Everything was offered to human nature, the abundance of divine immortal life, but human beings turned away from it. Thus, Adam and Eve turned away from God, they doubted him and the gratuitousness of a filial relationship, and the bond of trust that united them to God was broken. They no longer receive life as the superabundant gift of divine benevolence; they no longer trust him and, at the same time, they no longer trust each other. They are naked and no longer dare to approach one another; life has become hard, as has work. God’s desire is the desire of a father who wants his children to experience the greatest joy, and the greatest joy springs from mutual gift and trust. His goal remains to give his children this experience, so he sews garments of skin for them to hide their shame and bring them back to each other.
Genesis 3:1-24 The fault, God sews garments
וְהַנָּחָשׁ֙ הָיָ֣ה עָר֔וּם מִכֹּל֙ חַיַּ֣ת הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָׂ֖ה יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהִ֑ים וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־הָ֣אִשָּׁ֔ה אַ֚ף כִּֽי־אָמַ֣ר אֱלֹהִ֔ים לֹ֣א תֹֽאכְל֔וּ מִכֹּ֖ל עֵ֥ץ הַגָּֽן׃
01 Now the serpent was more subtle than any living [animal] of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, “Did God really say ‘You shall not eat of any tree of the garden?’
וַתֹּ֥אמֶר הָֽאִשָּׁ֖ה אֶל־הַנָּחָ֑שׁ מִפְּרִ֥י עֵֽץ־הַגָּ֖ן נֹאכֵֽל׃
02 And the woman said to the serpent, “We eat the fruit of the trees of the garden.
וּמִפְּרִ֣י הָעֵץ֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּתֹוךְ־הַגָּן֒ אָמַ֣ר אֱלֹהִ֗ים לֹ֤א תֹֽאכְלוּ֙ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ וְלֹ֥א תִגְּע֖וּ בֹּ֑ו פֶּן־תְּמֻתֽוּן׃
03 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said: ‘You shall not eat of it, neither you shall touch it, lest you die.”
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר הַנָּחָ֖שׁ אֶל־הָֽאִשָּׁ֑ה לֹֽא־מֹ֖ות תְּמֻתֽוּן׃
04 And the serpent said to the woman, “Die you will not die.
כִּ֚י יֹדֵ֣עַ אֱלֹהִ֔ים כִּ֗י בְּיֹום֙ אֲכָלְכֶ֣ם מִמֶּ֔נּוּ וְנִפְקְח֖וּ עֵֽינֵיכֶ֑ם וִהְיִיתֶם֙ כֵּֽאלֹהִ֔ים יֹדְעֵ֖י טֹ֥וב וָרָֽע׃
05 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil.
וַתֵּ֣רֶא הָֽאִשָּׁ֡ה כִּ֣י טֹוב֩ הָעֵ֨ץ לְמַאֲכָ֜ל וְכִ֧י תַֽאֲוָה־ה֣וּא לָעֵינַ֗יִם וְנֶחְמָ֤ד הָעֵץ֙ לְהַשְׂכִּ֔יל וַתִּקַּ֥ח מִפִּרְיֹ֖ו וַתֹּאכַ֑ל וַתִּתֵּ֧ן גַּם־לְאִישָׁ֛הּ עִמָּ֖הּ וַיֹּאכַֽל׃
06 And the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make understand, and she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he also ate.
וַתִּפָּקַ֙חְנָה֙ עֵינֵ֣י שְׁנֵיהֶ֔ם וַיֵּ֣דְע֔וּ כִּ֥י עֵֽירֻמִּ֖ם הֵ֑ם וַֽיִּתְפְּרוּ֙ עֲלֵ֣ה תְאֵנָ֔ה וַיַּעֲשׂ֥וּ לָהֶ֖ם חֲגֹרֹֽת׃
07 And the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֞וּ אֶת־קֹ֨ול יְהוָ֧ה אֱלֹהִ֛ים מִתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ בַּגָּ֖ן לְר֣וּחַ הַיֹּ֑ום וַיִּתְחַבֵּ֨א הָֽאָדָ֜ם וְאִשְׁתֹּ֗ו מִפְּנֵי֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהִ֔ים בְּתֹ֖וךְ עֵ֥ץ הַגָּֽן׃
08 And they heard the voice of the Lord God going in the garden in the wind [ruah spirit] of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the face of the Lord God among the trees [literally: the tree] of the garden.
