IBhayibheli

 

Genesis 3

Funda

   

1 Now the serpent was more subtle than any animal of the field which Yahweh God had made. He said to the woman, "Has God really said, 'You shall not eat of any tree of the garden?'"

2 The woman said to the serpent, "Of the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat,

3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'"

4 The serpent said to the woman, "You won't surely die,

5 for God knows that in the day you eat it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit, and ate; and she gave some to her husband with her, and he ate.

7 The eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked. They sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

8 They heard the voice of Yahweh God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Yahweh God among the trees of the garden.

9 Yahweh God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?"

10 The man said, "I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself."

11 God said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?"

12 The man said, "The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate."

13 Yahweh God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

14 Yahweh God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, you are cursed above all livestock, and above every animal of the field. On your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life.

15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel."

16 To the woman he said, "I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth. In pain you will bring forth children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you."

17 To Adam he said, "Because you have listened to your wife's voice, and have eaten of the tree, of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it,' cursed is the ground for your sake. In toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.

18 Thorns also and thistles will it bring forth to you; and you will eat the herb of the field.

19 By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you shall return."

20 The man called his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all living.

21 Yahweh God made coats of skins for Adam and for his wife, and clothed them.

22 Yahweh God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. Now, lest he put forth his hand, and also take of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever..."

23 Therefore Yahweh God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken.

24 So he drove out the man; and he placed Cherubs at the east of the garden of Eden, and the flame of a sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

   

Amazwana

 

Genesis 3 - Synopsis

Ngu Bradley Sheahan, New Christian Bible Study Staff

Genesis 3 tells the famous story of Eve being tempted by the serpent, to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Eve then gives the fruit to Adam, and he eats it, too. They suddenly realize that they are naked, and are ashamed, so they make clothes for themselves out of fig leaves. Jehovah finds out what has happened. He curses the serpent, and sends Adam and Eve out of the garden, to make their way in the world, with work and hardship.

Here’s a brief outline:

  • Eve and Adam cave in to the serpent’s temptation (Genesis 3:1-7)
  • Jehovah hears their excuses (8-13)
  • Jehovah curses the serpent, and judges Eve and Adam (15)
  • They have to leave Eden (23, 24)

This third chapter of Genesis continues the story of the Most Ancient Church and its fall from grace. We are introduced to “the serpent” who encourages thinking "my way" instead of in the ways that God is leading us. The people of the Most Ancient Church gradually turned away from the teachings of their ancestors and began to rely on their own worldly knowledge. The people used sensual interpretations of the world to define their relationship with God. While still a holy people, their connection to God was not as intimate as that of their forefathers, since they had lost their direct line of communication with the Divine. This chapter gives an overview of this church and its fall. The following chapters will go into more detail about the subsequent generations, that eventually lead us to Noah.


Spiritual lessons from this chapter: This chapter teaches us about the misguided use of worldly knowledge to find God. As the ancient peoples began to get more natural, sensual knowledge, they began to value it more, and to think of their lives and power and knowledge as being their own. As they fell deeper and deeper into this illusion, they slowly cut off their connection to God. As can be seen in Genesis 1, there is a spiritual progression that leads to God, and in the same way there is an opposite progression that leads man away from God. It's not irreversible, though. In the end, the Lord is always present, and we always have the option to turn to or away from Him.