What does Genesis 3:21 mean?

As with the previous verse, this passage contains some hope for Adam, Eve, and humanity. God's curses for their sin were severe and painful to hear. However, Eve's name points to the future generations to come. And this verse reveals that God will still provide, starting with clothing for Adam and Eve. Their hastily constructed fig leaves would not be adequate to continue to cover their nakedness. In clothing them, God demonstrates that it is right for them to be clothed.

In order to make this clothing of skin, though, an animal had to die. This is the first recorded physical death in Scripture, even of an animal. No death is explicitly recorded until after human sin. God Himself is the one who takes the animal's life to provide warmth and covering for the humans. Later in Genesis, God will require the sacrifice of animals to provide a blood covering for human sin. Eventually, Jesus' Himself would bleed and die to provide a final covering for the sins of all who would trust in Him for salvation.