3:1 Now the serpent was more subtle Revelations 12:9 And the great dragon "serpent" (nachash) "the serpent was more subtile" /
than any beast of the field which was cast out, that old serpent, call- A hissing creature, a snake, a "an evil spirit in the form of a /
the Lord God had made. And he said ed the Devil, and Satan, which serpent. serpent" is an extract from an /
unto the woman, Yea, hath God deceiveth the whole world: he was ancient Persian tradition which /
said, Ye shall not eat of every cast out into the earth, and his "subtle" (aruwm) parallels the Biblical account. /
tree of the garden? angels were cast out with him. Cunning, crafty, sly, subtle. Adam and Eve in their innocence and /
3:2 And the woman said unto the I John 2:16-17 For all that is in the living in an atmosphere of freedom /
serpent, We may eat of the fruit world, the lust of the flesh, and the "touch" (naga) from fear probably had the ability to /
of the trees of the garden: lust of the eyes, and the pride of To lay hand upon, to touch. communicate with all the animals. /
3:3 But of the fruit of the tree life, is not of the Father, but is But they possibly did not have the /
which is in the midst of the of the world. "die" (muwth) capability to understand about craft- /
garden, God hath said, Ye shall And the world passeth away, and the To decay, to wither, physical death. iness and deceit. We have no indica- /
not eat of it, neither shall ye lust thereof: but he that doeth the tion that the Lord had attempted to /
touch it, lest ye die. will of God abideth for ever. "opened" (paqach) warn them of the terrible pitfalls of /
3:4 And the serpent said unto the II Corinthians 11:3&14 But I fear, lest To open the senses, to be observant. evil or of the true nature of death! /
woman, Ye shall not surely die: by any means, as the serpent beguiled But they did have the direct command- /
3:5 For God doth know that in the Eve through his subtlety, so your "good" (towb) ment of the Lord concerning the tree! /
day ye eat thereof, then your eyes minds should be corrupted from the Right, virtue, joyful, pleasant, Note that they had the freedom to eat /
shall be opened, and ye shall be simplicity that is in Christ. excellent, the beautiful. of the tree of life! Why would the /
as gods, knowing good and evil? And no marvel; for Satan himself is only forbidden object in the garden /
3:6 And when the woman saw that the transformed into an angel of light. "evil" (raa) be so irresistible when the garden /
tree was good for food, and that I Timothy 2:13-14 For Adam was first To spoil by breaking. to make good was bountifully full of many beauti- /
it was pleasant to the eyes, and a formed, then Eve. for nothing, to make evil. ful foods? We assume that the physi- /
tree to be desired to make one And Adam was not deceived, but the cal food was not the real test for /
wise, she took of the fruit woman being deceived was in the "pleasant" (taavah) man. The real test was if man with /
thereof, and did eat, and gave transgression. A longing, a satisfaction, the capability of free will that God /
also unto her husband with her; I John 3:20-21 For it our heart condemn desirable. had given him could be faithful in so /
and he did eat. us, God is greater than our heart, simple a test. If man could not /
3:7 And the eyes of them both were and knoweth all things. "to be desired" (chamad) remain faithful in paradise, how /
opened, and they knew that they Beloved, if our heart condemn us To delight in, pleasant, to be could he remain faithful under a sev- /
were naked; and they sewed fig not, then have we confidence toward coveted. ere test? The suggestions of the /
leaves together, and made them- God. serpent that possibly the Lord had a /
selves aprons. Jeremiah 23:23-24 Am I a God at hand, "to make wise" (sakal) hidden motive was the true test! Eve /
3:8 And they heard the voice of the saith the Lord, and not a God afar To be circumspect, understand, easily accepted the serpent's sugges- /
Lord God walking in the garden in off? expert, wise. tions, but what would have happened /
the cool of the day: and Adam and Can any hide himself in secret if Adam had not? We assume Adam did /
his wife hid themselves from the places that I shall not see him? "naked" (erom) so from the desire to share in all /
presence of the Lord God amongst saith the Lord. Do I fill heaven and Nudity, bare, naked. that his mate did out of love! To /
the trees of the garden. earth? saith the Lord. have not participated with her would /
3:9 And the Lord God called unto Proverbs 28:13 He that covereth his "aprons" (chagorah) probably have been to have rejected /
Adam, and said unto him, Where art sins shall not prosper: but whoso To gird about the waist, a girdle, her! Probably a much more severe test /
thou? confesseth and forsaketh them shall an apron. for Adam than had been that of Eve's. /
3:10 And he said, I heard thy voice have mercy. /
in the garden, and I was afraid, I John 3:7-8 Little children, let no "voice" (qowl) "I was afraid" /
because I was naked; and I hid man deceive you; he that doeth right- A sound, noise or voice. Immediately upon "opening of their /
myself. eousness is righteous, even as he is (for 3:8 sound could be preferred) eyes" man has experienced the fear of /
3:11 And he said, Who told thee righteous. being discovered! He has gone from /
