Genesis 3

NOw the Serpent Or, Rather, this or that Serpent: For here is an emphatical article, of which more by and by. was more subtile than any Beast of the Field The Serpents eminent subtilty is noted both in sacred Scripture, Gen. 49. 17. Psal. 58. 5. Mark 10. 16. 2 Cor. 11. 3. and by Heathen Authors whereof these instances are given, that when it is assaulted, it secures its head; that it stops its ear at the charmers voice; and the like. If it be yet said, that some beasts are more subtle, and therefore this is not true, it may be replied. 1. It is no wonder if the Serpent for its instrumentality in mans sin has lost the greatest part of its original subtlety, even as mans sin was punished with a great decay both of the natural endowments of his Mind, Wisdom, and Knowledge, and of the beauty, and glory of his Body, the instrument of his sin. But this Text may and seems to be understood not of the whole kind of Serpents but of this individual, or particular Serpent; for it is in the Hebrew Haunacha... h, that Serpent, or this Serpent, to signifie that this was not only an ordinary Serpent, but was acted, and assisted by the Devil, who is therefore called that old Serpent, Rev. 12. 9. And this seems most probable, partly from the following discourse which is added, as a proof of that which is here said concerning the Serpents subtlety, and that s... rely was not the discourse of a Beast but of a Devil; and partly from 2 Cor. 11. 3. which has a manifest reference to this place, where the Apostle affirmeth that the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, not surely through that subtlety which is common to all Serpents, but through that subtilty which was peculiar to this, as it was possessed and acted by the Devil. There seems indeed to be an all... sion here to the natural subtilty of all Serpents, and the sense of the sacred Penman may seem to be this, as if he said, the Serpent indeed in it self is a subtil Creature, and thought to be more subtil than any Beast of the Field; but howsoever this be in other Serpents,... t is certain that this Serpent was more subtil than any Beast of the Field, as will appear by the following words. If it be said, the particle this, or that, is relative to something going before, whereas there is not a word about it in the foregoing words, it may be replyed, that relative particles, are often put without any antecedents, and the antecedents are left to be gathered not only out of the foregoing, but sometimes also out of the following passages, as is apparent from Exod. 14. 29. Numb. 7. 89. and 24. 17. Psal. 87. 1. and 105. 19. and 114. 2. Prov. 7. 8. and 14. 26. So here, that Serpent, that of which I am now to speak, whose discourse with the Woman here followeth., which the LORD God had made; and he said Quest. How the Serpent could speak, and what the Woman conceived of his speech, and why she was not affrighted but continued the discourse with it? There be two satisfactory answers may be given to these questions. 1. The Woman knew that there were spirits, and did freely and frequently converse with Spirits or Angels, who also did appear in some visible shape to her, which seems very credible; because in the following Ages not only the Angels but even the blessed God himself did in that manner converse with men. And as they afterwards used to appear in the shape of men, why might not one of them now appear to her, and converse with her in the shape of a beautiful Serpent? And why might she not freely and securely discourse with this which she thought to be one of those good Angels, to whose care and tuition both she and her Husband were committed? For I suppose the fall of the Angels was yet unknown to her, and she thought this to be a good Spirit, otherwise she would have declined all conversation with an Apostate Spirit. 2. A late ingenious and learned Writer represents the matter thus, in which there is nothing absurd or incredible: The Serpent makes his address to the Woman with a short speech, and salutes her as the Empress of the World, &c. She is not affrighted because there was as yet no cause of fear, no sin, and therefore no danger, but wonders and enquires what this meant, and whether he was not a brute Creature, and how he came to have speech, and understanding? The Serpent replies, that he was no better than a brute, and did indeed want both these gifts, but by eating of a certain fruit in this Garden he got both. She asked what Fruit, and Tree that was? Which when he showed her, she replied, this no doubt, is an excellent fruit and likely to make the eater of it wise; but God has forbidden us this Fruit: To which the Serpent replies, as it here follows in the Text. It is true discourse is not in the Text,... ewish, and other Expositors, that these words, Yea, has God said, &c. Are a short and abrupt sentence, and that they were but the close of a foregoing discourse; which might well enough be either this now mentioned, or some other of a like nature. And that expression which follows verse 6. When the Woman saw, i. e. understood, that it was a Tree to be desired to make one wise, may seem to imply both that the Serpent told her, and that she believed, that the speech and understanding of the Serpent was the effect of the eating of that Fruit, and therefore that if it raised him from a brute-Beast to the degree of a reasonable Creature, it would elevate her from the humane to a kind of divine nature or condition. unto the Woman Who had upon some occasion retired from her Husband for a season; an advantage which the crafty Serpent quickly espieth, and greedily embraceth and assaulteth her when she wanteth the help of her Husband., yea, Or, Why, or, Is it so, or, indeed, or, of a truth. has God said It is scarce credible that God, who is so bountiful, and the soveraign good, and so abhorring from all parsimony, and envy, should forbid you the enjoyment of any part of those provisions, which he has made for your use and comfort., ye shall not eat of every Or, of any; for the word is ambiguou..., which therefore the cunning adversary useth to hide the snare, which he was laying for her. Tree of the Garden?

