Chapter 3:
| Calvin
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
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| Wesley
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Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 Revelation Exodus
Genesis 3
Concise Complete
The serpent deceives Eve. (1-5) Adam and Eve transgress
the Divine command, and fall into sin and misery. (6-8) God calls upon Adam and
Eve to answer. (9-13) The serpent cursed, The promised Seed. (14,15) The
punishment of mankind. (16-19) The first clothing of mankind. (20,21) Adam and
Eve are driven out from paradise. (22-24)
Verses 1-5 Satan
assaulted our first parents, to draw them to sin, and the temptation proved
fatal to them. The tempter was the devil, in the shape and likeness of a
serpent. Satan's plan was to draw our first parents to sin, and so to separate
between them and their God. Thus the devil was from the beginning a murderer,
and the great mischief maker. The person tempted was the woman: it was Satan's
policy to enter into talk with her when she was alone. There are many
temptations to which being alone gives great advantage; but the communion of
saints tends very much to their strength and safety. Satan took advantage by
finding her near the forbidden tree. They that would not eat the forbidden
fruit, must not come near the forbidden tree. Satan tempted Eve, that by her he
might tempt Adam. It is his policy to send temptations by hands we do not
suspect, and by those that have most influence upon us. Satan questioned whether
it were a sin or not, to eat of this tree. He did not disclose his design at
first, but he put a question which seemed innocent. Those who would be safe,
need to be shy of talking with the tempter. He quoted the command wrong. He
spoke in a taunting way. The devil, as he is a liar, so he is a scoffer from the
beginning; and scoffers are his children. It is the craft of Satan to speak of
the Divine law as uncertain or unreasonable, and so to draw people to sin; it is
our wisdom to keep up a firm belief of God's command, and a high respect for it.
Has God said, Ye shall not lie, nor take his name in vain, nor be drunk,
&c.? Yes, I am sure he has, and it is well said; and by his grace I will
abide by it. It was Eve's weakness to enter into this talk with the serpent: she
might have perceived by his question, that he had no good design, and should
therefore have started back. Satan teaches men first to doubt, and then to deny.
He promises advantage from their eating this fruit. He aims to make them
discontented with their present state, as if it were not so good as it might be,
and should be. No condition will of itself bring content, unless the mind be
brought to it. He tempts them to seek preferment, as if they were fit to be
gods. Satan ruined himself by desiring to be like the Most High, therefore he
sought to infect our first parents with the same desire, that he might ruin them
too. And still the devil draws people into his interest, by suggesting to them
hard thoughts of God, and false hopes of advantage by sin. Let us, therefore,
always think well of God as the best good, and think ill of sin as the worst
evil: thus let us resist the devil, and he will flee from us.
Verses 6-8 Observe
the steps of the transgression: not steps upward, but downward toward the pit.
1. She saw. A great deal of sin comes in at the eye. Let us not look on that
which we are in danger of lusting after,
matthew 5:28. 2. She
took. It was her own act and deed. Satan may tempt, but he cannot force; may
persuade us to cast ourselves down, but he cannot cast us down,
matthew 4:6. 3. She did
eat. When she looked perhaps she did not intend to take; or when she took, not
to eat: but it ended in that. It is wisdom to stop the first motions of sin, and
to leave it off before it be meddled with. 4. She gave it also to her husband
with her. Those that have done ill, are willing to draw in others to do the
same. 5. He did eat. In neglecting the tree of life, of which he was allowed to
eat, and eating of the tree of knowledge, which was forbidden, Adam plainly
showed a contempt of what God had bestowed on him, and a desire for what God did
not see fit to give him. He would have what he pleased, and do what he pleased.
His sin was, in one word, disobedience, Ro 5:19; disobedience to a plain, easy,
and express command. He had no corrupt nature within, to betray him; but had a
freedom of will, in full strength, not weakened or impaired. He turned aside
quickly. He drew all his posterity into sin and ruin. Who then can say that
Adam's sin had but little harm in it? When too late, Adam and Eve saw the folly
of eating forbidden fruit. They saw the happiness they fell from, and the misery
they were fallen into. They saw a loving God provoked, his grace and favour
forfeited. See her what dishonour and trouble sin is; it makes mischief wherever
it gets in, and destroys all comfort. Sooner or later it will bring shame;
either the shame of true repentance, which ends in glory, or that shame and
everlasting contempt, to which the wicked shall rise at the great day. See here
what is commonly the folly of those that have sinned. They have more care to
save their credit before men, than to obtain their pardon from God. The excuses
men make to cover and lessen their sins, are vain and frivolous; like the aprons
of fig-leaves, they make the matter never the better: yet we are all apt to
cover our transgressions as Adam. Before they sinned, they would have welcomed
God's gracious visits with humble joy; but now he was become a terror to them.
