New International VersionAnd the LORD God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.”
New Living TranslationThen the LORD God said, “Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!”
English Standard VersionThen the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—”
Berean Standard BibleThen the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil. And now, lest he reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever...”
King James BibleAnd the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
New King James VersionThen the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”—
New American Standard BibleThen the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might reach out with his hand, and take fruit also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”—
NASB 1995Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever “—
NASB 1977Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, lest he stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”—
Legacy Standard BibleThen Yahweh God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us to know good and evil; and now, lest he send forth his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat and live forever”—
Amplified BibleAnd the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), knowing [how to distinguish between] good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take from the tree of life as well, and eat [its fruit], and live [in this fallen, sinful condition] forever”—
Christian Standard BibleThe LORD God said, “Since the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil, he must not reach out, take from the tree of life, eat, and live forever.”
Holman Christian Standard BibleThe LORD God said, “Since man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil, he must not reach out, take from the tree of life, eat, and live forever.”
American Standard VersionAnd Jehovah God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever —
Contemporary English VersionThe LORD said, "They now know the difference between right and wrong, just as we do. But they must not be allowed to eat fruit from the tree that lets them live forever."
English Revised VersionAnd the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
GOD'S WORD® TranslationThen the LORD God said, "The man has become like one of us, since he knows good and evil. He must not reach out and take the fruit from the tree of life and eat. Then he would live forever."
Good News TranslationThen the LORD God said, "Now these human beings have become like one of us and have knowledge of what is good and what is bad. They must not be allowed to take fruit from the tree that gives life, eat it, and live forever."
International Standard VersionLater, the LORD God said, "Look! The man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, so he won't reach out, also take from the tree of life, eat, and then live forever—"
NET BibleAnd the LORD God said, "Now that the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil, he must not be allowed to stretch out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever."
New Heart English BibleThen God said, "Look, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. So now, let us send him out, lest he reach out his hand and also take of the tree of life and eat, and live forever."
Webster's Bible TranslationAnd the LORD God said, Behold, the man hath become as one of us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he should put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleThen the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil. And now, lest he reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever...”
World English BibleYahweh God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand, and also take of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever—” Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd YHWH God says, “Behold, the man was as one of Us, as to the knowledge of good and evil; and now, lest he send forth his hand, and has also taken from the Tree of Life, and eaten, and lived for all time.”
Young's Literal Translation And Jehovah God saith, 'Lo, the man was as one of Us, as to the knowledge of good and evil; and now, lest he send forth his hand, and have taken also of the tree of life, and eaten, and lived to the age,' --
Smith's Literal TranslationAnd Jehovah God will say, Lo, Adam became as one from us, to know good and evil: and now lest he shall send forth his hand and take also of the tree of lives, and eat, and live to eternity: Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd he said: Behold Adam is become as one of us, knowing good and evil: now, therefore, lest perhaps he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever.
Catholic Public Domain VersionAnd he said: “Behold, Adam has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. Therefore, now perhaps he may put forth his hand and also take from the tree of life, and eat, and live in eternity.”
New American BibleThen 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?
New Revised Standard VersionThen the LORD God said, “See, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleThen the LORD God said, Behold, the man has become like one of us, to know good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever;
Peshitta Holy Bible TranslatedAnd LORD JEHOVAH God said, “Behold, Adam has become as one of us, to know good and evil; now, lest he reach his hand and he will take also from the tree of life and he will eat and will live to eternity.” OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917And the LORD God said: 'Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever.'
Brenton Septuagint TranslationAnd God said, Behold, Adam is become as one of us, to know good and evil, and now lest at any time he stretch forth his hand, and take of the tree of life and eat, and so he shall live forever -
Additional Translations ... Audio Bible
Context The Expulsion from Paradise21And the LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and He clothed them. 22Then the LORDGodsaid,“Behold,the manhas becomelike oneof Us,knowinggoodand evil.And now,lesthe reach outhis handand takealsofrom the treeof life,and eat,and liveforever...”23Therefore the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.…
Cross References Revelation 22:14Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by its gates.
Revelation 2:7He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will grant the right to eat from the tree of life in the Paradise of God.