And the Woman said unto the Serpent, we may eat of the Fruit of the Trees of the Garden:

But of the Fruit of the Tree, which is in the midst of the Garden, God has said, ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it To wit, in order to the eating of it: Or, the touch might be simply forbidden, or she might reasonably understand it to be forbidden in and by the prohibition of eating, because it was an occasion of sin, and therefore to be avoided. For it is not probable that the Woman being not yet corrupted should knowingly add to God's Word, or malitiously insinuate the harshness of the precept., lest ye dye Others, lest peradventure ye dye as if she doubted of the truth of the threatning: Which seems not probable the Woman yet continuing in the state of and such doubting being evidently sinful, and the Hebrew particle Pen, does not always imply a doubt, as appeares from Psal.... 12. Isa. 27. 3. and 3.... 18. compared with 2 King. 18. 3.

And the Serpent said unto the Woman, ye shall not surely die It is not so certain as you imagine, that you shall die. God did say so indeed for your terrour, and to keep you in awe, or, he had some mystical meaning in those words, but do not entertain such hard and unworthy thoughts of that God who is infinitely kind and gracious, that he will for such a tri... le, as the eating of a little Fruit undo you, and all your Posterity, and so suddenly destroy the most excellent work of his own hands..

For God does know If you would have the whole truth of the matter, and God's design in that Prohibition, it is only this., that in the day ye... at thereof, then your eyes shall be opened He knoweth that you shall be so far from dying, that ye shall certainly be entred into a new, and more noble kind of Life, and the eyes of your minds, which are now shut as to the knowledge of a World of things shall then be opened, and see things more fully and distinctly.: and ye shall be as Gods Or, as God, like unto God himself in the largeness of your knowledge., knowing Good and Evil As the very name that God has put upon the Tree may teach you. But this is a priviledge, of which, for divers causes best known to himself, some of which your own reason will easily guess at, he would not have you partake of..

And when the Woman saw By curious and accurate observation, and gazing upon it, or perceiving it by the Serpents discourse, as was observed on ver. 3. that the Tree was good for Food, and that it was pleasant to the Eyes To wit in an eminent degree; for otherwise so were all the rest., and a Tree to be desired to make one Wise Which she might know by the Serpents information See the Notes on ver. 1.; she took of the Fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her Husband Who by this time was returned to her. with her (i. e.) Who now was with her, or, that he might ea... with her and take his part of that Fruit., and he did eat By her persuasion, and instigation. See 1 Tim. 2. 14..

And the Eyes of them both Of their Minds and Consciences, which hitherto had been closed, and blinded by the arts of the Devil. were opened As the Devil had promised them, though in a far differing, and sadder sense, and they knew They knew it before, when it was their glory, but now they knew it with grief and shame from a sense both of their guilt for the sin newly past, and of that sinful Concupiscence, which they now... ound working in them. that they were naked, and they fewed Or, Tyed, Twisted or Fastned. Fig-leaves The lesser branches, or twigs upon which were also the leaves of a Figtree which peradventure was then near them, and which because of its broad leaves was most fit for that use. together, and made themselves Aprons To cover their nakedness..

