Genesis 3:7
Verse
Context
The Serpent’s Deception
6When the woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom, she took the fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate it.7And the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; so they sewed together fig leaves and made coverings for themselves.
Sermons
Chuck Missler
J. Vernon McGee
Carter ConlonCarter Conlon
Chuck Smith
John Rhys WatkinsSummary
Commentary
- Adam Clarke
- Keil-Delitzsch
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
The eyes of them both were opened - They now had a sufficient discovery of their sin and folly in disobeying the command of God; they could discern between good and evil; and what was the consequence? Confusion and shame were engendered, because innocence was lost and guilt contracted. Let us review the whole of this melancholy business, the fall and its effects. 1. From the New Testament we learn that Satan associated himself with the creature which we term the serpent, and the original the nachash, in order to seduce and ruin mankind; Co2 11:3 Rev 12:9 Rev 20:2. 2. That this creature was the most suitable to his purpose, as being the most subtle, the most intelligent and cunning of all beasts of the field, endued with the gift of speech and reason, and consequently one in which he could best conceal himself. 3. As he knew that while they depended on God they could not be ruined, he therefore endeavored to seduce them from this dependence. 4. He does this by working on that propensity of the mind to desire an increase of knowledge, with which God, for the most gracious purposes, had endued it. 5. In order to succeed, he insinuates that God, through motives of envy, had given the prohibition - God doth know that in the day ye eat of it, ye shall be like himself, etc. 6. As their present state of blessedness must be inexpressibly dear to them, he endeavors to persuade them that they could not fall from this state: Ye shall not surely die - ye shall not only retain your present blessedness, but it shall be greatly increased; a temptation by which he has ever since fatally succeeded in the ruin of multitudes of souls, whom he persuaded that being once right they could never finally go wrong. 7. As he kept the unlawfulness of the means proposed out of sight, persuaded them that they could not fall from their steadfastness, assured them that they should resemble God himself, and consequently be self-sufficient, and totally independent of him; they listened, and fixing their eye only on the promised good, neglecting the positive command, and determining to become wise and independent at all events, they took of the fruit and did eat. Let us now examine the effects. 1. Their eyes were opened, and they saw they were naked. They saw what they never saw before, that they were stripped of their excellence; that they had lost their innocence; and that they had fallen into a state of indigence and danger. 2. Though their eyes were opened to see their nakedness, yet their mind was clouded, and their judgment confused. They seem to have lost all just notions of honor and dishonor, of what was shameful and what was praise-worthy. It was dishonorable and shameful to break the commandment of God; but it was neither to go naked, when clothing was not necessary. 3. They seem in a moment, not only to have lost sound judgment, but also reflection: a short time before Adam was so wise that he could name all the creatures brought before him, according to their respective natures and qualities; now he does not know the first principle concerning the Divine nature, that it knows all things, and that it is omnipresent, therefore he endeavors to hide himself among the trees from the eye of the all-seeing God! How astonishing is this! When the creatures were brought to him he could name them, because he could discern their respective natures and properties; when Eve was brought to him he could immediately tell what she was, who she was, and for what end made, though he was in a deep sleep when God formed her; and this seems to be particularly noted, merely to show the depth of his wisdom, and the perfection of his discernment. But alas! how are the mighty fallen! Compare his present with his past state, his state before the transgression with his state after it; and say, is this the same creature? the creature of whom God said, as he said of all his works, He is very good - just what he should be, a living image of the living God; but now lower than the beasts of the field? 4. This account could never have been credited had not the indisputable proofs and evidences of it been continued by uninterrupted succession to the present time. All the descendants of this first guilty pair resemble their degenerate ancestors, and copy their conduct. The original mode of transgression is still continued, and the original sin in consequence. Here are the proofs. 1. Every human being is endeavoring to obtain knowledge by unlawful means, even while the lawful means and every available help are at hand. 2. They are endeavoring to be independent, and to live without God in the world; hence prayer, the language of dependence on God's providence and grace, is neglected, I might say detested, by the great majority of men. Had I no other proof than this that man is a fallen creature, my soul would bow to this evidence. 3. Being destitute of the true knowledge of God they seek privacy for their crimes, not considering that the eye of God is upon them, being only solicitous to hide them from the eye of man. These are all proofs in point; but we shall soon meet with additional ones. See on Gen 3:10 (note), Gen 3:12 (note).