Revelation 22:2down the middle of the main street of the city. On either side of the river stood a tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit and yielding a fresh crop for each month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
1 Corinthians 15:45So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam a life-giving spirit.
Romans 5:12-19Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so also death was passed on to all men, because all sinned. / For sin was in the world before the law was given; but sin is not taken into account when there is no law. / Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who did not sin in the way that Adam transgressed. He is a pattern of the One to come. ...
John 17:3Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.
John 10:28I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand.
John 6:51I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And this bread, which I will give for the life of the world, is My flesh.”
John 5:26For as the Father has life in Himself, so also He has granted the Son to have life in Himself.
John 3:16For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Hebrews 2:14-15Now since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil, / and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
Philippians 2:6Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
1 Timothy 6:16He alone is immortal and dwells in unapproachable light. No one has ever seen Him, nor can anyone see Him. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.
Isaiah 14:14I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”
Ezekiel 28:2“Son of man, tell the ruler of Tyre that this is what the Lord GOD says: Your heart is proud, and you have said, ‘I am a god; I sit in the seat of gods in the heart of the sea.’ Yet you are a man and not a god, though you have regarded your heart as that of a god.
Treasury of Scripture And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: as one. Genesis 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. Genesis 11:6,7 And the LORD said, Behold, the peopleis one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do… tree. Genesis 2:9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Proverbs 3:18 Sheis a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happyis every one that retaineth her. Revelation 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. eat. Psalm 22:26 The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever. John 6:48-58 I am that bread of life… Jump to Previous EatEvilForeverForthGoodHandTreeJump to Next EatEvilForeverForthGoodHandTreeGenesis 3 1.The serpent deceives Eve.6.Both she and Adam transgress the divine command, and fall into sin.8.God arraigns them.14.The serpent is cursed.15.The promised seed.16.The punishment of mankind.21.Their first clothing.22.Their expulsion from paradise.Then the LORD God said,This phrase introduces a divine declaration, emphasizing the authority and sovereignty of God. The use of "LORD God" combines the covenant name Yahweh with Elohim, highlighting both His personal relationship with humanity and His supreme power. This moment follows the fall of man, where God addresses the consequences of Adam and Eve's disobedience. “Behold, the man has become like one of Us,
The plural "Us" suggests a divine council or the Trinity, indicating a complex unity within the Godhead. This reflects the earlier creation narrative where God said, "Let Us make man in Our image." The phrase underscores the tragic irony that humanity sought to be like God through disobedience, achieving a distorted likeness by knowing good and evil. knowing good and evil.
This knowledge was not merely intellectual but experiential, marking a loss of innocence and the beginning of moral responsibility. It contrasts with the innocence of Adam and Eve before the fall and highlights the shift in their relationship with God and creation. This knowledge brought shame and separation from God, as seen in their hiding and covering themselves. And now, lest he reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life,
The tree of life represents eternal life and ongoing fellowship with God. In the Garden of Eden, it was accessible to Adam and Eve, symbolizing the potential for eternal life in obedience. After the fall, access to this tree is restricted to prevent humanity from living eternally in a fallen state, indicating God's mercy in not allowing eternal separation from Him. and eat, and live forever...”
This phrase implies that eating from the tree of life would grant eternal life, a state now undesirable due to sin. The prevention of access to the tree is an act of divine grace, ensuring that redemption and restoration would come through God's plan, ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ.Revelation 22:2 references the tree of life in the New Jerusalem, symbolizing restored access through Christ's redemptive work. Persons / Places / Events 1. The LORD GodThe Creator and sovereign ruler of the universe, who is speaking in this passage. 2. Man (Adam and Eve)The first humans created by God, who have disobeyed Him by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 3. The Tree of LifeA tree in the Garden of Eden that grants eternal life to those who eat its fruit. 4. The Garden of EdenThe perfect paradise where Adam and Eve lived before their disobedience. 5. The Divine CouncilThe phrase "like one of Us" suggests a conversation within the Trinity or a heavenly council, indicating a plurality in the Godhead. Teaching Points The Consequence of SinSin leads to separation from God and the loss of eternal life. Adam and Eve's disobedience resulted in their expulsion from Eden and the tree of life. The Nature of GodThe use of "Us" reflects the complexity and unity of the Godhead, hinting at the Trinity. It shows God's relational nature and His deliberative process. The Hope of RedemptionThough access to the tree of life was lost, God's plan for redemption through Jesus Christ restores the hope of eternal life. The Knowledge of Good and EvilThe knowledge gained by Adam and Eve was not merely intellectual but experiential, leading to a moral awareness that brought guilt and shame. Guarding Against TemptationJust as Adam and Eve were tempted to overstep God's boundaries, believers must remain vigilant and obedient to God's Word. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1.What is the meaning of Genesis 3:22?
