Early readings of the fall and the expulsion, from Jubilees to Keil
Says The woman eats and gives to her husband, and he eats (Gen 3:6, BSB); they sew fig leaves together (3:7). The Lord God makes “garments of skin” and clothes them (3:21), then banishes the man “lest he reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life” (3:22–23).
Jubilees dates the serpent’s approach seven years after Adam entered the garden. The woman covers her shame before giving the fruit to Adam; on leaving, Adam offers incense, and covering one’s shame is prescribed for those who know the law (Jub 3:17–31). Josephus has each blame another and God punish Adam “because he weakly submitted to the counsel of his wife” (Ant. 1.1.4). Irenaeus reads Adam’s fig-leaf girdle as penitence and says God removed him from the tree of life not from envy but in pity, so that his sin would not be “immortal” (Haer. 3.23.5–6). Augustine finds an evil will before the act: “what is the origin of our evil will but pride?” (Civ. 14.13). The woman believed the serpent, he says, while the man would not be parted from his companion (Civ. 14.11). Keil calls the expulsion “a punishment inflicted for man’s good”. For Jewish readings of Adam’s sin see note.historical.Rom.5.1-Rom.5.21.adam-second-temple; for later reception, note.historical.Rom.5.1-Rom.5.21.reception-5-12. These are their views.
Uncertain The meaning of the garments and of the expulsion, and whether they carry typological weight, are open. No lean is taken, and these readings do not fix the meaning of 3:6–24.
Claims
- SaysGen 3:6 says the woman ate and gave to her husband, who ate; 3:7 says they sewed fig leaves together; 3:21 says the Lord God made garments of skin and clothed them; 3:22–23 says he banished the man lest he take also from the tree of life.
- UncertainThe meaning of the garments and the expulsion in Gen 3:21–24, and whether they carry typological weight, are open; no lean, and readings from Jubilees to Keil do not fix 3:6–24.
Citations
- BSB public domain Gen 3:6–7, 21–23
- APOT public domain vol. 2 (1913): Jub 3:17–31, pp. 16–17 (n35–n36); read on the page images; paraphrased
- Josephus (Whiston) public domain Ant. 1.1.4 = 1.40–51 (Whiston, 1817, vol. 1), pp. 9–11 (n18–n20); read on the page images; “because he weakly submitted to the counsel of his wife” quoted, otherwise paraphrased
- Irenaeus public domain Haer. 3.23.5–6, p. 457 (n474) (ANF 1; CCEL anf01.ix.iv.xxiv); read on the page image; “immortal” quoted, otherwise paraphrased
- Augustine, City of God (NPNF1 vol. 2) public domain Civ. 14.11, p. 272 (n295); 14.13, p. 273 (n296) (trans. Dods, NPNF¹ 2; CCEL npnf102.iv.XIV.11, npnf102.iv.XIV.13); read on the page images; 14.13 quoted, otherwise paraphrased
- Keil–Delitzsch, Pentateuch 1 public domain Keil, Pentateuch vol. 1 (Clark, Martin trans., 1868), on Gen 3:22–24, p. 107 (n110); read on the page image; quoted, otherwise paraphrased
2026-11-10
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