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Scott's Reference Library
Genesis 2:15 through Genesis 2:17 (NIV)
15The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and
take care of it. 16And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from
any tree in the garden; 17but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of
good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”
Genesis 3:1 through Genesis 3:7 (NIV)
1Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God
had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any
tree in the garden’?”
2The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,
3but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of
the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”
4“You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5“For God knows that
when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing
good and evil.”
6When 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. 7Then the eyes
of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed
fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
VERSE 15
After God had formed Adam, he put him in the garden. All boasting was thereby
shut out. Only he that made us can make us happy; he that is the Former of our
bodies, and the Father of our spirits, and none but he, can fully provide for
the happiness of both. Even in paradise itself man had to work. None of us were
sent into the world to be idle. He that made our souls and bodies, has given us
something to work with; and he that gave us this earth for our habitation, has
made us something to work upon. The sons and heirs of heaven, while in this
world, have something to do about this earth, which must have its share of their
time and thoughts; and if they do it with an eye to God, they as truly serve him
in it, as when they are upon their knees. Observe that the husbandman’s calling
is an ancient and honourable calling; it was needful even in paradise. Also,
there is true pleasure in the business God calls us to, and employs us in. Adam
could not have been happy if he had been idle: it is still God’s law, He that
will not work has no right to eat, 2 Thessalonians 3:10.
VERSES 16-17
Let us never set up our own will against the holy will of God. There was not
only liberty allowed to man, in taking the fruits of paradise, but everlasting
life made sure to him upon his obedience. There was a trial appointed of his
obedience. By transgression he would forfeit his Maker’s favour, and deserve his
displeasure, with all its awful effects; so that he would become liable to pain,
disease, and death. Worse than that, he would lose the holy image of God, and
all the comfort of his favour; and feel the torment of sinful passions, and the
terror of his Maker’s vengeance, which must endure for ever with his never dying
soul. The forbidding to eat of the fruit of a particular tree was wisely suited
to the state of our first parents. In their state of innocence, and separated
from any others, what opportunity or what temptation had they to break any of
the ten commandments? The event proves that the whole human race were concerned
in the trial and fall of our first parents. To argue against these things is to
strive against stubborn facts, as well as Divine revelation; for man is sinful,
and shows by his first actions, and his conduct ever afterwards, that he is
ready to do evil. He is under the Divine displeasure, exposed to sufferings and
death. The Scriptures always speak of man as of this sinful character, and in
this miserable state; and these things are true of men in all ages, and of all
nations.
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, etc.?
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, Romans 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!