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Genesis 3 Commentary

Please choose a passage:

Genesis 3:1-5

The serpent approaches Eve and tempts her to disobey God.

Genesis 3:6-8

The woman ate the forbidden fruit and also gave it to her husband. They recognized what they had done and hid from God.

Genesis 3:9-13

After Adam and Eve hide, God comes looking for them and confronts their disobedience. Now having sinned, Adam and Eve refuse to take responsibility, and seek to cast blame elsewhere.

Genesis 3:14-15

Adam and Eve face the consequence of their sin, but God, being gracious, reveals the first promise of the Savior, Jesus.

Genesis 3:16-19

God then judges Adam and Eve for their sin.

Genesis 3:20-24

Adam named his wife Eve. God made clothes from animal skins for them. God drove them out of the garden and guarded the way to the tree of life.

Additional Resources

Genesis is a book about many beginnings. The beginnings of the world, the human race, sin and redemption, and the nation of Israel to name a few. In fact, the word Genesis from the Greek means “origin,” and in Hebrew it means “beginning.” The book of Genesis contains the events of the flood, tower of Babel, Sodom and Gomorrah, and the lives of the Patriarchs.

In the beginning, God created everything by simply speaking, “God said…and it was so” (Genesis 1:6-7, 9, 11, 14-15). This is not a scientific technical account of creation, but it shows a loving God creating a universe and mankind to rule it and fellowship with God. Man was formed especially from the ground and given the breath of life from God. The woman was made from the man’s rib (Genesis 2:7).

After man fell into sin, things began to spin out of control quickly. Cain murdered his brother Abel and the human race became so violent that God decided to destroy them all with a flood. God saved one righteous man (Noah) and his family in an ark filled with animals to deliver the human race from extinction. God chose Abraham and blessed a special group of people named “Israel.” God began to unfold a plan of salvation from a coming famine by sending Joseph to rule in Egypt. The failure of man in every circumstance is met by the salvation of God. We fail, but the good news is God saves us.

Chapter Context

Genesis chapter 3 tells the story of the fall of man through the temptation of Eve and the entrance of sin into the world. Satan came in the form of a serpent to tempt Eve into disobeying the one command that God had given to Adam and Eve, not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The serpent told her that what God had said was not true. Eve was tempted by the thought of becoming wise and by the appealing look of the fruit. She gave in and sinned, and gave the fruit to Adam who ate as well. Their eyes were opened and they saw that they had sinned. They were ashamed and hid from God. God cursed the serpent and punished Adam and Eve. Because of their rebellion, Adam and Eve had to live outside of the original blessings that God intended for them.