that thou wast naked? Hast thou He that committeth sin is of the "cool" (ruwach) innocent open communication with the /
eaten of the tree, whereof I devil; for the devil sinneth from the At the breeze, wind, breath, cool Creator to hiding in shame! This is /
commanded thee that thou shouldest beginning. For this purpose the Son undoubtedly the true nature of the /
not eat? of God was manifested, that he might "hid" (chaba) death that he has experienced. This /
3:12 And the man said, The woman destroy the works of the devil. To keep secret, to hide. the true death happened immediately /
whom thou gavest to be with me, Acts 13:10 And said, O full of all and was followed by the sorrow, /
she gave me of the tree, and I did subtilty and all mischief, thou child "called" (qara) pain, toil and physical death that /
eat. of the devil, thou enemy of all righ- To address, to call out. was yet to come to the physical Adam. /
3:13 And the Lord God said unto the teousness, wilt thou not cease to However, happily, he has not for ever /
woman, What is this that thou hast pervert the right ways of the Lord. "afraid" (yare) lost the capability to again gain the /
done? And the woman said, The John 8:44 Ye are of your father the To be frightened of, to fear, to joy of "salvation". He still has the /
serpent beguiled me, and I did devil, and the lusts of your father reverence. capability to regain close communic- /
eat. ye will do: he was a murderer from tion with the Lord in the spiritual /
3:14 And the Lord God said unto the from the beginning, and abode not in "commanded" (tsavah) world! We must not feel that all is /
serpent, Because thou hast done truth, because there is no truth in To enjoin, to bid, to charge, to lost, even though we live on this /
this, thou art cursed above all him. When he speaketh a lie, he spea- command. planet that has for many millennia /
cattle, and above very beast of keth of his own: for he is a liar, suffered under the curse. (We obvio- /
the field; upon thy belly shalt and the father of it. "gave, givest" (nathan) usly understand that if the fall had /
thou go, and dust shalt thou eat Isaiah 65:25 The wolf and the lamb To bestow, bring, grant, give. not happened that the world of man /
all the days of thy life: shall feed together, and the lion would not be subjected to the many /
3:15 And I will put enmity between shall eat straw like the bullock: "done" (asah) destructive upheavals that now exist.) /
thee and the woman, and between and dust shall be the serpent's meat. To accomplish, to make, to do. /
thy seed and her seed; it shall Romans 16:20 And the God of peace shall "enmity" /
bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise Satan under your feet shortly. "beguiled" (nasha) Evil existed prior to the fall, but /
bruise his heel. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ To lead astray, to deceive, to now the earth had become the main /
3:16 Unto the woman he said, I will be with you, Amen. begile. battleground for the forces of good /
greatly multiply thy sorrow and Ephesians 5:22-23 Wives, submit your- against evil. The evil spirits are /
thy conception; in sorrow thou selves unto your own husbands, as "cursed" (arar) in all out warfare against the will /
shalt bring forth children; and unto the Lord. To bitterly curse, to declare of God and they are using every tool /
thy desire shall be to thy For the husband is the head of the abhorrent. at their disposal to bring suffering /
husband, and he shall rule over wife, even as Christ is the head of and torment to humans. Man has at /
thee. the church:... "belly" (gachown) his disposal the capability to be /
3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because John 16:21 A woman when she is in The external abdomen, belly. triumphant over these forces. But /
thou hast hearkened unto the voice travail hath sorrow, because her hour unfortunately so few do so. Mostly /
of thy wife, and hast eaten of the is come: but as soon as she is deliv- "dust" (aphar) man continues to compound his many /
tree, of which I commanded thee, ered of the child, she remembereth no Dust, ashes, rubbish. problems by continuing to fail to /
saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: more the anguish, for the joy that a follow the commandments of the /
cursed is the ground for thy sake; man is born into the world. "enmity" (eybah) Creator! The majority of the sorrow /
in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all Genesis 5:29 And he called his name Hostility, hatred, war, enmity. that man experiences is due to his /
the days of thy life; Noah, saying, This same shall comfort failure to heed the Words that the /
3:18 Thorns also and thistles shall us concerning our work and toil of "bruise" (shuwph) Lord has provide by His inspiration /
it bring forth to thee; and thou our hands, because of the ground To break, to cover, to overwhelm, in the Scriptures. The serpent's /
shalt eat the herb of the field: which the Lord hath cursed. to bruise. first suggestion to Eve was to /
3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt I Samuel 15:23 For rebellion is as the instill doubt about the truth of /
thou eat bread, till thou return sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness "sorrow" (itstsabown) His words and this remains the most /
unto the ground; for out of it is as iniquity and idolatry. Because Worrisomeness, pain, sorrow. effective tool satan has. Even many /
