Genesis Chapter 3: The Fall From Grace
(Deep Dive Chronological & Book-By-Book Journey Through The Bible)
Chapter three contains one of the most well-known (and significant) accounts in the Bible.
Adam and Eve were created to fellowship with God and to be a blessing to each other (man to protect and lead the woman and woman to help the man). Along comes Satan. His dealings with Eve give us a clear picture of how the enemy approaches, manipulates and entices us in an attempt to pull us away from the Lord. Eve had a decision to make.
As we read about this heart-stopping moment in the garden, we see a perfect example of God taking something bad and ultimately turning it for good (Romans 8:28). Because although Adam and Eve’s fall into sin sets the stage for temptation and iniquity (sin) for all of humanity, it also opens the gate for our redemptive story through Jesus Christ!
(v1)
Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?”
At this point, he is called the serpent, not Satan. From Ezekiel 28:13-19, we know that Satan was in the Garden. In the passage in Ezekiel, Satan is called the king of Tyre.
Since the day of my salvation, I have heard that Satan created himself. Their proof is that he is evil, and God can’t make what he doesn’t have (evilness). Also, God can’t be around evil (hello, chapter 1 of Job!). But look what it says right here; the serpent was more shrewd than any of the beasts which the Lord God had made!!
Eve wasn’t afraid of the serpent. Satan used a technique he employs even today; using something (or someone) to appear harmless.
Different Bible versions tell us the characteristics of Satan in a few different ways. As listed above, the KJV says subtle; the NIV says crafty; the NASB says cunning; and the Amplified version says crafty (subtle, skilled in deceit).
SUBTLE: Hebrew #6175; shrewd, crafty, sly
THE LORD: Hebrew #3068; Yᵊhōvâ (yeh-ho-vaw') the proper name for the one true God; the existing one
GOD: Hebrew #H430; Elohim (el-o-heem); the Almighty One, the God of all gods
The serpent acknowledges that God is Elohim (the Almighty One) but not that God is his Lord or the one true God.
Some people get caught up wanting to know how the enemy spoke to the woman; was it in her thoughts and mind? In an audible voice that Satan made come from the serpent? We can speculate, but we won’t know until we get to heaven. Because God chose not to tell us, we must assume it is either irrelevant or He will tell us later in Scripture. What is important is that the woman was given a choice, and she chose badly.
Look how the serpent took God’s words and jiggled them around to sway the woman’s thinking. In Genesis 2:16-17, God said, “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” They could freely eat of every tree except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But, as he still does today, Satan twisted God’s words around.
The serpent doesn’t acknowledge all the good God had blessed them with. He doesn’t want her focus to be in that area. He has other plans.
Adam was to rule over the serpent. The creature was good because God said so (Genesis 1:31). Satan often uses what God has created as good to confuse us and cause doubt. This confusion trips us up, making us question ourselves and God’s words.
We can’t outmaneuver or outsmart Satan. We don’t have to. We have been given spiritual armor and have the power of Jesus (Ephesians 6:12).
The woman gave Satan a foothold instead of turning away or calling out for help.
I’ve read that the serpent targeted the woman because she was more vulnerable (weaker) than Adam. Whatever his reason was for zeroing in on the woman, he spoke clearly, and she understood him. The woman wasn't surprised the serpent was there, nor was she shocked to be having a conversation with him.
Cross Reference Verses:
John 8:44, 2 Corinthians 11:3, Deuteronomy 4:2
Question To Consider:
The serpent also hinted that God didn’t want the woman to eat from that one tree because God wanted to keep them ignorant. He didn’t want them to have knowledge. However, this was misleading. In Genesis 1:26-27, God said, “let us make man in our image and likeness”. Considering what we know about the Bible, what do you suppose God and Adam talked about when God visited Adam in the garden of paradise?
(v6)
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
The Temptation: the woman saw it. The tree was always good and pleasant. She was just now noticing it with new eyes. Looking where we don’t need to be looking is often the first step in our slide toward sin. She didn’t shut down the serpent’s words or turn to God for help. Instead, she began to consider what he said.
Satan manipulated the woman to turn her focus from God to a new direction. She probably thought (as most of us probably would) that this one act would get her all that she was lacking. She probably told herself that one time wouldn’t hurt. Maybe she even promised herself she would never do it again after this. We’ve all been there, haven’t we?
The woman was looking to soothe her flesh; this forbidden fruit was good for food (fills up her empty places) and a delight to look at (makes her feel happy) with the bonus of making her wise (which she now felt she wasn’t getting from God like she should have been getting). She focused on the flesh. Instead of focusing on God, her focus became self-satisfaction.