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary
"Then the eyes of them both were opened" (as the serpent had foretold: but what did they see?), "and they knew that they were naked." They had lost "that blessed blindness, the ignorance of innocence, which knows nothing of nakedness" (Ziegler). The discovery of their nakedness excited shame, which they sought to conceal by an outward covering. "They sewed fig-leaves together, and made themselves aprons." The word תּאנה always denotes the fig-tree, not the pisang (Musa paradisiaca), nor the Indian banana, whose leaves are twelve feet long and two feet broad, for there would have been no necessity to sew them together at all. חגרת, περιζώματα, are aprons, worn round the hips. It was here that the consciousness of nakedness first suggested the need of covering, not because the fruit had poisoned the fountain of human life, and through some inherent quality had immediately corrupted the reproductive powers of the body (as Hoffmann and Baumgarten suppose), nor because any physical change ensued in consequence of the fall; but because, with the destruction of the normal connection between soul and body through sin, the body ceased to be the pure abode of a spirit in fellowship with God, and in the purely natural state of the body the consciousness was produced not merely of the distinction of the sexes, but still more of the worthlessness of the flesh; so that the man and woman stood ashamed in each other's presence, and endeavoured to hide the disgrace of their spiritual nakedness, by covering those parts of the body through which the impurities of nature are removed. That the natural feeling of shame, the origin of which is recorded here, had its root, not in sensuality or any physical corruption, but in the consciousness of guilt or shame before God, and consequently that it was the conscience which was really at work, is evident from the fact that the man and his wife hid themselves from Jehovah God among the trees of the garden, as soon as they heard the sound of His footsteps. יהוה קול (the voice of Jehovah, Gen 3:8) is not the voice of God speaking or calling, but the sound of God walking, as in Sa2 5:24; Kg1 14:6, etc. - In the cool of the day (lit., in the wind of the day), i.e., towards the evening, when a cooling wind generally blows. The men have broken away from God, but God will not and cannot leave them alone. He comes to them as one man to another. This was the earliest form of divine revelation. God conversed with the first man in a visible shape, as the Father and Instructor of His children. He did not adopt this mode for the first time after the fall, but employed it as far back as the period when He brought the beasts to Adam, and gave him the woman to be his wife (Gen 2:19, Gen 2:22). This human mode of intercourse between man and God is not a mere figure of speech, but a reality, having its foundation in the nature of humanity, or rather in the fact that man was created in the image of God, but not in the sense supposed by Jakobi, that "God theomorphised when creating man, and man therefore necessarily anthropomorphises when he thinks of God." The anthropomorphies of God have their real foundation in the divine condescension which culminated in the incarnation of God in Christ. They are to be understood, however, as implying, not that corporeality, or a bodily shape, is an essential characteristic of God, but that God having given man a bodily shape, when He created him in His own image, revealed Himself in a manner suited to his bodily senses, that He might thus preserve him in living communion with Himself.
John Gill Bible Commentary
And the eyes of them both were opened,.... Not of their bodies, but of their minds; not so as to have an advanced knowledge of things pleasant, profitable, and useful, as was promised and expected, but of things very disagreeable and distressing. Their eyes were opened to see that they had been deceived by the serpent, that they had broke the commandment of God, and incurred the displeasure of their Creator and kind benefactor, and had brought ruin and destruction upon themselves; they saw what blessings and privileges they had lost, communion with God, the dominion of the creatures, the purity and holiness of their nature, and what miseries they had involved themselves and their posterity in; how exposed they were to the wrath of God, the curse of the law, and to eternal death: and they knew that they were naked; they must know before that they were naked in their bodies, but they did not perceive that their nakedness was at all uncomely, or any disadvantage to them; but now they were sensible of both, that whereas they could look upon it before, and not blush or feel any sinful emotions in them, now they could not behold it without shame, and without finding evil concupiscence arising in them; and it being now the cool of the day, and their spirits also seized with fear of the divine displeasure, they might feel a shivering all over them, and wanted something to cover them: but more especially this may respect the nakedness of their souls they were now conscious of, being stripped of that honour and glory, privileges and power, they were vested with; and having lost the image of God that was upon them, and that robe of purity, innocence, and righteousness, the rectitude of their