No marvel that they became a terror to themselves, and full of confusion. This
shows the falsehood of the tempter, and the frauds of his temptations. Satan
promised they should be safe, but they cannot so much as think themselves so!
Adam and Eve were now miserable comforters to each other!
Verses 9-13
Observe the startling question, Adam, where art thou? Those who by sin go astray
from God, should seriously consider where they are; they are afar off from all
good, in the midst of their enemies, in bondage to Satan, and in the high road
to utter ruin. This lost sheep had wandered without end, if the good Shepherd
had not sought after him, and told him, that where he was straying he could not
be either happy or easy. If sinners will but consider where they are, they will
not rest till they return to God. It is the common fault and folly of those that
have done ill, when questioned about it, to acknowledge only that which is so
manifest that they cannot deny it. Like Adam, we have reason to be afraid of
approaching to God, if we are not covered and clothed with the righteousness of
Christ. Sin appears most plainly in the glass of the commandment, therefore God
set it before Adam; and in it we should see our faces. But instead of
acknowledging the sin in its full extent, and taking shame to themselves, Adam
and Eve excuse the sin, and lay the shame and blame on others. There is a
strange proneness in those that are tempted, to say, they are tempted of God; as
if our abuse of God's gifts would excuse our breaking God's laws. Those who are
willing to take the pleasure and profit of sin, are backward to take the blame
and shame of it. Learn hence, that Satan's temptations are all beguilings; his
arguments are all deceits; his allurements are all cheats; when he speaks fair,
believe him not. It is by the deceitfulness of sin the heart is hardened. See
3:13. But though Satan's
subtlety may draw us into sin, yet it will not justify us in sin. Though he is
the tempter, we are the sinners. Let it not lessen our sorrow for sin, that we
were beguiled into it; but let it increase our self-indignation, that we should
suffer ourselves to be deceived by a known cheat, and a sworn enemy, who would
destroy our souls.
Verses 14-15 God
passes sentence; and he begins where the sin began, with the serpent. The
devil's instruments must share in the devil's punishments. Under the cover of
the serpent, the devil is sentenced to be degraded and accursed of God; detested
and abhorred of all mankind: also to be destroyed and ruined at last by the
great Redeemer, signified by the breaking of his head. War is proclaimed between
the Seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. It is the fruit of this
enmity, that there is a continual warfare between grace and corruption, in the
hearts of God's people. Satan, by their corruptions, buffets them, sifts them,
and seeks to devour them. Heaven and hell can never be reconciled, nor light and
darkness; no more can Satan and a sanctified soul. Also, there is a continual
struggle between the wicked and the godly in this world. A gracious promise is
here made of Christ, as the Deliverer of fallen man from the power of Satan.
Here was the drawn of the gospel day: no sooner was the wound given, than the
remedy was provided and revealed. This gracious revelation of a Saviour came
unasked, and unlooked for. Without a revelation of mercy, giving some hope of
forgiveness, the convinced sinner would sink into despair, and be hardened. By
faith in this promise, our first parents, and the patriarchs before the flood,
were justified and saved. Notice is given concerning Christ. 1. His incarnation,
or coming in the flesh. It speaks great encouragement to sinners, that their
Saviour is the Seed of the woman, bone of our bone,
hebrews 2:11,14. 2.
His sufferings and death; pointed at in Satan's bruising his heel, that is, his
human nature. And Christ's sufferings are continued in the sufferings of the
saints for his name. The devil tempts them, persecutes and slays them; and so
bruises the heel of Christ, who is afflicted in their afflictions. But while the
heel is bruised on earth, the Head is in heaven. 3. His victory over Satan
thereby. Christ baffled Satan's temptations, rescued souls out of his hands. By
his death he gave a fatal blow to the devil's kingdom, a wound to the head of
this serpent that cannot be healed. As the gospel gains ground, Satan falls.
