The Meaning of Genesis 3:6 Explained

Genesis 3:6

KJV: And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

YLT: And the woman seeth that the tree is good for food, and that it is pleasant to the eyes, and the tree is desirable to make one wise, and she taketh of its fruit and eateth, and giveth also to her husband with her, and he doth eat;

Darby: And the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a pleasure for the eyes, and the tree was to be desired to give intelligence; and she took of its fruit, and ate, and gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.

ASV: And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat; and she gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And when the woman  saw  that the tree  [was] good  for food,  and that it  [was] pleasant  to the eyes,  and a tree  to be desired  to make [one] wise,  she took  of the fruit thereof,  and did eat,  and gave  also  unto her husband  with her; and he did eat. 

What does Genesis 3:6 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Having succumbed to temptation Eve disobeyed God"s will. Whereas the serpent initiated the first two steps, he let Eve"s natural desires (her flesh) carry her into his trap.
All three avenues of fleshly temptation are present in Genesis 3:6.
1.She saw that the tree was "good for food" (the lust of the flesh: the desire to do something contrary to God"s will, i.e, eat the tasty fruit).2.It was a "delight to the eyes" (the lust of the eyes: the desire to have something apart from God"s will, i.e, possess the beautiful fruit).3.It was "desirable to make one wise" (the pride of life: the desire to be something apart from God"s will, i.e, as wise as God, or gods). It was the quest for wisdom that led Eve to disobey God. [1]
Eve saw, coveted, and took the fruit (cf. Joshua 7:21; 2 Samuel 11:2-4). We perceive, then lust, then act.
"We have already noted ... how the scenes themselves are arranged in a concentric palistrophic pattern (ABCDCBA). Within this central scene, the same device is used; the midpoint "and he ate" employs the key verb of this tale-"eat." On either side we have the woman"s hopes of eating, "good to eat," "delight to the eyes," "giving insight," balanced by its effects, "eyes opened," "knowing they were nude," "hiding in the trees." These contrasts are deliberately drawn." [2]
"The proposition that an adult can gaze at anything is ludicrous and naive, for gazing is too often followed by desiring and sinning." [3]
In view of Jesus" statement that a lustful look is as sinful as an overt act of sin ( Matthew 5:27-28), did Eve commit the first sin when she desired the forbidden fruit? Sinful desires are sinful, but temptations are not sins until we respond by giving in to them. Eve did this when she ate the fruit. Until she did that, she was only experiencing temptation.
"Here is the essence of covetousness. It is the attitude that says I need something I do not now have in order to be happy." [4]
"What Adam and Eve sought from the tree of knowledge was not philosophical or scientific knowledge desired by the Greeks, but practical knowledge that would give them blessing and fulfillment." [5]
Ignorance or disregard of God"s word makes one very vulnerable to temptation ( Psalm 119:11). These conditions produce distrust, dissatisfaction, and finally disobedience. Failure to appreciate God"s goodness leads to distrust of His goodness. God"s prohibitions as well as His provisions are for our good.
"The root of sin should be understood. The foundation of all sin lies in man"s desire of self-assertion and his determination to be independent of God. Adam and Eve chafed under the restriction laid upon them by the command of God, and it was in opposition to this that they asserted themselves, and thereby fell. Man does not like to be dependent upon another, and subject to commands upon another, and subject to commands from without. He desires to go his own way, to be his own master; and as a consequence he sins, and becomes "lord of himself, that heritage of woe."" [6]
God has always asked people to believe and trust His word that His will for us will result in our blessing. However, Satan has always urged us to have experiences that will convince us that we can obtain even greater blessings. He says, "Try it; you"ll like it!" But God says, "Trust me, and you"ll live." Satan"s appeal to get us to experience something to assure ourselves of its goodness directly contradicts God"s will for us. It is the way of sight rather than the way of faith.
Adam chose to obey his wife rather than God (cf. Genesis 3:17).

Context Summary

Genesis 3:1-8 - Man And Woman, Temptation
Human love is God's best gift to man. Without it even Eden would not be Paradise. That Adam was able to name the animals, affixing a title suggested by some peculiarity or characteristic, indicated his royal supremacy, and, in so far as we live in God, that supremacy is restored. See Daniel 6:22; Mark 1:13. But what is power without love, or a throne without a consort? Eve was, therefore, given to crown his bliss; taken from his side, as afterward the Church from the opened side of Christ. See John 19:34, and Ephesians 5:25. Still God brings Eve to Adam; and such a marriage is truly blessed.
The order of temptation is always the same. The Tempter without, and within the strong desire for sensual gratification, with the secret hope that somehow the consequences may be avoided. The eye inflames passion; passion masters the resistance of the will; the body obeys its impulse; the act of gratification is followed immediately by remorse and guilt. Then we need the second Adam! [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 3:6 mean?

So when saw the woman that [was] good the tree for food and that pleasant it [was] to the eyes and desirable a tree to make [one] wise then she took of its fruit and ate And she gave also to her husband with her and he ate
וַתֵּ֣רֶא הָֽאִשָּׁ֡ה כִּ֣י טוֹב֩ הָעֵ֨ץ לְמַאֲכָ֜ל וְכִ֧י תַֽאֲוָה־ ה֣וּא לָעֵינַ֗יִם וְנֶחְמָ֤ד הָעֵץ֙ לְהַשְׂכִּ֔יל וַתִּקַּ֥ח מִפִּרְי֖וֹ וַתֹּאכַ֑ל וַתִּתֵּ֧ן גַּם־ לְאִישָׁ֛הּ עִמָּ֖הּ וַיֹּאכַֽל

וַתֵּ֣רֶא  So  when  saw 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
הָֽאִשָּׁ֡ה  the  woman 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
כִּ֣י  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
טוֹב֩  [was]  good 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
הָעֵ֨ץ  the  tree 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
לְמַאֲכָ֜ל  for  food 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַאֲכָל  
Sense: food, fruit, meat.
וְכִ֧י  and  that 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
תַֽאֲוָה־  pleasant 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: תַּאֲוָה  
Sense: desire.
ה֣וּא  it  [was] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
לָעֵינַ֗יִם  to  the  eyes 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, cd
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
וְנֶחְמָ֤ד  and  desirable 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: חָמַד 
Sense: to desire, covet, take pleasure in, delight in.
הָעֵץ֙  a  tree 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
לְהַשְׂכִּ֔יל  to  make  [one]  wise 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: שָׂכַל 
Sense: to be prudent, be circumspect, wisely understand, prosper.
וַתִּקַּ֥ח  then  she  took 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
מִפִּרְי֖וֹ  of  its  fruit 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: פְּרִי  
Sense: fruit.
וַתֹּאכַ֑ל  and  ate 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
וַתִּתֵּ֧ן  And  she  gave 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
גַּם־  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
לְאִישָׁ֛הּ  to  her  husband 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: אֱנׄושׁ 
Sense: man, mortal man, person, mankind.
עִמָּ֖הּ  with  her 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
וַיֹּאכַֽל  and  he  ate 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.