The Fall

The serpent, described as more subtil than any beast of the field, questioned the woman regarding the prohibition against eating from every tree of the garden (Genesis 3:1). The woman stated that eating or touching the fruit of the tree in the midst of the garden would result in death, yet the serpent claimed they would not die but would become as gods, knowing good and evil (Genesis 3:4-5). Seeing that the tree was good for food and desired to make one wise, the woman took and ate the fruit and gave it to her husband, who also ate it (Genesis 3:6). Afterward, they realized they were naked and sewed fig leaves together to make aprons.

Upon hearing the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, the man and his wife hid themselves among the trees (Genesis 3:8). The Lord God called to the man, who explained he hid because of his nakedness. When questioned about eating from the forbidden tree, the man blamed the woman whom God had given to be with him, and the woman blamed the serpent for beguiling her (Genesis 3:12-13). The text does not say how the serpent initially entered the garden or the specific species of the fruit consumed.

In response, the Lord God cursed the serpent to crawl on its belly and eat dust, and decreed that the woman would experience greatly multiplied sorrow in conception and childbirth (Genesis 3:14-16). The man was told the ground was cursed for his sake, leading to sorrowful labor and thorns and thistles until his return to the ground (Genesis 3:17-19). God made coats of skins to clothe the pair (Genesis 3:21). To prevent them from eating from the tree of life and living forever, the Lord God sent the man forth from the garden of Eden to till the ground, placing cherubims and a flaming sword to guard the way (Genesis 3:23-24).