wast thou taken: for dust thou thou hast rejected the word of the who say they are believers evidence /
art, and unto dust shalt thou Lord, he hath also rejected thee from "desire" (tshuwqah) their doubt in the full truth of the /
return. being king. To stretch out towards, longing, Words in their life style. /
3:20 And Adam called his wife's name Ecclesiastes 12:7 Then shall the dust desire. /
Eve; because she was the mother of return to the earth as it was: and "the Lord made coats of skins" /
all living. the spirit shall return unto God who "rule" (mashal) Even as the Lord caused the life of /
3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife gave it. Dominion, have power over, rule. some animals to cease to exist in /
did the Lord God make coats of II Thessalonians 3:10 For even when we order that He could provide a covering /
skins, and clothed them. were with you, this we commanded you, "hearkened" (shama) for Adam and Eve, He is still prepared /
3:22 And the Lord God said, Behold, that if any would not work, neither To pay obedience to, to consent. to do so for man today! He desires /
the man is become as one of us, to should he eat. most earnestly that man should not /
know good and evil: and now, lest Romans 5:12-15 Wherefore, as by one man "sweat" (zeah) live for ever in a state of sin! He /
he put forth his hand, and take sin entered into the world, and death Perspiration, sweat. did not destroy the tree of life. He /
also of the tree of life, and eat, by sin; and so death passed upon all has preserved and protected it from /
and live forever: men, for that all have sinned: "Eve" (chavvah) the forces of evil so that it can once /
3:23 Therefore the Lord God sent him Nevertheless death reigned from Adam Life giver. again be made available to man! To /
forth from the garden of Eden, to to Moses, even over them that had not force man to obey His Words would be /
till the ground from whence he was sinned after the similitude of Adam's "coats" (kuttoneth) to destroy the free will that He had /
taken. transgression, who is the figure of To cover, a garment, robe, coat. given man. The free will to love, /
3:24 So he drove out the man: and he him that was to come. praise and adore the Creator and His /
placed at the east of the garden But not as the offense, so also is "skins" (owr) wonderful creation. To allow man to /
of Eden cherubim, and a flaming the free gift: for if though the Hide, leather, skin. continue to live in Eden in a state /
sword which turned every way, to offense of one many be dead, much of rebellion would be a desecration /
keep the way of the tree of life. more the grace of God, and the gift "for ever" (olam) of a perfectly created garden. Man /
by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Everlasting, perpetual, for ever. is relegated to demonstrating his /
Christ, hath abounded unto many. ability to love the Creator by over- /
"till" (abad) coming the sorrows and temptations /
To work, serve, labor, till. of a fallen world. He could have /
immediately destroyed His entire /
"garash" (garash) creation, but that He did not do. He /
To cast our, to drive away. has given man the opportunity for /
redemption by demonstrating accep- /
"to keep the way" (shamar derek) tance and love of his Son, "the Word" /
To hedge about the road, which has existed from the beginning. /
to preserve access to. (see John 1:1) /
/
MATTERS OF CONTENTION MATTERS OF CONTENTION /
/
"the serpent" "cursed above all cattle" /
Ezekiel 28:12-17 Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in The serpent received a very severe curse. And also the other creatures /
beauty. were to unfortunately receive a portion of the curse. The physical serpent /
Thou hast been in Eden the garden of god; every precious stone was thy was to become one of the more feared and detested of the creatures. The /
covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and spiritual serpent is doomed to eternal torment. Revelations 20:10 "And the /
the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, /
workmanship of thy tabrets and thy pipes was prepared in thee in the where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and /
day that thou wast created. night for ever and ever." The penalty of a bruised head would seem to be /
Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I set thee so: thou much more severe than a bruised heel. From this we know that the powers /
wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the of the serpent are limited. Being a created being, he is on a much lower /
midst of the stones of fire. power scale than that of God and His Son. He can harass and deceive man /
Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till only to a limit that the Lord can terminate at any time he wills. The /
iniquity was found in thee. believer has this promise that "There hath no temptation taken you but /
By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to /
with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as pro- be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make /
fane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." (I Corinthians 10:13). /
cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. The other creatures also were to suddenly reap the effects of the fall. /
Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy They became a source for clothing, labor and food for man. They must now /
wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I fear man greatly as man exercises his dominion over them to harness them /
will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. to till the soil, take from them their milk and wool, and kill them for /
skins and food. Many scholars propose that the creatures would not have /
Isaiah 14:12-15 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the experienced physical death due to aging unless man had sinned. They /
morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the propose that the curse was the beginning of physical death for all /
nations! creatures. "And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation /
For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands. They shall /
exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount perish, but thou remainest: and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;" /
of the congregation, in the sides of the north: (Hebrews 1:10-11) It is proposed that the fall and the curse was the /
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most beginning of all decomposition and death of the creation. Others would /
High. propose that eternal life could only be sustained by eating of the tree /
Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. life, which was removed from man's access. Could the other creatures also /
eat of the tree of life? And were those animals outside of the garden /
What did Eve see and communicate with? We can only go from these passages experiencing death due to age? Or was all animal life at this time /
and imagine that she beheld a thing of beauty as are many snakes today. confined to the garden? We can ask many questions? /
But being more subtle it would appear to be not much different than many /
of the beautiful creatures of the creation. It seems probable that Adam and "thy seed and her seed" /
Eve could communicate with all the creatures of the garden, if not by ver- Many scholars propose a very significant and prophetic meaning to the /
bal languages, then probably by an understanding of their intentions and use of the term seed. Meaning beyond the obvious meaning of physical /
motions. Being in a state of innocence and lacking any knowledge of fear offspring. The seed of the spiritual serpent would be its followers and /
and anxiousness, their senses must have been undoubtedly heightened. Many spiritual seed of Eve could represent the followers of the Lord. But many /
scholars propose that Adam and Eve were the ultimate in humanity, propose that the ultimate "seed of the woman" is the Messiah, the Son /
possessing superior beauty and intellect, the crowning glory of the earthly of God, Jesus Christ. For it is He who was to deliver the ultimate /
creation. And that unfortunately for us alive on the earth today, the laws bruising blow to satan and provide salvation through grace. "Christ /
of thermodynamics hold true, and that we represented a much deteriorated cometh of the seed of David" (John 7:42). /
state of humanity in beauty and intellect. The same would hold true for the /
serpent, and it was probably a thing of beauty and skill, probably holding "thy conception in sorrow" /
itself upright as the cobra does. Possibly also seen climbing in the tree, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth," (Genesis 1:28) /
and may we be so bold as to speculate that it was eating of the fruit to Adam and Eve had been instructed to conceive before the sin and had /
demonstrate that "the tree was good for food, and it was pleasant to the not yet done so. Now they would pass on their sin nature to their off- /
eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise"!! spring and the earth would see much suffering and sorrow as a result. /
Eve and all women to follow would experience extreme discomfort from /
"the eyes of them were both opened" the act of childbirth. Something which the animal creatures do not /
What a tragic statement for a seemingly very good thing!! We naturally seem to experience. A portion of the desire of the female for her /
associate the opening of the eyes as a wonderful thing since to us it sym- husband and the sexual experience is the great desire to give birth. Even /
bolizes the acquiring of truth and knowledge. But unfortunately for hum- though all women are aware of the possible sorrows they can experience /
anity there are many forms of knowledge that come form disobedience. For from a disobedient child, even as they are disobedient to the Creator. /
example, knowledge of deviant sexual practices, how to use drugs, how to This desire is among the strongest of desires. There are many females /
deceive others, how to murder, cheat and steal. Why does man seek "wisdom" today who would say that they can do without the domineering nature of /
in such areas as he does continuously? Is this the type of knowledge that man, but they strongly desire the childbearing experience. Another /
means "ye shall be as gods" as Eve and most of mankind to follow from her example of the many ways that humans have of being disobedient to the /
and Adam have demonstrated a desire for?? Many philosophers of the world commands of the Creator. /
today say that "God is a liar" that there is no such thing as "good and /
evil"! Why cannot their "eyes be opened" and why cannot they look around "cursed is the ground" "Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth" /
