Genesis 3:17
Verse
Context
The Punishment of Mankind
16To the woman He said: “I will sharply increase your pain in childbirth; in pain you will bring forth children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” 17And to Adam He said: “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat, cursed is the ground because of you; through toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. 18Both thorns and thistles it will yield for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.
Sermons
Warren Wiersbe
A.W. Tozer
Chuck Smith
Jackie Pullinger
Stephen Hamilton
CompilationsSummary
Commentary
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Matthew Henry
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
Unto Adam he said - The man being the last in the transgression is brought up last to receive his sentence: Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife - "thou wast not deceived, she only gave and counseled thee to eat; this thou shouldst have resisted;" and that he did not is the reason of his condemnation. Cursed is the ground for thy sake - from henceforth its fertility shall be greatly impaired; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it - be in continual perplexity concerning the seed time and the harvest, the cold and the heat, the wet and the dry. How often are all the fruits of man's toll destroyed by blasting, by mildew, by insects, wet weather, land floods, etc.! Anxiety and carefulness are the laboring man's portion.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
unto Adam he said--made to gain his livelihood by tilling the ground; but what before his fall he did with ease and pleasure, was not to be accomplished after it without painful and persevering exertion.
John Gill Bible Commentary
And unto Adam he said,.... Last of all, being the last that sinned, but not to be excused: because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife; which was not only mean but sinful, since it was opposite to the voice of God, which he ought to have hearkened to God is to be hearkened to and obeyed rather than man, and much rather than a woman; to regard the persuasion of a woman, and neglect the command of God, is a great aggravation of such neglect; see Act 4:19. and hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee; saying, thou shall not eat of it; that is, had eat of the fruit of the tree which God had plainly pointed unto him, and concerning which he had given a clear and an express command not to eat of it; and had delivered it to him in the strongest manner, and had most peremptorily and strictly enjoined it, adding the threatening of death unto it; so that he could by no means plead ignorance in himself, or any obscurity in the law, or pretend he did not understand the sense of the legislator. The righteous sentence therefore follows: cursed is the ground for thy sake; the whole earth, which was made for man, and all things in it, of which he had the possession and dominion, and might have enjoyed the use of everything in it, with comfort and pleasure; that which was man's greatest earthly blessing is now turned into a curse by sin, which is a proof of the exceeding sinfulness of it, and its just demerit: so in later instances, a "fruitful land" is turned "into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein", Psa 107:34 hence, whenever there is sterility in a country, a want of provisions, a famine, it should always be imputed to sin; and this should put us in mind of the sin of the first man, and the consequence of that: in sorrow shall thou eat of it all the days of thy life, meaning that with much toil and trouble, in manuring and cultivating the earth, he should get his living out of the produce of it, though with great difficulty; and this would be his case as long as he was in it.
Matthew Henry Bible Commentary
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, Gen 3:17. 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, I. God put marks of his displeasure on Adam in three instances: - 1. His habitation is, by this sentence, cursed: Cursed is the ground for thy sake; and the effect of that curse is, Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth unto thee. It is here intimated that his habitation should be changed; he should no longer dwell in a distinguished, blessed, paradise, but should be removed to common ground, and that cursed. The ground, or earth, is here put for the whole visible creation, which, by the sin of man, is made subject to vanity, the several parts of it being not so serviceable to man's comfort and happiness as they were designed to be when they were made, and would have been if he had not sinned. God gave the earth to the children of men, designing it to be a comfortable dwelling to them. But sin has altered the property of it. It is now cursed for man's sin; that is, it is a dishonourable habitation, it bespeaks man mean, that his foundation is in the dust; it is a dry and barren habitation, its spontaneous productions are now weeds and briers, something nauseous or noxious; what good fruits it produces must be extorted from it by the ingenuity and industry of man. Fruitfulness was its blessing, for man's service (Gen 1:11, Gen 1:29), and now barrenness was its curse, for man's punishment. It is not what it was in the day it was created. Sin turned a fruitful land into barrenness; and man, having become as the wild ass's colt, has the wild ass's lot, the wilderness for his habitation, and the barren land his dwelling, Job 39:6; Psa 68:6. Had not this curse been in part removed, for aught I know, the