Genesis 3:4Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

When she examined God's command and recounted His words, she became subject to the devil's new, more harmful suggestion. The woman stated, "We may eat the fruit of the trees, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God said, Ye shall not eat it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die." In response, the wicked adversary of our salvation countered the Lord's command. Although our loving God prohibited the fruit to protect them from mortal consequence, the devil asserted, "No, ye shall not die." What justification can be given to the woman for so readily accepting the words of one who was so brazen? The Almighty had commanded, "Touch them not, lest ye die," yet this one contradicts, saying, "No, ye shall not die." Further, unsatisfied with merely opposing the divine decree, he also portrayed the Creator as envious, thereby facilitating his deceit and leading the woman astray to fulfill his sinister agenda.

Observe how the devil ensnared the woman, ensnaring her thoughts and luring her to aspire beyond her rightful standing, which prompted her to forfeit what had already been bestowed upon her.

Evidently, the devil has discerned what he once did not comprehend, and as one unsuspected of malice, he tells the woman, "No, ye shall not die." This constitutes yet another falsehood. God had said, "Ye shall not eat of it, nor touch it, lest ye die" (Gen. 3:3), while the devil counters, "Ye shall not die." This represents his second deception.

Those who interpret this differently truthfully assert that the root of sin is pride (Sir. 10:15). The adversary, the source of sin, fell from grace due to his pride, and out of jealousy, he led astray the man who occupied his former exalted position. The serpent initially sought a breach of pride through which he could enter, enticing: you shall be like gods. Hence, it is stated that the root of sin is pride, and furthermore, the origin of pride is the estrangement of humanity from the Lord (Sir. 10:14).

Consequently, the enemy could not have led man into sin by overtly encouraging disobedience to God's command if man had not already been ensnared by a sense of self-satisfaction. This is the reason why the allure of “you shall be like gods” was appealing to him. In truth, they would achieve such a state by adhering to the highest and true source through obedience, rather than succumbing to self-centered pride. Created beings can only claim divinity through their relationship with the true God. To seek more is, in fact, to diminish oneself.

Why do you evade the profound questions of your spirit? In paradise, the rebellion began within the soul, which led to the compliance with the suggestion to violate the divine command. Hence, the serpent proclaimed, “Ye shall be as gods.” Nevertheless, this sin was a transgression of the entirety of man. Thus, the flesh became the flesh of sin, and its shortcomings can only be healed through the likeness of sinful flesh.

Approaching the woman as a seemingly weaker being and feigning ignorance of God's decree, he posed a malicious question: “What is it that God has said, ‘You shall not eat from every tree of the garden?’” (Genesis 3:1). He insinuated that the all-good God was not truly benevolent, suggesting that God's holy command was harsh and burdensome. Noticing that his wife engaged with him in curiosity, she reiterated the exact words of God’s command: “Of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die’” (Genesis 3:3). In response, the villain directly contested the righteousness of God's decree. It is alarming to recount his audacious and blasphemous assertion: “You shall not surely die,” he claimed, adding, “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” (Genesis 3:4, 5). Despite the clear poison in the serpent's words, as Scripture labels the fallen angel, the woman pondered them; forgetting both the divine command and the accompanying warning, she began to evaluate the tree based on her own understanding, which was swayed by the devil's deceit. The fruit appeared pleasing to her palate, and the knowledge it promised seemed enticing. She tasted the fruit and encouraged her husband to partake as well. It is astonishing how swiftly the fall of our forebears unfolded! Was this not a consequence of their inner disposition? Did they not shift their focus from the Creator in paradise to the created and their own allure? While the contemplation of self and creation can be appealing, it is perilous when God is excluded, leading to vanity and pride. Scripture guides us to this realization when it reveals that the woman, after absorbing the serpent's words, “saw that the tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes and desirable for gaining wisdom; and she took of its fruit and gave it to her husband, and he ate” (Genesis 3:6). Clearly, by disobeying God and yielding to the devil, our forefathers estranged themselves from God and became captives of the evil one. The promised death for their transgression swiftly ensued: the Holy Spirit that resided within them departed. They were left to their own fallen nature, tainted by the poison of sin. This contamination was transmitted to humanity by the devil, whose very essence was filled with sin and death. The first experience of sin for our forebears was one of shame, a painful awareness of the sin that had displaced the former indwelling of the Holy Spirit. They recognized their nakedness and hastily fashioned girdles from fig leaves to conceal the shame of their bodies, which they had never regarded as shameful before the fall, akin to infants who, untouched by sinful desire, remain oblivious to it. “The soul of Adam died,” states St. Gregory Palamas, “for he was separated from God due to disobedience: though he lived in body for nine hundred and thirty years thereafter, the death that afflicted his soul through disobedience rendered his soul void of value, cursing humanity and subjecting the body to various weaknesses, afflictions, and decay, ultimately leading to death.” “Adam,” comments Blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria, “although alive, was in fact dead: he perished from the moment he ate from the forbidden tree.”