Genesis 3:5
Verse
Context
Sermons






Summary
Commentary
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
Your eyes shall be opened - Your understanding shall be greatly enlightened and improved; and ye shall be as gods, כאלהים kelohim, like God, so the word should be translated; for what idea could our first parents have of gods before idolatry could have had any being, because sin had not yet entered into the world? The Syriac has the word in the singular number, and is the only one of all the versions which has hit on the true meaning. As the original word is the same which is used to point out the Supreme Being, Gen 1:1, so it has here the same signification, and the object of the tempter appears to have been this: to persuade our first parents that they should, by eating of this fruit, become wise and powerful as God, (for knowledge is power), and be able to exist for ever, independently of him.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
your eyes shall be opened--His words meant more than met the ear. In one sense her eyes were opened; for she acquired a direful experience of "good and evil"--of the happiness of a holy, and the misery of a sinful, condition. But he studiously concealed this result from Eve, who, fired with a generous desire for knowledge, thought only of rising to the rank and privileges of her angelic visitants.
John Gill Bible Commentary
For God doth know,.... Or "but (k) God doth know", who knows all things, and has foreknowledge of all future events; he foreknows what will be the consequence of this event, eating the fruit of this tree, that it would be so far from issuing in death, which he has threatened, that the effect of it would be a clearer understanding, and a greater degree of knowledge of things, which he is unwilling should be enjoyed, and therefore has endeavoured to prevent it by this prohibition; suggesting hereby, even in God, hatred of the creatures he had made, and unwilling they should be as happy as they might: that in the day ye eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened; not the eyes of their bodies, as if they were now blind, but the eyes of their understanding; meaning, that their knowledge should be enlarged, and they should see things more clearly than they now did, and judge of them in a better manner; yea, even together with the light of their mind, the sight of their bodily eyes would receive some advantage; and particularly, that though they saw the nakedness of their bodies, yet it was as if they saw it not, and were unconcerned about it, and heedless of it; did not see it as unseemly and indecent, and so were not ashamed; but now they should see it as it was, and be filled with shame and confusion: and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil: as "Elohim", which word is sometimes used of civil magistrates, sometimes of angels, and sometimes of God himself, and of the divine Persons in the Godhead: the Targum of Onkelos seems to respect the former, rendering it "as great personages", princes, judges, civil magistrates, who ought to know the difference between good and evil, or otherwise would be unfit for their office; but this cannot be the sense here, since there were no such persons in being, to whom the reference could be made; nor could it convey any proper idea to the mind of Eve, unless by them are meant principalities and powers, or "the mighty angels", as the Targum of Jonathan paraphrases the word; and so it intimates, that upon eating this fruit they should be as wise and as knowing as those intelligent creatures: though perhaps Satan might mean, such angels as himself and his were, and that they should by sad experience know the difference between good and evil, as they did: but rather it is to be understood of that Elohim that made the heavens and the earth, for as yet the word had never been used, but of the true God, and of the divine Persons in the Trinity: and this agrees with what is ironically said, Gen 3:22 "behold the man is become as one of us", as the devil told him he should, and as he believed he would: this was the bait laid for than, suited to his intellectual mind, and to the ambitious desires of it, not being content with finite knowledge, but aiming at omniscience, or something like it: now the temptation began to take place and operate. (k) "sed", Piscator; "quin", Schmidt.
Genesis 3:5
The Serpent’s Deception
4“You will not surely die,” the serpent told her.5“For God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
(The Word for Today) Isaiah 14:12 - Part 3
By Chuck Smith4.1K25:59ExpositionalGEN 3:5ISA 14:12MAT 6:331PE 4:17In this sermon, Pastor Chuck Smith discusses the importance of standing up for righteousness in a fallen world. He uses the example of Daniel, a young man who took a stand for God even when it could have cost him his life. Pastor Chuck encourages young adults between the ages of 12 and 20 to resist compromise and prepare for the Lord's coming. He also introduces his new book, "Standing Up in a Fallen World," which provides guidance and encouragement for today's generation.
(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.
Discouragement (Letting the Fire Go Out)
By Denny Kenaston1.2K1:07:41DiscouragementGEN 3:5DEU 1:39MAT 6:33HEB 12:1HEB 12:12In this sermon, the preacher focuses on the theme of discouragement and its impact on our faith. He highlights how God warned Joshua not to be discouraged before entering the land, but Joshua and the Israelites still faced discouragement after their victory at Jericho. The preacher emphasizes the power of our words and how they reflect our faith or lack thereof. He warns against murmuring and negative speech, as it can distort our perception of God and hinder His blessings in our lives. The sermon concludes with a reminder of the importance of staying encouraged and trusting in God's promises.
