Changes

Now God turns to Adam and makes a deliberate statement: <ref>http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%203:17-19;&version=72</ref> the ground would be cursed, producing thorns and thistles, he would eat the plants of the field (before they were only told to eat fruit), and he would return to the dust from which he was taken. Note that Adam was not cursed directly; there is nothing said about his spirit or Eve's, or their future offspring. Finally, Adam is driven out <ref>http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%203:22-24;&version=50</ref> of the garden to prevent his eating from the Tree of Life. The Hebrew states that only "the man" was barred from the Tree of Life and banished from the garden. Why only Adam? The text doesn't say. It tells us Eve would turn to him, but it doesn't say why. All we know is that God predicted Eve would go with Adam, and then he would rule over her.

Now God turns to Adam and makes a deliberate statement: <ref>http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%203:17-19;&version=72</ref> the ground would be cursed, producing thorns and thistles, he would eat the plants of the field (before they were only told to eat fruit), and he would return to the dust from which he was taken. Note that Adam was not cursed directly; there is nothing said about his spirit or Eve's, or their future offspring. Finally, Adam is driven out <ref>http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%203:22-24;&version=50</ref> of the garden to prevent his eating from the Tree of Life. The Hebrew states that only "the man" was barred from the Tree of Life and banished from the garden. Why only Adam? The text doesn't say. It tells us Eve would turn to him, but it doesn't say why. All we know is that God predicted Eve would go with Adam, and then he would rule over her.

(Note: some English translations, even the TNIV <ref>http://www.tniv.info/</ref>, translate "him" as "them" without explanation; compare also with the use of "had formed" for the animals in chapter 2 which in the Hebrew is only "formed". In these instances the KJV <ref>http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/index.php?action=getVersionInfo&vid=50&lang=2</ref> is accurate. Also note the order of events in chapter 2 <ref>http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%202%20;&version=72</ref>: God says he will make a helper for Adam, then brings him animals to name, then makes Eve. Why is the account of making/naming animals put between God's announcement of his intention to make Eve and his actually making her, if the making/naming of animals had happened before? Even if the animals were made earlier, which the Hebrew <ref>http://www.blueletterbible.org/cgi-bin/c.pl?book=Gen&chapter=2&verse=19&version=KJV#19</ref> and LXX <ref>http://www.searchgodsword.org/isb/bible.cgi?query=formed&section=1&it=kjv&ot=lxx&nt=na&Enter=Perform+Search</ref> do not support, and Adam only named them here, we still have to ask the significance of the timing. We cannot lightly dismiss the argument that God brought animals to Adam for the purpose of preparing him for Eve. In addition, we see that only Adam is told he would "return to dust"; it is his fate alone. But since Eve chose to follow him out of the garden, we know in hindsight that she and all her descendants would also share in Adam's fate.)

(Note: some English translations, even the TNIV <ref>http://www.tniv.info/</ref>, translate "him" as "them" without explanation; compare also with the use of "had formed" for the animals in chapter 2 which in the Hebrew is only "formed". In these instances the KJV <ref>http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/index.php?action=getVersionInfo&vid=50&lang=2</ref> is accurate. Also note the order of events in chapter 2 <ref>http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%202%20;&version=72</ref>: God says he will make a helper for Adam, then brings him animals to name, then makes Eve. Why is the account of making/naming animals put between God's announcement of his intention to make Eve and his actually making her, if the making/naming of animals had happened before? Even if the animals were made earlier, which the Hebrew <ref>http://www.blueletterbible.org/cgi-bin/c.pl?book=Gen&chapter=2&verse=19&version=KJV#19</ref> and LXX <ref>http://www.searchgodsword.org/isb/bible.cgi?query=formed&section=1&it=kjv&ot=lxx&nt=na&Enter=Perform+Search</ref> do not support, and Adam only named them here, we still have to ask the significance of the timing. We cannot lightly dismiss the argument that God brought animals to Adam for the purpose of preparing him for Eve. In addition, we see that only Adam is told he would "return to dust"; it is his fate alone. But since Eve chose to follow him out of the garden, we know in [[hindsight]] that she and all her descendants would also share in Adam's fate.)

What we see in Genesis 1-3 is most striking for what it ''does not'' say. We can add more through the NT teachings and references, but before we do that we must know what's actually stated. The context includes considering what it meant at the time it was written.  

What we see in Genesis 1-3 is most striking for what it ''does not'' say. We can add more through the NT teachings and references, but before we do that we must know what's actually stated. The context includes considering what it meant at the time it was written.

==Remainder of the OT==

==Remainder of the OT==