בְּרֵאשִית Genesis Chapter 3

There’s an important lesson here for us. When we know who we are in Messiah, children of Elohim purchased at great cost, new creations, children to whom God has gifted all things; we are free from temptation. It’s only when we forget who we are that it is possible for us to be tempted. For the Messiah follower sin is the action that results from forgetting who we are.

Introduction:
 
At the goal of the days of creation we read:
 
1:31 And seeing, אֱלֹהִים Elohim, that all which He had made עָשָׂה asah was וְהִנֵּה־ט֖וֹב מְאֹד v’hineih tov meod behold, now, exceedingly good, whole, complete, and it was evening עֶרֶב erev and there was morning בֹקֶר boker, day יוֹם yom the sixth השִּׁשִּי hashiyhiy [Hebrew masculine ordinal number with the definite article].
בְּרֵאשִית
–Genesis 1:31
 
We know that at this point in the chronology of creation, which includes the entire account of Genesis 2 (the illumination of the sixth day), that all הכל ha-kol that had been ברא bara created and עָשָׂה asah formed, was טוֹב מְאֹד tov meod exceedingly good.
 
This means that at the beginning of the השבת Shabbat (Sabbath: seventh day), the day of God’s ceasing and his imparting of rest to creation,  השטןHa-Satan (the Accuser) [at that time named Εωσφόρος Lucifer (Light Bearer)], had not yet rebelled against HaShem and fallen (Ezekiel 28:12-19; Luke 10:18; 2 Peter 2:4; Revelation 12:9).
 
What now follows is at least in part, the result of Satan’s choice to rebel against God. These events take place at an undetermined time following the seventh day of creation and after the rebellion of Satan and those angels that sinned with him (Jude 1:6-9; 2 Peter 2:4).
 
For at least a small period of time Satan was a guardian כרוב keruv (angelic being: mighty-approacher) of Eden (Ezekiel 28:13-15). However, following his attempt to usurp the authority of God, he was stripped of this role. Thus the root of all sin is idolatry, made manifest in rebellion (1 Timothy 6:10).
 
In the prophecy of Ezekiel 28 God speaks to the then ruler of Tyre, a prideful coastal city to the north of the land of Israel. This ruler is called a prince rather than a king. This is because while the prophecy addresses an historical figure, it uses poetic language to convey a figurative meaning in order to reveal the ancient history of a certain proud angelic prince. The name Tyre means Rock. The prince of Ezekiel’s prophetic word is therefore a prince of the Rock. Likewise Lucifer before he became known as Satan (Isaiah 14:12-17 re. Ruler of Babylon as a figurative Lucifer) was a prince of the Rock of Israel HaShem the Creator. Ezekiel, by the Holy Spirit, details in the past tense the fall of a prince who once ministered before God. This cannot be applied to the then ruler of Tyre except by poetic inference. But it can be applied to Lucifer, the prince who Yeshua saw fall from the third heaven (Luke 10:18).
 
“You have been in Eden the garden of אֱלֹהִים Elohim; every precious stone was your covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of your tambourines and of your sockets were prepared in you in the day that you were created. You are a כרוב keruv (angelic being: mighty-approacher) anointed to protect: you were upon the holy mountain of God; existing in the midst of stones of fire. You were perfect in your ways from the day that you were created, till injustice of speech, violent deeds, perverseness, wickedness, iniquity and unrighteousness  av’latah were found in you.”
יחזקאל
–Ezekiel 28:13-15 [Author’s translation]
 
It’s important to remind ourselves that Satan is a created being, he is not all existing, pre-existent or eternal, and he is no more powerful in and of himself than any of the other arch angels (messengers) created from nothing at the beginning. God alone is all existing, eternal, from everlasting to everlasting, without end or beginning.
 
Genesis בְּרֵאשִית Bereishit 3 (Translated from the Hebrew text by Yaakov ben Yehoshua)
 
3:1a Now the serpent, snake הנחש ha-nachash…
 
The historical account of the serpent or snake, is often used to support the idea that the present text is a myth, which, like many pagan myths, links a spiritual message with an anecdotal tale that attempts to explain the origins of some characteristic or pattern of behaviour found in a common animal. However, both the present context, with its detailed locational elements, and the wider body of Scripture, indicate that this is an historical event that has had repercussions down through the ages. In fact the Ha-Brit Ha-Chadashah (NT) presumes the historicity of these events, by seeing Adam as a literal singular man, and by tracing the genealogy of our Messiah ישוע Yeshua (Jesus) back to the literal singular man, Adam (Luke 3:23).
 
According to Romans 5:18, 19 and 1 Corinthians 15:20, 21, Adam was, “one man” and his sin, “one trespass”, as factual as the cross and the resurrection.
 
ישוע Yeshua (Jesus) Himself speaks of Satan as being an historical figure:
 
“He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
הבשורה על-פי יוחנן
 –Yochanan/John 8:44 [Author’s translation]
 
“And He (Yeshua) said to them, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from the heavens.’”
 
–Luke 10:18 [Author’s translation]
 
Some have suggested that the serpent of בְּרֵאשִית Bereishit Genesis 3 is not Satan. However the wider Scriptures confirm that the Genesis serpent is indeed the Accuser, Satan.
 
The disciple Yochanan (John), writer of the Revelation (of Yeshua) connects the serpent of בְּרֵאשִית Bereishit Genesis 3 to the person of Satan:
 
“And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels (messengers) were thrown down with him.”
 
–Revelation 12:9 [Author’s translation]
 
The Rav Shaul (Paul) also links the Serpent and the Devil in his second letter to the Corinthian ecclesia (community of believers):
 
“But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived חוה Chavah (Eve) by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Messiah.”
 
–2 Corinthians 11:3 [Author’s translation]
 
In light of the fact that the latter part of this record shows a connection to the physical nature of the snake as seen today, it’s important to clarify that the snake of בְּרֵאשִית Bereishit Genesis 3 is indeed a snake, a creature of God’s creation, however it’s a creature that is being manipulated by Satan, in a similar way to the manipulation of the herd of pigs by lesser demons in the account of the men of Gadarenes [Gadaraynos] (Matthew 8:28-34; Luke 8:26-39).
 
The fact that the serpent speaks is not an indication that animals in general, or that snakes specifically were able to speak prior to the fall of humanity. We’re told clearly in the preceding chapters that the animals were dumb, non-speaking, without higher intellect. The ability of Satan to speak through the snake by manipulating it is a type of antithesis to God’s use of Balaam’s donkey (Numbers 22:21-39). The difference being that God temporarily imbues the donkey with the ability to communicate its own distress, whereas Satan actually enters the snake/serpent (an act of soul [נֶפֶשׁ nefesh] rape), showing the fallen nature of his own diminished position in creation. Satan is also said to have temporarily entered יהודה Yehudah (Judas) in a similar way when Messiah was to be betrayed (Luke 22:3). This is a spiritual exception to the natural order and not the norm.
 
We must conclude therefore, that בְּרֵאשִית Bereishit Genesis 3 describes a real snake and that Satan is inhabiting it or manipulating it, speaking through it, thus making the serpent/snake both an actual physical snake and a living symbol of the evil one, as alluded to in the Revelation of Yeshua to Yochanan.
 
Any attempt to say that the serpent is used simply in a metaphorical sense is refuted by both the following statement linking it to the other animals of the field and the latter curse, which sees a very specific outcome for the physical function of the creature known as the snake.
 
Gen 3:1b was more shrewd, sly, cunning, naked, subtle עָרוּם arum than all מִכֹּל mikol living things חַיַּת chayat of the field which had been made עָשָׂה  asah (formed from something) by  יהוה אֱלֹהִים HaShem (YHVH) Elohim.
 
The use of the Hebrew, “עָרוּם arum” meaning, “shrewd, sly, cunning, naked, and subtle” is a word play on the use of, “עֲרוּמִּים arumim” in Genesis 2:25. “עֲרוּמִּים Arumim”, is taken from the same root, but specifically means completely naked and is in the plural form in Genesis 2:25. This indicates a רֶמֶז Remez (hint) that leads us to a דְּרַשׁ d’rash (comparative teaching) regarding the nature of unity and disunity. The couple, Adam and Chavah, were naked (עֲרוּמִּים arumim) together, with a pure naked unity of living חיה chayah: found in the complex intensity of body, mind, spirit, heart and core being ( לבleiv, נפש nefesh). Therefore in right relationship with God, they were unaffected by a sinful or shrewd understanding of their nakedness. Whereas Satan, who had once been part of the unity of God’s creation, had now rejected a state of “עֲרוּמִּים arumim” innocent nakedness, and traded it for a state of, “עָרוּם arum” shrewdness, and naked cunning.
 
We notice here, that Satan, as he embodies the snake, is called the most cunning of all the living things created, made from something, by God. Not only is Satan created, he is formed from pre-existent elements and is therefore part of a secondary act of the Creator, placing him in a position that is as much subordinate to God as the precipitation of the waters.
 
Gen 3:1c And speaking וַיֹּאמֶר vayomeir to the woman הָאִשָּׁה ha-ishah said, “אֱלֹהִים Elohim said, did He not, that you could eat of every tree of the garden?
 
The Midrash Ha-Gadol paraphrases the serpent’s question this way:
 
“Is it possible that God forbade you to eat from any of the trees? Why would He have created them if they’re not to be enjoyed?”
 
This type of question is at its root, typical of the יֵצֶר הַרַע yetzer ha-ra (evil inclination). It presumes to impugn God’s character and provides an excuse for sin. The insinuation is that not only is God being cruel and secretive, but that self-control, (a fruit of God’s Spirit), is in fact sin. The serpent (Satan) is questioning from the position of his fallen state. In spite of the fact that he has been utterly defeated in his bid to usurp God’s authority, he still pursues his delusional goal by seeking to spoil God’s creation. We should note that he is allowed to do this, God remains in control.
 
The serpent’s question is indeed, subtle, cunning, and shrewd, it leaves room for the woman’s mind to wonder and wander. So much so that she feels compelled to expound on the meaning of the original command that had been given to Adam. When we seek to add to God’s Word (Instruction), we find error.
 
Gen 3:2 And saying, the woman הָאִשָּׁה ha-ishah to the serpent, snake הַנָּחָשׁ ha-nachash, fruit מִפְּרִי mip’ri trees עֵץ eitz of the garden we may eat: Gen 3:3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, said אֱלֹהִים Elohim, “Don’t eat of it, and don’t touch it, or you will die, kill, be killed”.
 
God had commanded Adam not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:16-17). Chavah, who had not heard the commandment directly, adds to the instruction by saying, “and don’t touch it”. It’s unclear why she adds the provision not to touch the fruit.
 
Some see here an example of the Talmudic dictum that, “He who adds [to God’s words] subtracts [from them]” (Talmud Bavliy Sanhedrin 29a). However, others see an example of the rabbinic principle that one should, “make a [protective] hedge for the Torah” (Mishnah Avot 1:1). The fact that this additional phrase gave the snake his opening affirms the Talmudic dictum and refutes the Mishnah Avot.
 
