Genesis 3:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken.

NIV: So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.

NASB: therefore the Lord God sent him out of the Garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken.

CSB: So the Lord God sent him away from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken.

NLT: So the Lord God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made.

KJV: Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

NKJV: therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken.

Now we arrive at the moment of humanity's greatest loss, the true and lasting consequence of sin. God banished Adam and Eve from His physical presence to a life that would be characterized by pain, frustration, difficult work, and eventual physical death. Adam's destiny is poetic and heartbreaking: Formed from the dust of the ground, he would live out his days working to pull his livelihood from the ground until he died and returned to the ground.

God had already begun His plan to redeem His people, to purchase back at the price of His own Son's life all those who would trust in Christ. For them, this separation from God will one day end. We will be united with our Father in the Eden-like home of an eternity with Him.

But we're not home, yet. In the New Testament, Paul will describe the groaning of the Christian's longing to be with our Father as we wait for that day (Romans 8:18–25).

Genesis 3:8–24 describes the consequences of man's rebellion against God. After falling to temptation, humans are ashamed and foolishly attempt to hide from God. When confronted with their sin, the man and woman confess, but also attempt to shift the blame to others. Adam even blames God. In response, God issues three individual ''curses'' which affect humanity to this day. Mankind can no longer stay in the ''very good'' garden, and is banished. Even so, God continues to provide for His creation.

Genesis 3 tells the story of paradise lost by the willfulness of human sin. Humanity was originally given every perfect thing they could need or want, and virtually no restrictions. Despite that, Adam and Eve needed only a bit of prompting from a talking serpent to disobey their good Creator. Immediately overcome by shame and quickly cursed by God, the painful story of human history begins with their exit from the Garden of Eden.

Genesis 2 ended with the last glimpse of a sinless world. Adam and Eve are perfect in themselves, in their purpose, and in their relationship as husband and wife. Chapter 3 tells the story of that paradise lost; the result of the first willful human sin. The consequences: immediate shame and lifelong separation from their home with God. Chapter 4 will describe the beginning of their lives together, the beginning of the painful story of human history.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.

Accessed 5/3/2024 1:48:25 AM