Verses 16-19 The
woman, for her sin, is condemned to a state of sorrow, and of subjection; proper
punishments of that sin, in which she had sought to gratify the desire of her
eye, and of the flesh, and her pride. Sin brought sorrow into the world; that
made the world a vale of tears. No wonder our sorrows are multiplied, when our
sins are so. He shall rule over thee, is but God's command, Wives, be subject to
your own husbands. If man had not sinned, he would always have ruled with wisdom
and love; if the woman had not sinned, she would always have obeyed with
humility and meekness. Adam laid the blame on his wife; but though it was her
fault to persuade him to eat the forbidden fruit, it was his fault to hearken to
her. Thus men's frivolous pleas will, in the day of God's judgment, be turned
against them. God put marks of displeasure on Adam. 1. His habitation is cursed.
God gave the earth to the children of men, to be a comfortable dwelling; but it
is now cursed for man's sin. Yet Adam is not himself cursed, as the serpent was,
but only the ground for his sake. 2. His employments and enjoyments are
imbittered to him. Labour is our duty, which we must faithfully perform; it is
part of man's sentence, which idleness daringly defies. Uneasiness and weariness
with labour are our just punishment, which we must patiently submit to, since
they are less than our iniquity deserves. Man's food shall become unpleasant to
him. Yet man is not sentenced to eat dust as the serpent, only to eat the herb
of the field. 3. His life also is but short; considering how full of trouble his
days are, it is in favour to him that they are few. Yet death being dreadful to
nature, even when life is unpleasant, that concludes the punishment. Sin brought
death into the world: if Adam had not sinned, he had not died. He gave way to
temptation, but the Saviour withstood it. And how admirably the satisfaction of
our Lord Jesus, by his death and sufferings, answered the sentence passed on our
first parents! Did travailing pains come with sin? We read of the travail of
Christ's soul,
isaiah
53:11; and the pains of death he was held by, are so called,
acts 2:24. Did subjection
came in with sin? Christ was made under the law, Ga 4:4. Did the curse come in
with sin? Christ was made a curse for us, he died a cursed death,
galatians 3:13. Did
thorns come in with sin? He was crowned with thorns for us. Did sweat come in
with sin? He sweat for us, as it had been great drops of blood. Did sorrow come
in with sin? He was a man of sorrows; his soul was, in his agony, exceeding
sorrowful. Did death come in with sin? He became obedient unto death. Thus is
the plaster as wide as the wound. Blessed be God for his Son our Lord Jesus
Christ.
Verses 20-21 God
named the man, and called him Adam, which signifies red earth; Adam named the
woman, and called her Eve, that is, life. Adam bears the name of the dying body,
Eve of the living soul. Adam probably had regard to the blessing of a Redeemer,
the promised Seed, in calling his wife Eve, or life; for He should be the life
of all believers, and in Him all the families of the earth should be blessed.
See also God's care for our first parents, notwithstanding their sin. Clothes
came in with sin. Little reason have we to be proud of our clothes, which are
but the badges of our shame. When God made clothes for our first parents, he
made them warm and strong, but coarse and very plain; not robes of scarlet, but
coats of skin. Let those that are meanly clad, learn from hence not to complain.
Having food and a covering, let them be content; they are as well off as Adam
and Eve. And let those that are finely clad, learn not to make the putting on of
apparel their adorning. The beasts, from whose skins they were clothed, it is
supposed were slain, not for man's food, but for sacrifice, to typify Christ,
the great Sacrifice. Adam and Eve made for themselves aprons of fig-leaves, a
covering too narrow for them to wrap themselves in,
isaiah 28:20. Such are
all the rags of our own righteousness. But God made them coats of skin, large,
strong, durable, and fit for them: such is the righteousness of Christ;
therefore put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Verses 22-24 God
bid man go out; told him he should no longer occupy and enjoy that garden: but
man liked the place, and was unwilling to leave it, therefore God made him go
out. This signified the shutting out of him, and all his guilty race, from that
communion with God, which was the bliss and glory of paradise. But man was only
sent to till the ground out of which he was taken. He was sent to a place of
toil, not to a place of torment. Our first parents were shut out from the
privileges of their state of innocency, yet they were not left to despair. The
way to the tree of life was shut. It was henceforward in vain for him and his to
expect righteousness, life, and happiness, by the covenant of works; for the
command of that covenant being broken, the curse of it is in full force: we are
all undone, if we are judged by that covenant. God revealed this to Adam, not to
drive him to despair, but to quicken him to look for life and happiness in the
promised Seed, by whom a new and living way into the holiest is laid open for
us.
Chapter 3:
| Calvin
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 Revelation Exodus
Genesis
Exodus
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Revelation