She saw eating from the tree of knowledge as getting what she deserved. But God saw the truth of her heart; rebellion and disobedience.
God didn’t withhold anything from her except this one tree. And it was this one thing she became convinced she had to have, the one thing she was told to leave alone. Satan had succeeded in confusing her.
The funny thing is that Adam and the woman had free access to almost everything in the garden. She was in a delightful garden (pleasant to the eyes) and surrounded by lush, prosperous fruits and veggies (good for food). God had given them all the wisdom they needed for the moment. If she wanted to know something, she only had to ask her husband or God.
The Sin: The woman went from thinking about it (temptation) to committing the act (sin).
After she ate, she gave it to her husband. God had already spoken directly to Adam, commanding him not to eat of the tree. Adam chose to disobey God and go along with his wife and the serpent instead of trusting God. Also, Adam could have called out to God for help with the temptation, but he chose not to.
Cross Reference Verses:
1 Timothy 2:13, James 1:14-15, Matthew 4:1-11, 1 John 2:16
Questions To Consider:
What would have happened if Adam and Eve had eaten from the tree of life instead of the tree of good and evil?
There is a possibility that Adam was with the woman when the serpent was tempting her. Why do you suppose he didn’t speak up or try to stop her? Do you think maybe he was contemplating the same thoughts as the woman?
FOR ADDITIONAL READING: 7 Things A Woman Of God Can Do When Tempted
(v7)
And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons.
Instead of turning to God, they tried to fix the problem by themselves. Bypassing God and trying to do for ourselves will never be pleasing to our Father.
Knowledge isn’t always what we want it to be. For Adam and his wife, it was a fearful thing. When we are separated from God due to sin, it leaves us exposed and vulnerable. Unfortunately, that is when fear likes to grab ahold of us.
The NLT (New Living Translation) Bible says they felt shame. Of my many Bible translations, the NLT is the only version to add that tidbit.
SHAME: (English/Vine’s Dictionary) Remorse, contrition, discredit, dishonor, mortification. In Revelation 16:15, guarding against shame and nakedness is mentioned.
They knew they were naked. Up to this point, their nakedness was normal and natural. Suddenly, it was bad and something they wanted to hide. There was no way to hide spiritual nakedness, so they tried to hide their physical nakedness with fig leaves.
Temptation -> look and think about it allowing the desire to rise up inside. Mentally begin to justify the desire.
Sin -> act on the rising desire.
Adam and his wife got an up-close and personal knowledge of good and evil.
Eight different times in Genesis 1 we read that a seed produces after its own kind. Adam and his wife got what they wanted by doing evil (sinning). Ungodly action (sin) is produced after its own kind and gives birth to ungodly emotions (shame, fear, deceit).
Adam and Eve felt guilty and embarrassed over their nakedness, not their sin!
Cross Reference Verses:
See below
Questions To Consider:
Why do you suppose God didn’t warn Adam about Satan and only warned him about the tree (Genesis 1:15-17)? In the New Testament, Jesus warns Peter that Satan was seeking to sift him (Luke 22:31). God knew where Satan would be and what he would attempt. We know that because Satan can do nothing without God’s permission (Job 1:12 and Job 2:6). Have you allowed your children to learn some lessons when you wanted to step to prevent heartache? If so, why?
Often, we think Adam and Eve weren’t as sophisticated or intelligent as we are. But how do you suppose they knew to make garments to cover themselves? Was it part of their newfound knowledge? Clothes weren’t a thing. Who were they hiding their nakedness from? They would have had no need to know to do this. This shows how intelligent and imaginative Adam and Eve were. They were made in God’s image after all.
(v8)
And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.
They heard the Lord God walking in the garden. They didn’t sense God they heard him, so it wasn’t a spiritual visit from God. It was a physical visit.
It seems laughable to us that Adam and his wife would try to hide from an all-knowing, all-seeing God. Even though we know it is impossible to hide anything from God, we still try to hide when we sin.
Cross Reference Verses:
Deuteronomy 23:14
Question To Consider:
God was walking in the cool of the day. Was this Jesus? Do you think walking in the garden to meet with Adam and the woman was a regular occurrence?
(v9-10)
And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, “Where art thou?” and he said, “I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, and I hid myself.
Because God is holy, He could not allow sin to go unchecked. God confronts Adam first, even though Eve was the one who sinned first. When we sin, it is God’s discretion when and how we are held accountable.
