Genesis 3:3

Genesis 3:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
• New International Version (NIV)but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ”
• New King James Version (NKJV)but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”
• New Living Translation (NLT)“It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”

Context of Genesis 3:3

1Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the garden'?" 2And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'" 4But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. 5For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

Genesis 3:3 word by word

וּמִפְּרִ֣י הָעֵץ֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּתוֹךְ־הַגָּן֒ אָמַ֣ר אֱלֹהִ֗ים לֹ֤א תֹֽאכְלוּ֙ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ וְלֹ֥א תִגְּע֖וּ בּ֑וֹ פֶּן־תְּמֻתֽוּן׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• But of the fruitפְּרִיperîy · fruitH6529
• of the treeעֵץ‛êts · treeH6086
• in the midstתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432
• of the gardenגַּןgan · gardenH1588
• Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• hath saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Ye shall not eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• of it, neither shall ye touchנָגַעnâga‛ · to touchH5060
• it, lestפֶּן־pên · lestH6435
• ye dieמוּתmûth · to dieH4191

Cross-references for Genesis 3:3

• Genesis 2:16And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden,
• Genesis 20:6Then God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her.
• Exodus 19:12And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, 'Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death.
• 1 Chronicles 16:22saying, "Touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm!"
• Job 1:11But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face."
• Job 2:5But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face."
• Job 19:21Have mercy on me, have mercy on me, O you my friends, for the hand of God has touched me!
• 1 Corinthians 7:1Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: "It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman."
• 2 Corinthians 6:17Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you,
• Colossians 2:21"Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch"

Commentaries on Genesis 3:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Neither shall ye touch it - Did not the woman add this to what God had before spoken? Some of the Jewish writers, who are only serious on comparative trifles, state that as soon as the woman had asserted this, the serpent pushed her against the tree and said, "See, thou hast touched it, and art still alive; thou mayest therefore safely eat of the fruit, for surely thou shalt not die."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. 2-3The woman tried to clarify things. But in several ways, she made the privileges God gave her and her husband seem less important: She changed God’s words from “freely eat” (2:16) to may eat. She minimized the importance of having fruit from every tree except one (2:17). She added not touching to God’s rule against eating (2:17). She made the threat of death seem less certain (2:17).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-51. the serpent--The fall of man was effected by the seductions of a serpent. That it was a real serpent is evident from the plain and artless style of the history and from the many allusions made to it in the New Testament. But the material serpent was the instrument or tool of a higher agent, Satan or the devil, to whom the sacred writers apply from this incident the reproachful name of "the dragon, that old serpent" [Re 20:2]. Though Moses makes no…Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 3:3

• Contingencies
• Craftiness
• Fall of Man
• Influence
• Presumption
• Probation
• Serpent
• Symbols and Similitudes
• Temptation
• Tree
• Women

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Above
• Adam
• Beguile
• Bread
• Clothe
• Coat
• Conception
• Dust

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