To propose, as many of our rabbis do, that something indestructible (Torah) requires a hedge (metaphor for protective border) is ludicrous. To further suggest that human beings need to be protected from breaking the moral instruction of God (Torah) by preventing them access due to an added hedge, is abhorrent. Should we be protected from what is good? In fact, the so called hedge of rabbinical commentary and extra-biblical law is a stumbling block that keeps many from seeing Yeshua Ha-Melekh, Who is clearly spoken of in the text of the TaNaKh. “Mashiach is the goal of the Torah!”
 
“But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, worked in me all kinds of evil desires — for apart from Torah, sin is dead.” –Romans 7:8 (CJB)
 
It is the “opportunity” to add or subtract from God’s word that, if taken results in death.
 
When we add to God’s Word we give occasion to the evil one (serpent) to entice us into breaking it. Yeshua rebuked some of the Jewish religious leaders of the first century CE for doing this very thing:
 
“And Yeshua said to them, ‘Rightly did Yishayahu (Isaiah) prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:
‘THIS PEOPLE HONOURS ME WITH THEIR LIPS,
BUT THEIR HEART (core being) IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.
‘BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME,
TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.’ (Isaiah 29:13)
Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.’
Yeshua also said to them, ‘You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition.’”
 
–Mark 7:6-9 [Author’s translation]
 
Gen 3:4 And speaking וַיֹּאמֶר vayomeir the serpent said, to the woman הָאִשָּׁה ha-ishah, “You won’t die or be killed:
 
This is the very moment from the beginning which Yeshua was referring to when He said:
 
“When he (Satan) lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
הבשורה על-פי יוחנן
 –Yochanan/John 8:44 [Author’s translation]
 
This is a blatant unabashed act of rebellion on the serpent’s part. Satan often begins to tempt through subtle means, but, there is always a point where his real motives are seen plainly by the victim of his tempting. It is at this point that we are provided a way out by the discernment that God has placed in each of us by His breath (the emanation of His Spirit).
 
Gen 3:5 For knows יֹדֵעַ yodeiah אֱלֹהִים Elohim, in the day בְּיוֹם b’yom you (both) consume, eat אֲכָלְכֶם achalchem (plural verb) from it, on account of it, you (both) will open your eyes   עֵינֵיכֶם eiyneiychem (plural) and you will become gods, judges, rulers אלֹהִים elohim, knowing יֹדְעֵי yodeiy good טוֹב tov and וָרָע va’ra evil.
 
Not satisfied with simply calling God (his creator) a liar, the serpent continues by insinuating that God is also a jealous narcissist, bent on keeping good things from His creation and specifically from humanity. As is often the case, Satan manipulates the truth to facilitate his lie. It is true that their eyes will be opened to understand things they had not formerly conceived of, however, they will not become Elohim (God), but will become elohim (judges), having received the ability to pass a judgement of condemnation on themselves and one another. The result will be division where unity had once existed. Ironically, both Adam and Chavah were already rulers over creation and therefore, were already elohim (rulers).
 
As a polemic against Satan’s false claim Yeshua uses the prophetic words of Tehilim (Psalms) 82 to reveal the position of fallen human rule/false deity to rebuke some of the religious leaders of the first century C.E. and prove His Own unique identity as Imanu El, the Creator with us (John 10:31-38).
 
There’s an important lesson here for us. When we know who we are in Messiah, children of Elohim purchased at great cost, new creations, children to whom God has gifted all things; we are free from temptation. It’s only when we forget who we are that it is possible for us to be tempted. For the Messiah follower sin is the action that results from forgetting who we are.
 
We should notice that Satan also shrewdly suggests that the power for the knowledge of good and evil comes from the human act of disobedience and from the tree itself. This is by implication, idolatry, which shows the root of witchcraft as being born of the seed of rebellion (1 Samuel 15:23). In other words, Satan is claiming that this knowledge can be gained by us in our own strength and from power that is intrinsically linked to an inanimate tree. This is the very antithesis of the Gospel of Salvation. Ultimately the question posed by Satan seeks to entice Chavah and Adam to seek independence from God. Tragically they become more and more convinced of the perceived benefits of self-deification. The world is full of this same ideology today as a result of this first act of sin.
 
Knowing both good and evil is of no advantage if we are unable to discern the difference and choose to do good. God had been selective in giving this knowledge for that very reason. The command was a parental protection and not a spiteful act of selfishness.
 
Gen 3:6  And seeing, inspecting, considering וַתֵּרֶא vateire the woman הָאִשָּׁה ha-ishah saw it was good טוֹב tov the tree הָעֵץ ha-eitz for food, and that it was to the eyes desirable, the tree הָעֵץ ha-eitz of wisdom, circumspection, and taking its fruit, ate, and gave also to the man who was with her; and he ate.
 
The pattern for sin begins prior to and runs through the first human act of sinning.
 
• Chavah listened to a creature, rather than to the Creator (Idolatry)
• Chavah followed her own impressions against the instruction of God (Rebellion)
• Chavah made self-fulfilment her goal rather than right relationship with God (Idolatry)
• Chavah, being in a place of contentment, none the less sought after material, aesthetic and mental gain, only to discover the greatest of losses (Idolatry)
 
In seeking to become a god, Chavah, whose name means, “life” purchased death for herself. Adam did likewise.
 
