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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Genesis 3:22–24. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Sentence being passed upon the offenders, we have here execution, in part, done upon them immediately. Observe here,
I.How they were justly disgraced and shamed before God and the holy angels, by the ironical upbraiding of them with the issue of their enterprise: "Behold, the man has become as one of us, to know good and evil! A goodly god he makes! Does he not? See what he has got, what preferments, what advantages, by eating forbidden fruit!" This was said to awaken and humble them, and to bring them to a sense of their sin and folly, and to repentance for it, that, seeing themselves thus wretchedly deceived by following the devil's counsel, they might henceforth pursue the happiness God should offer in the way he should prescribe. God thus fills their faces with shame, that they may seek his name, Psa 83:16. He puts them to this confusion, in order to their conversion. True penitents will thus upbraid themselves: "What fruit have I now by sin? Rom 6:21. Have I gained what I foolishly promised myself in a sinful way? No, no, it never proved what it pretended to, but the contrary."
II.How they were justly discarded, and shut out of paradise, which was a part of the sentence implied in that, Thou shalt eat the herb of the field. Here we have,
1.The reason God gave why he shut man out of paradise; not only because he had put forth his hand, and taken of the tree of knowledge, which was his sin, but lest he should again put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life (now forbidden him by the divine sentence, as before the tree of knowledge was forbidden by the law), and should dare to eat of that tree, and so profane a divine sacrament and defy a divine sentence, and yet flatter himself with a conceit that thereby he should live forever. Observe,
(1.)There is a foolish proneness in those that have rendered themselves unworthy of the substance of Christian privileges to catch at the signs and shadows of them. Many that like not the terms of the covenant, yet, for their reputation's sake, are fond of the seals of it.
(2.)It is not only justice, but kindness, to such, to be denied them; for, by usurping that to which they have no title, they affront God and make their sin the more heinous, and by building their hopes upon a wrong foundation they render their conversion the more difficult and their ruin the more deplorable.
2.The method God took, in giving him this bill of divorce, and expelling and excluding him from this garden of pleasure. He turned him out, and kept him out.
(1.)He turned him out, from the garden to the common. This is twice mentioned: He sent him forth (Gen 3:23), and then he drove him out, Gen 3:24. God bade him go out, told him that that was no place for him, he should no longer occupy and enjoy that garden; but he liked the place too well to be willing to part with it, and therefore God drove him out, made him go out, whether he would or no. This signified the exclusion of him, and all his guilty race, from that communion with God which was the bliss and glory of paradise. The tokens of God's favour to him and his delight in the sons of men, which he had in his innocent estate, were now suspended; the communications of his grace were withheld, and Adam became weak, and like other men, as Samson when the Spirit of the Lord had departed from him. His acquaintance with God was lessened and lost, and that correspondence which had been settled between man and his Maker was interrupted and broken off. He was driven out, as one unworthy of this honour and incapable of this service. Thus he and all mankind, by the fall, forfeited and lost communion with God. But whither did he send him when he turned him out of Eden? He might justly have chased him out of the world (Job 18:18), but he only chased him out of the garden. He might justly have cast him down to hell, as he did the angels that sinned when he shut them out from the heavenly paradise, Pe2 2:4. But man was only sent to till the ground out of which he was taken. He was sent to a place of toil, not to a place of torment. He was sent to the ground, not to the grave, - to the work-house, not to the dungeon, not to the prison-house, - to hold the plough, not to drag the chain. His tilling the ground would be recompensed by his eating of its fruits; and his converse with the earth whence he was taken was improvable to good purposes, to keep him humble, and to remind him of his latter end. Observe, then, that though our first parents were excluded from the privileges of their state of innocency, yet they were not abandoned to despair, God's thoughts of love designing them for a second state of probation upon new terms.
(2.)He kept him out, and forbade him all hopes of a re-entry; for he placed at the east of the garden of Eden a detachment of cherubim, God's hosts, armed with a dreadful and irresistible power, represented by flaming swords which turned every way, on that side the garden which lay next to the place whither Adam was sent, to keep the way that led to the tree of life, so that he could neither steal nor force an entry; for who can make a pass against an angel on his guard or gain a pass made good by such force? Now this intimated to Adam,
[1.]That God was displeased with him. Though he had mercy in store for him, yet at present he was angry with him, was turned to be his enemy and fought against him, for here was a sword drawn (Num 22:23); and he was to him a consuming fire, for it was a flaming sword.
[2.]That the angels were at war with him; no peace with the heavenly hosts, while he was in rebellion against their Lord and ours.
[3.]That the way to the tree of life was shut up, namely, that way which, at first, he was put into, the way of spotless innocency. It is not said that the cherubim were set to keep him and his for ever from the tree of life (thanks be to God, there is a paradise set before us, and a tree of life in the midst of it, which we rejoice in the hopes of); but they were set to keep that way of the tree of life which hitherto they had been in; that is, it was henceforward in vain for him and his to expect righteousness, life, and happiness, by virtue of the first covenant, for it was irreparably broken, and could never be pleaded, nor any benefit taken by it. The command of that covenant being broken, the curse of it is in full force; it leaves no room for repentance, but we are all undone if we be judged by that covenant. God revealed this to Adam, not to drive him to despair, but to oblige and quicken him to look for life and happiness in the promised seed, by whom the flaming sword is removed. God and his angels are reconciled to us, and a new and living way into the holiest is consecrated and laid open for us.