And they heard the voice Mentioned ver. 9. or rather the sound as the word voice is often taken in Scripture, as Psal. 93. 3. Rev. 10. 3. and 19. 6. of the LORD God Either God the Father, or, rather God the Son, appearing in the shape of a man, as afterwards he frequently did to give a forecast of his incarnation. walking in the Garden in the cool of the day About Evening, the time when men use to walk abroad to recreate themselves, when there was a cool and refreshing Wind, whereby also the voice of the Lord was more speedily and effectually conveyed to Adam, and his Wife., and Adam and his Wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God Being sensible of God's approach, and filled with shame and Conscience of their own guilt and dread of judgement, instead of flying to God for Mercy, they foolishly attempted to run away from him, whom it was impossible to avoid., amongst the Trees of the Garden.

And the LORD God called With a loud voice unto Adam, and said unto him, where art thou Thou whom I have so highly obliged, whither and wherefore doest thou run away from me thy friend and Father, whose presence was lately so sweet and acceptable to thee? In what place, or rather in what condition art thou? What is the cause of this sudden, and wonderful change? This he asks not that he was ignorant of it, but to make way for the following sentence, and to set a pattern for all Judges, that they should examine the offender, and enquire into the offence before they proceed to punishment.?

And he said, I heard thy voice in the Garden: And I was afraid, because I was naked He confesseth his nakedness, which was evident, but says nothing of his sin, which if possible, he would have hid. See Iob 31. 33. And is grieved for the shameful effects of his sin, but not yet sincerely penitent for his sin., and I hid my self Out of reverence to thy glorious Majesty..

And he said, who told thee that thou wast naked Or, that thy nakedness, which lately was thy glory, was now become matter of shame, hast thou eaten of the Tree, whereof I commanded thee which I gave thee so severe a charge upon pain of, that thou shouldst not eat?

And the man said, the Woman I have eaten, not by my own choice and inclination, but by the persuasion of this Woman whom thou gavest to be with me As a meet help a faithful friend and constant companion supposing that it was not good for me to... e alone, which the event shows would have been much better for me Thus Adam excuseth himself, and chargeth God foolishly with his sin. she gave me of the Tree, and I did eat Out of complacency to her, not from any evil design against thee..

And the LORD God said unto the Woman, what is this that thou hast done How hainous a crime hast thou comm... ted? What a World of mischief hast thou by this one brought upon themself thy posterity? Or, why hast thou done this motives couldst thou have... or so wicked What thou of meddling with this it when I had g... en thee so large, and liberal an allowance? And the Woman said, the Serpent A Creature which thou hast made, and that assisted by an higher power, by an evil Angel, for such I now perceive by sad experience there... e beguiled me A and foolish Woman whose seduction cast for Anger. and I did eat Being surprized, and overperswaded against my own Judgment and Resolution..

And the LORD God said unto the Serpent Or rather this or that Serpent, which, as was said before on ver. 1. was no ordinary Serpent, but a Serpent acted and assisted by the Devil, and therefore this sentence, or curse is pronounced against both of them; 1. Against the Serpent it self, which though an unreasonable Creature, and therefore not subject to a Law, and consequently not capable of guilt or sin, Rom. 4. 15. Yet, being the instrument of the Devils malice, is rightly punished, as other Beasts being abused by mans sin did suffer together... th him, Exod. 32. 20. Levit. 20. 15, 16. not for their crime, but partly for the punishment, and partly for the benefit of Man, who is their Lord and Owner, Psal. 8. 6. for whose sake seeing they were made, it is not strange if they be punished for his use, that in their punishment man might have a demonstration of Gods anger against sin, and a motive to Repentance. 2. Against the Devil, who is here principally intended though, as he lay hid in the body of the Serpent which he possessed, and used, so his curse is here mentioned under the cover of the Serpents curse, and under the disguise of such terms as properly and literally agree to the Serpent but are also mystically to be understood concerning the Devil With whom the Lord entertaineth no conference, as he did with Adam and Eve, whose sin was less than his, and whom God mean... to bring to Repentance, but immediately denounceth the curse against him, as one that sinned against much greater Knowledge, and from far worse Principles, not from mistake or mis-information, but from choice and Rebellion, from hatred of God, and from mere envy, and implacable malice against men., because thou hast done this Deceived the Woman, and tempted her to this sin., thou Or, shalt be from henceforth both really and in the opinion of all mankind: Or, Be thou. cursed above all Cattle, and above every Beast of th... Field As in other respects, so particularly in that which here follows. upon thy belly shalt thou go If the Serpent did so before the fall, what then was natural is now become painful and shameful to it, as nakedness and some other things were to man. But it seems more probable, that this Serpent, before the fall either had feet, or rather did go with its breast erect, as the Basilisk at this day does, God peradventure so ordering it, as a Testimony that some other Serpents did once go so. And so the sense of the curse being applied to this particular Serpent, and to its kind, may be this, whereas thou hadst a priviledge above other kinds of Serpents, whereby thou didst go with erected breast, and didst feed upon the Fruits of Trees and other Plants, now thou shalt be brought down to the same mean and vile estate with them, upon thy belly, (or rather breast, as the word also signifies) shalt thou go, &c. as they do., and dust shalt thou eat Dust is the food as of Earthworms, Scorpions, and some other Creatures, so also of some Serpents, as appears both from Isai. 65. last, Mic. 7. 17. and from the Testimony of Nicander, Th... riac. vers. 372. and Philo an Arabick Writer. Or, the dust is the Serpents sawce rather then his meat, whilst creeping and groveling upon the Earth, and taking his fo... from thence, he must necessarily take in dust and filth together with it. These two clauses being applyed to the Devil signifie his fall from his noble state and place to Earth and Hell, the basene... s of his nature and of his food, his delight being in the vilest of m... n and things, it being now his me... t and drink to dishonour God and destroy mankind, and promote the esteem and love of earthly things. all the days of thy Life.