It seems that this verse is retrospectively indicating that Adam was there alongside Chavah, listening to the entire dialogue. If this is the case, he failed miserably in his role as Chavah’s partner and advocate. He could have spoken up at any time and clarified the exact instruction of God as he heard it, but he didn’t. This is why Rav Shaul writes:
 
“Therefore, as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin; and so death passed unto all human beings, for that all sinned:”
 
As head of humanity Adam is ultimately responsible for sin’s entry into the world.
 
While keeping silent in certain situations is admirable, remaining silent in the face of evil is despicable. We should also note that Adam could also have acted to prevent the full grown act of sin in the time between the conversation and the act of eating, thus thwarting the temptation before it could reach its goal. Adam was not deceived by Chavah, but with her.
 
In tragic juxtaposition to the life giving words of our Messiah, “take and eat, this is my body” Chavah, “took and ate” the means of her demise. The cost of her tasting of this forbidden fruit had already been accounted for by God. Yeshua, God with us, tasted death for the sake of her redemption. The Lamb slain before the foundation of the world (Rev. 5:9).
 
Adam took and ate as well, led by the serpent’s lies and Chavah’s offer, rather than taking the role of leader (רוש Rosh), head of the unity of man and woman. We should observe that this seems like a strange way to  attempt to achieve deity.
 
Both Adam and Chavah purchased the idea, sold to them by Satan, that evil is somehow beyond good. Prior to the fall they had known only the good.
 
Gen 3:7 And the eyes opened of the two of them שְׁנֵיהֶם sh’neiyhem, and knowing וַיֵּדְעוּ vayeid’u they were naked עֵירֻמִּם eiyrumim; they stitched together leaves of a fig tree, to make וַיַּעֲשׂוּ vaya’asu themselves loin coverings.
 
The eyes of their understanding were opened. But had they become enlightened? Their first enlightened thought was of their nakedness עֵירֻמִּם eiyrumim. This form of the Hebrew root,  ערם arum differs from that of Genesis 2:25. Where, עֲרוּמִּים arumim specifically means, “entirely naked” in a physical sense, whereas עֵירֻמִּם eiyrumim while still plural, in that it describes two separately naked individuals, none the less takes on aspects of meaning from the root ערם arum, such as, craftiness, shrewdness, cunning and so on. Adam and Chavah have therefore defiled their God given nature with the nature of the serpent Satan.
 
One wonders why a god should be concerned about his nakedness. The reality is that they were better off as servants of God than they were as sin affected and pretentious gods (elohim).
 
In the service of God, the body, naked or not, is a beautiful and innocent thing. However, in the satisfying of lust it becomes an object of shame.
 
What becomes clear is that they did not die a physical death immediately. This is because the commandment of God explained that through disobedience to His instruction, death would enter the world and eventually, they themselves would die physically.
 
“In the day you consume from it, death will put to death, bring the killing.”
בראשית
–Genesis 2:17 [Author’s translation]
 
“Therefore, as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin; and so death passed unto all human beings, for that all sinned:”
 
–Romans 5:12
 
The death they died immediately upon eating the fruit was a spiritual death, a death that brought division between them and God, divorcing them from pure relationship with Him. This death was a death to innocence, purity and holiness.
 
“To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.”
 
–Titus 1:15
 
The new knowledge they had received was both like and unlike the divine knowledge (Genesis 3:22). Derek Kidner notes that they now had knowledge like that of, “a sick man” whose, “aching awareness of his body differs both from the insight of the physician and the unconcern of the man in health.” (Genesis: An Introduction and Commentary, by Derek Kidner)
 
As a reflection of the God seeded goodness that was still within them, they made garments to cover themselves, showing that they were at least in part, remorseful. The fact that this was a right action is affirmed by God’s covering of them in verse 21. It was however, a futile attempt at covering, because without the shedding of blood there can be no remission of sin (Lev. 17:11; Heb. 9:22). Thus, we see that the human being is unable to redeem himself through his own efforts.
 
“For the נֶפֶשׁ nefesh (entire being) of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your נֶפֶשׁ nefesh (entire being); for it is the blood by reason of the נֶפֶשׁ nefesh (entire being) that makes atonement.”
ויקרא
–Leviticus 17:11 [Author’s translation]
 
“And with few exceptions all things individually and collectively are purged, cleansed, purified with blood, according to the Torah, Instruction, Law, and without the shedding of blood there is no remission, liberty, forgiveness, freedom.”
 
–Hebrews 9:22 [Author’s translation]
 
Gen 3:8 And hearing the voice, sound אֶת־קוֹל et-kol of יהוה אֱלֹהִים HaShem (YHVH) Elohim walking מִתְהַלֵּךְ mit’haleikh in the garden in the spirit, wind, breath לְרוּחַ leruach of the day הַיּוֹם ha-yom: and they withdrew to hide, the man הָאָדָם ha-Adam and his wife וְאִשְׁתּוֹ v’ishto from the face מִפְּנֵי mipeneiy of יהוה אֱלֹהִים HaShem (YHVH) Elohim amongst the trees of the garden.
 
The Targums of Onkelos and Yonatan paraphrase this verse as:
 
"The voice קול Kol of the Word דבר Davar, (Memra) of the יהוה אֱלֹהִים HaShem Elohim"
 
This is consistent with the teaching of John’s Gospel (John 1:1). One asks, aside from metaphor, “When does a voice walk?” The answer, “When He is the Word of God.” This is confirmed by the third person of the unity of God, seen in the subsequent phrase, “in the Spirit”. The Hebrew, רוח ruach is the same word used of the Spirit of God brooding over creation. Therefore we see the Father (יהוה YHVH), the Son (קול Kol voice; דבר Davar Word; Memra Word essence), and the Holy Spirit (רוח Ruach) in restorative action as אֱלֹהִים Elohim (God, intense and complex), approaching and calling out to humanity, אדם Adam and חוה Chavah.
 
