Genesis 3:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Here we observe the third deception. Behold the cunning and malice of the devil. He seeks to sow the seeds of error in the world. As previously mentioned, in his attempt to introduce polytheism, he lured the woman with a narrative, captivating her ears, and instilled the notion of multiple gods within her. However, the originator of malevolence implanted this idea, while God in His foreknowledge ensured that the concept of gods would not first be uttered by human lips; instead, the serpent's mouth spoke of idols, setting a precedent that anyone who later speaks of idols mirrors the serpent's voice. I trust that you also excuse my words and grasp the intentions of the sacred text. Let no one be swayed by the sound of my voice, but rather seek to understand the meaning conveyed. “But God knows that in the day,” he declared, “that you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil.” Thus, there existed a tree in the heart of paradise through which the devil led humanity astray. Consider the irony: the devil exploited the innate characteristics of humanity as his tool of deception. God, in creating mankind, instilled in them, along with other knowledge, a deep yearning for Himself. Seeing this desire within humanity, the devil proffered the false promise: “You will be like gods.” In this way, he suggested that since humans cannot be in constant communion with God, the idea of being like gods would afford them that closeness. He did not tell them, “If you partake, you will become enemies of God.” Consequently, the woman was enticed by the allure of equality with God.

Those who interpret this differently are correct: pride serves as the starting point of sin (Sirach 10:15). The devil, from whom sin originated, turned away from God due to pride and subsequently enticed man, who was elevated above him. The serpent first sought a breach of pride as a means of entry, promising: you will be like gods. Hence, it is declared: the beginning of sin is pride. Additionally, it is stated: the source of pride is the separation of man from the Lord (Sirach 10:14).

Thus, the devil could not have lured humanity into sin through a blatant violation of God’s command if mankind had not already been consumed by self-satisfaction. This is why the promise of being like gods was appealing. They would indeed become such if they adhered to the ultimate and true source through their obedience, rather than turning inward through their pride. Created beings are gods not by their own merit, but through their communion with the true God. To seek beyond this is to diminish one’s essence.

Why do you shy away from the deepest inquiries of the soul? In paradise, rebellion started within the soul, leading to compliance with the suggestion to disobey the command. Consequently, the serpent declared, You shall be as gods. But this transgression was incurred by all of humanity. As a result, the flesh became identified with sin, and its afflictions can only be remedied through the likeness of the flesh imperiled by sin.

She does not challenge him or respond with her own words, questioning how her eyes could be opened if they are not closed, or how she could discern between good and evil when she already possesses that knowledge prior to eating from the tree. She loses the opportunity to counter the serpent’s temptation and, at his insistence, turns her focus away from him to gaze upon the forbidden tree. The serpent remains silent, having already observed her susceptibility to sin. It was not merely the enticing promise that pushed Eve to taste the fruit, but rather her fixation on the tree that lured her to reach for it. Eve might have retorted to the serpent: "If I were truly blind, how could I perceive everything around me? If I lack the ability to determine good from evil, how can I ascertain whether your promise is beneficial or harmful? How do I know that being like God and having opened eyes is good? How can I understand that death is a curse, if I have not experienced it? For what reason have you approached us? Your visit indicates that we already possess these qualities, for I assess your claim with the vision I already possess and the discernment of good and evil that I inherently have. But if I already have what you propose, what is the significance of your cunning, when your deceit is evident to me?"

In contrast to these fragile coverings, the Lord provides us with a robust garment of skins, symbolizing a life of asceticism, and tells us, "In your patience, possess your souls." He instructs that one who harms their soul through malice or sin will lead it to destruction, whereas one who refrains from malice and sin will preserve it for eternal life.

Our foes include the fleshly desire for pleasure intertwined with our being and the emptiness that preoccupies our hearts. These vices led Eve to sin, pointing her to the tree as something good for food and delightful to behold, while adding the temptation that they would become godlike in knowing both good and evil. Just as the first-created couple were filled with shame upon recognizing their nakedness, we also, having turned away from kindness and now seeing our flaws, feel a sense of shame in our conscience, leading us to don fig leaves as a cover: a facade of empty speech and self-deception. However, the Lord offers us a more lasting garment and counsels, “In your patience, you shall possess your souls,” advising that anyone who allows themselves to be consumed by anger or other sins will ultimately ruin their soul. In contrast, one who protects their soul from such wickedness will find it, achieving eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom belongs all glory, honor, and worship along with the Father, who is everlasting, and the life-giving Spirit, throughout all ages. Amen.

