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 Genesis 3:1-7


 
The first thing we need to figure out is what we read this passage as ʹ what is its genre. Unfortunately, this is a
pretty hotly contested question when it comes to the early chapters of Genesis. It is plainly narrative ʹ it͛s a story
with characters, there is a plot, etc. It͛s also history, though not in the usual sense. It is not an eyewitness
recollection of events past, but it is a historical event, The Fall, even if some of the details are narrative devices and
not strictly historical ʹ it is necessarily a historic, space-time event. Finally, it also theology, that is, it seeks to make a
larger theological point. In fact, this is a point which shapes all theology, and all history and the whole biblical
narrative from this moment onwards.

 

Ch. 3v1 begins with the word ͚NOW͛ indicating a break with what has come before - BEFORE that, NOW this. So,
what happened before? Well, God created the world and it was all very good (1v31). It was good in the sense that it
was perfectly made to fit God͛s purposes. God͛s creation included the man and the woman whom he put in the
garden together to tend and keep it.

 

The part of the story we pick up consists of four characters:

  

Firstly, the serpent.


 3v1a

We are told that the serpent was one of the creatures that God made in the first two chapters. But the
serpent stands out from among God͛s creatures as being more crafty, sneaky and cunning. Revelation
chapters 12 & 20 talk about the defeat of ͞that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan͟ ʹ it seems
likely that it has Genesis 3 in mind. But a lot of the questions we want to ask about this serpent, Genesis
simply doesn͛t answer. Who exactly is the serpent? Why is it more crafty? Why did God create it? If it is
Satan, why is it described as being one of the beasts of the field? What is its relationship to an actual snake?
This, I think, is a good example of where a historical detail is presented within a narrative device. The devil is
being portrayed as a snake, even though it isn͛t actually one. The snake is used to represent evil, cunning
and deceit.

  

The second character in this story is the woman ʹ v1b-5 record the conversation which takes place between
these two characters.


 3v1b-5

Three things are said in this conversation ʹ the serpent first speaks to the woman, she then responds, and
then the serpent counters her response.

! The serpent begins by questioning: ͞Did God actually say ͚You shall not eat from any tree in the garden͛?͟
It takes the command of God from ch. 2v16-17 and twists it. [A BIT MORE HERE].
"! The woman responds ͞We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ͚You shall not eat
of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.͟ The tree
that she was referring to in the midst of the garden is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God had
given humankind free reign over all the fruit of the garden, but he had prohibited them from eating from this
particular tree. Much has been made of the fact that God originally only banned them from eating from the
tree and that the woman adds in the bit about not even touching it. I͛ve heard it said that this is the
beginning of her doubting God, but I don͛t know what to make of it because it doesn͛t seem very important
in the context of this passage and it isn͛t taken up anywhere else. The important act is the actual eating of
the fruit.
 ! The snake counters her response with a flat out lie: ͞You will not surely die.͟ God had said that they
would, but the serpent denies this, casting aspersion͛s on God͛s character. ͞God knows that when you eat of
it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.͟ Now, as we shall, in a way the
serpent is telling the truth ʹ God does know that when they eat of it, their eyes will be opened, and they will
be like God in a sense, they will know good and evil. But this is not a secret good thing that God is trying to
keep from them as the snake makes it out to be.

The woman, however, is convinced. She sees that the tree is good for food, that it is a delight to the eyes,
and that it would make her wise. She takes the fruit and eats it.

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At this point we met the third character ʹ her husband.


 3v6 (emphasis on husband)

The husband through all this plays a passive role. Notice that it says that she gives it to her husband who was
R
 her. He was with her the whole time that she was chatting with the serpent, just standing around. He is
given the fruit and he eats it too.

They both eat the fruit, and as the serpent promised their eyes were opened and they both knew͙ NOT
good and evil as we might expect, but they knew that they were naked. Now, this might seem strange to us,
because we are used to knowing when we are naked. Back in ch. 2v25 we read that ͞the man and his wife
were both naked and were not ashamed͟ and now for the first time they realise that they were naked and
are instantly ashamed, straight away they look for leaves for clothes.

So, what͛s going on here? What does it mean that they realise they were naked and what does this have to
do with the knowledge of good and evil? The nakedness is a symbol of their innocence and purity. They were
naked and unprotected with each having no shame and fearing no harm before they ate the fruit.
Afterwards, suddenly everything changes and they need to hide their bodies from each other. The most
immediate effect of the fall is a break in the relationship of the man and woman.

I don͛t think that the tree of knowledge of good and evil was some kind of magical tree possession wisdom
in its fruit. I think it was probably an ordinary tree. Rather, I think that as the man and the woman ate from
it, they took upon themselves the ability to decide what was good and evil for themselves. In a sense they
became like God because they put themselves in the place of God by defying his command and deciding
their own way.

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The final character is God. God is not actually present in this story, but he is right through its narrative in v1
twice, v3 & v5 twice. In fact, though absent, God is the chief character. It is God that is under attack by the
serpent. It is God that the man and the woman are rejecting by eating the fruit. In trying to become like God,
the man and the woman break their relationship with God ʹ which is clear from the chapter which follows.
God appears, the humans try to hide from him and he curses the serpent, the woman and the man and kicks
them out of the garden.

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Where does this fit in on the timeline of biblical history? Well, obviously right at the beginning. In a way, it is the
second major event. First, God created the universe, and then second, humans stuffed it up. This event underlies the
rest of biblical history ʹ from chapter 4 onwards humankind͛s rejection of God colours everything. We see sin
spreading and deepening throughout the world. This event necessitates the cross. Before the Fall, man knew God,
but this event breaks that relationship and begins the unfolding of God͛s plan for revelation and redemption which
climaxes in Jesus͛ death on the cross.