God shows His love, mercy and grace in the way He responds to the sin action of Adam and Chavah. Notice that He doesn’t come to them in the moment of their sin but waits, allowing them time to consider what they’ve done and act in repentance. Only when they have made a futile attempt to isolate themselves from Him by hiding among the trees that He created, does He walk through the garden, seeking them out.
 
Gen 3:9 And called וַיִּקְרָא vayikra יהוה אֱלֹהִים HaShem (YHVH) Elohim to the man הָֽאָדָם ha-Adam, and said “Where are you?”
 
The Targum Yerushalayim says, “The Word (דבר Davar) of HaShem Elohim called…”
 
It’s God with us עִמָּנוּ אֵל Imanu El, Yeshua Who comes to us in our need for reconciliation.
 
Why does God ask us rhetorical questions when we sin and isolate ourselves from Him? He asks them for our sake. The question of Genesis 3:9 doesn’t mean, “Where are you, I can’t find you”, to the contrary, it means, “Where are you, do you know?”
 
The answer to the question in this verse is, “We’re out of right relationship with You, we’re lost in our own enlightenment, we’re ashamed and naked with the nudity of disunity and self-harm. We know we can’t hide from You, but we’re desperate to hide anyway, because we realize that You are Holy and that we have become defiled through our rebellious actions.”
 
Gen 3:10 And he (the man) said, “Your voice, sound קֹלְךָ kolkha I heard in the garden, and I was afraid, put in fear, in dread, because I was naked עֵירֹם eiyrom (singular); I withdrew and hid.
 
The Targums of Onkelos and Yonatan read, “I heard the voice קול kol of Your Word דבר Davar, )Memra)”
 
The Hebrew, עֵירֹם eiyrom (naked, crafty) is in the singular form and denotes a different type of nakedness from that which Adam had experienced prior to his sinning. He has realized that the knowledge of actions that dishonour the body has caused a divide between God and himself. His nakedness is now crafty and rebellious and Adam recognizes that this means he is unfit to be in the manifest presence of God, Who is Holy, perfect, without sin. Adam’s attempt at hiding shows that he understands the need for כפרה kaparah covering/atonement. However, the covering he has sought is not sufficient to reconcile him to a pre-fall relationship with God.
 
Adam’s admission of fear is poignant. This is the first mention of fear in the Scriptures and shows that fear is a consequence of sin. While the Hebrew, אִירָא iyra can mean reverence, it is more heavily weighted here, taking on elements of dread and terror. This fear is the fear of the righteous judgement of God, whereas Adam and Chavah had been in simple awe of God up to the point of sinning.
 
John explains this in his first letter:
 
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.”
 
–1 Yochanan/John 4:18
 
Gen 3:11 And He (God) said, “Who told you (singular) that naked עֵירֹם eiyrom (singular) are you? From the tree I commanded you not to eat, have you eaten?”
 
Again, the question is meant to help Adam consider his own position and the mechanism that bought him to this place. God knows the answer, therefore the question is, “Did you seek this knowledge from your creator?”
 
Gen 3:12 And speaking, the man said, “The woman הָאִשָּׁה ha-ishah whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.
 
Rather than accept his own guilt and admit the leading role he played in this sin, Adam chooses to blame his wife Chavah. This has become the fall-back position of every human being throughout the ages when caught in sin. In fact the sages of Judaism say of this verse, that the Hebrew verb, אֹכֵל okeil is in the future tense, reading, “And I ate and will eat again”. If this reading is correct, Adam was not yet at a place of true repentance before God, making his blaming of Chavah all the more sinful.
 
By blaming Chavah, Adam insults God directly because Chavah is God’s gift to Adam. In effect, Adam is saying, “You gave me the woman who encouraged me to eat, therefore You’re responsible for my sin.”
 
Many today seek to blame others in order to excuse their own sin. “Pair pressure made me do it”, “Colonialism made me do it”, “The government made me do it” and so on. No one will stand at the judgement and be able to blame others. We will all one day give an account of our actions to God, not based on our mental or emotional assessment of right and wrong, but according to the standard of morality set by His Holiness and written for all to see in His Word the Bible. Now is the time to begin to keep a short account with God through Yeshua the King Messiah. When we keep in step with His Spirit we are able to look forward to the judgement rather than cower away from it.
 
Gen 3:13 And saying יהוה אֱלֹהִים HaShem (YHVH) Elohim to the woman הָאִשָּׁה ha-ishah, “What is this that you’ve fashioned, made, done עָשִׂית asiyt?” And speaking, the woman said, “The serpent הַנָּחָשׁ ha-nachash beguiled, deceived me, and I ate.
 
Once again the question asked by God is rhetorical. What Chavah has done is abundantly clear, God is giving her the opportunity to confess and show repentant action. God’s attributes of justice, love, mercy and grace continue to form the meta-narrative of this historical account.
 
It’s interesting to note the play on words regarding the Hebrew root, עשה asah meaning to make or form from something. When God says, “What is this that you’ve עָשִׂית asiyt made from something” He is drawing Chavah’s attention to the fact that sin is an invasive and destructive deconstruction, an improper use of creation that leads to the forming of a deformity, an abomination. Thus, when humanity makes עשה asah, makes from existing elements we often cause deformities in the creative order. We’re unable to ברא bara (create from nothing). Therefore we are faced with the choice to make something good from what God has provided, in honour of Him, or to make something perverse, in rebellion against Him. Everything we think, say and do is an act of worship, we’re either worshipping God or we’re worshipping someone or something else. That someone may even be ourselves.
 