2.How does Genesis 3:22 highlight the consequences of Adam and Eve's disobedience?
3.What does "like one of Us" reveal about God's nature and intentions?
4.How does Genesis 3:22 connect with the theme of sin in Romans 5:12?
5.How can we apply the lessons from Genesis 3:22 to resist temptation today?
6.What role does Genesis 3:22 play in understanding humanity's need for redemption?
7.Why did God say, "like one of Us," in Genesis 3:22?
8.Does Genesis 3:22 imply humans were not meant to have knowledge of good and evil?
9.How does Genesis 3:22 relate to the concept of original sin?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Genesis 3?
11.What was the purpose of Eden's two trees?
12.What is the secret knowledge revealed in Adam's vision?
13.What defines the knowledge of good and evil?
14.Why does Jesus deny some who call him 'Lord'?What Does Genesis 3:22 Mean The Divine Announcement“Then the LORD God said” (Genesis 3:22a) • The speaker is the covenant LORD (YHWH Elohim), whose word stands as final authority (cf.Genesis 1:3;Isaiah 46:10). • God’s immediate address reveals that humanity’s disobedience has triggered a decisive point in salvation history (cf.Romans 5:12).
Like One of Us“Behold, the man has become like one of Us” (Genesis 3:22b) • “Us” echoesGenesis 1:26, hinting at the plurality within the one true God later clarified in passages such asMatthew 3:16-17 andJohn 1:1-3. • Humanity was already created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27), yet now, through sin, Adam has claimed an illicit likeness—seeking autonomy rather than humble dependence (cf.Isaiah 14:13-14).
Knowing Good and Evil“knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:22c) • The phrase expresses experiential knowledge gained by disobedience, not mere intellectual awareness (cf.Genesis 3:5-7). • Sinful knowledge distorts perception; instead of bringing freedom, it brings guilt, shame, and separation (cf.James 1:14-15). • Only God can rightly define morality (Isaiah 5:20); when humans seize that role, chaos follows (Judges 21:25).
Preventing a Tragic Grasp“And now, lest he reach out his hand” (Genesis 3:22d) • God acts swiftly to block a chain reaction of deeper rebellion (cf.Psalm 81:11-12). • The protective measure underscores divine mercy: preventing sinners from cementing themselves eternally in a fallen state (cf.1 Corinthians 10:13—God always provides a way out).
Guarding the Tree of Life“and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever…” (Genesis 3:22e) • Eternal life is God’s gift, not a stolen right (Revelation 22:14). • To live forever in sin would mean endless corruption; therefore, barring access preserves hope for eventual redemption through the promised Seed (Genesis 3:15;Galatians 4:4-5). • Cherubim and a flaming sword (Genesis 3:24) illustrate that a sacrificial, priestly way must open before humanity can re-enter God’s presence (cf.Hebrews 10:19-20).