earth would have been for ever barren, and never produced any thing but thorns and thistles. The ground is cursed, that is, doomed to destruction at the end of time, when the earth, and all the works that are therein, shall be burnt up for the sin of man, the measure of whose iniquity will then be full, Pe2 3:7, Pe2 3:10. But observe a mixture of mercy in this sentence. (1.) Adam himself is not cursed, as the serpent was (Gen 3:14), but only the ground for his sake. God had blessings in him, even the holy seed: Destroy it not, for that blessing is in it, Isa 65:8. And he had blessings in store for him; therefore he is not directly and immediately cursed, but, as it were, at second hand. (2.) He is yet above ground. The earth does not open and swallow him up; only it is not what it was: as he continues alive, notwithstanding his degeneracy from his primitive purity and rectitude, so the earth continues to be his habitation, notwithstanding its degeneracy from its primitive beauty and fruitfulness. (3.) This curse upon the earth, which cut off all expectations of a happiness in things below, might direct and quicken him to look for bliss and satisfaction only in things above. 2. His employments and enjoyments are all embittered to him. (1.) His business shall henceforth become a toil to him, and he shall go on with it in the sweat of his face, Gen 3:19. His business, before he sinned, was a constant pleasure to him, the garden was then dressed without any uneasy labour, and kept without any uneasy care; but now his labour shall be a weariness and shall waste his body; his care shall be a torment and shall afflict his mind. The curse upon the ground which made it barren, and produced thorns and thistles, made his employment about it much more difficult and toilsome. If Adam had not sinned, he had not sweated. Observe here, [1.] That labour is our duty, which we must faithfully perform; we are bound to work, not as creatures only, but as criminals; it is part of our sentence, which idleness daringly defies. [2.] That uneasiness and weariness with labour are our just punishment, which we must patiently submit to, and not complain of, since they are less than our iniquity deserves. Let not us, by inordinate care and labour, make our punishment heavier than God has made it; but rather study to lighten our burden, and wipe off our sweat, by eyeing Providence in all and expecting rest shortly. (2.) His food shall henceforth become (in comparison with what it had been) unpleasant to him. [1.] The matter of his food is changed; he must now eat the herb of the field, and must no longer be feasted with the delicacies of the garden of Eden. Having by sin made himself like the beasts that perish, he is justly turned to be a fellow-commoner with them, and to eat grass as oxen, till he know that the heavens do rule. [2.] There is a change in the manner of his eating it: In sorrow (Gen 3:17) and in the sweat of his face (Gen 3:19) he must eat of it. Adam could not but eat in sorrow all the days of his life, remembering the forbidden fruit he had eaten, and the guilt and shame he had contracted by it. Observe, First, That human life is exposed to many miseries and calamities, which very much embitter the poor remains of its pleasures and delights. Some never eat with pleasure (Job 21:25), through sickness or melancholy; all, even the best, have cause to eat with sorrow for sin; and all, even the happiest in this world, have some allays to their joy: troops of diseases, disasters, and deaths, in various shapes, entered the world with sin, and still ravage it. Secondly, That the righteousness of God is to be acknowledged in all the sad consequences of sin. Wherefore then should a living man complain? Yet, in this part of the sentence, there is also a mixture of mercy. He shall sweat, but his toil shall make his rest the more welcome when he returns to his earth, as to his bed; he shall grieve, but he shall not starve; he shall have sorrow, but in that sorrow he shall eat bread, which shall strengthen his heart under his sorrows. He is not sentenced to eat dust as the serpent, only to eat the herb of the field. 3. His life also is but short. Considering how full of trouble his days are, it is in favour to him that they are few; yet death being dreadful to nature (yea, even though life be unpleasant) that concludes the sentence. "Thou shalt return to the ground out of which thou wast taken; thy body, that part of thee which was taken out of the ground, shall return to it again; for dust thou art." This points either to the first original of his body; it was made of the dust, nay it was made dust, and was still so; so that there needed no more than to recall the grant of immortality, and to withdraw the power which was put forth to support it, and then he would, of course, return to dust. Or to the present corruption and degeneracy of his mind: Dust thou art, that is, "Thy precious soul is now lost and buried in the dust of the body and the mire of the flesh; it was made spiritual and heavenly, but it has become carnal and earthly." His doom is therefore read: "To dust thou shalt return. Thy body shall be forsaken by thy soul, and become itself a lump of dust; and then it shall be lodged in the grave, the proper place for it, and mingle itself with the dust of the earth," our dust, Psa 104:29. Earth to earth, dust to dust. Observe here, (1.) That man is a mean frail creature, little as dust, the small dust of the balance - light as dust, altogether lighter than vanity - weak as dust, and of no consistency. Our strength is not the strength of