at the sad condition of humanity today and see the very serious and so Has the Creator discontinued his seventh day rest to continue the /
tragic fruit of their teachings?? creation of undesirable plants? For before we read where he completed /
his creation on the sixth day and that it was "good". Or was it just /
"I was afraid" that thorns and thistles and other "undesirable" plants existed outside /
We are not told that Adam believed the deception of the serpent, but that the garden? What at times may seem undesirable for one reason are often /
he followed the example of Eve. We are not informed if he at first pro- desirable or "good" for another reason. For instance thorns give a /
tested the action or whether he readily followed. But unfortunately he measure of protection to plants and undesirable thistles are often a /
did so and then immediately became afraid. Where before the Lord had cust- means of transporting seeds. Scholars differ depending on how they /
omarily walked in the garden and communicated with them. Now they were interpret the extent of the curse due to the fall. Some would say that /
reduced to a couple hiding and ashamed of their appearance. Many scholars all "undesirable" features came to existence after the fall. Others would /
propose that before the fall they were clothed in a glow of light of inno- say that Adam and Eve lost the close communication and protection of the /
cence put on them by the Creator. As in many cases in the Scriptures where Lord within the garden with the presence of the tree of life, but that the /
a aura of light is associated with the Father and the Son. Now they are the rest of the earth was basically unchanged as it had been created. But /
uncovered and naked such that the nature of their disobedience is readily then we must wonder, what about the great catastrophes of earthquakes /
apparent to both themselves and the Lord. They are no longer seeking the and volcanic eruptions. Had they occurred before the fall in other areas, /
close companionship of the Creator, instead they are hiding as does the but the Lord was preventing them from occurring in the garden? There are /
serpent which they have followed! They seek to cast the blame on the ser- many details that we would like know, but we are told very little! /
pent but this cannot justify their disobedience. Like so many men of today /
who lightheartedly say "the devil made me do it". The excuse that my sins "lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life," /
are the result of the society that I was raised in does not work. All have The Lord has determined that is would be undesirable for man to live /
at one time or another willfully partaken of the "pleasures" of this world! physically for ever in the state of disobedience. There must be provided /
a way for the sin nature to be ended. But if man lives for ever on the /
"The woman whom thou gavest to be with me" cursed earth he seems doomed to an eternity of suffering and pain. It /
Was Adam here trying to place part of the blame on God? Was he saying is determined that man can achieve a "rest" from the suffering of this /
that it was God's fault for giving him Eve? Quite possibly! Even as Eve life in the spiritual after life. And a plan has been initiated that will /
was blaming the serpent, and Adam was blaming Eve, could it be possible eventually lead to a new creation where sin does not exist. "And I saw /
that the Lord considered Himself partially to blame for giving them a a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth /
free will? Genesis 6:6 "And it repented the Lord that he had made man were passed away;" (Revelation 21:1) Mankind must demonstrate his desire /
on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart." The Lord has been grieved, to again be obedient through his belief in the righteousness of the /
but mainly due to the actions of his creations, man and angels. But who Creator. /
can the serpent blame? It appears that he has no one to blame, unless he /
also blames God for giving him a free will. Many a man has cursed God "to keep the way of the tree of life" /
for the problems and sorrow that he has had on earth. Many a man has said, Many would interpret this to mean that man has been for ever barred from /
"How can a good God allow such suffering?". But how can God be blamed access to the tree of life. "And he showed me a pure river of water of /
for the short fallings of man? But did He not know from the beginning that life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the /
angels and man would sin and that such suffering was inevitable? Is the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, /
suffering worth the glorious end that we know will come? Many questions was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded /
of doubt unbelieving man can propose. All of which demonstrate the sin her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of /
nature of man in which he questions God's righteousness and even his the nations." (Revelation 22:1-2) Many will say that the earth can only /
existence. end in doom as man's sin nature grows until he destroys himself and the /
earth. But we have a sure promise that the earth will once again be retur- /
ned to a glorious creation and the tree of life again be present. It has /
been preserved for deserving humanity's future in "the new heavens and the /
