Genesis 3:4

Genesis 3:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
• New International Version (NIV)“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.

Context of Genesis 3:4

2The woman replied, ‘We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden. 3But God said, “You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden. You must not even touch it. If you do that, you will die.” ’ Then the snake said to the woman, ‘No, you will not die. 5God knows that when you eat the fruit from this tree, you will understand things. You will become like God himself. You will know about good things and evil things.’ 6The woman looked at the fruit on the tree. She saw that it would be good to eat, and it was beautiful to look at. She wanted to eat it because it would make her become wise. So she took some fruit and she ate it. Then she gave some of the fruit to her husband who was with her. He also ate it.

Genesis 3:4 word by word

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר הַנָּחָ֖שׁ אֶל־הָֽאִשָּׁ֑ה לֹֽא־מ֖וֹת תְּמֻתֽוּן׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the serpentנָחָשׁnâchâsh · serpentH5175
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto the womanאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
• Ye shall not surelyמוּתmûth · to dieH4191

Cross-references for Genesis 3:4

• John 8:44You belong to your father, the Devil, and you want to do the things that he wants. From the beginning, he has been someone who murders people. He refuses to accept the truth, because there is nothing true in him. When he tells lies, he is showing what he is really like. He always tells lies. He is the father of all lies.
• Genesis 3:13Then the Lord God said to the woman, ‘Why have you done a thing like that?’ The woman replied, ‘It was the snake. The snake deceived me with a lie. So I ate the fruit.’
• Deuteronomy 29:19Nobody who hears the message of this covenant should think that they can go against it. Someone might say to himself, ‘I do not have to obey this covenant. I will be safe, whatever happens. God will still bless me.’ A person who thinks like that will bring trouble on everyone and on everything.
• 2 Kings 1:4Because you are doing this, the Lord says to you, Ahaziah, “You will never leave the bed that you are lying on. You will certainly die.” ’
• 2 Kings 8:10Elisha answered, ‘Go back to the king. Tell him, “Certainly, you will get well again.” But the Lord has shown me that the king will surely die.’
• Psalms 10:11The wicked person says to himself, ‘God will give me no trouble! He does not even see what I do.’
• 2 Corinthians 2:11We do not want Satan to win against us. He is very clever. We know how he likes to cause us to have trouble.
• 2 Corinthians 11:3Remember how the snake deceived Eve. Because he was clever, she believed his lies. I am afraid that the same thing might happen to you. False teachers may make you believe wrong things. Then you will no longer love Christ in a pure and honest way.
• 1 Timothy 2:14It was Eve, not Adam, who believed the lies that Satan told her. Because she believed Satan completely, she did what God had said was wrong.

Commentaries on Genesis 3:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Ye shall not surely die - Here the father of lies at once appears; and appears too in flatly contradicting the assertion of God. The tempter, through the nachash, insinuates the impossibility of her dying, as if he had said, God has created thee immortal, thy death therefore is impossible; and God knows this, for as thou livest by the tree of life, so shalt thou get increase of wisdom by the tree of knowledge.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-7Verses 1-7 - Section III - The Fall - The Fall 1. נחשׁ nachash “serpent; related: hiss,” Gesenius; “sting,” Mey. ערוּם 'ārûm “subtle, crafty, using craft for defence.” 7. תפר tāpar “sew, stitch, tack together.” חגורה chăgôrâh “girdle, not necessarily apron.” This chapter continues the piece commenced at Genesis 2:4. The same combination of divine names is found here, except in the dialogue between the serpent and the woman, where God (אלהים…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-5You will not surely die: This directly contradicts God's clear and emphatic words: “you will surely die” (2:17). The serpent takes advantage of the woman's doubt. He denies there will be any penalty and quickly shifts her focus to the supposed reward. He says she will become like God, knowing good and evil. The deceiver falsely implies that this would be totally beneficial for them. The term used for God is Elohim. It can also mean “divine beings,” such…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. Ye shall not surely die--He proceeded, not only to assure her of perfect impunity, but to promise great benefits from partaking of it.Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 3:4

• Craftiness
• Deception
• Fall of Man
• Falsehood
• Infidelity
• Influence
• Presumption
• Satan
• Serpent
• Temptation
• Tree
• Truth
• Unbelief
• Women

In the dictionaries

• Above
• Adam
• Beguile
• Bread
• Clothe
• Coat
• Conception
• Dust
• Enmity
• Fall of man

Commentaries on Genesis 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings