opened casket proves it so.God did not execute the penalty by taking Adam’s life but by banning him from the rejuvenating power of the tree of life (3:22). Though not excommunicated from the divine presence (4:1–2), Adam’s expulsion from the garden sealed his doom and that of all who followed. Resounding evidence of the divine penalty is found in Seth’s genealogy, where Adam’s death is related (5:5) and the unrelenting knell sounded for generation after generation, “and then he died.” Paul’s interpretation of this passage focuses on physical death brought into this world by the first man (Rom 5:12–21; cf. 6:23). Yet those who are living in the sphere of sin are deemed spiritually dead already (Eph 2:1). Unlike Adam, all his generations are born excluded from the garden; only through the last Adam, who insures the “life-giving spirit,” does human mortality take on the garments of immortality (1 Cor 15:35–58).3:20–21 Following the lengthy pronouncement of judgment, two events signal a continuing hope for the couple—a hope that ironically the ominous verdicts themselves had contained. The first event is Adam’s naming of his wife “Eve” (v. 20), and the second is God’s provision of animal skins for garments (v. 21). The two events indicate that the couple will survive through the gracious intervention of God.The name ḥawwâ, meaning “living,” is traditionally rendered “Eve,” following the Greek translation Zōē (“Life”; v. 20). Her name occurs sparsely in Scripture (Gen 4:1; 2 Cor 11:3; 1 Tim 2:13; also Tob 8:6). Hebrew ḥawwâ is phonetically related to the word ḥay (“living”); thus by a phonetic play, Adam explains why she is named Eve. She is the “mother of all living,” for all human life will have its source in her body. This assumes a prodigious posterity, and it is a tribute to Adam’s faith in the prospect that God had revealed (vv. 15–16). Adam had learned, albeit through the most calamitous lesson, to accept God’s word in faithful obedience. Another implication of Adam’s naming the woman is his exercise of responsible headship (cf. 2:23). Before and after the fall, the man is exercising the same prerogative of naming. In the former case he is her source of life, and by naming her “woman” (ʾiššâ) he acknowledges her companionship, but here he admits his indebtedness to her for life’s future.Following Adam’s act of faith, the Lord acts immediately in behalf of the vulnerable couple by providing adequate protection to cover their embarrassment and to preserve them in the new hostile environment to which they will be banished (v. 21; cf. vv. 7, 18, 23). In the same way that the woman’s pain at birth is a reminder of their disobedience, their clothing confirms that they have sinned against God and that no longer can they walk before deity in innocence (2:25). The language of the verse alludes to tabernacle setting and worship. “Garments” (kūttōnet) and “clothed” (lābaš) are reminiscent of the Pentateuch’s description of priestly garments, particularly for Aaron as high priest. This is another lexical link with the symbols of the tabernacle, where the priest must be properly clothed before God in the administration of his service (Exod 20:26; 28:42). But Aaron’s priestly garb was woven of colored yarn and fine linen, and his sons wore fine linen garments (e.g., Exod 28:4–5; 28:39; 39:27; Lev 16:4), while the garments of Adam and Eve are made of “skin.” In the Mosaic law the skin of an animal offered for sin or guilt atonement was reserved for the officiating priest (Lev 7:8). Here God bestows “garments of skin” upon the guilty in the garden. Although the text does not specify that animals were slain to provide these coverings, it is a fair implication and one that likely would be made in the Mosaic community, where animal sacrifice was pervasive. Since the garden narrative shares in tabernacle imagery, it is not surprising that allusion to animal sacrifice is found in the garden too. Through an oblique reference to animal sacrifice, the garden narrative paints a theological portrait familiar to the recipients of the Sinai revelation who honored the tabernacle as the meeting place with God. Sacrifice renewed and guaranteed that special union of God with his people (e.g., Day of Atonement, Lev 16). This mode of provision then for Adam and Eve affirmed God’s abiding goodwill.Moreover, that God “made” (ʿāśâ) these garments stands in striking relief to the seventh day, when God ceased from all that he had “made” (ʿāśâ) (2:2–3). “Made” routinely describes God’s creative work, occurring eleven times in 1:1–2:4. God has “made” the woman (2:18) and the animals of the fields (3:1) as acts of creation, but now his action in behalf of the couple is salvific in character. The God of the garden as Creator and Savior mirrors the God of tabernacle sacrifice, whom Israel had come to recognize by the voice of Moses and the prophets.

Genesis: An Introduction and Commentary (Man’s Fall and Expulsion (3:1–24))

The New King James Version (Chapter 2)

18 And the LORD God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” 19 Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.23 And Adam said:“This is now bone of my bonesAnd flesh of my flesh;She shall be called Woman,Because she was taken out of Man.”24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.