וַיִּקְרָ֛א יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶל־הָֽאָדָ֑ם וַיֹּ֥אמֶר לֹ֖ו אַיֶּֽכָּה׃
09 And the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?”
וַיֹּ֔אמֶר אֶת־קֹלְךָ֥ שָׁמַ֖עְתִּי בַּגָּ֑ן וָאִירָ֛א כִּֽי־עֵירֹ֥ם אָנֹ֖כִי וָאֵחָבֵֽא׃
10 He replied, “I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid myself.”
וַיֹּ֕אמֶר מִ֚י הִגִּ֣יד לְךָ֔ כִּ֥י עֵירֹ֖ם אָ֑תָּה הֲמִן־הָעֵ֗ץ אֲשֶׁ֧ר צִוִּיתִ֛יךָ לְבִלְתִּ֥י אֲכָל־מִמֶּ֖נּוּ אָכָֽלְתָּ׃
11 And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I ordered you not to eat from it?”
וַיֹּ֖אמֶר הָֽאָדָ֑ם הָֽאִשָּׁה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נָתַ֣תָּה עִמָּדִ֔י הִ֛וא נָֽתְנָה־לִּ֥י מִן־הָעֵ֖ץ וָאֹכֵֽל׃
12 And the man said, “The woman whom you gave [ in order] to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֧ה אֱלֹהִ֛ים לָאִשָּׁ֖ה מַה־זֹּ֣את עָשִׂ֑ית וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הָֽאִשָּׁ֔ה הַנָּחָ֥שׁ הִשִּׁיאַ֖נִי וָאֹכֵֽל׃
13 And the Lord God said to the woman, “What have you done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
וַיֹּאמֶר֩ יְהֹוָ֨ה אֱלֹהִ֥ים ׀ אֶֽל־הַנָּחָשׁ֮ כִּ֣י עָשִׂ֣יתָ זֹּאת֒ אָר֤וּר אַתָּה֙ מִכָּל־הַבְּהֵמָ֔ה וּמִכֹּ֖ל חַיַּ֣ת הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה עַל־גְּחֹנְךָ֣ תֵלֵ֔ךְ וְעָפָ֥ר תֹּאכַ֖ל כָּל־יְמֵ֥י חַיֶּֽיךָ׃
14 And the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed among all beasts and among all living in the field. You will crawl on your belly and eat dust all the days of your life.
וְאֵיבָ֣ה ׀ אָשִׁ֗ית בֵּֽינְךָ֙ וּבֵ֣ין הָֽאִשָּׁ֔ה וּבֵ֥ין זַרְעֲךָ֖ וּבֵ֣ין זַרְעָ֑הּ ה֚וּא יְשׁוּפְךָ֣ רֹ֔אשׁ וְאַתָּ֖ה תְּשׁוּפֶ֥נּוּ עָקֵֽב׃
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your offspring and her offspring: [her offspring] will trample on your head, and you will trample on his heel.
אֶֽל־הָאִשָּׁ֣ה אָמַ֗ר הַרְבָּ֤ה אַרְבֶּה֙ עִצְּבֹונֵ֣ךְ וְהֵֽרֹנֵ֔ךְ בְּעֶ֖צֶב תֵּֽלְדִ֣י בָנִ֑ים וְאֶל־אִישֵׁךְ֙ תְּשׁ֣וּקָתֵ֔ךְ וְה֖וּא יִמְשָׁל־בָּֽךְ׃
16 To the woman he said, “Of a multiplication I will multiply your pain and your pregnancy; in pain you will give birth to children, and your desire will be towards your husband, and he will rule over you.
וּלְאָדָ֣ם אָמַ֗ר כִּֽי־שָׁמַעְתָּ֮ לְקֹ֣ול אִשְׁתֶּךָ֒ וַתֹּ֙אכַל֙ מִן־הָעֵ֔ץ אֲשֶׁ֤ר צִוִּיתִ֙יךָ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לֹ֥א תֹאכַ֖ל מִמֶּ֑נּוּ אֲרוּרָ֤ה הָֽאֲדָמָה֙ בַּֽעֲבוּרֶ֔ךָ בְּעִצָּבֹון֙ תֹּֽאכֲלֶ֔נָּה כֹּ֖ל יְמֵ֥י חַיֶּֽיךָ׃
17 And to the man he said, “Because you listened to the voice of your wife and ate from the tree about which I ordered you, ‘You shall not eat from it,’ cursed is the ground (‘adamah’) because of you; in pain you shall eat all the days of your life.
וְקֹ֥וץ וְדַרְדַּ֖ר תַּצְמִ֣יחַֽ לָ֑ךְ וְאָכַלְתָּ֖ אֶת־עֵ֥שֶׂב הַשָּׂדֶֽה׃
18 [The earth] will bring forth thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the grass of the field.
