AISBT ReaderGen 3:21–24: garments of skin, the cherubim, and the way to the tree of life
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Gen 3:21–24: garments of skin, the cherubim, and the way to the tree of life

Says God makes כָּתְנוֹת עוֹר, "tunics of skin" (BDB "tunic"; "skin of men," "hide of animals"), and וַיַּלְבִּשֵׁם, "clothed them," where they had made girdles of leaves (3:7). He says הֵן הָאָדָם הָיָה כְּאַחַד מִמֶּנּוּ לָדַעַת, "behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing" good and evil (see xref.Gen.1.26.Gen.3.22.heb). The sentence פֶּן־יִשְׁלַח יָדוֹ וְלָקַח גַּם מֵעֵץ הַחַיִּים וְאָכַל וָחַי לְעֹלָם, "lest he reach out his hand … and live forever," has no main clause; the BSB marks the break with an ellipsis after "and live forever." He sends him out, וַיְשַׁלְּחֵהוּ (Piel, OSHB), לַעֲבֹד אֶת־הָאֲדָמָה, "to work the ground," the verb of 2:15 (see note.language.Gen.2.15.work-and-keep). וַיְגָרֶשׁ, "he drove out" (BDB "drive out, cast out"), and וַיַּשְׁכֵּן, "and he made dwell," Hiphil (BDB "cause to dwell"), מִקֶּדֶם לְגַן־עֵדֶן אֶת־הַכְּרֻבִים, "east of the garden of Eden the cherubim" (BDB "as guards of the garden of Eden"), with לַהַט הַחֶרֶב הַמִּתְהַפֶּכֶת, "the flame of the sword that turns" (BDB "flame"; Hithpael "turn this way & that, every way"), לִשְׁמֹר אֶת־דֶּרֶךְ עֵץ הַחַיִּים, "to guard the way to the tree of life." לִשְׁמֹר is the second verb of 2:15. Swete has κατῴκισεν αὐτὸν with the man as object; see var.Gen.3.24.settled-him.

Uncertain Whether the garments show provision, a covering for shame, or a sacrifice, and whether the cherubim and the "work and guard" verbs present the garden as a sanctuary; no lean is taken here, and no typology is drawn. Early readings are in note.historical.Gen.3.1-Gen.3.24.early-readings-of-the-fall.

Claims

  • Saysכָּתְנוֹת עוֹר (BDB "tunic"; "skin of men", "hide of animals"); הֵן הָאָדָם הָיָה כְּאַחַד מִמֶּנּוּ לָדַעַת; 3:22 without a main clause; וַיְשַׁלְּחֵהוּ Piel; the verbs of 2:15 in 3:23, 24; וַיְגָרֶשׁ (BDB "drive out, cast out"); וַיַּשְׁכֵּן Hiphil (BDB "cause to dwell"); the cherubim (BDB "as guards of the garden of Eden"); the turning sword (BDB "flame"); Swete κατῴκισεν αὐτὸν.
  • UncertainProvision, covering or sacrifice; a sanctuary reading; no lean; no typology.

Citations

  • OSHB CC BY 4.0 Gen 3:21–24 (WLC/OSHB; morph HC/Vhw3ms/Sp3mp, HC/Vpw3ms/Sp3ms, HC/Vpw3ms, HC/Vhw3ms, HTd/Vtrfsa; H5647 at 3:23; H8104 at 3:24)
  • BDB CC BY 4.0 s.v. H3801, p. 509, entry k.dr.ab; BDB 1906 page image, archive.org hebrewenglishlex00browuoft, leaf n532
  • BDB CC BY 4.0 s.v. H5785, p. 736, entry p.br.ab; BDB 1906 page image, archive.org hebrewenglishlex00browuoft, leaf n759
  • BDB CC BY 4.0 s.v. H1644, p. 176, entry c.di.aa; BDB 1906 page image, archive.org hebrewenglishlex00browuoft, leaf n199
  • BDB CC BY 4.0 s.v. H7931, p. 1014, entry v.de.aa; BDB 1906 page image, archive.org hebrewenglishlex00browuoft, leaf n1037
  • BDB CC BY 4.0 s.v. H3742, p. 500, entry k.da.ac; BDB 1906 page image, archive.org hebrewenglishlex00browuoft, leaf n523
  • BDB CC BY 4.0 s.v. H3858, p. 529, entry l.ap.ab; BDB 1906 page image, archive.org hebrewenglishlex00browuoft, leaf n552
  • BDB CC BY 4.0 s.v. H2015, p. 245, entry e.cb.aa; BDB 1906 page image, archive.org hebrewenglishlex00browuoft, leaf n268
  • LXX (Swete) CC BY-SA 4.0 Gen 3:24. LXX read on the Swete page image, vol. 1 (1901), pp. 5–6 (leaves n36–n37).
  • BSB public domain Gen 3:22
Sources OSHB CC BY 4.0 BSB public domain BDB CC BY 4.0 LXX (Swete) CC BY-SA 4.0 Bible Scholarship & Tool CC BY 4.0

Quotations from LXX (Swete) are used under CC BY-SA 4.0 · Credits

2026-11-10

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