And I will put enmity Though now you be sworn Friends, leagued together against me: between thee and the Woman And the Man too, but the Woman alone is mentioned, for the Devils greater confusion. 1. The Woman, whom, as the weaker Vessel, thou didst seduce, shall be the great occasion of thy overthrow. 2. Because the Son of God who conquered this great Dragon and old Serpent, Rev. 12. 9. Who came to destroy the works of the Devil, 1 Iohn 3. 8. was made of a Woman, Gal. 4. 4. without the help of man, Esa. 7. 14. Luk..... 34, 35. and between thy Seed Literally, this Serpent, and for his sake, the whole seed or race of Serpents, which of all Creatures are most loathsome and terrible to mankind, and especially to Women: Mystically, that evil Spirit which seduced her, and with him the whole society of Devils (who are generally hated and dreaded by all men, even by those that serve and obey them, but much more by good men,) and all wicked men who, with regard to this text, are called Devils and the Children or seed of the Devil, Iohn 6. 70. and 8. 44. Acts 13. 10. 1 Iohn 3. 8. and her Seed Her off-spring, first and principally, the Lord Christ, who with respect to this text and promise is called by way of eminency, the Seed, Gal. 3. 16, 19. whose alone work it is to break the Serpents head, i..... to destroy the Devil, Heb. 2. 14. Compare Iohn 12. 31. Rom. 16. 20. Secondly, and by way of participation, all the members of Christ, all believers and holy men, who are called the Children of Christ, Heb. 2. 13. and of the Heavenly Ierusalem, Gal. 4. 26. All the members whereof are the Seed of this Woman: And all these are the implacable enemies of the Devil, whom also by Christs merit and strength they do overcome.: It shall bruise thy head The principal instrument both of the Serpents fury and mischief and of his defence, and the principal seat of the Serpents life, which therefore men chiefly strike at, and which being upon the ground a man may conveniently tread upon and crush it to pieces. In the Devil this notes his Power and Authority over men, the strength whereof consists in Death, which Christ, the blessed seed of the Woman, overthroweth, by taking away the sting of death which is Sin, 1 Cor. 15. 55, 56. and destroying him that had the power of death, that is, the Devil, Heb. 2. 14., and thou shalt bruise his heel The part which is most within the Serpents reach, and wherewith it was bruised, and thereby provoked to fix his venemous Teeth there: But a part remote from the Head and Heart, and therefore its wounds though painful, are not deadly, nor dangerous, if they be observed in time. If it be applyed to the seed of the Woman, Christ, his heel may note, either his humanity, whereby he trod upon the Earth, which indeed the Devil by Gods permission, and the hands of wicked men, did bruise and kill: or his Saints and Members upon the Earth, whom the Devil does in diverse manners bruise, and vex and afflict, while he cannot reach their head Christ in Heaven, nor those of his members who are or shall be advanced thither..