בְּזֵעַ֤ת אַפֶּ֙יךָ֙ תֹּ֣אכַל לֶ֔חֶם עַ֤ד שֽׁוּבְךָ֙ אֶל־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה כִּ֥י מִמֶּ֖נָּה לֻקָּ֑חְתָּ כִּֽי־עָפָ֣ר אַ֔תָּה וְאֶל־עָפָ֖ר תָּשֽׁוּב׃
19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return.
וַיִּקְרָ֧א הָֽאָדָ֛ם שֵׁ֥ם אִשְׁתֹּ֖ו חַוָּ֑ה כִּ֛י הִ֥וא הָֽיְתָ֖ה אֵ֥ם כָּל־חָֽי׃
20 And the man called his wife’s name Eve [ḥavvah, meaning “the living one”], because she was the mother of every living one.
וַיַּעַשׂ֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהִ֜ים לְאָדָ֧ם וּלְאִשְׁתֹּ֛ו כָּתְנֹ֥ות עֹ֖ור וַיַּלְבִּשֵֽׁם׃
21 And the Lord God made tunics of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ׀ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהִ֗ים הֵ֤ן הָֽאָדָם֙ הָיָה֙ כְּאַחַ֣ד מִמֶּ֔נּוּ לָדַ֖עַת טֹ֣וב וָרָ֑ע וְעַתָּ֣ה ׀ פֶּן־יִשְׁלַ֣ח יָדֹ֗ו וְלָקַח֙ גַּ֚ם מֵעֵ֣ץ הַֽחַיִּ֔ים וְאָכַ֖ל וָחַ֥י לְעֹלָֽם׃
22 And the Lord God said, “Behold, man has become like one of us in the knowledge of good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever. “
וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֵ֛הוּ יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים מִגַּן־עֵ֑דֶן לַֽעֲבֹד֙ אֶת־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֻקַּ֖ח מִשָּֽׁם׃
23 And the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden [‘eden, meaning delight] to work the land (‘adamah) from which he had been taken.
וַיְגָ֖רֶשׁ אֶת־הָֽאָדָ֑ם וַיַּשְׁכֵּן֩ מִקֶּ֨דֶם לְגַן־עֵ֜דֶן אֶת־הַכְּרֻבִ֗ים וְאֵ֨ת לַ֤הַט הַחֶ֙רֶב֙ הַמִּתְהַפֶּ֔כֶת לִשְׁמֹ֕ר אֶת־דֶּ֖רֶךְ עֵ֥ץ הַֽחַיִּֽים׃
24 And he banished man, and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden the Cherubim and a flaming sword which turned every way to keep the way of the tree of life.
Gregory of Nyssa, Homily 12 on the Song of Songs, the tree in the middle of paradise.
6.347.20
πάντα ὅσα ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς καλὰ λίαν εἶναι ὁ τῆς κοσμογενείας λόγος μαρτύρεται. ἓν δὲ τῶν λίαν καλῶν ἦν καὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος, μᾶλλον δὲ πλεῖον τῶν ἄλλων κεκοσμημένος τῷ κάλλει·
The logos of the creation of the world testifies that everything God made was very beautiful (Genesis 1:31). Man was also one of the very beautiful things, and he was even adorned with beauty more than other things.
τί γὰρ ἂν ἕτερον οὕτως εἴη καλὸν ὡς τὸ τοῦ ἀκηράτου κάλλους ὁμοίωμα; εἰ δὲ πάντα καλὰ λίαν, ἐν δὲ τοῖς πᾶσιν ἢ καὶ πρὸ πάντων ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἦν, οὐκ ἦν πάντως ἐν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ὁ θάνατος·
What else, indeed, could have been as beautiful as the likeness of pure beauty? If, therefore, everything was very beautiful, and in this everything, or rather before everything, was man, death was not at all in man.
6.348.5 οὐ γὰρ ἂν καλόν τι ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἦν, εἴπερ εἶχεν ἐν ἑαυτῷ τῆς τοῦ θανάτου κατηφείας τὸν σκυθρωπὸν χαρακτῆρα.
For man would not have been beautiful if he had had within himself the sad mark of the affliction of death.
ἀλλὰ τῆς ἀϊδίου ζωῆς ἀπεικόνισμα ὢν καὶ ὁμοίωμα καλὸς ἦν ὡς ἀληθῶς καὶ λίαν καλὸς τῷ φαιδρῷ τῆς ζωῆς χαρακτῆρι καλλωπιζόμενος.
But, being the image and likeness of eternal life, he was truly beautiful and very beautiful, embellished by the radiant mark of life.
ἦν δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ ὁ θεῖος παράδεισος διὰ (6.348.10) τῆς εὐκαρπίας τῶν δένδρων βρύων ζωήν, καὶ ἡ ἐντολὴ τοῦ θεοῦ ζωῆς ἦν νόμος τὸ μὴ ἀποθανεῖν παραγγέλλουσα.