There is a popular lie among the body of believers worldwide that says “We were made to worship”. This is simply not true. In fact, we were created for relationship. Worship is a product of relationship and not the basis for it. For example, when a man and woman adore each other they are expressing a lesser form of worship. They are in relationship and worship is an expression of that relationship. So it is with God and His creation. As I’ve said on many occasions, God is not a narcissist, creator of robots, rather He is the Holy relational God, Father, Son and Spirit echad, and has created us to reflect His relational unity. I repeat, we were not created for worship but for relationship, and the true worship of God is expressed through relationship in Spirit and in Truth (John 4:23-24). 
 
Following her husband’s lead (now he’s leading), Chavah chooses to blame the snake rather than accept her own role in this sinful act. The commandment not to eat of the fruit had been given directly to Adam, however, Chavah was clearly aware of it because she explained to the serpent that she knew not to eat of the fruit.
 
Again, like Adam, Chavah speaks using the same verb tense, “And I ate and will eat again”.
 
Gen 3:14 And speaking, יהוה אֱלֹהִים HaShem (YHVH) Elohim said to the serpent הַנָּחָשׁ ha-nachash, “Because you have fashioned, made, accomplished, done this, cursed are you above all dumb, beasts, without higher intellect and above the animals of the field; upon your belly you will walk, move תֵלֵךְ teileikh and dust, powder, ashes you will eat all the days of your living:
 
God doesn’t ask the serpent any questions. God asks questions of those who are redeemable, those who might learn and grow toward reconciliation. The serpent had firmly fixed its goal of usurping God’s authority and hence forth has no intention of returning to the love of God. This is an everlasting problem that requires an everlasting solution. Everlasting torment in the lake of fire (Rev. 19:20-20:15; Matt. 18:8, 25:41, 46; Mar. 9:47-48) is the consequence of an unwavering desire to usurp the authority of God. This is true of both the serpent and all who wilfully and perpetually resist God. Love cannot be forced, God will not force those who reject His love to dwell in His presence forever.
 
This is not to be understood as some kind of, “how the snake lost its legs” fable. The curse is made against the serpent Satan, and the physical nature of the snake, which has now become the symbol of satanic and demonic power. The crawling, or walking on the belly, is now symbolic of the act of rebellion accomplished by Satan. Just as the rainbow, which already existed prior to the flood, became a symbol of the covenant promise of God, so to the snake, which slithered prior to the curse, has now become a symbol of the death that has resulted from sin. The dust, which will be pronounced as the symbol of human death, will be the food of the serpent. This is an allusion to the second death, when Satan will be thrown into the lake of fire and eternal punishment at the end of time (Revelation 20:10). He will not be king of hell, yet another extra-biblical myth, rather, he will be just one of many prisoners of the second death.
 
Gen 3:15 And enmity, hatred וְאֵיבָה v’eiyvah I will put between you (serpent) and the woman הָאִשָּׁה ha-ishah, and between your seed and her seed; He shall crush, strike, bruise your head רֹאשׁ rosh, and you shall strike, bruise his footprint, heel, footstep עָקֵב akeiv.
 
One need not be a scholar of the Ha-Brit Ha-Chadashah (NT) in order to see the Messianic significance of this passage. The pronoun describing the woman’s seed is singular, an individual is being spoken of here. That individual is clearly the Messiah Yeshua, Who through His death on the cross, crushed the serpent’s head of power, thus as the second Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45), Yeshua freed humanity from bondage to death. The heel represents Yeshua’s humanity, connection to the earth, which, for a short time was bruised by temporary death.
 
Isaiah the prophet speaks of the Messianic child saying:
 
“Therefore אֲדֹנָי Adonai Himself shall give you an אוֹת ot miraculous sign; ‘הִנֵּה  Hinei Behold, הָעַלְמָה ha-almah the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name עִמָּנוּ אֵל Imanu-el (with us God)’.
ישעה
–Isaiah 7:14 [Author’s Translation]
 
The Midrash Ha-Ne’elam sees here the common plight of every Jew in his struggle against the evil inclination יֵצֶר הַרַע yetzer ha-ra. The serpent is said to seek to seduce the Jew into trampling on the commandments with his heel, but the Jew can overcome by using his head (the supposed seat of the Torah). Unfortunately this interpretation neglects the fact that we cannot redeem ourselves, not even through Torah observance. It’s the goal of the Torah, the true Head, Yeshua alone, through Whom we are able to resist the serpent and be set free from bondage to death.
 
“When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your fallen humanity, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having cancelled out the indictment of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.”
 
–Colossians 2:13-15 [Author’s Translation]
 
For the believer there are these promises from God for the final crushing of Satan’s (the serpent’s) head beneath our feet:
 
“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Yeshua be with you.”
 
–Romans 6:20
 
“But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Torah,”
 
–Galatians 4:4 [Author’s Translation]
 
The seed of the woman is only seen as corporate through the drash (comparative teaching) of Rav Shaul (Paul) in Romans 16:20, as a result of its singular application to the Messiah Yeshua, alluded to in Galatians 3:16.
 
“Now the promises were spoken to Avraham and to his seed. He does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as referring to many, but rather to one, ‘And to your seed,’ that is, Messiah.”
 
