Genesis 3:14-21

Genesis 3:14-21

[14] And the LORD  God  said  unto the serpent,  Because thou  hast done  this, thou art cursed  above all cattle,  and above every beast  of the field;  upon thy belly  and dust  shalt thou eat  all the days  of thy life:  [15] And I will put  enmity  between thee and the woman,  and between thy seed  it shall bruise  thy head,  and thou shalt bruise  his heel.  [16] Unto the woman  he said,  I will greatly  thy sorrow  and thy conception;  in sorrow  thou shalt bring forth  children;  and thy desire  shall be to thy husband,  and he shall rule  over thee. [17] And unto Adam  he said,  Because thou hast hearkened  unto the voice  of thy wife,  and hast eaten  of the tree,  of which  I commanded thee,  saying,  Thou shalt not eat  of it: cursed  is the ground  for thy sake; in sorrow  shalt thou eat  of it all  the days  of thy life;  [18] Thorns also  and thistles  shall it bring forth  to thee; and thou shalt eat  the herb  of the field;  [19] In the sweat  of thy face  shalt thou eat  bread,  till  thou return  unto the ground;  for out of it wast thou taken:  for dust  thou  art, and unto dust  shalt thou return.  [20] And Adam  called  his wife's  name  Eve;  because she was the mother  of all living.  [21] Unto Adam  also and to his wife  did the LORD  God  make  coats  of skins,  and clothed them. 

What does Genesis 3:14-21 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

As the result of man"s disobedience to God, the creation suffered a curse and began to deteriorate. Evolution teaches that man is improving his condition through self-effort. The Bible teaches that man is destroying his condition through sin. Having been thrice blessed by God ( Genesis 1:22; Genesis 1:28; Genesis 2:3) the creation now experienced a triple curse ( Genesis 3:14; Genesis 3:17; Genesis 4:11).
"In the Bible, to curse means to invoke God"s judgment on someone, usually for some particular offense." [1]
Nevertheless God also began recreation with the promise of the seed, the land, the dominion, and the rest for trust in His powerful word.
Genesis 3:14-19 reveal the terms of the second major biblical covenant, the Adamic Covenant. Here God specified the conditions under which fallen man was to live (until God lifts His curse on creation in the messianic kingdom; Romans 8:21). The elements of this covenant can be summarized as follows. God cursed the serpent ( Genesis 3:14) but promised a redeemer ( Genesis 3:15). He changed the status of the woman in three respects: she would experience multiplied conception, sorrow and pain in motherhood, and continuing headship by the man ( Genesis 3:16). God also changed Adam and Eve"s light workload in Eden to burdensome labor and inevitable sorrow because of His curse on the earth ( Genesis 3:17-19). Finally, He promised certain physical death for Adam and all his descendents ( Genesis 3:19).