So the divine paradise was his (Gen. 2:9), which brought forth life through the fertility of its trees, and God’s commandment was a law of life that commanded not to die (Gen. 2:16-17).
ὄντος δὲ κατὰ τὸ μέσον τῆς τοῦ παραδείσου φυτείας τοῦ τὴν ζωὴν βρύοντος ξύλου, τί ποτε χρὴ τὸ ξύλον νοεῖν ἐκεῖνο οὗ ὁ καρπὸς ἡ ζωή,
The plant of the wood that gave life being in the middle of paradise, how should we understand the one whose fruit was life?
καὶ τοῦ θανατηφόρου δὲ ξύλου, οὗ καλὸν (6.348.15) ἅμα καὶ κακὸν εἶναι τὸν καρπὸν ἀποφαίνεται ὁ λόγος,
And [in the middle of paradise was also the plant] of the tree that brings death, whose fruit the lógos [the word of Scripture] declares to be both good and evil,
καὶ (6.349.1) αὐτοῦ κατὰ τὸ μέσον ὄντος τοῦ παραδείσου, ἀδυνάτου δὲ ὄντος ἐν τῷ μεσαιτάτῳ τοῖς δύο ξύλοις χώραν γενέσθαι;
and this being also in the middle of paradise, it is impossible that there should be room for two trees in what is the exact center;
ὁπότερον γὰρ ἂν δῶμεν ἐξ ἀμφωτέρων ἐπέχειν τὸ μέσον, κατὰ πᾶσαν ἀνάγκην τὸ ἕτερον τῆς τοῦ μέσου χώρας πάντως (6.349.5) ἐξείργεται·
For if we give either of the two to be in the middle, the other will necessarily be entirely excluded from the middle place:
πρὸς γὰρ τὸ περιέχον ἡ ἀκριβὴς τοῦ μέσου θέσις καταλαμβάνεται, ὅταν ἴσοις ἁπαντοχόθεν τοῖς διαστήμασιν ἀπέχῃ τοῦ πέρατος.
Indeed, the precise position of the center is understood in relation to the circumference, when it is equidistant from all points of the perimeter.
ἐπειδὰν τοίνυν ἓν δι’ ἀκριβείας ᾖ τοῦ κύκλου τὸ μέσον, οὐκ ἂν γένοιτο μηχανὴ τοῦ αὐτοῦ μένοντος κύκλου δύο κέντρα κατὰ τὸ μέσον χώραν εὑρεῖν·
Therefore, there will always be only one center of the circle; according to the calculation, it is not possible for a single circle to have two centers in the middle:
εἰ γὰρ (6.349.10) ἕτερον παρατεθείη κέντρον τῷ προλαβόντι, πρὸς τοῦτο κατ’ ἀνάγκην συμμετατεθέντος τοῦ κύκλου ἔξω τοῦ μέσου τὸ πρότερον γίνεται τῆς τοῦ κύκλου περιοχῆς τῷ δευτέρῳ κέντρῳ περιγραφείσης.
If, in fact, one were to place another center next to the original one, the circle would necessarily be transformed in relation to it, the first center would be outside the middle, and the circumference would be drawn around the second center.
ἀλλὰ μὴν ἐν τῷ μέσῳ φησὶν εἶναι τοῦ παραδείσου καὶ τοῦτο καὶ τοῦτο, καίτοι ἐναντίως πρὸς (6.349.15) ἄλληλα κατὰ τὴν δύναμιν ἔχοντα, τό τε ζωοποιὸν λέγω ξύλον καὶ οὗ θάνατος ἦν ὁ καρπός, ὅπερ ἁμαρτίαν ὁ Παῦλος ὠνόμασεν εἰπὼν ὅτι Καρπὸς ἁμαρτίας ὁ θάνατος.
But [the scripture] says that this and that were in the midst of paradise, and that they had opposite powers in relation to each other, I say that one tree produced life and the fruit of the other was death, a fruit which Paul rightly called sin, saying that the fruit of sin is death.
νοῆσαι ἄρα προσήκει διὰ τῆς τῶν εἰρημένων φιλοσοφίας τοῦτο τὸ δόγμα ὅτι τῆς μὲν τοῦ θεοῦ φυτείας τὸ μεσαίτατόν ἐστιν (6.349.20) ἡ ζωή, ὁ δὲ θάνατος ἀφύτευτος καθ’ ἑαυτόν ἐστι καὶ ἄρριζος ἰδίαν οὐδαμοῦ χώραν ἔχων, τῇ δὲ στερήσει τῆς ζωῆς (6.350.1) ἐμφυτεύεται, ὅταν ἀργήσῃ τοῖς ζῶσιν ἡ μετουσία τοῦ κρείττονος.