God called out to Adam and asked where they were. Often, God will ask us questions. Not because He doesn't know. He knows all things. God asks rhetorical questions for our benefit. Here, He was allowing Adam to confess his wrongdoing (sin). God wanted Adam to come to Him and admit what he had done wrong.
“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account”. (Hebrews 4:13)
Adam responds to God without hesitation. He admitted that he heard God but was afraid. He says it was because he was naked, but Adam and the woman were naked before their disobedience. They weren’t afraid until afterward.
God wants us. He seeks us out. But He doesn’t need us. We need Him. Sometimes we want to keep our distance from God and make excuses not to seek Him out. “I’m too busy to read my Bible and pray right now. I’ll do it later.” Sound familiar?
God confronted Adam first even though the woman “started it.”
Cross Reference Verses:
Genesis 4:6 (Cain, where is your brother?), Genesis 16:8 (where have you come from, where are you going?), 1 Kings 19:9 (what are you doing here?)
(v11-12)
And He said, “Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat”? And the man said, “The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat”.
God prods Adam to admit who he was listening to because it obviously wasn’t God.
God zeroed right in on the sin they had committed. He prods Adam to continue his confession. Adam admitted to eating, but instead of taking full responsibility for his wrongdoing, he blamed God for giving him the woman. Then he blamed the woman for giving him the forbidden fruit.
Adam speaks for himself, not the woman. He doesn’t say, “we sinned, my Lord”. He says, “I did what you told me not to do”. Just as Adam and the woman had to do, one day each of us will give an account of our time on earth.
God didn’t address Adam's emotions (fear or shame). Instead, He addressed Adam’s actions (disobedience). Essentially, emotions are like our thoughts; they come and go, sometimes with lightning speed. Often we tend to grab a hold of a feeling and latch on. Maybe we should lean towards treating emotions as God did, not denying feelings but not giving them undue attention either. Our emotions should not to be the deciding factor in making decisions.
Cross Reference Verses:
Proverbs 28:13, Romans 14:12, James 4:17
(v13)
And the Lord God said unto the woman, “What is this that thou hast done?” And the woman said, “The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.”
Next God turned to confront the woman, asking her, “What have you done?” Neither Adam nor the woman got away with what they had done. No sin escapes God’s notice.
BEGUILED ME: Hebrew #5377; nāšā' (naw-shaw') to lead astray; to mentally delude, to morally seduce; to deceive greatly and utterly
DELUDE: (English definition); to mislead the mind or judgment of; to deceive or trick
BEGUILE: (English definition); to lead by deception, to deceive by cunning means. To charm or enchant someone in a deceptive way
The woman admitted what she had done, but first, she was sure to point the finger of blame at the serpent. Surprisingly, she didn’t blame Adam or God.
I’ve read more than one Commentary that says that the serpent somehow put the woman in a trance, like hypnosis, but I have to disagree. The woman was deceived. That means in her mind she was convinced that what she was doing was okay or right. She made the decision to take the next step and sin. If she had been under the influence of the serpent's charm, her sin wouldn’t have been her fault and responsibility.
Instead of trusting God and taking Him at his word, she chose to trust herself and what she thought was best. Satan may have planted the seed but she chose to water and fertilize the soil with her thoughts.
God holds us accountable for our sin, not the sin of others.
God gave the woman the chance to take responsibility and confess her wrongdoing.
Cross Reference Verses:
Romans 7:11, Matthew 15:8, Isaiah 29:13, 2 Corinthians 11:3, 1 Timothy 2:13
SATAN: Judgments & Curses
(v14-15)
And the Lord God said unto the serpent, “Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Actions have consequences no matter who you are.
All three were judged, but only one was cursed. Notice God didn’t ask Satan to give an account of his actions. God didn’t waste time with Satan except to pronounce judgment.
God spoke a curse over Satan. A curse is the opposite of a blessing. A curse is more than saying something bad would happen. It was a judgment of Satan’s destiny.
ENMITY: Hebrew #342; hostility, hatred
Satan’s Punishment:
Cursed more than any animal
Must go about on his belly and eat dust
Hatred will be between Satan and women and their seeds
Jesus Christ will crush Satan’s head even though Satan will strike Jesus’ heel (a death blow versus a glancing blow).
Genesis 3:15 is the first we learn of God’s plan for our salvation; the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Dust: the origin of the body (v2:7), the source of our food (v3:17), and the symbol of the eventual death of the body (v3:19).
