Read Genesis 2:4-3:21 at Bible Gateway.
The first teaching device which the Holy Spirit placed in Torah are His paragraph divisions! In Torah scrolls (and in the entire Hebrew Bible), copied without change from the original which Moses wrote on Sinai, there are two different types of paragraph divisions – a strong division and a weak division. We have learned about the first paragraph division, the strong paragraph division, marked by the Hebrew character p’tuchah, in Gen 1. Now we will learn about the second paragraph division, the weak paragraph division, marked by the Hebrew character stumah.
The Hebrew paragraph divisions for this section of Scripture:
Gen 2:4-3:15 {s}
Gen 3:16 {s}
Gen 3:17-21 {p}
Every portion of Scripture that ends in a stumah or weak division indicates a continuation of a theme or topic. Every portion of Scripture that ends in a p’tuchah or strong division indicates the completion of a theme or topic. So the section from Gen 2:4-3:21 forms a strong theme. Let’s unpack this strong theme one paragraph at a time.
Gen 2:4-3:15 {s}
That such a long passage ends with a stumah, means that God considers the entire passage from Gen 2:4-3:15 a single paragraph with its own main idea – and that this paragraph is a sub topic of a greater theme. What is the point of this paragraph, the main idea? Whenever we are faced with a section of Scripture bounded by the Lord’s paragraph markers, we should ask ourselves, “Why is this section a single paragraph?” What is the point God is trying to get across, by including all these verses (or limiting to these verses) in this paragraph? There is no right or wrong answer. The Holy Spirit will reveal things to us as we seek Him and ask (Joh 16:13).
The topic that I came up with, is that Disobedience to YHVH’s command is the definition of sin. For it is this incident, the Fall of Man, by which sin is introduced into God’s perfect creation (Rom 5:12-19). Notice that God does not end the paragraph, however, until He has given the promise of the Seed of the Woman, who will crush the head of the serpent! Even now, at man’s worst moment, God is extending grace and hope to him!
Gen 2:4-3:15 {s} Disobedience to YHVH’s command is the definition of sin
The next paragraph:
Gen 3:16 {s}
The theme of this paragraph which is only a single verse long, is the consequence for sin, not curse, and not necessarily even punishment, placed on the woman.
Gen 3:16 {s} The consequence for the woman’s sin
The next paragraph:
Gen 3:17-21 {p}
We see because of the p’tuchah paragraph marker, that this is the last sub topic of this strong theme. The theme is the consequence for sin, not curse, placed on the man.
Gen 3:17-21 {p} The consequence for the man’s sin
I was taught as a new believer that God cursed the man and woman. This is not true, there is not a curse on either the man or the woman. Read God’s words carefully! He did not curse them, because He had already blessed them (Gen 1:28)! Everything that He had previously blessed, He did not now curse, because that would invalidate His previous Word, and the Word of God is settled forever in heaven (Psa 119:89)! The serpent was cursed (Gen 3:14), the ground was cursed (Gen 3:17), but the man and woman were not cursed. However they do receive the consequences of their sin.
The word translated “pain” for the woman in verse 16 and the word translated “toil” for the man in verse 17 is the same word in Hebrew: itstsabon. They received the same consequence as a result of their sin: painful toil, or laborious work. The woman’s work, I believe, is moreover lifelong, just as the man’s is. Her work is in not only bearing children, but rearing them, in making the home for her and her husband and her children to dwell in. His work is in provision – he goes out from the home, and procures by toiling the food (or material things) necessary to sustain himself and his family.
Notice that in the woman’s consequence, she is also placed in submission to her husband. In the first chapter of Genesis, both the man and the woman were given equal dominion over the creation. Neither of them were subservient to the other (Gen 1:28). Now God creates a hierarchy: man, then woman, then creation. Creation is still subject to the man and the woman, but woman is now also subject to her husband (not just any man). Who is the man subject to? YHVH, and all mankind and creation is also subject to YHVH through the man’s dominion. He exercises dominion in order to bring his wife, his children, and the creation into obedience to YHVH.
(Bunny trail: he cannot do this by lording it over as the Gentiles do, as Jesus taught His disciples, but by serving, Mat 20:25-28.)
The men and women (and children) who understand God’s authority, order, and plan, and who order their lives in cooperation with Him and not in opposition to Him, will bring blessings upon themselves (see Psa 1)!
So now that we have main ideas for the weak paragraphs, let’s see what the main idea is for the strong theme, from Gen 2:4-3:21.
a. Gen 2:4-3:15 (stumah) Sin is disobedience to God’s command.
b. Gen 3:16 (stumah) The consequence for the woman – work (painful toil).
c. Gen 3:17-21 (p’tuchah) The consequence for the man – work (painful toil).
What comes to my mind for the main idea of the entire section is that Sin Brings the Consequence of Work. And here is another instance of the LORD’s grace: He established the seventh day as a day of rest, holy to YHVH, before sin, consequences, curses, or work ever entered God’s perfect world. Yes, we now have to deal with the consequence of work as a result of our disobedience. The ease of life has gone away. But every seventh day, God lifts the consequence of our sin from our lives, and allows us to rest from our painful toil, as we remember that YHVH is our gracious and loving Creator, to whom we owe worship; to whom we bow the knee!
Hello, I don’t completely understand why work is a result of sin or a consequence of sin.
God is always working. He worked for the 6 days before sin even was introduced and then rested. Work therefore cannot be a consequence of sin. But maybe painful toil as you mentioned is?
Interesting read though! Just looking for more input.
The painful toil of work, yes, which is the difference of the work done before and after the Fall.