We must therefore consider this statement through a thorough study of what has been said: what God has planted and what lies precisely in the middle is life, death, on the other hand, has not been planted and has no roots, having no place of its own, it is in the deprivation of life that it takes root, when the participation in the highest good weakens in the living.
ἐπεὶ οὖν ἐν τῷ μέσῳ τῶν θείων φυτῶν ἐστιν ἡ ζωή, τῇ δὲ ἀποπτώσει ταύτης ἐνυφίσταται ἡ τοῦ θανάτου φύσις, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὸ θανατηφόρον ξύλον ὁ τὸ δόγμα τοῦτο (6.350.5) δι’ αἰνιγμάτων φιλοσοφήσας ἐν τῷ μέσῳ εἶναι τοῦ παραδείσου λέγει, οὗ τὸν καρπὸν εἶπε σύμμικτον ἔχειν ἐκ τῶν ἐναντίων τὴν δύναμιν· τὸ γὰρ αὐτὸ καλόν τε εἶναι ἅμα καὶ κακὸν διωρίσατο, τῆς ἁμαρτίας οἶμαι διὰ τούτου τὴν φύσιν ὑπαινιττόμενος.
Since, therefore, life is in the midst of divine plants, it is in the degradation of life that the nature of death takes place, which is why he who expounds a teaching through enigmas makes this statement that the wood that brings death was also in the midst of paradise, and says that its fruit had a power formed of opposites: for the same fruit is defined as both good and evil, alluding, I think, to the nature of sin.
ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πάντων τῶν διὰ κακίας ἐνεργουμένων (6.350.15) ἡδονή τις καθηγεῖται πάντως καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν εὑρεῖν ἁμαρτίαν ἡδονῆς διεζευγμένην, ὅσα τε διὰ θυμοῦ καὶ ὅσα δι’ἐπιθυμίας γίνεται πάθη, τούτου χάριν καὶ καλὸς ὁ καρπὸς ὀνομάζεται κατὰ τὴν ἡμαρτημένην τοῦ καλοῦ κρίσιν τοῖς τὸ καλὸν ἐν ἡδονῇ τιθεμένοις τοιοῦτος δοκῶν.
For indeed, a certain pleasure directs everything that is done by a bad inclination, and in any case it is not possible to find a sin that is separate from pleasure, whether it be the passions engendered by anger or by desire, it is for this reason that the fruit is called beautiful because of the erroneous judgment about what is beautiful, since it appears so to those who place what is beautiful in pleasure.
πονηρὸς δὲ (6.350.10) μετὰ ταῦτα τῇ πικρᾷ τῆς βρώσεως ἀναδόσει εὑρίσκεται κατὰ τὴν παροιμιώδη φωνὴν ἥ φησι Μέλι τῶν χειλέων τῆς κακίας ἀποστάζειν, ἣ πρὸς καιρὸν μὲν λιπαίνει τὸν φάρυγγα, μετὰ ταῦτα δὲ πικρότερον χολῆς τοῖς κακῶς γλυκανθεῖσιν εὑρίσκεται.
But after that, it is found to be bad in the bitter digestion of food, according to the proverbial saying (Proverbs 5:3-4): “Honey drips from the lips of those who have evil intentions; for a moment it makes the throat feel like oil, but after that it is found to be more bitter than bile by those who have tasted its sweetness while doing evil. “
ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν ἀποστὰς τῆς τῶν (6.350.20) ἀγαθῶν παγκαρπίας ὁ ἄνθρωπος τοῦ φθοροποιοῦ καρποῦ διὰ τῆς παρακοῆς ἐνεπλήσθη (ὄνομα δὲ τοῦ καρποῦ τούτου ἡ θανατοποιὸς ἁμαρτία), εὐθὺς ἐνεκρώθη τῷ κρείττονι (6.351.1) βίῳ τὴν ἄλογον καὶ κτηνώδη ζωὴν τῆς θειοτέρας ἀνταλλαξάμενος.
Then, having turned away from the abundance of all these fruits, man, by listening to what was wrong, filled himself with the fruit that produces corruption (the name of this fruit is the sin that produces death), and immediately he died to the higher way of life, taking in place of the more divine condition of life, the condition of life of beasts deprived of speech.
καὶ καταμιχθέντος ἅπαξ τοῦ θανάτου τῇ φύσει συνδιεξῆλθε ταῖς τῶν τικτομένων διαδοχαῖς ἡ νεκρότης. ὅθεν νεκρὸς ἡμᾶς διεδέξατο βίος αὐτῆς τρόπον τινὰ τῆς (6.351.5) ζωῆς ἡμῶν ἀποθανούσης· νεκρὰ γὰρ ἄντικρύς ἐστιν ἡμῶν ἡ ζωὴ τῆς ἀθανασίας ἐστερημένη.