–Galatians 3:16
 
Gen 3:16  To the woman הָאִשָּׁה ha-ishah He (God) said, I will greatly הַרְבָּה har’bah make great, multiply אַרְבֶּה ar’beh your pain, hardship, sorrow, toil בְּעֶצֶב b’etzev and your conception, pregnancy; in pain, hardship, sorrow, toil בְּעֶצֶב b’etzev you shall bring forth children, sons בָנִים baniym; and toward your husband will be your  תְּשׁוּקָתֵךְ te'shukateikh desire, longing, craving, stretching out after, overflowing, devouring, and he shall rule, have dominion, reign over you.
 
We should note that there are two separate punishments here. First there is the hardship and toil of life in general, which corresponds to Adam’s hardship and toil in the following verse. Then, following the determiner, “and” there are the hardships associated with pregnancy, birth and child rearing.
 
While the punishment is clearly issued by God and the implementation performed at His command, we should note that the third phrase follows an, “and”, meaning that Chavah’s desire to both bond with and seek to control her husband is a consequence, a natural negative reaction which corresponds to her sinful action. The product of which will be her husband’s need to exercise his authority over her very likely, given his newly acquired sin nature, in an equally unreasonable way.
 
“But women will be redeemed through child bearing…”
 
–1 Timothy 2:15
 
The pain and hardship of child bearing will in one instance at least, result in the redemption of humanity. 1 Timothy 2:15 refers to the birth of the Messiah, in reference to women kind, represented in Miriyam (Mary) the mother of Yeshua.
 
Therefore, “women will be redeemed through child bearing…” doesn’t mean that every time a woman bears a child she merits redemption, rather, it refers specifically to the mother of Yeshua who bore the Redeemer.
 
Gen 3:17 And to Adam He (God) said, Because you hearkened, listened to, obeyed the voice  קולkol of your wife, and ate of the tree, of which I commanded, instructed you, saying, don’t eat of it: cursed is the ground האדמה ha-adamah for your sake, on account of you; in pain, hardship, sorrow, toil בְּעִצָּבוֹן be’itzavon shall you eat of it all the days of your life, living;
 
God shows great mercy in cursing humanity’s realm rather than humanity itself. The consequence of Adam and Chavah’s sin is death, but God is already revealing His merciful plan for redemption, even in the way He pronounces punishment.
 
Adam is punished based on the fact that he listened to and obeyed a voice other than God’s. It’s a mistake to make the woman the focus of Adam’s sin. Adam’s sin is the result of his failing to obey God. He had heard the קול kol (voice) of יהוה HaShem directly and had forsaken it for the קול kol (voice) of another creature. Like the woman, Adam forsook the Creator for the sake of the created thing.
 
Or Ha-Chaim observes Adam’s sin by noting that, “He succumbed to her voice without examining the content of her words.” This is a challenge to us all. We are often too quick to receive what our itching ears want to hear, failing to take the time to discern whether what our ears want to hear is what God wants for us.
 
Adam’s failure to listen to God was not his only error, he also acted on the direction of another in opposition to God. His action in eating the fruit seals the cycle of sin, bringing it back on the head (רוש rosh: the first human, Adam) and thus bringing death to all humanity.
 
“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.”
 
–Romans 5:12
 
Gen 3:18 And thorns and thistles shall sprout, spring forth, grow up; and you shall eat the herbs, grains of the field, plain;
 
Thorns and thistles are signs of the neglect of humanity in our failure to protect and nurture the creation as in the days prior to sin and death.
 
“I passed by the field of the sluggard
And by the vineyard of the man lacking sense,
And behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles;
Its surface was covered with nettles,
And its stone wall was broken down.”
משלי
–Mishlei/Proverbs 24:30-31
 
For the LORD’S indignation is against all the nations,… For the LORD has a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion… Thorns will come up in its fortified towers, nettles and thistles in its fortified cities; It will also be a haunt of jackals and an abode of ostriches.”
ישעה
–Yishayahu/Isaiah 34:2, 8, 13
 
This verse also shows the stark contrast between the luxurious fruit of the garden of Eden and the seed grown in the difficult soil of the sin affected earth.
 
Gen 3:19 In the sweat of your nose, face אַפֶּיךָ apeiykha shall you eat bread, grain, food לֶחֶם  lechem, at a far off time you will return to the ground האדמה ha-adamah from which you came from, were taken from: for dust you are, and unto dust, dry earth, powder, mortar עָפָר aphar, return תָּשוּב tashuv.
 
The implication of this verse is that death itself is a natural consequence of sin and a life alienated from God’s eternal life giving Spirit.
 
Gen 3:20 And calling, the man האדם ha-Adam named his wife חוה Chavah (life); because she became mother אֵם Eim of all כָּל־חָי human life chay.
 
Adam concludes his role as designator of titles for God’s creatures by naming the glory of creation, his wife Chavah.
 
 חוהChavah’s name is synonymous with the Hebrewחיה  chayah (life), therefore her name means, “life” and more specifically, “the mother of all life”. More importantly through her greater offspring she will become the mother of the Life Giver Yeshua, just as Avraham is the father of all who are redeemed through faithnאֱמוּנָה emunah, חוה Chavah is the mother of all who are redeemed through the Life Giver Yeshua.
 
We note that חוה Chavah becomes the mother of all human חָי chay life singular rather than chayiym life perpetual. When God created humanity He breathed into אדם Adam and therefore by extension חוה Chavah, חיים chayiym, perpetual living, now as a result of their sin they are able only to pass on temporal חָי chay life to their children. This life can only be redeemed and transformed into חיים chayiym everlasting life through the substitutional sacrificial life giving blood of ישוע Yeshua the second Adam.
 
Gen 3:21 And fashioning, making  וַיַּעַשׂ vayaas יהוה אֱלֹהִים HaShem (YHVH) Elohim, for Adam and for his wife, garments of hide, skin עוֹר or to wear.
 