nature, with which they were arrayed, and finding themselves naked and defenceless, and unable to screen themselves from the curses of a righteous law, and the fury of vindictive justice: and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons; not to cover their whole bodies, but only those parts which, ever since, mankind have been ashamed to expose to public view, and which they studiously conceal from sight: the reason of which perhaps is, because by those members the original corruption of human nature has been from the beginning, and still is propagated from parents to children. The leaves of the fig tree were pitched upon because of the largeness of them; the leaves of the common fig tree are very large, as everyone knows; and perhaps those in the eastern countries, and especially in paradise, were much larger than ours. Pliny (m) says of the fig tree, that its leaf is the largest, and the most shady. Some think the Indian fig tree is meant; so John Temporarius, as Drusius relates; and so our Milton (n); and according to Pliny (o), the breadth of the leaves of this tree has the shape of an Amazonian shield. And when they are said to sew these together, it is not to be supposed that they sewed them as tailors sew their garments together, since they cannot be thought to be furnished with proper instruments, or that they tacked them together with some sort of thorns, or made use of them instead of needles; but they took the tender branches of the fig tree with leaves on them, as the word signifies, see Neh 8:15 and twisted them round their waists; which served for "girdles", as some render the word (p), and the broad leaves hanging down served for aprons; but these, whatever covering they may be thought to have been to their bodies, which yet seem to be but a slender one, they could be none to their souls, or be of any service to hide their sin and shame from the all seeing eye of God; and of as little use are the poor and mean services of men, or their best works of righteousness, to shelter them from the wrath of God, and the vengeance of divine justice. (m) Nat. Hist. l. 16. c. 26. (n) ----There soon they chose The fig tree; not that kind for fruit renowned, But such as at this day in India known. Paradise Lost, B. 9. l. 1100, &c. (o) Nat. Hist. l. 12. c. 5. (p) Sept. "perizomata", V. L. "cinctoria", Tigurine version, Fagius; "cingulos", Pagninus, Montanus; so the Targums; "subligacula", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Vatablus, Drusius.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
3:7 Shame is opposite to the naked innocence Adam and Eve enjoyed prior to their rebellion (2:25). Their relationship with one another and with God was fractured. • sewed fig leaves together: These covered their physical bodies, but not their shame. They could not mend their broken relationships (see also 3:21 and study note).
Genesis 3:7
The Serpent’s Deception
6When the woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom, she took the fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate it.7And the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; so they sewed together fig leaves and made coverings for themselves.
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
Genesis #07 Ch. 4-5
By Chuck Missler4.7K1:22:33GenesisGEN 2:25GEN 3:7GEN 4:4MAT 6:33HEB 11:4In this sermon, Chuck Missler discusses Genesis chapters four and five. He begins by reviewing highlights from Genesis 2 and 3, emphasizing the concept of Adam and Eve attempting to cover themselves with their own efforts after realizing their fallen nature. Missler then connects this to the New Testament and the insights provided by Paul and others, which shed light on the Mosaic situation and further illuminate the events of Genesis. He specifically focuses on the story of Cain and Abel, highlighting Lamech's declaration of his ability to defend himself and the widespread knowledge that Cain should not be harmed.
(Genesis) Genesis 3:6-7
By J. Vernon McGee2.7K04:05GenesisGEN 3:7GEN 3:10MAT 4:1MAT 6:33ROM 2:151JN 2:16In this sermon, the preacher discusses how Satan uses the same tactics to deceive people today as he did in the Garden of Eden. The preacher explains that Satan appeals to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life in order to lead mankind astray. He points out that Satan used these same temptations when he tempted Jesus. The preacher also emphasizes the importance of recognizing our guilt and sinfulness, and not just attempting to cover it up, but confessing it to God.
Why Should I Turn From Sin?
By Carter Conlon2.5K44:01Forsaking SinGEN 3:7MAT 6:331CO 6:9HEB 10:26In this sermon, the preacher urges the audience not to waste their lives pursuing worldly things and living apart from the word of God. He emphasizes the importance of coming to Christ, giving Him their hearts, and turning away from sin. By immersing themselves in the Bible and aligning with God's will, they will experience a transformation and receive a new mind, heart, and spirit. The preacher also highlights the power of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, which broke the power and penalty of sin, and opened the way for humanity to come back to God. He encourages the audience to let go of their idols, such as money, and instead follow Jesus, who offers true satisfaction and treasure in heaven.