And once death was mixed with nature, mortality was passed on from one to another to those who were successively begotten. From then on, we received a dead life from one another, for in a certain sense our life itself was killed: for our life died at the very moment it was deprived of immortality.
διὰ τοῦτο ταῖς δύο ταύταις ζωαῖς μεσιτεύει ὁ Ἐν μέσῳ τῶν δύο ζωῶν γινωσκόμενος, ἵνα τῇ ἀναιρέσει τῆς χείρονος δῷ τῇ ἀκηράτῳ τὰ νικητήρια.
That is why “he who is known in the midst of the two lives” (Habakkuk 3:2) is a mediator between these two lives, so that by destroying the inferior one, he may confer the prize of victory on the pure one [ἀκηράτῳ intact, untouched by death].
Gregory of Nyssa quotes here a passage from the greek translation of the prophet Habakkuk (3:2), which he interprets in the messianic sense that Christ, who is divine and therefore immortal, and at the same time human and mortal, gave victory to the divine nature by destroying death and leading the human nature to its original purity, that for which it was created, immortality.
ὥσπερ τοίνυν τῷ ἀποθανεῖν τῇ ἀληθινῇ ζωῇ ὁ ἄνθρωπος (6.351.10) εἰς τὸν νεκρὸν τοῦτον μετέπεσε βίον, οὕτως ὅταν ἀποθάνῃ τῇ νεκρᾷ ταύτῃ καὶ κτηνώδει ζωῇ, πρὸς τὴν ἀεὶ ζῶσαν ἀντιμεθίσταται, ὡς ἀναμφίβολον εἶναι ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν τῇ μακαρίᾳ γενέσθαι ζωῇ μὴ νεκρὸν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ γενόμενον.
Just as man, by dying to true life, has fallen into a dead life, so when he dies to the dead life and to the animal life, he is transferred to the life that always lives, so there is no doubt that he is not born into the blessed life unless he becomes dead to sin.
οὗ χάριν ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ κατὰ τὸ μέσον ἑκάτερον τῶν ξύλων (6.351.15) εἶναι ὑπὸ τοῦ λόγου πεφιλοσόφηται ὡς τοῦ μὲν φύσει ὄντος, τοῦ δὲ ἐπιγινομένου τῷ ὄντι διὰ στερήσεως·
It is thanks to this that we have been taught philosophically through words that each of the two trees (literally:woods) is in the same center, in the sense that one is there by nature, the other was created by deprivation on the one that was there.
ἐκ γὰρ τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ διὰ μετουσίας τε καὶ στερήσεως ἡ ἀντιμετάστασις γίνεται καὶ ζωῆς καὶ θανάτου ἐπειδὴ ὁ νεκρωθεὶς τῷ ἀγαθῷ ζῇ τῷ κακῷ καὶ ὁ νεκρὸς ἐν κακίᾳ (6.352.1) γενόμενος πρὸς τὴν ἀρετὴν ἀνεβίω.
The exchange between life and death takes place in the same being from the same being, through participation and deprivation: he who is dead to the good lives in evil, and the dead who is immersed in evil finds life again by turning to virtue.
See also the article The Tree of Life in the Apocalypse menu, because the tree of life is also the announcement of divine life offered to man by Jesus Christ on the tree of the cross. It is the cross that becomes the sign of divine love and forgiveness offered to men, the sign of Paradise reopened to men. In the visions of the prophets, and in particular in the vision of St. John described in the Book of Revelation, the victory of the Messiah over evil and death and the gift of the Spirit of love offered to mankind are represented by numerous images. See the article on this subject: The images of the spiritual reality in the Apocalypse.
Ovadia Sforno (Cesena 1470- Bologna 1550) on Genesis 3:2: The serpent is the imagination הנחש והוא הדמיון
מכל עץ הגן נאכל ואין לנו צורך להכנס בסכנת אכיל’ עץ שהאל ית’ אמר לנו שבאכלנו ממנו נמות. אמנם הדמיון התחזק ליחס קנאה ושקר ח »ו לאל ית’ וצייר שאמר אותו הפרקי כדי שלא ישיגו בו התועלת להיות כאלהים ושלא יסבב מות כלל. ובכן אמר אל האשה:לא מות תמותון
From every tree of the garden we eat. We do not need to put ourselves in danger by eating from the tree that God, blessed be He, told us that if we eat from it we will die. However, the imagination grew stronger [to the point] of attributing to God the prerogatives of jealousy and falsehood, may God preserve us from that and may He be blessed. It imagined that God had forbidden this fruit so that they would not attain the advantage of being like gods, and that it would not cause death at all. That is why [the serpent] said to the woman, “You will not die of death.”