When Compassion Offends
By Carter Conlon50650:49GEN 3:5This sermon emphasizes the importance of not letting compassion lead us away from God's will, using the example of Peter rebuking Jesus for His sacrificial path. It highlights the need for surrender to God's plan, even when it seems difficult or goes against human understanding. The message calls for a commitment to follow Christ wholeheartedly, denying self, taking up the cross, and being willing to endure scorn for the sake of the Gospel.
Love—the Primal Fault Remedied
By Allan Halton0GEN 3:5ROM 8:20GAL 6:82PE 1:41JN 2:15Allan Halton delves into the concept of the 'bondage of corruption' as described in the Bible, highlighting how it originated from a self-centered desire that led to the primal fault in both the physical universe and humanity. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the true meaning of 'corruption' and 'lust' in a biblical context, pointing to the divine nature of love as the remedy for this fault. Through the sacrificial love of Christ on the cross, the path to escaping corruption and embracing eternal life is paved by cultivating virtues that culminate in selfless love, mirroring the love of God and Jesus.
Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil
By Bishop M.A. Lalachan0GEN 3:5Bishop M.A. Lalachan delves into the significance of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in Genesis, highlighting how it symbolizes man's attempt to be like God and the resulting curse of relating everything to oneself. He explains how the gospel message restores balance by putting God back at the center of our lives through faith in Jesus Christ, reversing the effects of sin and restoring the glory and righteousness intended by God.
(I) the Gospel of God's Great Love - Part 4 (Trusting in Lies)
By Robert Wurtz II0GEN 3:5GEN 3:22ROM 5:122PE 3:9Robert Wurtz II preaches about the deception of Satan leading to Adam's surrender to sin, exchanging God's Word for disobedience and rebellion. Adam's desire to be 'as' God resulted in the fall of humanity, as he traded his soul for self-will. The consequences of Adam's sin affected all his descendants, altering the course of human history towards damnation. Despite banishment from Eden, God continued to strive with man for repentance.
The Emergence of Sin and Misery
By John Piper0GEN 3:5GEN 12:1MRK 2:17ACT 17:26ROM 3:23ROM 8:20EPH 2:12TH 1:7HEB 10:19John Piper preaches on 'The Emergence of Sin and Misery,' emphasizing the foundational truths of God's creation and the doctrine of original sin. He explains how sin and misery have affected all humanity since the fall of Adam and Eve, leading to the necessity of redemption through Christ. Piper delves into the power of sin, its origin, nature, consequences, and the divine remedy provided by God, urging listeners to understand the depth of their sinfulness and the need for forgiveness and holiness through Christ.
The Great Prize
By T. Austin-Sparks0GEN 3:5ISA 14:13MRK 10:21ACT 16:16ACT 16:25ROM 8:18ROM 8:29EPH 3:20PHP 3:8T. Austin-Sparks preaches on the pursuit of gaining Christ and reaching the prize of being conformed to His image, emphasizing the importance of knowing the power of His resurrection, the fellowship of His sufferings, and the conformity to His death. He contrasts the choices of the rich young ruler who clung to his possessions and Paul who gladly chose the heavenly prize over earthly treasures. The sermon highlights the need for believers to let go of self-interest, embrace suffering as a path to glory, and ultimately magnify Christ in their lives.
Satan: His Work and Destiny
By Lewis Sperry Chafer0GEN 3:5Lewis Sperry Chafer discusses two common errors about Satan: the belief that he does not exist as a person and the misconception that he is the direct cause of sin in every person. He explains Satan's original purpose, his desire to be 'like the most High,' and his efforts to construct his own authority over the world system. Chafer also delves into Satan's enmity against God, his attacks on believers in their spiritual walk, and his ultimate destiny of being cast into the lake of fire for eternal torment.
How to Test Doctrines
By R. Stanley0GEN 3:5LUK 6:43JHN 17:20ACT 2:422CO 5:7GAL 4:9GAL 5:1EPH 2:8EPH 4:31TH 5:211TI 1:31TI 6:32TI 4:3Francis Schaeffer emphasizes the importance of standing for truth and against false doctrine to prevent a barrier between future generations and the gospel. Paul's warning to Timothy about false teachings and the rise of false doctrines in the last days is highlighted. The sermon stresses the significance of sound doctrine in the early Church's growth and the need to test teachings and teachers. Seven tests are provided to evaluate teachings, including salvation by grace, liberty versus bondage, promotion of holiness, emphasis on Scriptures over experiences, worship of God's greatness, motivation for evangelism, and fostering spiritual unity over sinful seclusion.
I. the Origin of the Tempter
By Watchman Nee0Spiritual WarfareThe Nature of TemptationGEN 3:5ISA 14:13JHN 14:302CO 4:4EPH 2:21TI 3:61PE 5:82PE 2:4REV 2:9REV 12:9Watchman Nee explores the origin of the tempter, revealing that he was once a beautiful and wise creature who fell from grace by aspiring to be equal with God. This pride led to his judgment and the establishment of his kingdom, where he tempts humanity with the allure of becoming like gods. Nee emphasizes the importance of recognizing the tempter's various names and roles, as well as the reality of his influence in the world today. He warns Christians to remain vigilant against pride and to fully embrace Christ as their identity to avoid falling into the same judgment as the devil. Ultimately, Nee calls for a deeper understanding of the tempter's tactics and the need for believers to be watchful and discerning.