stones; he that made us considers it, and remembers that we are dust, Psa 103:14. Man is indeed the chief part of the dust of the world (Pro 8:26), but still he is dust. (2.) That he is a mortal dying creature, and hastening to the grave. Dust may be raised, for a time, into a little cloud, and may seem considerable while it is held up by the wind that raised it; but, when the force of that is spent, it falls again, and returns to the earth out of which it was raised. Such a thing is man; a great man is but a great mass of dust, and must return to his earth. (3.) That sin brought death into the world. If Adam had not sinned, he would not have died, Rom 5:12. God entrusted Adam with a spark of immortality, which he, by a patient continuance in well-doing, might have blown up into an everlasting flame; but he foolishly blew it out by wilful sin: and now death is the wages of sin, and sin is the sting of death. II. We must not go off from this sentence upon our first parents, which we are all so nearly concerned in, and feel from, to this day, till we have considered two things: - 1. How fitly the sad consequences of sin upon the soul of Adam and his sinful race were represented and figured out by this sentence, and perhaps were more intended in it than we are aware of. Though that misery only is mentioned which affected the body, yet that was a pattern of spiritual miseries, the curse that entered into the soul. (1.) The pains of a woman in travail represent the terrors and pangs of a guilty conscience, awakened to a sense of sin; from the conception of lust, these sorrows are greatly multiplied, and, sooner or later, will come upon the sinner like pain upon a woman in travail, which cannot be avoided. (2.) The state of subjection to which the woman was reduced represents that loss of spiritual liberty and freedom of will which is the effect of sin. The dominion of sin in the soul is compared to that of a husband (Rom 7:1-5), the sinner's desire is towards it, for he is fond of his slavery, and it rules over him. (3.) The curse of barrenness which was brought upon the earth, and its produce of briars and thorns, are a fit representation of the barrenness of a corrupt and sinful soul in that which is good and its fruitfulness in evil. It is all overgrown with thorns, and nettles cover the face of it; and therefore it is nigh unto cursing, Heb 6:8. (4.) The toil and sweat bespeak the difficulty which, through the infirmity of the flesh, man labours under, in the service of God and the work of religion, so hard has it now become to enter into the kingdom of heaven. Blessed be God, it is not impossible. (5.) The embittering of his food to him bespeaks the soul's want of the comfort of God's favour, which is life, and the bread of life. (6.) The soul, like the body, returns to the dust of this world; its tendency is that way; it has an earthy taint, Joh 3:31. 2. How admirably the satisfaction our Lord Jesus made by his death and sufferings answered to the sentence here passed upon our first parents. (1.) Did travailing pains come in with sin? We read of the travail of Christ's soul (Isa 53:11); and the pains o death he was held by are called odinai (Act 2:24), the pains of a woman in travail. (2.) Did subjection come in with sin? Christ was made under the law, Gal 4:4. (3.) Did the curse come in with sin? Christ was made a curse for us, died a cursed death, Gal 3:13. (4.) Did thorns come in with sin? He was crowned with thorns for us. (5.) Did sweat come in with sin? He for us did sweat as it were great drops of blood. (6.) Did sorrow come in with sin? He was a man of sorrows, his soul was, in his agony, exceedingly sorrowful. (7.) Did death come in with sin? He became obedient unto death. Thus is the plaster as wide as the wound. Blessed be God for Jesus Christ!
Tyndale Open Study Notes
3:17-19 God highlighted his original command not to eat the fruit by speaking of eating several times in 3:17-19. The judgment affected humanity’s ability to get food, and it was proportionate to their offense of eating what had been prohibited. • the ground is cursed: The relationship of the man to the ground (see study note on 2:7) was now antagonistic as judgment fell on his primary role (2:5, 15). He must labor and toil to work the ground, but with diminished productivity. Human sin has broad effects on creation (see 4:12; 6:7; Lev 26; Deut 11:13-17, 28; Rom 8:22).
Genesis 3:17
The Punishment of Mankind
16To the woman He said: “I will sharply increase your pain in childbirth; in pain you will bring forth children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” 17And to Adam He said: “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat, cursed is the ground because of you; through toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. 18Both thorns and thistles it will yield for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
Help Wanted: A Gardener
By Warren Wiersbe5.2K39:52GEN 2:8GEN 3:17GEN 3:23REV 22:3In this sermon, the preacher uses the analogy of four gardens to explain the history of sin and redemption. The first garden mentioned is the Garden of Eden, where sin entered the world. The second garden is the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus conquered sin through his sacrifice. The third garden is the church, where grace is cultivated and believers are transformed. The final garden is heaven, where the glory of God will be fully manifested. The preacher emphasizes the importance of spending time with Jesus, the gardener, in order to experience spiritual growth and overcome the challenges of a busy world.