The Time Has Come to Face the Mountain
By Carter Conlon1.9K34:33OvercomingGEN 3:7MAT 6:33MAT 11:7MAT 21:18MAT 21:21MRK 11:15MRK 11:20In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the depth of God's love for humanity and the need for repentance. Jesus enters the temple and drives out those who are profiting from their privileged position. He declares that the temple should be a house of prayer for all nations, not a den of thieves. The preacher encourages the audience to humble themselves before God, put away their own plans and pride, and seek His mercy and guidance. He urges them to have faith and authority in prayer to overcome the battles in their lives.
(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.
The Blood
By John Rhys Watkins1.6K42:03Blood Of ChristGEN 3:71JN 1:7REV 12:11In this sermon, the speaker addresses the issue of pornography and how it has become a prevalent problem in society, even within the church. He emphasizes the power of the blood of Jesus to deliver individuals from bondage to pornography and other sins. The speaker also draws a parallel between Adam and Eve hiding from God in the garden and believers hiding from God in the church. He encourages listeners to regularly apply the blood of Jesus and have a deep love for God, willing to lay down their lives for Christ's sake. The sermon concludes with the assertion that the blood of Jesus is the answer to all problems and is the source of life.
Staying Married Is Not About Staying in Love, Part 2
By John Piper1.4K42:55GEN 2:25GEN 3:7GEN 3:211TI 2:91PE 3:5
This sermon delves into the significance of marriage as a reflection of God's covenant love, emphasizing the need for covenant-keeping and the role of the Holy Spirit in understanding the glory of marriage. It explores the biblical foundation of marriage, the impact of sin on relationships, and the restoration through God's mercy and the promise of future glory. The sermon highlights the importance of clothing as a witness to our fallen state and God's redemptive plan through Jesus Christ, ultimately pointing to marriage as a display of the gospel.
God Our Fortress - Part 1
By Erlo Stegen1.1K58:40God's ProtectionGEN 3:7GEN 3:142SA 22:2MAT 6:33In this sermon, the minister shares a story about a young man who rejects laws and rules, believing that they restrict his freedom. However, the minister emphasizes the importance of laws and rules in maintaining order and preventing chaos. He uses examples like traffic laws to illustrate the consequences of disregarding rules. The minister also warns against the dangers of immorality and encourages young people to embrace the teachings of Jesus Christ for purity and holiness.
Sovereign Mercy
By Rolfe Barnard1.0K44:50Mercy Of GodGEN 3:7EXO 33:18MAT 6:331TI 1:11In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of the gospel of the glory of God. He highlights three key points of this gospel: the goodness of God, the authority of Jesus Christ, and the fact that God must do what is right and can show mercy. The preacher acknowledges the responsibility of every believer to spread this gospel and the joy that comes from being entrusted with it. He also mentions the concept of the glory of God, referencing a passage in Exodus and expressing the desire to see and experience the fullness of God's glory.
Parent Abuse Faith Bible Church 28
By Daniel Peters9551:14:29Parent AbuseGEN 3:7DEU 14:28DEU 24:19EZK 22:10JAS 1:27REV 3:18The sermon transcript discusses the importance of showing proper honor to parents. It is divided into four sections: the security that God provided to the people after the worldwide flood, the situation they were in, the sins they committed, and the significance and result of those sins. The sermon emphasizes the need for security and the potential challenges that can arise even when things seem to be going well. It also highlights the story of Noah and his sons, specifically focusing on the sin committed by Ham and the honorable actions of Shem and Japheth. The sermon encourages accountability and the understanding that God knows and holds us responsible for our actions.
Understanding Drug Addicts
By Jackie Pullinger4244:30Healing and RecoveryDeliveranceCompassion for AddictsGEN 3:7EXO 20:52SA 13:12PSA 102:17MAT 5:17MAT 11:28MRK 9:24JHN 5:6JAS 5:16REV 3:17Jackie Pullinger emphasizes the need for understanding and compassion towards drug addicts, sharing her experiences with individuals who have faced deep pain and shame. She highlights that addiction is often a response to trauma and that logical reasoning alone cannot help someone overcome their dependency. Pullinger stresses the importance of creating a safe environment for healing, where individuals can admit their struggles and receive support without judgment. She encourages the church to be proactive in providing ongoing care and accountability for those seeking recovery, recognizing that everyone has their own unique journey. Ultimately, she calls for a deeper understanding of the root causes of addiction and the necessity of God's grace in the healing process.