In that moment, our ancestors discovered the true value of paradise and understood its goodness only after they became unworthy of it and were cast out. It is often said that the nature of good is truly comprehended not in its possession but in its loss. Furthermore, they were introduced to evils previously unknown to them: they experienced nakedness, hunger, coldness, heat, toil, sickness, affliction, silence, death, and hell—these were the realities they faced when they transgressed God’s command.

He approached the woman, appearing as a weaker being, and feigning ignorance of God’s command, he posed the wicked inquiry: “What is it that God says, ‘May you not eat from every tree of Eden?’” (Genesis 3:1). He believed that the all-good God was insufficiently good, viewing God’s sacred command as harsh and burdensome. Noticing that his wife entertained his conversation with some openness, and as she reiterated the precise words of the divine command: “Of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die” (Genesis 3:3) – the villain boldly attacked and questioned the righteousness of God’s decree. It is terrifying to recount his audacious and blasphemous words: “Ye shall not surely die,” he stated. “For God knows that in the day you eat thereof, your eyes will be opened, and you will be as gods, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4,5). Despite the evident poison in the serpent’s words, as Scripture refers to the fallen angel, the woman indulged in them; neglecting both God’s command and His warning, she began to scrutinize the tree through her own understanding, tainted by the serpent’s deceit. The fruit appeared desirable for nourishment, and the understanding of good and evil seemed to offer enticing knowledge. She sampled the fruit and persuaded her husband to do the same. It is remarkable how swiftly the fall of humanity occurred! Was it not preconditioned by their inner inclinations? Did they not forsake the reverence of the Creator in paradise, instead yielding to the allure of the created and their own vanity? The contemplation of self and of creation is indeed captivating, but devoid of the Creator it leads to ruin, fostering pride and arrogance. Scripture elucidates this reasoning as it notes that upon listening to the devil’s words, “the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise; she took of its fruit and gave to her husband, and he ate” (Genesis 3:6). It is clear that, by disobeying God and succumbing to the devil, the ancestors distanced themselves from God, rendering themselves slaves to the devil. The promised death for their disobedience swiftly ensued: the Holy Spirit, who had resided within them, departed, leaving them to their own nature now tainted by sin. This malady was transmitted to humanity by the devil from his own corrupt essence, laden with sin and death. The first sinful awareness experienced by our ancestors was a deep sense of shame, an involuntary recognition of the sin that had displaced the Holy Spirit’s former indwelling presence. They perceived their nakedness and hastily fashioned garments of fig leaves to cover the shame they had never noticed before the fall, just as infants, unaware of sinful desire, do not perceive it now. “The soul of Adam died,” says St. Gregory Palamas, “by disobedience having been separated from God; for in body he continued to live (after his fall) for nine hundred and thirty years. Yet the death that occurred in his soul due to disobedience renders the soul undesirable and brings a curse upon humanity, as well as subjecting the body to various afflictions and ultimately leading it to death.” “Adam,” adds Blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria, “though alive, was nonetheless dead; he experienced death from the moment he partook of the forbidden fruit.”

This characterization of the tree of knowledge could lead to two potential interpretations: one suggesting that God, out of jealousy, prohibited its fruit to prevent others from sharing in His divine nature; the other implying that Adam misinterpreted the true intent of God's command. While both interpretations might be favorable to the tempter, it is more plausible to consider the latter when it comes to Eve.

Out of jealousy, God blinds your understanding from attaining the complete and profound knowledge that would elevate you from mere subservients to equals with Him. Cast aside your fear; partake courageously of the forbidden fruit, and the veil covering your spiritual vision will be lifted, revealing a vast expanse of knowledge. With this knowledge, you would no longer require God’s guidance, achieving a state of godhood yourselves. This encapsulates the essence of the devil’s temptations: every assertion he makes is deceitful. The tempter was aware that the first humans would experience death through these fruits, yet he insisted they would not perish—this is his first falsehood. It is also untrue that their eyes would be enlightened; they would indeed see, but only the shame of their nakedness, not the fulfillment that comes from indulgence. The claim that they “shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” is deceptive. The kind of knowledge acquired by embracing evil and becoming enslaved to it has no relation to the divine understanding of good and evil, which is rooted in liberation from all wickedness. For these crafty and misleading enticements, our Lord Jesus Christ refers to the devil as “a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). The emotion the devil sought to provoke in Eve's heart through these temptations was pride, a self-centered urge to break free from her dependence on God and attain equality with Him in wisdom. Hence it is said: “the beginning of sin is pride” (Sirach 10:15).