The Voice of God's Love
By A.W. Tozer4.9K38:11God's LoveGEN 3:9GEN 3:17JER 31:3MAT 18:12LUK 15:8ROM 8:19In this sermon, the speaker discusses the concept of revelation and how it relates to our understanding of the human condition. He acknowledges that we already know that the creation is subject to vanity and decay, as stated in the book of Ecclesiastes. The speaker then reflects on the lives of great geniuses like Albert Einstein and Ludwig van Beethoven, who had incredible abilities but ultimately died and took their talents to the grave. He questions the reasonableness of a being capable of creating such remarkable creatures like humans, only to have them end up in the ground and leave their work unfinished. The speaker suggests that something has happened to the human race, and the Bible provides sacred revelation to explain this. It declares that the inhabitants of the world are lost, but not forsaken, and that there is a voice calling them to safety and home. The sermon ends with the question, "Adam, where art thou?", implying that humanity is lost and in need of redemption.
Effects of Fall - Problems Arising From the Fall Part 1
By John Murray1.9K51:03Fall Of ManGEN 3:17GEN 5:5ISA 59:2MAT 6:33ROM 3:23ROM 6:23HEB 13:8In this sermon, the preacher discusses the prevalence of warfare and vileness in the world, which he believes is a reflection of the fallen nature of humanity. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the ontological problem of human relations, which includes anger, retribution, and condemnation. The preacher suggests that the sin of man has cosmic consequences and that both salvation and sin have implications beyond individual actions. He also highlights the division and violence that arose in the human family after the fall, leading to a wickedness that corrupted the earth. The sermon draws from various passages in Genesis to support these points.
(Through the Bible) Exodus 1-5
By Chuck Smith1.8K1:23:21ExpositionalGEN 50:26EXO 2:15EXO 4:1EXO 4:10In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes that God is not just a passive observer of our struggles and suffering. He takes action to deliver His people from their hardships. The preacher also highlights the importance of not getting too attached to material possessions, as they can easily be taken away. Instead, our focus should be on the things of the Spirit and God's eternal kingdom. The sermon references the story of Moses and the Israelites in Egypt, where they faced oppression and hardship, but ultimately God delivered them.
Addressing the Spirit of Poverty - Part 1
By Jackie Pullinger1.8K1:16:11PovertyGEN 3:17PSA 36:8ISA 25:6MAT 6:33MAT 11:5LUK 4:18In this sermon, the preacher discusses the yearning in a person's heart for a place where everything is alright, like the Jubilee mentioned in the Bible. He shares a story of a young boy in India who becomes a slave at the age of four due to his family's debt. The preacher emphasizes that in the kingdom of God, there is a different system where there is enough for everyone and we are free from the curse. He also mentions another boy who grew up in poverty and got involved with dangerous people, but through a dream about Jesus, he found hope and eventually turned his life around.
Mormonism: A Creed From Hell
By Stephen Hamilton1.4K30:25MormonismGEN 3:17GEN 3:23HOS 11:9In this sermon, the speaker begins by thanking God for being our Father and for reversing the effects of the fall through Jesus Christ. He emphasizes that sin is evil and should never be glorified or seen as a good thing. The speaker criticizes Mormonism for turning the Bible on its head by teaching that the fall was actually a positive thing. He also highlights the omnipresence of God and refutes the idea that sin has brought any benefits to mankind. The sermon concludes by referencing Genesis chapter 3 and the deception of the devil.
Covering (Compilation)
By Compilations1.2K17:50CompilationGEN 3:17ZEC 3:4MAT 7:21JHN 14:62CO 5:17EPH 4:22REV 22:20In this sermon, the preacher discusses the story of Adam and Eve being driven out of the Garden of Eden. He emphasizes the idea that in this world, we cannot find what we are looking for and must work hard to try and find it. The preacher highlights the image of Adam looking back at the tree of life, now guarded by a flaming sword, symbolizing that false coverings cannot bring us back into fellowship with God. However, God provides a way for us to come back into His presence through a branch from the tree of life, which represents the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The preacher concludes by emphasizing that through Jesus, God takes away our filthiness and gives us a new heart, mind, and spirit, allowing us to have assurance that we belong to God in the last moments of our lives.
Pilgrims Problems No. 11 Evolution
By Willie Mullan98753:29EvolutionGEN 3:17PSA 33:4PSA 33:9ROM 8:181CO 15:12HEB 11:1In this sermon, the preacher expresses gratitude for Jesus coming to earth and dying for humanity's sins. He also expresses anticipation for Jesus' second coming and the redemption of believers' bodies. The preacher prays for protection for the congregation and for those involved in security forces during the upcoming elections. The sermon then transitions to a discussion about the finished work of creation and the importance of being in Christ for salvation. The preacher emphasizes that anyone, regardless of race, social status, or religious background, can be saved by entering into a relationship with Christ.
