20130723 Tuesday, July 23 2013
Genesis 03: The Sin Of The Garden

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee"

The English word "sin" originated from an ancient Anglo-Saxon word that meant a state of guilt. It is used to translate the Hebrew word, pronounced khat-tawth, that meant offending, as in being rebellious against established authority.

The first humans were created sinless, but became "sinners" by an offensive act against the LORD. While Satan was the instigator of the first human sinners, Satan too had been created sinless and also had become a "sinner" with his offensive act against the LORD (see The Kingdom Of The LORD God).

"28:13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy 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 thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. 28:14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. 28:15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee." (Ezekiel 28:13-15 KJV)

"14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 14:13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High." (Isaiah 14:12-14 KJV)

So it was that Satan sought to get the first humans to do as the Devil had himself done, to cross the line from sinless obedience to malignant rebellion - as he has been misleading rebellious humans to do ever since (see When Freedom Crosses The Line and The Rise Of The Malignant Beast). The word "serpent" in these verses is used to translate an original Hebrew word that meant whisperer, as in the sound that a snake makes with its tongue - it does not refer to Satan's appearance (see Satan's Masquerade).

"3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

3:2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3:3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." (Genesis 3:1-5 KJV)

The humans then followed, not only Satan's words, but his example of liberal rebellion.

"3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. 3:7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons." (Genesis 3:6-7 KJV)

With sin came conscience. The rebels ran and hid. When found and confronted, "the man said, the woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat."

"3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day [see also The Spirit Of The Breeze]: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. 3:9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

3:10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. 3:11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

3:12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. (Genesis 3:8-12 KJV)

The woman's excuse, on the other hand, was that she had been deceived (see the Fact Finder question below).

"3:13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done?

And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

3:14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

3:16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee." (Genesis 3:13-16 KJV)

All things were created "good." When humans chose to become sinners, pestilent weeds began to grow (see Seed-Bearing Plants: For Food Or For Folly?).

"3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 3:18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." (Genesis 3:17-19 KJV)

The name "Adam" originated from a Hebrew word that meant man, as a species, male and female (see also Adam and Adamah). The LORD simply called him "the man" - we don't know what the name of "Adam" actually was, or if he ever even had a name of his own. On the other hand, "the woman" was given a personal name "because she was the mother of all living." She became a mother after "Adam" and Eve were put out of the Garden (see The Only Child Of The Garden).

"3:20 And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living." (Genesis 3:20 KJV)

The LORD made clothing of animal skins for them just before they were put out of the Garden. The LORD was the inventor of fur coats for humans.

"3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: 3:23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. 3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life." (Genesis 3:21-24 KJV)

Fact Finder: While Adam and Eve became sinners together, how did they sin differently?
See How Did Adam And Eve Sin Differently?; also The Conversion of Adam and Eve - Then and Now