Cross Reference Verses:
Psalm 72:9, Isaiah 65:25, Micah 7:17, Numbers 21:7, Luke 10:19, John 8:44, Romans 3:13, Romans 16:20, 1 John 3:8
Questions To Consider:
God doesn’t call the serpent an animal but equates him with a beast of the field. Do you think Satan was inhabiting a snake just as the demons inhabited the pigs in Matthew 8:28-34? Thinking of Satan as a slithering serpent (a snake is far different from how Peter describes him in 1 Peter 5:8. Does this change how you view Satan? “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
In Job 1:7, God asks Satan where he has come from. Satan replies, “From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it”. He says walking not slithering. So do you think “upon thy belly, you shall go” is a figure of speech? Perhaps he walked upright before this curse but not after.
Satan was cursed to eat dust all the days of his life. Was this symbolic? Dust is what gave man life, and now Satan would eat of it. Think about the wording in verse 1 Peter 5:8. Devour: to eat (food or prey) hungrily or quickly.
EVE: Judgment & Consequences
(v16)
Unto the woman he said, “I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow, thou shalt bring forth children, and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.”
The woman wasn’t cursed like Satan was. She was punished but not cursed.
God’s perfect plan for the woman was to be a helpmate in willing submission to the man. Out of her selfishness, the woman failed to help Adam. She led him into temptation. As a result, her husband would now rule over her.
The woman’s punishment was unique to women; she would suffer during childbirth. But we serve a merciful God who allowed the human race to continue despite the rebellion of Adam and Eve.
Cross Reference Verses:
Psalm 48:6, Isaiah 13:8, John 16:21, 1 Corinthians 7:4, 1 Corinthians 14:34, Ephesians 5:22-24
Questions To Consider:
Although we know that the woman would no longer be the man’s equal, this verse can be read in a few different ways. Have you considered that “thy desire shall be to thy husband” could also mean that the woman would always desire to be the head of the man but that the man would dominate and rule over her?
Women would always have to fight the desire to rule over their husbands. In God’s ideal marriage relationship, that would not have been an issue, but after the fall, her role changed. From this account, we know that disobedience is taken very seriously and has long-lasting effects. Do you think their punishment was appropriate?
I notice that the woman’s punishment involved feelings (God would multiply her sorrow and her conception…in sorrow, she would give birth). Some translations use the word pain. Perhaps women would feel such intense emotion that it would, at times, feel like pain?
As mommas, we know that there are times our children break our hearts. They don’t usually mean to, but it happens. Could this be part of the consequences of the fall as well?
ADAM Judgment & Consequences
(v17-19)
And unto Adam, he said, “Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, ‘Thou shalt not eat of it’: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee, and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”
Some people think God put the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the garden to trip up Adam and Eve. But God did not trick Adam and Eve into disobedience. He gave them the freedom to choose obedience out of love.
God pointed out that Adam had listened to Eve instead of Him. Notice God didn’t say that Adam listened (harkened) to the voice of Satan.
God will not tolerate us putting anyone or anything ahead of Him. We choose to serve God, Satan, or our fleshly desires. God commands us to obey and serve only Him. Anything else results in pulling us away from God.
Just as the woman was not cursed, Adam was not either.
Up to this point, the ground was blessed. Work was a good thing. After this, the ground turned hard and full of thorns and thistles, forcing long, hard days. The NIV says “through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life…by the sweat of your brow…” So men would now struggle to bring forth food. It would be hard but not impossible if done with God’s help and direction.
The struggle to do things in our strength goes against grace.
God had told Adam that if they ate from the Tree of knowledge of Good and Evil, they would surely die. At first, it was a spiritual death due to their sin separating them from God. Now, God tells Adam they (and all of mankind) will also experience a physical death “from dust you were created, and from dust, you shall return”.
Cross Reference Verses:
Genesis 2:17, 1 Samuel 15:23, Job 31:40, Psalm 104:29, James 1:13
(v20)
And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.
Until now, neither God nor Adam had given the woman what we would consider a proper name. She was simply called “woman”. This wasn’t disrespectful. Sometimes in the Bible, God changed someone’s name when He gave them a new identity (Abram became Abraham, Jacob became Israel). Before this, Adam and Eve were equals. Now God allows Adam to name his wife because he was given dominion (rule, authority) over her.
EVE: Hebrew #2332; ḥaûâ (khav-vaw') life-giver, life, living
Eve is called the mother of all living things. What an amazing honor! However, she is not a mother yet so she hasn’t given life. Adam named her based on the words of God (v16). He did so in faith.