Fully Alive: The Call of Men
By Stewart Ruch33637:01Christian LifeGEN 1:27GEN 2:15GEN 2:18GEN 3:17MAT 1:21MAT 6:33LUK 2:19In this sermon, the speaker discusses the importance of prioritizing our time and attention. He questions how much presence we give to sports, hobbies, and video games, emphasizing that while these activities are not inherently wrong, they should not overshadow our commitment to God. The speaker uses the story of Joseph and Mary's journey to highlight the need for concern and caution in our own lives. He also shares personal anecdotes about spending quality time with his children in nature and the significance of engaging in meaningful actions for the sake of others. The sermon concludes with a reflection on the need to awaken from a spiritual amnesia and remember God's presence in our lives.
The Garden of Eden: The Corollary Between Israel and Adam and Eve
By Art Katz0Dependence On GodRestoration of IsraelGEN 3:17Art Katz explores the parallels between the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden and the current struggles of Israel, suggesting that both situations reflect a divine curse that emphasizes the need for dependence on God. He argues that just as Adam and Eve's independence led to their downfall, modern Israel's challenges stem from a similar disregard for God's purpose and character. Katz emphasizes that true restoration requires repentance and recognition of humanity's fallen state, urging that the land's holiness must be matched by the character of its people. He concludes that the path to redemption for Israel lies in acknowledging its covenant with God and the necessity of spiritual rebirth, akin to the travail of childbirth. Ultimately, he envisions a future where Israel embodies the glory and peace of God, reminiscent of the original Eden.
The King's Garden
By C.H. Spurgeon0Spiritual GrowthRedemptionGEN 3:17C.H. Spurgeon reflects on the concept of the King's garden, contrasting the paradise lost due to sin with the hope found in Gethsemane, where Christ's suffering redeemed humanity. He emphasizes the fall of man and the resulting curse, urging believers to remember their own part in this tragedy. Spurgeon encourages the soul to recognize its own garden, nurturing it with faith and allowing the King to dwell within. He also prays for the church to flourish as a garden, seeking God's restoration and growth. Ultimately, the sermon calls for a deep appreciation of the love and sacrifice of Christ, which transforms the desolation of sin into a vibrant garden of grace.
Blessed in the Field
By C.H. Spurgeon0Blessings in LaborGod's Presence in Daily LifeGEN 3:17GEN 24:63DEU 28:3RUT 2:4C.H. Spurgeon emphasizes the blessings found in the field, drawing parallels between the experiences of Isaac and Boaz, who both encountered God's presence and favor in their labor. He highlights that the field represents not only physical work but also spiritual growth, exercise, and the cycle of life and death. Spurgeon reassures that even in sorrow, such as at a burial, there is a blessing to be found, reminding us of the hope and joy that God provides in all circumstances. The sermon encourages believers to seek God's blessings in their daily endeavors and to trust in His providence.
The Need of Salvation
By Charles Ewing Brown0GEN 3:17JOB 5:7PSA 24:1ECC 3:11ROM 8:19Charles Ewing Brown preaches about the universal theme of human suffering and misery, tracing it back to the earliest times and the inherent struggles faced by mankind. The sermon delves into the philosophical views of various thinkers like Schopenhauer, Thomas a Kempis, John Milton, and John Bunyan, highlighting the deep-rooted nature of human misery and the eternal quest for understanding and solutions. It emphasizes the dual nature of man, torn between the physical and spiritual realms, and the misalignment with God that leads to maladjustment and sin, ultimately causing the perpetual state of human suffering.
July 26. 1678. the Flying Roll.
By Jane Lead0GEN 3:17MAT 11:28JHN 8:36ROM 8:22CO 3:17GAL 3:13GAL 5:1GAL 5:131JN 2:27Jane Lead preaches about the universal impact of the curse that spread over the earth due to Adam and Eve's disobedience, causing labor, sorrow, and various evils. She emphasizes the need to look to Jesus to be set free from this curse and to experience the blessings of the new covenant established by the law of faith. Lead encourages believers to leave behind burdens and old traditions, embracing the freedom and anointing of Jesus to break the heavy yokes off their necks.
The Sweetness of Sweat - Acts 19:10-12
By Jon Courson0GEN 3:172KI 13:21LUK 8:43LUK 22:44Jon Courson delves into the story of the people of Ephesus collecting Paul's sweatbands and aprons, drawing parallels to modern-day obsessions with celebrity memorabilia. He emphasizes that the Ephesians were not spiritual groupies or quacks, but rather there are three key lessons to be learned from this passage: the Element of Mystery in God's ways, the Illustration of Ministry through physical expressions of faith like laying on of hands, and the Alleviation of Misery by practically loving and serving others as Paul did.