Kli Yakar, work by Solomon Ephraim of Luntschitz (1550 Łęczyca, Poland – 1619 Prague) on Genesis 3:6
וכי תאוה הוא לעינים. כי בכל חטא יש ליצר טוב ויכוח עם היצר הרע כי היצר טוב מבטיחו שכר הרוחני לעה״ב והיצר הרע משיב עליו וטוען כי טוב לילך אחר התאות המחושות לעין הרואה, כי תאות העה״ז נראין לעין כל, מלילך אחר חמדות העה״ב אשר עין לא ראתה, לכך נאמר ותרא האשה ראתה דברי הנחש וישרו בעיניה טענותיו כי טוב העץ למאכל וכי תאוה הוא לעינים שתאות העה״ז נראין עין בעין לאפוקי חמדות העה״ב עין לא ראתה והרוצה לשקר ירחיק עידיו (הרא״ש שבועות ו יג).
That it was desirable to the eyes (Genesis 3:6): For every sin, the good inclination is in dispute with the evil inclination, since the good inclination assures it of a spiritual reward for the world to come, and the evil inclination replies and argues that it is good to follow the desires for the things that the eye can see, since the desires of this world are for the eyes of all, rather than pursuing the pleasures of the world to come, which the eye has not seen. That is why it is said, “and the woman saw,” she saw the words of the serpent and his arguments appeared right in her eyes, since “the tree was good for food and desirable to the eyes,” since the desires of this world are visible to the eye, unlike the pleasures of the world to come, which the eye has not seen, and he who wants to lie puts his testimony far away.
Rabbi Moshe ben Nahman (Nahmanides), acronym Ramban (Gerona, 1194 – Acre, 1270) on Genesis 3:7
(ותפקחנה עיני שניהם לענין החכמה דבר הכתוב ולא לענין ראיה ממש וסופו מוכיח וידעו כי ערומים הם כלשון רש »י וכן גל עיני ואביטה נפלאות מתורתך (תהלים קיט יח
Then the eyes of both of them were opened (Genesis 3:7): This refers to wisdom and not to actual vision, as proven by the end of the verse: “and they knew that they were naked,” according to Rashi’s explanation. Similarly, in Psalm 119:18: “Open my eyes, and I will see the wonders of your law.”
Ovadia Sforno (Cesena 1470- Bologna 1550) on Genesis 3:7
וידעו כי ערומים הם ידעו שראוי לכסות מקום הערוה בהיות מעתה רוב פעולתו מכוונת לתענוג מאוס ומזיק:
And they knew that they were naked (Genesis 3:7): They knew that it was proper to cover the place of nakedness, since from now on most of its activity was directed toward pleasure, which is shameful and harmful.
Rabbi Moshe ben Nahman (Nahmanides), acronym Ramban (Girona, 1194 – Acre, 1270) on Genesis 3:8
ולפי דעתי כי טעם מתהלך בגן עדן כטעם והתהלכתי בתוככם (ויקרא כו יב) וילך ה’ כאשר כלה לדבר אל אברהם (להלן יח לג) אלך אשובה אל מקומי (הושע ה טו) והוא ענין גלוי שכינה במקום ההוא או הסתלקותו מן המקום שנגלה בו וטעם לרוח היום כי בהגלות השכינה תבא רוח גדולה וחזק כענין שנאמר (מלכים א יט יא) והנה ה’ עובר ורוח גדולה וחזק מפרק הרים ומשבר סלעים לפני ה’ וכן וידא על כנפי רוח (תהלים יח יא) וכתוב באיוב (איוב לח א) ויען ה’ את איוב מן הסערה ולפיכך אמר בכאן כי שמעו קול ה’ שנתגלה השכינה בגן כמתקרב אליהם לרוח היום כי רוח ה’ נשבה בו בגן כרוח הימים לא רוח גדולה וחזק במחזה בשאר הנבואות שלא יפחדו ויבהלו ואמר כי אף על פי כן נתחבאו מפני מערומיהם
In my opinion, the meaning of “going in the garden” (Genesis 3:8) is like that of the verse in Leviticus 26:12: “and I will go among you,” and also in Leviticus 18:33: “And the Lord went when he had finished speaking to Abraham,” and in the book of Hosea 5:15: “I will go, I will return to my place.” This refers to the unveiling of the Shekinah [the dwelling place of God among men] in that place, or its removal from the place where it was unveiled.