Justification
By Zac Poonen2GEN 3:7ISA 64:6ROM 4:5ROM 5:2ROM 8:31JAS 2:24Zac Poonen preaches on the profound truth of justification by faith, emphasizing that forgiveness of sins removes guilt but doesn't make us perfectly holy. Justification, through the perfect righteousness of Christ credited to us, allows us to stand before God as if we had never sinned, enabling us to boldly enter His presence without fear. This free gift from God, not based on our works, covers us with Christ's righteousness, contrasting with our futile attempts to cover our sins with 'fig-leaves' of good works.
A Personal Relationship
By Neil Anderson0GEN 3:7GEN 4:1JHN 1:14Neil Anderson delves into the impact of the Fall on Adam and Eve's minds, highlighting how sin distorted their perception of reality and their relationship with God. Before the Fall, Adam and Eve knew God intimately, but sin severed that close connection, leading to a loss of true knowledge of God. Through John 1:14, Anderson emphasizes that in Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, God offers humanity the opportunity to know Him personally and intimately, restoring the relational knowledge of God that was lost through sin.
Noah and the Law of Life
By T. Austin-Sparks0GEN 3:7GEN 6:5ISA 43:18JHN 14:6ROM 6:3ROM 8:22CO 5:211PE 3:20REV 3:16T. Austin-Sparks preaches about the importance of being on resurrection ground, as exemplified by Noah's testimony. He emphasizes the need to have the answer of a good conscience toward God, which is only possible through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The sermon delves into the significance of being out of the life of nature and walking with God on resurrection ground, where the law of the Spirit of life operates. It highlights the dangers of mixing the natural life with Divine things, stressing the importance of discernment and distinctiveness in our spiritual walk.
Man's Fig-Leaves.
By Horatius Bonar0Sin and AtonementHuman Efforts vs. Divine GraceGEN 3:7ISA 64:6ROM 3:23EPH 2:8HEB 9:22Horatius Bonar explores the theme of shame and the inadequacy of human attempts to cover sin, as illustrated by Adam and Eve's use of fig leaves. He emphasizes that while they sought to hide their nakedness and guilt, their self-made coverings were insufficient before God. Bonar argues that true atonement requires divine intervention, as human efforts are merely fig-leaves that cannot address the depths of sin. He warns against relying on rituals or good deeds as means of approaching God, highlighting that only through the sacrifice of Christ can true shame be covered. Ultimately, Bonar calls for recognition of God's provision for sin rather than reliance on our own devices.
- Adam Clarke
- Keil-Delitzsch
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
The eyes of them both were opened - They now had a sufficient discovery of their sin and folly in disobeying the command of God; they could discern between good and evil; and what was the consequence? Confusion and shame were engendered, because innocence was lost and guilt contracted. Let us review the whole of this melancholy business, the fall and its effects. 1. From the New Testament we learn that Satan associated himself with the creature which we term the serpent, and the original the nachash, in order to seduce and ruin mankind; Co2 11:3 Rev 12:9 Rev 20:2. 2. That this creature was the most suitable to his purpose, as being the most subtle, the most intelligent and cunning of all beasts of the field, endued with the gift of speech and reason, and consequently one in which he could best conceal himself. 3. As he knew that while they depended on God they could not be ruined, he therefore endeavored to seduce them from this dependence. 4. He does this by working on that propensity of the mind to desire an increase of knowledge, with which God, for the most gracious purposes, had endued it. 5. In order to succeed, he insinuates that God, through motives of envy, had given the prohibition - God doth know that in the day ye eat of it, ye shall be like himself, etc. 6. As their present state of blessedness must be inexpressibly dear to them, he endeavors to persuade them that they could not fall from this state: Ye shall not surely die - ye shall not only retain your present blessedness, but it shall be greatly increased; a temptation by which he has ever since fatally succeeded in the ruin of multitudes of souls, whom he persuaded that being once right they could never finally go wrong. 7. As he kept the unlawfulness of the means proposed out of sight, persuaded them that they could not fall from their steadfastness, assured them that they should resemble God himself, and consequently be self-sufficient, and totally independent of him; they listened, and fixing their eye only on the promised good, neglecting the positive command, and determining to become wise and independent at all events, they took of the fruit and did eat. Let us now examine the effects. 1. Their eyes were opened, and they saw they were naked. They saw what they never saw before, that they were stripped of their excellence; that they had lost their innocence; and that they had fallen into a state of indigence and danger. 2. Though their eyes were opened to see their nakedness, yet their mind was clouded, and their judgment confused. They seem to have lost all just notions of honor and dishonor, of what was shameful and what was praise-worthy. It was dishonorable and shameful to break the commandment of God; but it was neither to go naked, when clothing was not necessary. 