Verse

Genesis 3:6

ESV So 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 its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.
NIV When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
NASB 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 desirable to make one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband with her, and he ate.
CSB The woman saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
NLT The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too.
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.

What does Genesis 3:6 mean?

One could argue these are the most tragic words in human history. Sin enters into the world, into God's "very good" creation, for the first time. Verses 1 through 5 describe the temptation to sin, but it's not until the moment described here that the line is crossed. Satan has encouraged the first woman to doubt the words of God and the goodness of God. He has tempted her to place herself above God as a moral judge.

The verse reveals Eve's three motivations for crossing that line: The tree's fruit could satisfy her body's appetite for food, the tree was visually attractive, and the tree could make her wise. Those motivations line up closely with the Apostle John's description of the things which still drive the world as we know it today: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16).

In response, Eve takes the fruit, eats it, gives some to Adam, and he eats also. The mention of Adam is a bit abrupt in the context of the story, as is his willingness to follow Eve's lead. Does the Bible's statement that "her husband, who was with her" mean Adam has been present for the entire conversation? If so, why did he remain silent? Why didn't he jump in and stop it? If he has come into the picture later, why wouldn't he question her choice, or resist?

In any case, Adam's sin is no less than Eve's. In fact, according to the Bible, it's Adam's sin which causes the fall of man (Romans 5:12). Some people willingly engage with temptation and dive into sin; some let others make that decision for them. Some follow the crowd instead of standing up for what they know is right.

Both humans are guilty, as will become clear in the following verses.
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