Consequences of the Fall
By W.R. Inge0GEN 3:17ISA 6:10MAT 13:15JHN 12:40W.R. Inge delves into the concept of mankind being deaf and blind to the loving utterances of the eternal Word since the first man listened to the enemy. He explores how humanity's ears and eyes have been obstructed, preventing them from understanding the truth and their inner selves. Inge reflects on the shame of reason being blinded and the thick skin of worldly love and opinions that cover man, making him unable to see the light or hear God's voice, leading to spiritual deafness and blindness.
Pleasant Plants and Desperate Sorrow
By J.C. Philpot0GEN 3:17ISA 17:10JER 2:19EZK 16:63HOS 14:4J.C. Philpot preaches about the consequences of forgetting the God of salvation and being unmindful of the Rock of strength, leading to planting pleasant plants and setting strange slips, resulting in a day of grief and desperate sorrow. He emphasizes the sorrow and disappointment decreed for man since the fall, highlighting the self-inflicted sorrows and disappointments that come from forsaking God. Philpot illustrates the danger of indulging in secret sins and idols, leading to a cutting sorrow and keen disappointment. He warns about the danger of becoming the main author of our own misery by forsaking the Lord. Despite the consequences of backsliding, he points to God's mercy in chastisement to bring His children back to Him.
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Matthew Henry
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
Unto Adam he said - The man being the last in the transgression is brought up last to receive his sentence: Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife - "thou wast not deceived, she only gave and counseled thee to eat; this thou shouldst have resisted;" and that he did not is the reason of his condemnation. Cursed is the ground for thy sake - from henceforth its fertility shall be greatly impaired; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it - be in continual perplexity concerning the seed time and the harvest, the cold and the heat, the wet and the dry. How often are all the fruits of man's toll destroyed by blasting, by mildew, by insects, wet weather, land floods, etc.! Anxiety and carefulness are the laboring man's portion.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
unto Adam he said--made to gain his livelihood by tilling the ground; but what before his fall he did with ease and pleasure, was not to be accomplished after it without painful and persevering exertion.
John Gill Bible Commentary
And unto Adam he said,.... Last of all, being the last that sinned, but not to be excused: because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife; which was not only mean but sinful, since it was opposite to the voice of God, which he ought to have hearkened to God is to be hearkened to and obeyed rather than man, and much rather than a woman; to regard the persuasion of a woman, and neglect the command of God, is a great aggravation of such neglect; see Act 4:19. and hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee; saying, thou shall not eat of it; that is, had eat of the fruit of the tree which God had plainly pointed unto him, and concerning which he had given a clear and an express command not to eat of it; and had delivered it to him in the strongest manner, and had most peremptorily and strictly enjoined it, adding the threatening of death unto it; so that he could by no means plead ignorance in himself, or any obscurity in the law, or pretend he did not understand the sense of the legislator. The righteous sentence therefore follows: cursed is the ground for thy sake; the whole earth, which was made for man, and all things in it, of which he had the possession and dominion, and might have enjoyed the use of everything in it, with comfort and pleasure; that which was man's greatest earthly blessing is now turned into a curse by sin, which is a proof of the exceeding sinfulness of it, and its just demerit: so in later instances, a "fruitful land" is turned "into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein", Psa 107:34 hence, whenever there is sterility in a country, a want of provisions, a famine, it should always be imputed to sin; and this should put us in mind of the sin of the first man, and the consequence of that: in sorrow shall thou eat of it all the days of thy life, meaning that with much toil and trouble, in manuring and cultivating the earth, he should get his living out of the produce of it, though with great difficulty; and this would be his case as long as he was in it.
