Genesis 3:16 Commentary and Bible Study

Eve’s evasion has not succeeded and even though the Lord has gone on to question the serpent, he now returns to her and then to Adam. Oh the depths of the ways of God. Here is mercy, it does not look like mercy, but it is. What you expect God to say to the woman is, ‘To the grave, woman; to the grave. Your life is forfeit; it is taken. You are under eternal judgment .’ But what he says is, ‘Live on, woman, live on. The principle of death is, there is a price to pay. You will have a constant reminder of the fall. And even in your most beautiful and exciting moment of life, the bringing forth of children, there will be a reminder of the fall, telling you that every human being now needs the mercy and the forgiveness of the Lord.’ So really, it is a mercy. In the judgment s of all three parties we see a punishment that is perfectly fitted to the nature of each one’s fault. But whereas the serpent’s punishment was final and the outcome would be fatal for him, God had already given a promise concerning the serpent’s destruction, which was grounds for hope to Adam and Eve. What is said to them now is indeed a great hardship but it does not exclude the possibility of salvation. They have both already heard the words spoken to the serpent which give them grounds for hope.But how did the woman’s punishment reflect her particular sin? So, ‘unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire,’ inclination, let us say, ‘shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.’ The woman would always be reminded of the fall, but she would nevertheless still have great happiness available to her. Eve had been created for a particular purpose – to be a helpmeet to Adam who was made before her. He was made her head even before the fall. Paul in 1 Timothy 2:13 does not base Adam’s headship in the circumstances that arose as a result of the fall, but in the circumstances of creation. Nevertheless the nature of this headship changed at this point. She had been made to support and encourage Adam in all he did. But rather than being a blessing to him she had become the means of his downfall. Now in the matter of the only express command they had received from God, she had taken it upon herself to lead them both into sin. Therefore God made the headship which Adam had over her to be something more severe, less voluntary on her part. He was now to rule her in a way that would not have been appropriate in a sinless world.