summaryGenesis 3:22 shows God’s immediate, merciful intervention after humanity’s fall. Adam’s illicit pursuit of divine prerogatives left him with distorted “knowledge” and spiritual death. To prevent eternalization of that broken state, the LORD barred the tree of life, setting the stage for redemption in Christ, who will one day grant renewed access to the tree in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 22:1-2). (22) As one of us.--See Note on Genesis 1:26. By the fall man had sunk morally, but grown mentally. He had asserted his independence, had exercised the right of choosing for himself, and had attained to a knowledge without which his endowment of free-will would have remained in abeyance. There is something painful and humiliating in the idea of Chrysostom and other Fathers that the Deity was speaking ironically, or even with insult (Augustine). All those qualities which constitute man's likeness to God--free-will, self-dependence, the exercise of reason and of choice--had been developed by the fall, and Adam was now a very different being from what he had been in the days of his simple innocency. Lest he put forth his hand.--Adam had exercised the power of marring God's work, and if an unending physical life were added to the gift of freewill now in revolt against God, his condition and that of mankind would become most miserable. Man is still to attain to immortality, but it must now be through struggle, sorrow, penitence, faith, and death. Hence a paradise is no fit home for him. The Divine mercy, therefore, commands Adam to quit it, in order that he may live under conditions better suited for his moral and spiritual good. Verse 22. - And the Lord God said. Verba insultantis (Augustine); ironica reprobatio (Calvin). But "irony at the expense of a wretched, tempted soul might well befit Satan, but not the Lord" (Delitzsch), and is altogether inconsistent with the footing of grace on which man was placed immediately upon his fall. Behold, the man is become as one of us. Not the angels (Kalisch), but the Divine Persons (cf. Genesis 1:26). It is scarcely likely that Jehovah alludes to the words of the tempter ( Genesis 3:5). To know good and evil. Implying an acquaintance with good and evil which did not belong to him in the state of innocence. The language seems to hint that a one-sided acquaintance with good and evil, such as that possessed by the first pair in the garden and the unfallen angels in heaven, is not so complete a knowledge of the inherent beauty of the one and essential turpitude of the other as is acquired by beings who pass through the experience of a fall, and that the only way in which a finite being can approximate to such a comprehensive knowledge of evil as the Deity possesses without personal contact - can see it as it lies everlastingly spread out before his infinite mind - is by going down into it and learning what it is through personal experience (cf. Candlish, in loco). And now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever. On the meaning of the tree of life v/de Genesis 2:9. Neither (1) lest by eating of the fruit he should recover that immortal life which he no longer "it possessed (Kalisch), as is certain that man would not have been able, had he even devoured the whole tree, to enjoy life against the will of God" (Calvin); nor (2) lest the first pair, through participation of the tree, should confer upon themselves the attribute ofundyingness, which would not be theζωὴαἰώνιος of salvation, but its opposite, theὄλεθρον αἰώνιον of the accursed (Keil, Lange, T. Lewis, Wordsworth); but either (3) lest man should conceive the idea that immortality might still be secured by eating of the tree, instead of trusting in the promised seed, and under this false impression attempt to take its fruit, which, in his case, would have been equivalent to an attempt to justify himself by works instead of faith (Calvin, Macdonald); or . . .
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew Then the LORDיְהוָ֣ה(Yah·weh)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068:LORD -- the proper name of the God of IsraelGodאֱלֹהִ֗ים(’ĕ·lō·hîm)Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430:gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlativesaid,וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ׀(way·yō·mer)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559:To utter, say“Behold,הֵ֤ן(hên)Interjection
Strong's 2005:Lo! behold!the manהָֽאָדָם֙(hā·’ā·ḏām)Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 120:Ruddy, a human beinghas becomeהָיָה֙(hā·yāh)Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961:To fall out, come to pass, become, belike oneכְּאַחַ֣ד(kə·’a·ḥaḏ)Preposition-k | Number - masculine singular
Strong's 259:United, one, firstof Us,מִמֶּ֔נּוּ(mim·men·nū)Preposition | first person common plural
Strong's 4480:A part of, from, out ofknowingלָדַ֖עַת(lā·ḏa·‘aṯ)Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 3045:To knowgoodט֣וֹב(ṭō·wḇ)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2896:Pleasant, agreeable, goodand evil.וָרָ֑ע(wā·rā‘)Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7451:Bad, evilAnd now,וְעַתָּ֣ה ׀(wə·‘at·tāh)Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 6258:At this timelestפֶּן־(pen-)Conjunction
Strong's 6435:Removal, lesthe reach outיִשְׁלַ֣ח(yiš·laḥ)Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7971:To send away, for, outhis handיָד֗וֹ(yā·ḏōw)Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3027:A handand takeוְלָקַח֙(wə·lā·qaḥ)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3947:To takealsoגַּ֚ם(gam)Conjunction
Strong's 1571:Assemblage, also, even, yea, though, both, andfrom the treeמֵעֵ֣ץ(mê·‘êṣ)Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6086:Tree, trees, woodof life,הַֽחַיִּ֔ים(ha·ḥay·yîm)Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2416:Alive, raw, fresh, strong, lifeand eat,וְאָכַ֖ל(wə·’ā·ḵal)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 398:To eatand liveוָחַ֥י(wā·ḥay)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2425:To live, to reviveforever...”לְעֹלָֽם׃(lə·‘ō·lām)Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5769:Concealed, eternity, frequentatively, always
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OT Law: Genesis 3:22 Yahweh God said Behold the man has (Gen. Ge Gn) |