3. They seem in a moment, not only to have lost sound judgment, but also reflection: a short time before Adam was so wise that he could name all the creatures brought before him, according to their respective natures and qualities; now he does not know the first principle concerning the Divine nature, that it knows all things, and that it is omnipresent, therefore he endeavors to hide himself among the trees from the eye of the all-seeing God! How astonishing is this! When the creatures were brought to him he could name them, because he could discern their respective natures and properties; when Eve was brought to him he could immediately tell what she was, who she was, and for what end made, though he was in a deep sleep when God formed her; and this seems to be particularly noted, merely to show the depth of his wisdom, and the perfection of his discernment. But alas! how are the mighty fallen! Compare his present with his past state, his state before the transgression with his state after it; and say, is this the same creature? the creature of whom God said, as he said of all his works, He is very good - just what he should be, a living image of the living God; but now lower than the beasts of the field? 4. This account could never have been credited had not the indisputable proofs and evidences of it been continued by uninterrupted succession to the present time. All the descendants of this first guilty pair resemble their degenerate ancestors, and copy their conduct. The original mode of transgression is still continued, and the original sin in consequence. Here are the proofs. 1. Every human being is endeavoring to obtain knowledge by unlawful means, even while the lawful means and every available help are at hand. 2. They are endeavoring to be independent, and to live without God in the world; hence prayer, the language of dependence on God's providence and grace, is neglected, I might say detested, by the great majority of men. Had I no other proof than this that man is a fallen creature, my soul would bow to this evidence. 3. Being destitute of the true knowledge of God they seek privacy for their crimes, not considering that the eye of God is upon them, being only solicitous to hide them from the eye of man. These are all proofs in point; but we shall soon meet with additional ones. See on Gen 3:10 (note), Gen 3:12 (note).
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary
"Then the eyes of them both were opened" (as the serpent had foretold: but what did they see?), "and they knew that they were naked." They had lost "that blessed blindness, the ignorance of innocence, which knows nothing of nakedness" (Ziegler). The discovery of their nakedness excited shame, which they sought to conceal by an outward covering. "They sewed fig-leaves together, and made themselves aprons." The word תּאנה always denotes the fig-tree, not the pisang (Musa paradisiaca), nor the Indian banana, whose leaves are twelve feet long and two feet broad, for there would have been no necessity to sew them together at all. חגרת, περιζώματα, are aprons, worn round the hips. It was here that the consciousness of nakedness first suggested the need of covering, not because the fruit had poisoned the fountain of human life, and through some inherent quality had immediately corrupted the reproductive powers of the body (as Hoffmann and Baumgarten suppose), nor because any physical change ensued in consequence of the fall; but because, with the destruction of the normal connection between soul and body through sin, the body ceased to be the pure abode of a spirit in fellowship with God, and in the purely natural state of the body the consciousness was produced not merely of the distinction of the sexes, but still more of the worthlessness of the flesh; so that the man and woman stood ashamed in each other's presence, and endeavoured to hide the disgrace of their spiritual nakedness, by covering those parts of the body through which the impurities of nature are removed. That the natural feeling of shame, the origin of which is recorded here, had its root, not in sensuality or any physical corruption, but in the consciousness of guilt or shame before God, and consequently that it was the conscience which was really at work, is evident from the fact that the man and his wife hid themselves from Jehovah God among the trees of the garden, as soon as they heard the sound of His footsteps. יהוה קול (the voice of Jehovah, Gen 3:8) is not the voice of God speaking or calling, but the sound of God walking, as in Sa2 5:24; Kg1 14:6, etc. - In the cool of the day (lit., in the wind of the day), i.e., towards the evening, when a cooling wind generally blows. The men have broken away from God, but God will not and cannot leave them alone. He comes to them as one man to another. This was the earliest form of divine revelation. God conversed with the first man in a visible shape, as the Father and Instructor of His children. He did not adopt this mode for the first time after the fall, but employed it as far back as the period when He brought the beasts to Adam, and gave him the woman to be his wife (Gen 2:19, Gen 2:22). This human mode of intercourse between man and God is not a mere figure of speech, but a reality, having its foundation in the nature of humanity, or rather in the fact that man was created in the image of God, but not in the sense supposed by Jakobi, that "God theomorphised when creating man, and man therefore necessarily anthropomorphises when he thinks of God." The anthropomorphies of God have their real foundation in the divine condescension which culminated in the incarnation of God in Christ. They are to be understood, however, as implying, not that corporeality, or a bodily shape, is an essential characteristic of God, but that God having given man a bodily shape, when He created him in His own image, revealed Himself in a manner suited to his bodily senses, that He might thus preserve him in living communion with Himself.
