Genesis 3

King James Version

Full text for Genesis Chapter 3

1¶ Now the serpent was more subtil 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?

2And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

3But of the fruit of the tree which [is] in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

4And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

5For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

6¶ 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.

7And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they [were] naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

8And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

9¶ And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where [art] thou?

10And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I [was] naked; and I hid myself.

11¶ 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?

12And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest [to be] with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

13And 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.

14¶ 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:

15And 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.

16¶ 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.

17¶ 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;

18Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

19In 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.

20¶ And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.

21¶ Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

22¶ 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 for ever:

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

24So 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.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

The serpent, more subtil than any beast, tempts Eve to eat from the forbidden tree, promising god-like knowledge. Eve disobeys and gives the fruit to Adam, who also eats, leading to their awareness of nakedness and an attempt to hide from God. The LORD God confronts them, pronounces curses upon the serpent, the woman, and the man, and subsequently expels them from the Garden of Eden, guarding the way to the tree of life.

Medium Summary

Genesis chapter 3 recounts the fall of mankind through disobedience. The serpent, described as subtil, tempts Eve by questioning God's command regarding the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, promising that eating its fruit would make them "as gods." Eve, seeing the tree as desirable for wisdom, eats the fruit and gives some to Adam, who also partakes. Immediately, their eyes are opened, and they become aware of their nakedness, prompting them to fashion coverings of fig leaves. When the LORD God walks in the garden, Adam and Eve hide, but are called forth to account for their actions. Adam blames Eve, and Eve blames the serpent. Consequently, God pronounces curses: the serpent is cursed to crawl and eat dust, the woman is given increased sorrow in childbirth and subjection to her husband, and the man is condemned to toil the cursed ground by the sweat of his brow until he returns to dust. Finally, God makes coats of skins for them and expels them from Eden, placing cherubims and a flaming sword to guard the tree of life.

Long Summary

Genesis chapter 3 details the pivotal event of humanity's fall from innocence and communion with God. The narrative begins with the serpent, described as the most subtil of all beasts, engaging Eve in dialogue, subtly questioning God's direct command concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The serpent directly contradicts God's warning of death, promising instead that eating the fruit would open their eyes and make them "as gods, knowing good and evil." Enticed by the tree's apparent goodness for food, its pleasant appearance, and its promise of wisdom, Eve takes of its fruit and eats. She then offers it to Adam, who is with her, and he also eats. Immediately, both their eyes are opened, and they perceive their nakedness, prompting them to sew fig leaves together for covering. In the cool of the day, when they hear the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden, they attempt to hide themselves among the trees. The LORD God calls out to Adam, who confesses his fear due to nakedness and hiding. When questioned about eating from the forbidden tree, Adam blames Eve, stating, "The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat." Eve, in turn, attributes her action to the serpent's beguilement. The LORD God then pronounces judgments: the serpent is cursed above all beasts, condemned to crawl on its belly and eat dust, and a perpetual enmity is established between its seed and the woman's seed, foretelling a bruising of head and heel. To the woman, sorrow in conception and pain in childbirth are multiplied, and her desire is to her husband, who shall rule over her. To Adam, the ground is cursed for his sake, requiring sorrowful toil and sweat to yield sustenance, and he is destined to return to the dust from which he was taken. Adam then names his wife Eve, "the mother of all living." The LORD God mercifully provides coats of skins for them before declaring that man has become like God in knowing good and evil. To prevent them from also taking and eating from the tree of life and living forever, God expels them from the Garden of Eden. Cherubims and a flaming sword are placed at the east of the garden to keep the way of the tree of life, ensuring their permanent separation from paradise.

Core Concepts

  • TemptationThe serpent's cunning questioning of God's command and its promise of divine knowledge serve as the initial act of temptation, leading Eve to doubt and desire what was forbidden.
  • Disobedience and FallEve's decision to eat from the forbidden tree, followed by Adam's participation, constitutes the act of disobedience that results in their spiritual and physical fall from their original state of innocence and direct communion with God.
  • Consequences of SinThe immediate result of their disobedience is the opening of their eyes to their nakedness and shame, followed by fear and hiding from God, demonstrating the alienating effects of sin.
  • Divine Judgment and CursesGod's response to the sin involves specific curses pronounced upon the serpent, the woman, and the man, detailing the hardships and changes that will define their existence outside of Eden, including toil, pain, and mortality.
  • Enmity and ProphecyThe curse upon the serpent includes a prophecy of enmity between its seed and the woman's seed, with the woman's seed bruising the serpent's head, establishing a long-standing conflict.
  • Expulsion from EdenAs a final consequence of their sin, Adam and Eve are driven out of the Garden of Eden, and access to the tree of life is guarded by Cherubims and a flaming sword, preventing eternal life in a fallen state.
  • God's ProvisionDespite the judgment, the LORD God demonstrates mercy by making coats of skins for Adam and Eve, providing a covering for their nakedness before their expulsion, signifying a divine act of grace.