1 Now the serpent H5175 was H1961 more subtil H6175 than any beast H2416 of the field H7704 which the LORD H3068 God H430 had made. H6213 And he said H559 unto the woman, H802 Yea, H637 hath God H430 said, H559 Ye shall not eat H398 of every tree H6086 of the garden? H1588
But G1161 I fear, G5399 lest G3381 by any means, G4458 as G5613 the serpent G3789 beguiled G1818 Eve G2096 through G1722 his G846 subtilty, G3834 so G3779 your G5216 minds G3540 should be corrupted G5351 from G575 the simplicity G572 that is in G1519 Christ. G5547
And G2532 the great G3173 dragon G1404 was cast out, G906 that old G744 serpent, G3789 called G2564 the Devil, G1228 and G2532 Satan, G4567 which G3588 deceiveth G4105 the whole G3650 world: G3625 he was cast out G906 into G1519 the earth, G1093 and G2532 his G846 angels G32 were cast out G906 with G3326 him. G846
And G2532 he laid hold on G2902 the dragon, G1404 that old G744 serpent, G3789 which G3739 is G2076 the Devil, G1228 and G2532 Satan, G4567 and G2532 bound G1210 him G846 a thousand G5507 years, G2094
And the LORD H3068 God H430 said H559 unto the woman, H802 What is this that thou hast done? H6213 And the woman H802 said, H559 The serpent H5175 beguiled me, H5377 and I did eat. H398 And the LORD H3068 God H430 said H559 unto the serpent, H5175 Because thou H859 hast done H6213 this, thou art cursed H779 above all cattle, H929 and above every beast H2416 of the field; H7704 upon thy belly H1512 shalt thou go, H3212 and dust H6083 shalt thou eat H398 all the days H3117 of thy life: H2416 And I will put H7896 enmity H342 between thee and the woman, H802 and between thy seed H2233 and her seed; H2233 it shall bruise H7779 thy head, H7218 and thou shalt bruise H7779 his heel. H6119
And the LORD H3068 opened H6605 the mouth H6310 of the ass, H860 and she said H559 unto Balaam, H1109 What have I done H6213 unto thee, that thou hast smitten H5221 me these three H7969 times? H7272 And Balaam H1109 said H559 unto the ass, H860 Because thou hast mocked H5953 me: I would H3863 there were H3426 a sword H2719 in mine hand, H3027 for now would I kill H2026 thee.
In that day H3117 the LORD H3068 with his sore H7186 and great H1419 and strong H2389 sword H2719 shall punish H6485 leviathan H3882 the piercing H1281 serpent, H5175 even leviathan H3882 that crooked H6129 serpent; H5175 and he shall slay H2026 the dragon H8577 that is in the sea. H3220
And G2532 saith G3004 unto him, G846 If G1487 thou be G1488 the Son G5207 of God, G2316 cast G906 thyself G4572 down: G2736 for G1063 it is written, G1125 G3754 He shall give G1781 his G846 angels G32 charge G1781 concerning G4012 thee: G4675 and G2532 in G1909 their hands G5495 they shall bear G142 thee G4571 up, G142 lest at any time G3379 thou dash G4350 thy G4675 foot G4228 against G4314 a stone. G3037
Likewise, G3668 ye husbands, G435 dwell with G4924 them according to G2596 knowledge, G1108 giving G632 honour G5092 unto the wife, G1134 as G5613 unto the weaker G772 vessel, G4632 and G2532 as G5613 being heirs together G4789 of the grace G5485 of life; G2222 that G1519 your G5216 prayers G4335 be G1581 not G3361 hindered. G1581
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Genesis 3
Commentary on Genesis 3 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 3
The story of this chapter is perhaps as sad a story (all things considered) as any we have in all the Bible. In the foregoing chapters we have had the pleasant view of the holiness and happiness of our first parents, the grace and favour of God, and the peace and beauty of the whole creation, all good, very good; but here the scene is altered. We have here an account of the sin and misery of our first parents, the wrath and curse of God against them, the peace of the creation disturbed, and its beauty stained and sullied, all bad, very bad. "How has the gold become dim, and the most fine gold changed!' O that our hearts were deeply affected with this record! For we are all nearly concerned in it; let it not be to us as a tale that is told. The general contents of this chapter we have (Rom. 5:12), "By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.' More particularly, we have here,
And were it not for the gracious intimations here given of redemption by the promised seed, they, and all their degenerate guilty race, would have been left to endless despair.
Gen 3:1-5
We have here an account of the temptation with which Satan assaulted our first parents, to draw them into sin, and which proved fatal to them. Here observe,
Gen 3:6-8
Here we see what Eve's parley with the tempter ended in. Satan, at length, gains his point, and the strong-hold is taken by his wiles. God tried the obedience of our first parents by forbidding them the tree of knowledge, and Satan does, as it were, join issue with God, and in that very thing undertakes to seduce them into a transgression; and here we find how he prevailed, God permitting it for wise and holy ends.
Gen 3:9-10
We have here the arraignment of these deserters before the righteous Judge of heaven and earth, who, though he is not tied to observe formalities, yet proceeds against them with all possible fairness, that he may be justified when he speaks. Observe here,
Gen 3:11-13
We have here the offenders found guilty by their own confession, and yet endeavouring to excuse and extenuate their fault. They could not confess and justify what they had done, but they confess and palliate it. Observe,
Gen 3:14-15
The prisoners being found guilty by their own confession, besides the personal and infallible knowledge of the Judge, and nothing material being offered in arrest of judgment, God immediately proceeds to pass sentence; and, in these verses, he begins (where the sin began) with the serpent. God did not examine the serpent, nor ask him what he had done nor why he did it; but immediately sentenced him,
Gen 3:16
We have here the sentence passed upon the woman for her sin. Two things she is condemned to: a state of sorrow, and a state of subjection, proper punishments of a sin in which she had gratified her pleasure and her pride.
Gen 3:17-19
We have here the sentence passed upon Adam, which is prefaced with a recital of his crime: Because thou hast hearkened to the voice of thy wife, v. 17. He excused the fault, by laying it on his wife: She gave it me. But God does not admit the excuse. She could but tempt him, she could not force him; though it was her fault to persuade him to eat, it was his fault to hearken to her. Thus men's frivolous pleas will, in the day of God's judgment, not only be overruled, but turned against them, and made the grounds of their sentence. Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee. Observe,
Gen 3:20
God having named the man, and called him Adam, which signifies red earth, Adam, in further token of dominion, named the woman, and called her Eve, that is, life. Adam bears the name of the dying body, Eve that of the living soul. The reason of the name is here given (some think, by Moses the historian, others, by Adam himself): Because she was (that is, was to be) the mother of all living. He had before called her Ishah-woman, as a wife; here he calls her Evah-life, as a mother. Now,
Gen 3:21
We have here a further instance of God's care concerning our first parents, notwithstanding their sin. Though he corrects his disobedient children, and put them under the marks of his displeasure, yet he does not disinherit them, but, like a tender father, provides the herb of the field for their food and coats of skins for their clothing. Thus the father provided for the returning prodigal, Lu. 15:22, 23. If the Lord had been pleased to kill them, he would not have done this for them. Observe,
Gen 3:22-24
Sentence being passed upon the offenders, we have here execution, in part, done upon them immediately. Observe here,