Matthew Henry Bible Commentary
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, Gen 3:17. 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, I. God put marks of his displeasure on Adam in three instances: - 1. His habitation is, by this sentence, cursed: Cursed is the ground for thy sake; and the effect of that curse is, Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth unto thee. It is here intimated that his habitation should be changed; he should no longer dwell in a distinguished, blessed, paradise, but should be removed to common ground, and that cursed. The ground, or earth, is here put for the whole visible creation, which, by the sin of man, is made subject to vanity, the several parts of it being not so serviceable to man's comfort and happiness as they were designed to be when they were made, and would have been if he had not sinned. God gave the earth to the children of men, designing it to be a comfortable dwelling to them. But sin has altered the property of it. It is now cursed for man's sin; that is, it is a dishonourable habitation, it bespeaks man mean, that his foundation is in the dust; it is a dry and barren habitation, its spontaneous productions are now weeds and briers, something nauseous or noxious; what good fruits it produces must be extorted from it by the ingenuity and industry of man. Fruitfulness was its blessing, for man's service (Gen 1:11, Gen 1:29), and now barrenness was its curse, for man's punishment. It is not what it was in the day it was created. Sin turned a fruitful land into barrenness; and man, having become as the wild ass's colt, has the wild ass's lot, the wilderness for his habitation, and the barren land his dwelling, Job 39:6; Psa 68:6. Had not this curse been in part removed, for aught I know, the earth would have been for ever barren, and never produced any thing but thorns and thistles. The ground is cursed, that is, doomed to destruction at the end of time, when the earth, and all the works that are therein, shall be burnt up for the sin of man, the measure of whose iniquity will then be full, Pe2 3:7, Pe2 3:10. But observe a mixture of mercy in this sentence. (1.) Adam himself is not cursed, as the serpent was (Gen 3:14), but only the ground for his sake. God had blessings in him, even the holy seed: Destroy it not, for that blessing is in it, Isa 65:8. And he had blessings in store for him; therefore he is not directly and immediately cursed, but, as it were, at second hand. (2.) He is yet above ground. The earth does not open and swallow him up; only it is not what it was: as he continues alive, notwithstanding his degeneracy from his primitive purity and rectitude, so the earth continues to be his habitation, notwithstanding its degeneracy from its primitive beauty and fruitfulness. (3.) This curse upon the earth, which cut off all expectations of a happiness in things below, might direct and quicken him to look for bliss and satisfaction only in things above. 2. His employments and enjoyments are all embittered to him. (1.) His business shall henceforth become a toil to him, and he shall go on with it in the sweat of his face, Gen 3:19. His business, before he sinned, was a constant pleasure to him, the garden was then dressed without any uneasy labour, and kept without any uneasy care; but now his labour shall be a weariness and shall waste his body; his care shall be a torment and shall afflict his mind. The curse upon the ground which made it barren, and produced thorns and thistles, made his employment about it much more difficult and toilsome. If Adam had not sinned, he had not sweated. Observe here, [1.] That labour is our duty, which we must faithfully perform; we are bound to work, not as creatures only, but as criminals; it is part of our sentence, which idleness daringly defies. [2.] That uneasiness and weariness with labour are our just punishment, which we must patiently submit to, and not complain of, since they are less than our iniquity deserves. Let not us, by inordinate care and labour, make our punishment heavier than God has made it; but rather study to lighten our burden, and wipe off our sweat, by eyeing Providence in all and expecting rest shortly. (2.) His food shall henceforth become (in comparison with what it had been) unpleasant to him. [1.] The matter of his food is changed; he must now eat the herb of the field, and must no longer be feasted with the delicacies of the garden of Eden. Having by sin made himself like the beasts that perish, he is justly turned to be a fellow-commoner with them, and to eat grass as oxen, till he know that the heavens do rule. [2.] There is a change in the manner of his eating it: In sorrow (Gen 3:17) and in the sweat of his face (Gen 3:19) he must eat of it. Adam could not but eat in sorrow all the days of his life, remembering the forbidden fruit he had eaten, and the guilt and shame he had contracted by it. Observe, First, That human life is exposed to many miseries and calamities, which very much embitter the poor remains of its pleasures and delights. Some never eat with pleasure (Job 21:25), through sickness or melancholy; all, even the best, have cause to eat with sorrow for sin; and all, even the happiest in this world, have some allays to their joy: troops of diseases, disasters, and deaths, in various shapes, entered the world with sin, and still ravage it. Secondly, That the righteousness of God is to be acknowledged in all the sad consequences of sin. Wherefore then should a living man complain? Yet, in this part of the sentence, there is also a mixture of mercy. He shall sweat, but his toil shall make his rest the more welcome when he returns to his earth, as to his bed; he shall grieve, but he shall not starve; he shall have sorrow, but in that sorrow he shall eat bread, which shall strengthen his heart under his sorrows. He is not sentenced to eat dust as the serpent, only to eat the herb of the field. 