Unto the Woman he said, I will greatly Or, certainly, as the repetition of the same word implyes. multiply thy sorrow In diverse pains and infirmities peculiar to thy Sex. (i. e.) Thou shalt have many, and those oft-times false and fruitless Conceptions and Abortive Births, and whereas thou mightest commonly have had many Children at one Conception, as some few Women yet have, now thou shalt ordinarily undergo all the troubles and pains of Conception, Breeding and Birth for every Child which thou hast. Or, Thy sorrows and thy Conception, by a figure called Hendiaduo, are put for, thy sorrows in Conception, or rather in Child-bearing, which the Hebrew word here used signifies, Gen. 16. 4. Iud. 13. 3., and thy conception: In sorrow Aristotle in his Histor. Animal. 7. 9. observes that Women bring forth young with more pain than any other Creatures. thou shalt bring forth Or, bear, for the word notes all the pains and troubles which Women have both in the time of Child-bearing, and in the act of bringing forth. Children Heb. Sons: and Daughters too, both being comprehended in that word, as Exod, 22. 24. Psal. 128. 6.: And thy desire Thy desires shall be referred or submitted to thy husbands will and pleasure to grant or deny them, as he sees fit. Which sense is confirmed from Gen. 4. 7. where the same phrase is used in the same sense. And this punishment was both very proper for her that committed so great an errour as the eating of the forbidden Fruit was, in compliance with her own desire without asking her Husbands advise or consent, as in all reason she should have done in so weighty and doubtful a matter: And very grievous to her, because Womens Affections use to be vehement, and it is irksome to them to have them restrained or denied. shall be to thy Husband, and he shall rule over thee Seeing for want of thy Husbands rule and conduct thou wast seduced by the Serpent, and didst abuse that power I gave thee together with thy Husband to draw him to sin, thou shalt now be brought down to a lower degree, for he shall rule thee, not with that sweet and gentle hand, which he formerly used, as a guide, and Counsellour only, but by an higher and harder hand, as a Lord and Governour, to whom I have now given a greater Power and Authority over thee, than he had before, (which through thy pride and corruption will be far more uneasie to thee, than his former Empire was) and who will usurp a further power than I have given him, and will by my permission for thy punishment rule thee many times with Rigour, Tyranny, and Cruelty, which thou wilt groan under, but shalt not be able to deliver thy self from it. See 1 Cor. 14. 34. 1 Tim. 2. 11, 12. 1 Pet. 3. 6..

And unto Adam he said, because thou hast hearkned unto the voice of thy Wife (i. e.) Obeyed the word and counsel, contrary to my expresse command., and hast eaten of the Tree of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground Which shall now yield both fewer and worse fruits, and those too with more trouble of mens minds and labour of their bodies. for thy sake (i. e.) Because of thy sin; or to thy use, or, as far as concerns thee. in sorrow Or, with toil, or, grief. shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life.

Thorns also and Thistles And other unuseful and hurtful Plants Synecdochically contained under these., shall it bring forth Of its own accord. to thee Not to thy benefit, but to thy grief and punishment.: And thou shalt eat the Herb of the Field In stead of those generous and delicious Fruits of Paradise, which because thou didst dispise thou shalt no more tast of. See Gen. 1. 29..

In the sweat of thy face (i. e.) Of thy Body: He mentions the Face, because there the sweat appears first and most. Or, with labour of Body or Brain, Eccles. 1. 13. and vexation of mind. shalt thou eat Bread (i. e.) Get thy food and livelihood: Bread being put for all nourishment, as Gen. 18. 5. and 28. 20. till thou return unto the ground: for out of it wast thou taken; for dust thou art As to the constitution and original of thy Body. See Gen. 18. 27. Iob 1. 21. Psal. 103. 14., and unto dust shalt thou return Though upon thy obedience I would have preserved thy Body no less than thy Soul from all mortality, yet now having sinned thou shalt return unto dust in thy Body, whilst the immortal Spirit shall return unto God who gave it, Eccles. 12. 7. Thus thy end shall be as base as thy beginning.:

And Adam called his Wives name Eve Which signifies either Living, or, the giver, or preserver of Life., because she was the Mother of all living Though for her sin justly sentenced to a present death, yet by Gods infinite Mercy, and by virtue of the promised Seed was both continued in Life her self, and was made the Mother of all living Men and Women, that should be after her upon the Earth; who though in and with their Mother they were condemned to speedy Death, yet shall be brought forth into the state and Land of the Living, and into the hopes of a blessed and eternal Life by the Redeemer, whose Mother or progenitor she was..

