exegetical · Gen 3:1–24 · ✓ Approved

Genesis 3: the serpent, the fall, and the expulsion (overview)

Says Genesis 3 tells how the serpent, more crafty than any beast the Lord God had made, questions and contradicts God's word. The woman sees, takes, eats and gives to her husband, and he eats. Their eyes are opened; they know that they are naked, sew fig leaves and hide. The Lord God calls, questions, and hears each shift the blame. He curses the serpent and the ground — the man and the woman are not themselves called cursed — and pronounces pain, rule, toil and return to dust. The man names his wife Eve. The Lord God makes garments of skin and clothes them, sends the man out, and stations cherubim and a flaming sword to guard the way to the tree of life.

Implies This is the first human sin, through which sin and death came to all, as the notes on Romans 5 read it. A real Adam and a real first sin are the shared core set out in the notes on Genesis 2.

Uncertain How Genesis presents the serpent, the added touch, the man's presence, like God or like gods, in the breeze of the day, the four readings of 3:15, desire and rule, and the naming, garments and expulsion, are treated in the Hebrew and historical notes. No lean is taken on those questions. The one lean taken here is that the questions of 3:9–13 draw a confession; the alternative is named in that note.

Claims

SaysGenesis 3 tells how the serpent, more crafty than any beast the Lord God had made, questions and contradicts God's word; the woman sees, takes, eats and gives to her husband, and he eats; their eyes are opened, they sew fig leaves and hide; the Lord God calls, questions, and hears each shift the blame; he curses the serpent and the ground — the man and the woman are not themselves called cursed — and pronounces pain, rule, toil and return to dust; the man names his wife Eve; the Lord God makes garments of skin, sends the man out, and stations cherubim to guard the way to the tree of life.
ImpliesThis is the first human sin, through which sin and death came to all, as the notes on Romans 5 read it. A real Adam and a real first sin are the shared core set out in the notes on Genesis 2.
UncertainHow Genesis presents the serpent, the added touch, the man's presence, like God or like gods, in the breeze of the day, the four readings of 3:15, desire and rule, and the naming, garments and expulsion, are treated in the Hebrew and historical notes. No lean is taken on those questions. The one lean taken here is that the questions of 3:9–13 draw a confession; the alternative is named in that note.

Citations

BSB public domain Gen 3:1–24
OSHB CC BY 4.0 Gen 3:1–24 (WLC/OSHB), cantillation removed

Sources Bible Scholarship & Tool CC BY 4.0 BSB public domain OSHB CC BY 4.0

2026-11-10

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