John Gill Bible Commentary
And the eyes of them both were opened,.... Not of their bodies, but of their minds; not so as to have an advanced knowledge of things pleasant, profitable, and useful, as was promised and expected, but of things very disagreeable and distressing. Their eyes were opened to see that they had been deceived by the serpent, that they had broke the commandment of God, and incurred the displeasure of their Creator and kind benefactor, and had brought ruin and destruction upon themselves; they saw what blessings and privileges they had lost, communion with God, the dominion of the creatures, the purity and holiness of their nature, and what miseries they had involved themselves and their posterity in; how exposed they were to the wrath of God, the curse of the law, and to eternal death: and they knew that they were naked; they must know before that they were naked in their bodies, but they did not perceive that their nakedness was at all uncomely, or any disadvantage to them; but now they were sensible of both, that whereas they could look upon it before, and not blush or feel any sinful emotions in them, now they could not behold it without shame, and without finding evil concupiscence arising in them; and it being now the cool of the day, and their spirits also seized with fear of the divine displeasure, they might feel a shivering all over them, and wanted something to cover them: but more especially this may respect the nakedness of their souls they were now conscious of, being stripped of that honour and glory, privileges and power, they were vested with; and having lost the image of God that was upon them, and that robe of purity, innocence, and righteousness, the rectitude of their nature, with which they were arrayed, and finding themselves naked and defenceless, and unable to screen themselves from the curses of a righteous law, and the fury of vindictive justice: and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons; not to cover their whole bodies, but only those parts which, ever since, mankind have been ashamed to expose to public view, and which they studiously conceal from sight: the reason of which perhaps is, because by those members the original corruption of human nature has been from the beginning, and still is propagated from parents to children. The leaves of the fig tree were pitched upon because of the largeness of them; the leaves of the common fig tree are very large, as everyone knows; and perhaps those in the eastern countries, and especially in paradise, were much larger than ours. Pliny (m) says of the fig tree, that its leaf is the largest, and the most shady. Some think the Indian fig tree is meant; so John Temporarius, as Drusius relates; and so our Milton (n); and according to Pliny (o), the breadth of the leaves of this tree has the shape of an Amazonian shield. And when they are said to sew these together, it is not to be supposed that they sewed them as tailors sew their garments together, since they cannot be thought to be furnished with proper instruments, or that they tacked them together with some sort of thorns, or made use of them instead of needles; but they took the tender branches of the fig tree with leaves on them, as the word signifies, see Neh 8:15 and twisted them round their waists; which served for "girdles", as some render the word (p), and the broad leaves hanging down served for aprons; but these, whatever covering they may be thought to have been to their bodies, which yet seem to be but a slender one, they could be none to their souls, or be of any service to hide their sin and shame from the all seeing eye of God; and of as little use are the poor and mean services of men, or their best works of righteousness, to shelter them from the wrath of God, and the vengeance of divine justice. (m) Nat. Hist. l. 16. c. 26. (n) ----There soon they chose The fig tree; not that kind for fruit renowned, But such as at this day in India known. Paradise Lost, B. 9. l. 1100, &c. (o) Nat. Hist. l. 12. c. 5. (p) Sept. "perizomata", V. L. "cinctoria", Tigurine version, Fagius; "cingulos", Pagninus, Montanus; so the Targums; "subligacula", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Vatablus, Drusius.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
3:7 Shame is opposite to the naked innocence Adam and Eve enjoyed prior to their rebellion (2:25). Their relationship with one another and with God was fractured. • sewed fig leaves together: These covered their physical bodies, but not their shame. They could not mend their broken relationships (see also 3:21 and study note).