Then the Lord God said to the snake: Because you have done this, cursed are you among all the animals, tame or wild; On your belly you shall crawl, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. 15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; They will strike at your head, while you strike at their heel. 16 To the woman he said: I will intensify your toil in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Yet your urge shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you. 17 To the man he said: Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, You shall not eat from it, Cursed is the ground because of you! In toil you shall eat its yield all the days of your life. 18 Thorns and thistles it shall bear for you, and you shall eat the grass of the field. 19 By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread, Until you return to the ground, from which you were taken; For you are dust, and to dust you shall return. 20 The man gave his wife the name “Eve,” because she was the mother of all the living. 21 The Lord God made for the man and his wife garments of skin, with which he clothed them. 22 Then the Lord God said: See! The man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil! Now, what if he also reaches out his hand to take fruit from the tree of life, and eats of it and lives forever? 23The Lord God therefore banished him from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he had been taken. 24 He expelled the man, stationing the cherubim and the fiery revolving sword east of the garden of Eden, to guard the way to the tree of life.
God passes judgment on the serpent, who is identified in later Scripture as Satan (Rev. 12:9). This judgment includes both a literal curse on the serpent and a symbolic reference to Satan’s ultimate defeat. The curse signifies the serpent’s humiliation, symbolized by crawling on its belly and eating dust (Isaiah 65:25). Eating dust also symbolizes utter degradation and defeat (Micah 7:17).
Genesis 3:15 is often called the Protoevangelium (the “first gospel”), a prophecy of redemption. It reveals God’s plan to defeat Satan through the offspring of the woman. Christ's victory over sin and death fulfills this prophecy on the Cross (John 12:31). The enmity between the serpent and the woman highlights the spiritual battle between Satan and humanity. The "offspring" of the woman ultimately refers to Christ, who triumphs over Satan (Romans 16:20). Mary’s obedience contrasts with Eve’s disobedience (Luke 1:38).
Adam names the woman "Eve" because she is to be "the mother of all the living," the source of human life, both biologically and spiritually. Her punishment reflects the physical and spiritual struggles humanity will face in bringing forth life. In particular, the toil of childbirth symbolizes the broader suffering introduced by sin, as well as humanity's hope for redemption through Eve’s lineage. The harmonious relationship between husband and wife, originally marked by equality and mutual love, became distorted by sin, leading to tension and domination. This disorder is a consequence of the fall, not God’s original design, and it is healed through the grace of Christ, who restores the call to mutual love and self-gift in marriage (Ephesians 5:21–33).
Adam’s punishment affects his work and his relationship with creation. The ground is cursed, producing thorns and thistles, symbolizing the frustration and futility brought by sin (Rom. 8:20–22). Man’s labor becomes arduous, mirroring the spiritual struggle against sin. The reminder that man is dust underscores his mortality (Eccl. 3:20), but it also reveals God’s power to redeem and restore through Christ, the “new Adam” (1 Cor. 15:45).
God acknowledges human vulnerability by mercifully providing garments of skin, thought to be foreshadowing the future sacrifices necessary to atone for sin (Lev. 17:11) and ultimately Christ’s sacrifice for humanity (Heb. 9:22). Man gains knowledge of good and evil and becomes estranged from God. Preventing access to the tree of life is an act of mercy, sparing humanity from eternal life in a fallen state. Eternal life is restored in Christ, who offers the fruit of the tree of life in the New Jerusalem (Rev. 22:2).
Expulsion from Eden signifies the rupture of communion with God, the consequence of sin. The cherubim, often associated with God’s presence (Ex. 25:18–22), symbolize the barrier between humanity and divine holiness. The imagery of the fiery sword underscores the impossibility of returning to paradise through human effort. Access to the tree of life is later restored through Christ, whose sacrifice reconciles humanity with God (Heb. 10:19–22).
Heavenly Father, in Your justice, You revealed mercy, and through the fall, You planted the seed of redemption. Thank You for the promise of salvation through Christ, the New Adam, and Mary, the New Eve. Help us to trust in Your plan, turn from sin, and seek eternal life in communion with You. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
Sources
- McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
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