Old Testament · Law

Genesis 3

The Fall

Something goes terribly wrong in paradise. But hidden in the words of judgment is the first whisper of a rescue plan.

Berean Standard Bible BSB KJV

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1Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field that the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’”

2The woman answered the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden,

3but about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You must not eat of it or touch it, or you will die.’”

4“You will not surely die,” the serpent told the woman.

5“For God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

6When the woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom, she took the fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate it.

7And the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; so they sewed together fig leaves and made coverings for themselves.

8Then the man and his wife heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the breeze of the day, and they hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

9But the LORD God called out to the man, “Where are you?”

10“I heard Your voice in the garden,” he replied, “and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.”

11“Who told you that you were naked?” asked the LORD God. “Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”

12And the man answered, “The woman whom You gave me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”

13Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”

14So the LORD God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and every beast of the field! On your belly will you go, and dust you will eat, all the days of your life.

15And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

16To the woman He said: “I will sharply increase your pain in childbirth; in pain you will bring forth children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”

17And to Adam He said: “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat, cursed is the ground because of you; through toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.

18Both thorns and thistles it will yield for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.

19By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread, until you return to the ground— because out of it were you taken. For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.”

20And Adam named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all the living.

21And the LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and He clothed them.

22Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil. And now, lest he reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever...”

23Therefore the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.

24So He drove out the man and stationed cherubim on the east side of the Garden of Eden, along with a whirling sword of flame to guard the way to the tree of life.

Understand This

Genesis 3, explained

What Genesis 3 is saying

The serpent, described as the most cunning of creatures, deceives the woman into eating from the forbidden tree, and the man follows. Their eyes are opened to their nakedness, prompting shame and hiding from God. God pronounces judgments on the serpent, the woman, and the man, yet provides garments of skin and the protoevangelium.

The background behind it

The fall narrative addresses the origin of sin and death, themes central to both Jewish and Christian theology. The serpent figure has been interpreted through various lenses, from a literal creature to a symbol of chaos and deception. The curse oracles follow ancient Near Eastern juridical patterns.

Themes running underneath

The protoevangelium (3:15) introduces the first messianic promise, with the seed of the woman destined to crush the serpent's head. The passage explores how distortion of God's word leads to disobedience, and how shame fractures both human-divine and human-human relationships.

Why it still matters

The pattern of temptation here, questioning God's goodness, distorting His words, and rationalizing disobedience, remains the anatomy of every human failure. Yet even in judgment, God's first instinct is to seek, clothe, and promise redemption.

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Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible — used by permission, Bible Hub.