Pastor's Perspective
By Robert S. Rayburn0GEN 3:5PRO 11:2PRO 16:18MIC 6:8MAT 23:12ROM 12:31CO 4:7PHP 2:31TI 3:6JAS 4:6Robert S. Rayburn preaches on the destructive nature of pride, highlighting how it leads to self-worship, dishonesty, and a lack of appreciation for God's grace. He emphasizes that pride is the root of all sin, tracing back to Satan's primary sin of pride and man's fall in the Garden of Eden. Rayburn stresses the importance of humility in the Christian life, noting that true goodness requires the killing of pride and living for God and others rather than for oneself.
2 Timothy 3:1-4
By St. John Chrysostom0GEN 3:5JHN 15:152TI 3:1John Chrysostom preaches about the signs of the last days, warning about the perilous times to come with people being lovers of themselves, covetous, proud, and disobedient. He emphasizes the prevalence of deceivers throughout history, from the devil's deception in the Garden of Eden to the false prophets in biblical times. Chrysostom encourages believers to stay strong in the face of persecution, reminding them that those who live godly lives will face trials but should continue in faith. He highlights the importance of knowing and holding firm to the holy Scriptures, which have the power to make one wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
Your eyes shall be opened - Your understanding shall be greatly enlightened and improved; and ye shall be as gods, כאלהים kelohim, like God, so the word should be translated; for what idea could our first parents have of gods before idolatry could have had any being, because sin had not yet entered into the world? The Syriac has the word in the singular number, and is the only one of all the versions which has hit on the true meaning. As the original word is the same which is used to point out the Supreme Being, Gen 1:1, so it has here the same signification, and the object of the tempter appears to have been this: to persuade our first parents that they should, by eating of this fruit, become wise and powerful as God, (for knowledge is power), and be able to exist for ever, independently of him.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
your eyes shall be opened--His words meant more than met the ear. In one sense her eyes were opened; for she acquired a direful experience of "good and evil"--of the happiness of a holy, and the misery of a sinful, condition. But he studiously concealed this result from Eve, who, fired with a generous desire for knowledge, thought only of rising to the rank and privileges of her angelic visitants.
John Gill Bible Commentary
For God doth know,.... Or "but (k) God doth know", who knows all things, and has foreknowledge of all future events; he foreknows what will be the consequence of this event, eating the fruit of this tree, that it would be so far from issuing in death, which he has threatened, that the effect of it would be a clearer understanding, and a greater degree of knowledge of things, which he is unwilling should be enjoyed, and therefore has endeavoured to prevent it by this prohibition; suggesting hereby, even in God, hatred of the creatures he had made, and unwilling they should be as happy as they might: that in the day ye eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened; not the eyes of their bodies, as if they were now blind, but the eyes of their understanding; meaning, that their knowledge should be enlarged, and they should see things more clearly than they now did, and judge of them in a better manner; yea, even together with the light of their mind, the sight of their bodily eyes would receive some advantage; and particularly, that though they saw the nakedness of their bodies, yet it was as if they saw it not, and were unconcerned about it, and heedless of it; did not see it as unseemly and indecent, and so were not ashamed; but now they should see it as it was, and be filled with shame and confusion: and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil: as "Elohim", which word is sometimes used of civil magistrates, sometimes of angels, and sometimes of God himself, and of the divine Persons in the Godhead: the Targum of Onkelos seems to respect the former, rendering it "as great personages", princes, judges, civil magistrates, who ought to know the difference between good and evil, or otherwise would be unfit for their office; but this cannot be the sense here, since there were no such persons in being, to whom the reference could be made; nor could it convey any proper idea to the mind of Eve, unless by them are meant principalities and powers, or "the mighty angels", as the Targum of Jonathan paraphrases the word; and so it intimates, that upon eating this fruit they should be as wise and as knowing as those intelligent creatures: though perhaps Satan might mean, such angels as himself and his were, and that they should by sad experience know the difference between good and evil, as they did: but rather it is to be understood of that Elohim that made the heavens and the earth, for as yet the word had never been used, but of the true God, and of the divine Persons in the Trinity: and this agrees with what is ironically said, Gen 3:22 "behold the man is become as one of us", as the devil told him he should, and as he believed he would: this was the bait laid for than, suited to his intellectual mind, and to the ambitious desires of it, not being content with finite knowledge, but aiming at omniscience, or something like it: now the temptation began to take place and operate. (k) "sed", Piscator; "quin", Schmidt.