The Meaning of Genesis 3:17 Explained

Genesis 3:17

KJV: 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;

YLT: And to the man He said, 'Because thou hast hearkened to the voice of thy wife, and dost eat of the tree concerning which I have charged thee, saying, Thou dost not eat of it, cursed is the ground on thine account; in sorrow thou dost eat of it all days of thy life,

Darby: And to Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened to the voice of thy wife, and eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed be the ground on thy account; with toil shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

ASV: 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 toil shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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; 

What does Genesis 3:17 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 3:9-21 - God's Condemnation Of Adam And Eve
God does not wait for Adam to find his own way back, but hastens in search of him. "Where art thou" is rendered in one version, Alas for thee. Jesus met the Tempter not in a garden, but in the wilderness. He suffered being tempted, but has become to all who obey Him a Life-giving Spirit, and the Author of Eternal Salvation. Read 1 Corinthians 15:45, and Hebrews 5:9. The penalty is gone, borne by Him in His own body on the Cross. So Paul affirms in Romans 5:14, etc. Our bias toward evil is counteracted by His indwelling through the Holy Spirit; so we are taught in Romans 8:1-4. He bruises Satan beneath the feet of those who trust Him. Such is His own assurance in Luke 10:19, and Mark 16:17. He transforms the other results of sin. Through pain the mother's love is drawn out to her child. Hard work is educative and ennobling. Death is the gate of life. Where sin abounded, grace abounds much more. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 3

1  The serpent deceives Eve
6  Both she and Adam transgress the divine command, and fall into sin
8  God arraigns them
14  The serpent is cursed
15  The promised seed
16  The punishment of mankind
21  Their first clothing
22  Their expulsion from paradise

What do the individual words in Genesis 3:17 mean?

And to Adam He said because you have heeded the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you saying not you shall eat of it Cursed [is] the ground for your sake in toil you shall eat [of] it all the days of your life
וּלְאָדָ֣ם אָמַ֗ר כִּֽי־ שָׁמַעְתָּ֮ לְק֣וֹל אִשְׁתֶּךָ֒ וַתֹּ֙אכַל֙ מִן־ הָעֵ֔ץ אֲשֶׁ֤ר צִוִּיתִ֙יךָ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לֹ֥א תֹאכַ֖ל : מִמֶּ֑נּוּ אֲרוּרָ֤ה הָֽאֲדָמָה֙ בַּֽעֲבוּרֶ֔ךָ בְּעִצָּבוֹן֙ תֹּֽאכֲלֶ֔נָּה כֹּ֖ל יְמֵ֥י חַיֶּֽיךָ

וּלְאָדָ֣ם  And  to  Adam 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: first man.
אָמַ֗ר  He  said 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
כִּֽי־  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
שָׁמַעְתָּ֮  you  have  heeded 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
לְק֣וֹל  the  voice 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
אִשְׁתֶּךָ֒  of  your  wife 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
וַתֹּ֙אכַל֙  and  have  eaten 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
הָעֵ֔ץ  the  tree 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
אֲשֶׁ֤ר  of  which 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
צִוִּיתִ֙יךָ֙  I  commanded  you 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, first person common singular, second person masculine singular
Root: צָוָה  
Sense: to command, charge, give orders, lay charge, give charge to, order.
לֵאמֹ֔ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
תֹאכַ֖ל  you  shall  eat 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
: מִמֶּ֑נּוּ  of  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
אֲרוּרָ֤ה  Cursed  [is] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, feminine singular
Root: אָרַר  
Sense: to curse.
הָֽאֲדָמָה֙  the  ground 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲדָמָה 
Sense: ground, land.
בַּֽעֲבוּרֶ֔ךָ  for  your  sake 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עֲבוּר  
Sense: for the sake of, on account of, because of, in order to conj.
בְּעִצָּבוֹן֙  in  toil 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עִצָּבֹון  
Sense: pain, labour, hardship, sorrow, toil.
תֹּֽאכֲלֶ֔נָּה  you  shall  eat  [of]  it 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
יְמֵ֥י  the  days 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
חַיֶּֽיךָ  of  your  life 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.