3. His life also is but short. Considering how full of trouble his days are, it is in favour to him that they are few; yet death being dreadful to nature (yea, even though life be unpleasant) that concludes the sentence. "Thou shalt return to the ground out of which thou wast taken; thy body, that part of thee which was taken out of the ground, shall return to it again; for dust thou art." This points either to the first original of his body; it was made of the dust, nay it was made dust, and was still so; so that there needed no more than to recall the grant of immortality, and to withdraw the power which was put forth to support it, and then he would, of course, return to dust. Or to the present corruption and degeneracy of his mind: Dust thou art, that is, "Thy precious soul is now lost and buried in the dust of the body and the mire of the flesh; it was made spiritual and heavenly, but it has become carnal and earthly." His doom is therefore read: "To dust thou shalt return. Thy body shall be forsaken by thy soul, and become itself a lump of dust; and then it shall be lodged in the grave, the proper place for it, and mingle itself with the dust of the earth," our dust, Psa 104:29. Earth to earth, dust to dust. Observe here, (1.) That man is a mean frail creature, little as dust, the small dust of the balance - light as dust, altogether lighter than vanity - weak as dust, and of no consistency. Our strength is not the strength of stones; he that made us considers it, and remembers that we are dust, Psa 103:14. Man is indeed the chief part of the dust of the world (Pro 8:26), but still he is dust. (2.) That he is a mortal dying creature, and hastening to the grave. Dust may be raised, for a time, into a little cloud, and may seem considerable while it is held up by the wind that raised it; but, when the force of that is spent, it falls again, and returns to the earth out of which it was raised. Such a thing is man; a great man is but a great mass of dust, and must return to his earth. (3.) That sin brought death into the world. If Adam had not sinned, he would not have died, Rom 5:12. God entrusted Adam with a spark of immortality, which he, by a patient continuance in well-doing, might have blown up into an everlasting flame; but he foolishly blew it out by wilful sin: and now death is the wages of sin, and sin is the sting of death. II. We must not go off from this sentence upon our first parents, which we are all so nearly concerned in, and feel from, to this day, till we have considered two things: - 1. How fitly the sad consequences of sin upon the soul of Adam and his sinful race were represented and figured out by this sentence, and perhaps were more intended in it than we are aware of. Though that misery only is mentioned which affected the body, yet that was a pattern of spiritual miseries, the curse that entered into the soul. (1.) The pains of a woman in travail represent the terrors and pangs of a guilty conscience, awakened to a sense of sin; from the conception of lust, these sorrows are greatly multiplied, and, sooner or later, will come upon the sinner like pain upon a woman in travail, which cannot be avoided. (2.) The state of subjection to which the woman was reduced represents that loss of spiritual liberty and freedom of will which is the effect of sin. The dominion of sin in the soul is compared to that of a husband (Rom 7:1-5), the sinner's desire is towards it, for he is fond of his slavery, and it rules over him. (3.) The curse of barrenness which was brought upon the earth, and its produce of briars and thorns, are a fit representation of the barrenness of a corrupt and sinful soul in that which is good and its fruitfulness in evil. It is all overgrown with thorns, and nettles cover the face of it; and therefore it is nigh unto cursing, Heb 6:8. (4.) The toil and sweat bespeak the difficulty which, through the infirmity of the flesh, man labours under, in the service of God and the work of religion, so hard has it now become to enter into the kingdom of heaven. Blessed be God, it is not impossible. (5.) The embittering of his food to him bespeaks the soul's want of the comfort of God's favour, which is life, and the bread of life. (6.) The soul, like the body, returns to the dust of this world; its tendency is that way; it has an earthy taint, Joh 3:31. 2. How admirably the satisfaction our Lord Jesus made by his death and sufferings answered to the sentence here passed upon our first parents. (1.) Did travailing pains come in with sin? We read of the travail of Christ's soul (Isa 53:11); and the pains o death he was held by are called odinai (Act 2:24), the pains of a woman in travail. (2.) Did subjection come in with sin? Christ was made under the law, Gal 4:4. (3.) Did the curse come in with sin? Christ was made a curse for us, died a cursed death, Gal 3:13. (4.) Did thorns come in with sin? He was crowned with thorns for us. (5.) Did sweat come in with sin? He for us did sweat as it were great drops of blood. (6.) Did sorrow come in with sin? He was a man of sorrows, his soul was, in his agony, exceedingly sorrowful. (7.) Did death come in with sin? He became obedient unto death. Thus is the plaster as wide as the wound. Blessed be God for Jesus Christ!
Tyndale Open Study Notes
3:17-19 God highlighted his original command not to eat the fruit by speaking of eating several times in 3:17-19. The judgment affected humanity’s ability to get food, and it was proportionate to their offense of eating what had been prohibited. • the ground is cursed: The relationship of the man to the ground (see study note on 2:7) was now antagonistic as judgment fell on his primary role (2:5, 15). He must labor and toil to work the ground, but with diminished productivity. Human sin has broad effects on creation (see 4:12; 6:7; Lev 26; Deut 11:13-17, 28; Rom 8:22).