And the meaning of “in the east wind.” When the Shekinah reveals itself, a great and powerful wind comes, as it is said in the First Book of Kings 19:11: “And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and powerful wind rent the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord,” and also in Psalm 18:11: “and flies on the wings of the wind,” and also in the Book of Job 38:1, it is written: “And the Lord answered Job out of the storm.” That is why it says here (Genesis 3:8): “And they heard the voice of the Lord,” since the Shekinah revealed itself in the garden as it approached them in the wind of the day, since the wind [the word ruaḥ also means spirit, breath] of the Lord blew in the garden in calm, not a great and powerful wind as in the vision of other prophecies, so that they would not be afraid and frightened. And he says that even so they hid themselves because they were naked.
Rabbi Moshe ben Nahman (Nahmanides), acronym Ramban (Gerona, 1194 – Acre, 1270) on Genesis 3:16
ולא מצאתי לשון תשוקה רק בחשק ותאוה והנכון בעיני שהעניש אותה שתהיה נכספת מאד אל בעלה ולא תחוש לצער ההריון והלידה והוא יחזיק בה כשפחה ואין המנהג להיות העבד משתוקק לקנות אדון לעצמו אבל יברח ממנו ברצונו והנה זו מדה כנגד מדה כי היא נתנה גם לאישה ויאכל במצותה וענשה שלא תהיה היא מצוה עליו עוד והוא יצוה עליה כל רצונו
I have only found the meaning of desire and lust for the word teshuqah. What seems correct to me is that he punishes the woman so that she will desire her husband without fearing the pains of pregnancy and childbirth, and he will keep her as a servant. It is not customary for a servant to desire to acquire a master for himself, but rather for his desire to be to escape from him. And this is a measure for a measure, since she gave [the fruit] to the man and he ate because of her command, her punishment is therefore that she no longer commands him and that he commands her whatever he wants.
Rashi, acronym for Rabbi Shlomo ben Yitzhak HaTzarfati (Troyes, circa 1040–1105) on Genesis 3:20: on the name Eve
חוה. נוֹפֵל עַל לְשׁוֹן חַיָּה, שֶׁמְּחַיָּה אֶת וַלְדוֹתֶיהָ, כַּאֲשֶׁר תֹּאמַר מֶה הֹוֶה לָאָדָם (קהלת ב’), בִּלְשׁוֹן הָיָה
ḥavvah. There is a parallel [assonance] between the word חוה ḥavvah [which gives life] and the word hayyah [which gives being], since it is said that she gives life [מְּחַיָּה meḥayyah] to her offspring and Ecclesiastes 2:22 says: “What gives being to man” [מֶה הֹוֶה לָאָדָם meh hoveh la’adam what gives being to man].
Rashi, in this explanation, draws a parallel between the word חוה ḥvh and the word הוה hvh. The only difference is the first letter, the “ḥ,” of the root חיה, which means to live, and the first letter, the “h,” of the root היה, which means to be. The intensive form of both roots contains the letter vav in the middle, thus the intensive form [ḥavvah] of the root ḥayah, means to give life, and the intensive form הוה havvah of the root hayah, means to be or to give being.
Kli Yakar, a work by Salomon Ephraim de Luntschitz (1550 Łęczyca, Poland – 1619 Prague) on Genesis 3:20
כי היא היתה אם כל חי. למה קרא לה שם עכשיו אחר החטא ועוד חיה היה לו לקרותה ונראה כי קודם החטא נקראת חיה על שם אם כל חי ואחר החטא שגרמה מיתה לדורות הוחלף שמה מן חיה לחוה כי חוה נגזר מן לשון חויא דהיינו נחש, ובא הכתוב לתרץ למה לא קראה נחש בפירוש אלא לפי שקודם זה היתה אם כל חי. ונקראה חיה, על כן בהחליפו שמה לא הוצרך להחליף כי אם יו״ד בוי״ו כדי שישאר רושם שם ראשון במקומו.
Because she was the mother of all living things. Why did he [Adam] call her by a name now, after the sin? And again, he should have called her ḥayyah (living). It seems that before the sin, she was called ḥayyah, because of the name mother of all living things (ḥay), and after the sin that caused death to [subsequent] generations, her name was changed from ḥayyah [who lives] to ḥavvah, which comes from the Aramaic word ḥivyah, meaning serpent, and the Scripture corrects [the interpretation] when it does not explicitly call her “serpent,” since before that she was the mother of all living beings and was called ḥayyah; That is why, in changing her name, he did not have to change it, except [by changing] a “yod” to a “vav” so that the imprint of the first name would remain.
The word חִוְיָא (ḥivya snake in Aramaic) is used to translate the Hebrew word for snake נָחָשׁ naḥash. In the Aramaic translations of the Bible, called Targumim (plural of the word Targum which means translation), this word is used, among other places, in the Targums of Numbers 21:6, which recounts the episode of the snakes that attacked the people of Israel in the desert.