The Hebrew, עוֹר or is used to describe both skin and animal hide, however in this context it cannot refer to human skin, given that the human form had been completed and called exceedingly good. In addition to this the garments are made from skin and for Adam and Chavah, rather than from the skin of Adam and Chavah. Therefore the best translation is, “hide” as referring to an animal hide. This means that animals were sacrificed in order to make these garments, thus alluding to the requirement of blood for the remission of sin. This is also an indication of the need for the future sacrifice of the Messiah.
 
“For the נֶפֶשׁ nefesh (entire being) of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your נֶפֶשׁ nefesh (entire being); for it is the blood by reason of the נֶפֶשׁ nefesh (entire being) that makes atonement.”
ויקרא
–Leviticus 17:11 [Author’s translation]
 
“And with few exceptions all things individually and collectively are purged, cleansed, purified with blood, according to the Torah, Instruction, Law, and without the shedding of blood there is no remission, liberty, forgiveness, freedom.”
 
–Hebrews 9:22 [Author’s translation]
 
We note that Adam and Chavah were under judgement of death because of their sin and that a substitutionary sacrifice had been made of animals in order to mitigate that just punishment. Vicarious sacrifice therefore, is evident from the very beginning, long before the Torah, Priesthood and sacrificial system were given to Israel at Sinai. Those who claim that the sacrificial rites of Torah are not substitutional are without a leg to stand on. In fact, those who make this claim stand unatoned and in danger of eternal damnation.
 
Gen 3:22 And speaking יהוה אֱלֹהִים HaShem (YHVH) Elohim said, “Behold, the man has become as one אַחַד achad like us, on account of knowing good טוב tov and רע ra evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of living עֵץ הַחַיִּים eitz ha-chayiym, and eat, and live חַי chay for ever לְעֹלָם l’olam:
 
This verse can also be read, “Behold, the man has become like a unique one among us” meaning he has become unique among the terrestrial creation just as God is unique in all creation. God cannot allow Adam and Chavah to remain as partakers of the tree of living. This is for their own good because in the arrogance of their sinful state they will become progressively more wicked until they reach the heights of Satan’s wickedness, thus forsaking all hope of redemption. By forcing them from the garden, God is protecting them from themselves and making a way for their reconciliation to Him. In the future through Messiah, God will again and forever make the tree of living available to redeemed humanity in the Olam Haba (world to come).
 
“In the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of living, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the sustaining of the nations.”
 
–Revelation 22:2
 
Gen 3:23 Therefore sent away יהוה אֱלֹהִים HaShem (YHVH) Elohim, from the Garden of Eden, to till the ground האדמה ha-adamah, the man האדם ha-adam, from where he was taken. Gen 3:24 And He (God) drove, divorced, put away, cast out, thrust the man האדם ha-adam; and settled, placed to the east of the garden of Eden, the אֶת־הַכְּרֻבִים et-hakeruvim (angelic beings, mighty approachers), and a flaming, blaze לַהַט lahat the sword הַחֶרֶב ha-cherev: which turned, overthrew in every direction הַמִּתְהַפֶּכֶת ha-mit’hapechet, in order to guard, keep the way אֶת־דֶּרֶךְ et-derech of the tree of living עֵץ הַחַיִּים eitz ha-chayiym.
 
God drives humanity out of the garden because of His great love for us. Having received the knowledge of good and evil and having professed, “I ate and will eat again”, Adam and Chavah were in danger of continuing to sin in perpetuity, eventually becoming like Satan, who had chosen to be unredeemable. Thus God, out of love for Adam and Chavah, drove them away from the garden and the tree of living. This was a disciplinary action that would bring them to repentance and salvation through the shedding of His Son’s blood, His death and resurrection.
 
The love, judgement, mercy and grace of God are then placed in both literal and symbolic form at the eastern entry to the Garden of Eden. The אֶת־הַכְּרֻבִים et-hakeruvim (angelic beings, mighty approachers) who are latter described in Solomon’s Temple within the Holy of Holies (1 Kings 6:23-28: 2 Chronicles 3:14) and then in Ezekiel’s vision during Israel’s exile (Ezekiel 1:5-10), will find their ultimate physical and symbolic fulfilment as part of the resurrection.
 
The two מלאכים malakhim (messengers: angels: kerubim) standing at the head and base of Yeshua’s tomb in John 20:12, are there in place of the ark and mercy seat. In the first century CE there was no ark in the Holy of Holies of Herod’s Temple. The curtain to the Holy of Holies was torn at the death of Yeshua to reveal an empty Holy of Holies, and at His resurrection the mercy seat was illuminated over the grave clothes of the Messiah in order to show that access to the heavenly Holy of holies had been granted to all who would accept Messiah’s redeeming sacrifice.
 
The אֶת־הַכְּרֻבִים et-hakeruvim (angelic beings, mighty approachers) of Eden therefore, were a foreshadowing of the kerubim (malakhim) of the resurrection. They stand as guardians surrounding the mercy seat. The fire that oscillated above the gap between them is a representation of the Divine presence, הכבוד יהוה ha-kavod YHVH (Shekhinah), glory of God and the sword is the sword of judgement and Divine justice.
 
This tragic account thus ends with a symbolic proclamation of the greatest hope of all. The hope of eternal glory through the redemptive work of God in His Son Yeshua the King Messiah. This is not a story of God’s vengeance, but a story of His Holiness, justice, all surpassing love and His redemptive plan for humanity.
 
© 2023 Yaakov ben Yehoshua Brown