Eve is only mentioned in the Bible 4 times (twice in Genesis, once in 2 Corinthians, and again in 1 Timothy). How often someone is mentioned (their popularity) should never determine their validity or importance to the Kingdom of God.
Cross Reference Verses:
Genesis 2:23, Genesisn4:1, 2 Corinthians 11:3, 1 Timothy 2:13
(v21)
Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
Although God doesn’t call her by name, He stresses that the woman is Adam’s wife.
Adam and Eve had tried to take matters into their own hands (works) and cover their nakedness. However, a leaf doesn’t provide much coverage. We do the same when we sin. We go to great lengths to hide our sins. And our efforts are just as puny as Adam and Eve’s efforts were. Again, like Adam and Eve, our only hope is the Lord God Almighty.
Although He didn’t have to, God provided for Adam and Eve again. He didn’t do this because they wanted it. Remember, a covering wasn’t needed because there wasn’t anyone else around. God chose to cover their nakedness because He wanted to.
In the first recorded animal sacrifice, God made clothing for them. Perhaps He was also showing them how He desired sacrifices to be conducted.
Cross Reference Verses:
Isaiah 61:10, Leviticus 1-27, Hebrews 9:22, Hebrews 10:4
Questions to Consider:
God is continually doing work in us by recreating, redirecting, and giving us a do-over (a new beginning) when we mess up and repent. Without God’s loving guidance, we would not have the ability for a fresh start! When did God bless you with a chance to start over? How did it feel? Did God redirect you in the way you thought He would?
Study Ideas:
The Bible has a great deal to say about coverings, nakedness, animal sacrifices, and shame. Consider doing a topical study on this topic. Think about questions such as: does nakedness mean what we think it means? Is nakedness always shameful? Is being covered from your nakedness a sign of repentance? Atonement? Forgiveness?
(v22-24)
And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever. Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man, and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
God decided to banish Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. He drove the man out and placed cherubim with flaming swords to guard the way to the tree of life.
DROVE OUT: Hebrew #1644; To thrust out, drive away, put away, cast out.
CHERUBIMS: Hebrew #3742; a mighty angel of the Lord. They are often associated with God’s presence (they guard Eden, flank God’s throne, were in the Tabernacle, and hovered over the Ark of the Covenant).
According to blueletterbible.org, this is the only time a “flaming sword” is used in the Bible. It is a sword of judgment.
Driving them out of the garden so they no longer have access to the tree of life is an act of mercy! If God had not taken this precaution, man could very well have gotten comfortable in the garden and chosen to eat from the tree of life. Then he would live forever separated from God due to sin.
It is only through the redemptive work of Christ Jesus that man has access to the tree of life again. We find the Tree of Life again in Revelation 2:7, 22:2, and 22:14. The characteristics of the Tree of Life are shown in Proverbs 3:18, 11:30, 13:12, and 15:4.
Sin separates us from God. It makes us want to secretly indulge then hide and try to lean on our own understanding to fix our messes. It has been an issue for people everywhere through all generations. But God didn’t push us away in disgust. He has a plan to restore our relationship through Jesus Christ!
Cross Reference Verses:
Genesis 2:8-9, Exodus 25:18-22, 1 Kings 6:27, Psalm 104:4. Also, see the Scriptures listed above.
Questions To Consider:
Adam and Eve weren’t just sent out of Eden, God took great pains to protect and fortify it. Was this to keep them out or to keep Satan out? Was this the ultimate punishment?
Imagine the emotions Adam and Eve must of being going through. We have no evidence they ever left the garden before this. Besides, the garden was the only place they knew to meet with God. Thankfully today we can meet with God anytime, in any place. But has there been one place you felt especially close to God? It could be on a large rock beside a river, out among nature during a hike, etc. How would you feel if God cut that avenue off?
What I Learned About God’s Character:
If someone betrayed and turned against me as Adam and Eve did, I wouldn’t handle it the way God did. He wasn’t angry, impatient, or harsh. Instead, God was patient, gentle, kind, and calm. He didn’t swoop in to punish them the second they sinned. He met with them personally and gave them the chance to repent of their wrongdoing. The Lord God Almighty is faithful even when we are not.
The Big Idea I Learned From This Chapter:
God knows when I mess up. I can’t hide anything from Him and there is no reason to. He loves me enough to not want me to wallow in my sin but to come to Him with a repentant heart. God will give me multiple chances to come clean and confess. He won’t push me or stop loving me. As His child, God’s hand is always on me.