Unto Adam also, and to his Wife; did the LORD God Either by his own word; or by the Ministry of Angels. make coats of skins Of Beasts slain either for Sacrifice to God, or for the use of man, their Lord and owner. and clothed them Which he did partly to defend them from excessive heats and colds or other injuries of the Air, to which they were now exposed, Partly to mind them of their sin which made their nakedness, which before was Innocent and Honourable now to be an occasion of sin and shame, and therefore to need covering: And partly to show his care even of fallen man, and to encourage his hopes of Gods mercy through the blessed Seed, and thereby to invite him to Repentance..

And the LORD God said Either within himself, or to the other persons of the Godhead., Behold, the Man is become (i. e.) Adam and Eve both are become such according to the Devils promise and their own expectation. This is an Holy Irony or Sarcasm, like those, 1 King. 18. 27. Eccles. 11. 9. q. d. Behold! O all ye Angels, and all the future Generations of men, how the first man has over-reached and conquered us, and got the Divinity which he affected, and how happy he has made himself by his Rebellion! But this bitter scorn God uttereth not to insult over mans misery, but to convince him of his sin, folly, danger and calamity, and to oblige him both to a diligent seeking after and a greedy embracing the remedy of the promised Seed which God offered him, and to a greater watchfulness over himself and respect to all Gods commands for the time to come., as one of us i. e. As one of the Divine Persons, of infinite Wisdom and Capacity. Here is an evident proof of a plurality of persons in the Godhead, compare Gen. 1. 26. and 11. 7. If it be said, God speaks this of himself and the Angels; besides that as yet not one word has been spoken concerning the Angels, it is an absurd and unreasonable conceit that the great God should level himself with the Angels, and give them a kind of equality with himself, as this expression intimates., to know Good and Evil To know all things; both good and evil., and now lest he put forth his hand The speech is defective and to be supplyed thus or some such way, But now care must be taken, or man must be banished hence lest he, &c., and take also i. e. As he did take of the Tree of knowledge. of the Tree of Life, and eat and live for ever (i. e.) And thereby prophane that Sacrament of Eternal Life, and fondly persuade himself that he shall live for ever. This is another scoffe or irony, whereby God upbraideth mans presumption, and those vain hopes wherewith he did still feed himself.:

Therefore For prevention thereof. the LORD God sent him forth Or, expelled him with shame and violence, and so as never to restore him thither: For it is the same word which is used concerning divorced Wives. from the Garden of Eden, to till To wit, with toil and sweat, as was threatned, ver. 17. the ground, from whence he was taken The ground without Paradise: For he was made without Paradise and then put into it, as was noted before..

So he drove out the Man: And he placed, at the East of the Garden Where the entrance into it was, the other sides of it being inclosed or secured by God to preserve it from the entrance and annoyance of wild Beasts: Or, before the Garden, i. e. Near to the Garden, before any man could come at the Garden any way. of Eden, Cherubims (i. e.) Angels, so called from their exquisite knowledge, and therefore fitly here used for the punishment of man who sinned by affecting divine knowledge., and a flaming Sword In the Cherubims hands, as it was upon other occasions, Numb. 22. 23. Ios. 5. 13. 1 Chron. 21. 16, 27. And this was either a material Sword bright and being brandished shining and glittering like a flame of fire, or, flaming fire in the shape of a Sword. Or, flaming Swords, because there were divers Cherubims, and each of them had a Sword. The singular number for the plural: Or, a two edged Sword., which turned every way Was brandished and nimbly whirled about by the Cherubims, which posture was fittest for the present service., to keep the way of the Tree of Life The way that leads to Paradise, and so to the Tree of Life; that man might be deterred and kept from coming thither..