Genesis 3

Genesis 3 is the third chapter of Genesis. In Genesis 2, God placed the man in the garden and commanded him not to eat the fruit of one tree. This chapter narrates the breaking of that command in the episode of the forbidden fruit.

Outline

• Verses 1–5: The serpent asks the woman what God has forbidden and tells her that if she eats the fruit she will "not surely die" but will be "as gods, knowing good and evil."
• Verses 6–7: The woman takes the fruit and eats, and she gives some to her husband, who is with her, and he eats as well. Their eyes are opened, they know that they are naked, and they sew fig leaves together to make themselves aprons.
• Verses 8–13: The man and the woman hear the voice of God walking in the garden and hide among the trees. When God asks, "Where art thou?" Adam blames the woman, and the woman blames the serpent.
• Verses 14–19: God addresses the serpent, the woman, and Adam in turn. The serpent is cursed to go upon its belly. The woman's sorrow in conception is multiplied. Adam is to toil all his life on the cursed ground until he returns to the dust.
• Verses 20–24: Adam names his wife Eve, and God makes coats of skins and clothes them. God sends the man out of the garden and places cherubim and "a flaming sword which turned every way" at the east of the garden to keep the way to the tree of life.

Key Verses

• Genesis 3:9, "Where art thou?" — God takes the initiative in seeking out and calling the man who has sinned.
• Genesis 3:15, "her seed; it shall bruise thy head" — Christian tradition has read this verse as the first promise of Christ.
• Genesis 3:19, "for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return" — A verse about human mortality, used in the Ash Wednesday liturgy.

Characters and Places

• Adam — The first human being created.
• Eve — Adam's wife. In verse 20 she receives this name because she is "the mother of all living."
• The serpent — Introduced as "more subtil than any beast of the field."
• Cherubim — Beings who guard the way to the tree of life.
• Garden of Eden — The garden where humanity first lived. This chapter mentions the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree of life in the midst of the garden.

Points for Reflection

• The identity of the serpent: The text calls the tempter only "the serpent." The identification of this serpent with Satan is linked to the phrase "that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan" in Revelation 12:9 and has become widely established in Christian tradition.
• The kind of fruit: The text does not say that the fruit was an apple. That image became fixed later, in Western art and elsewhere.
• The interpretation of 3:15: Protestants generally call this verse the protoevangelium (the "first gospel") and read it as foretelling the victory of Christ. Romans 16:20 is also read alongside this verse. Catholic tradition also includes a reading that connects this verse with the Virgin Mary.
• The doctrine of original sin: Paul teaches that sin and death entered the world through one man, Adam (see Romans 5:18–19, among other passages). On this basis, the chapter is read as the foundation for the doctrines of the Fall and original sin. The Reformed tradition emphasizes the total depravity of humanity. Wesleyan theology affirms original sin while holding that prevenient grace is given to all people.
• The interpretation of 3:16: Interpreters are divided over the words "he shall rule over thee": some see them as expressing an order established at creation, while others see them as describing a consequence of the Fall. This verse is also frequently cited in discussions of women's ordination.

In the Korean Church

The story of the forbidden fruit is a basic Bible story taught in Sunday school alongside the creation account. The question "Where art thou?" in 3:9 is frequently used as a sermon text and as a sermon title.