Historical interpretation
Two Centuries of Reception
5 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
Now, although Adam was by reason of his condition under law subject to death, yet was hope preserved to him by the Lord's saying, "Behold, Adam is become as one of us;" that is, in consequence of the future taking of the man into the divine nature. Then what follows? "And now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, (and eat), and live for ever." Inserting thus the particle of present time, "And now," He shows that He had made for a time, and at present, a prolongation of man's life. Therefore He did not actually curse Adam and Eve, for they were candidates for restoration, and they had been relieved by confession. [Against Marcion 2.25]
"Behold the man is become as one of us," Genesis 3:22 He is either deceiving or amusing us in speaking plurally, if He is One only and singular. Or was it to the angels that He spoke, as the Jews interpret the passage, because these also acknowledge not the Son? Or was it because He was at once the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, that He spoke to Himself in plural terms, making Himself plural on that very account? Nay, it was because He had already His Son close at His side, as a second Person, His own Word, and a third Person also, the Spirit in the Word, that He purposely adopted the plural phrase, "Let us make;" and, "in our image;" and, "become as one of us." For with whom did He make man? and to whom did He make him like? (The answer must be), the Son on the one hand, who was one day to put on human nature; and the Spirit on the other, who was to sanctify man. With these did He then speak, in the Unity of the Trinity, as with His ministers and witnesses. [Against Praxeas 12]
When Adam sinned
God cast him forth from paradise,
but in his grace he granted him
the low ground beyond it,
settling him in the valley
below the foothills of paradise;
but when mankind even there continued to sin
they were blotted out,
and because they were unworthy
to be neighbors of paradise,
God commanded the ark
to cast them out on Mount Qardu.
God now sends him "to work the earth from which he had been taken, " [ Gen. 3:23 ] so that he who had been harmed by the ease in the Garden might be benefited by toil on the earth.
“And then, lest Adam stretch forth his hand to the tree of life and live forever, God dismissed him from paradise.” It is well put, “he dismissed,” and not “he excluded,” so that he might seem to be drawn down by the weight of his own sins to a place that suits him. A bad man generally experiences this when he begins to live among good men, if he is unwilling to change for the better. He is driven from the company of good men by the weight of his bad habit, and they do not exclude him against his will but dismiss him in accordance with his will.
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Summary
Genesis 3:23 marks the solemn culmination of humanity's fall, detailing God's decisive act of expelling Adam from the pristine Garden of Eden. This verse vividly portrays the immediate and profound consequences of disobedience, transforming Adam's joyful stewardship into arduous toil and forever altering humanity's relationship with creation and their Creator. It signifies a painful separation from divine presence and effortless provision, ushering humanity into a world marked by struggle, mortality, and a longing for restoration.
Context
Literary Context
This verse serves as the climactic physical manifestation of the judgments pronounced by God in the preceding verses. Following the serpent's deception and humanity's disobedience, God delivers curses upon the serpent (Genesis 3:14-15), Eve (Genesis 3:16), and Adam (Genesis 3:17-19). Genesis 3:23 directly enacts the consequence of Adam's curse, forcing him to toil the ground outside the Garden. Crucially, it also fulfills the divine reasoning articulated in Genesis 3:22, where the LORD God expresses concern that humanity, having gained knowledge of good and evil, might also eat from the tree of life and live eternally in their fallen state. Thus, the expulsion is both a just punishment and a merciful act to prevent an even greater tragedy.
Historical & Cultural Context
In the ancient Near East, gardens were often symbolic of divine presence, sacred space, and abundance, frequently associated with temples or royal domains. The Garden of Eden, therefore, represents a perfect, divinely curated sanctuary where God walked with humanity. Expulsion from such a sacred space was the ultimate punishment, signifying a loss of divine favor and access to life-giving resources. The concept of "tilling the ground" (agriculture) was central to ancient societies, but the narrative here contrasts the effortless provision within Eden with the arduous, cursed labor outside it. This reflects a profound shift in humanity's relationship with the earth, from harmonious stewardship to a struggle against thorns and thistles, a common experience for ancient agriculturalists.
Key Themes
Genesis 3:23 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within the book of Genesis and the broader biblical narrative. It underscores the theme of divine judgment and the consequences of sin, demonstrating that disobedience inevitably leads to separation from God's perfect order and presence. It highlights the pervasive impact of the Fall, showing how sin affects not only humanity's spiritual state but also their physical environment and daily labor. The verse also introduces the theme of exile and longing for home, foreshadowing Israel's later expulsions from promised lands and humanity's universal yearning for restoration to a state of unhindered fellowship with God. Furthermore, it contrasts the original joyful stewardship of Genesis 2:15 with the arduous toil that becomes humanity's lot outside the Garden, emphasizing the brokenness of creation.
Exposition and Analysis
The verse "Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken" encapsulates the tragic culmination of humanity's rebellion and God's righteous response.
Key Word Analysis
This primitive root signifies "to send away, for, or out" in a wide variety of applications. In this context, it denotes a definitive and authoritative act of expulsion, a judicial decree rather than a mere departure. It implies a forceful removal from a place of privilege and blessing, underscoring the finality and divine authority behind Adam's banishment from the Garden.
This primitive root means "to work (in any sense); by implication, to serve, till, (causatively) enslave." While Adam was originally placed in the Garden "to dress it and to keep it" (Genesis 2:15), the same Hebrew root 'abad here takes on a new, burdensome connotation. Outside Eden, "tilling" the ground is no longer a joyful, effortless task but one marked by struggle, sweat, and the resistance of a cursed earth, reflecting the curse pronounced in Genesis 3:17-19.
Derived from the word for "red" (אדם, 'adam), this term refers to the soil or earth. It is the very material from which Adam was formed (Genesis 2:7). The poignant irony is that Adam is sent to labor on the very "ground" from which he originated, a ground now cursed because of his sin. This connection highlights humanity's humble, mortal nature and their intrinsic link to the physical world, which now reflects their fallen state.
Verse Breakdown
"Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden"
This opening clause establishes the divine initiative and the direct consequence of the Fall. The phrase "the LORD God" (Yahweh Elohim) emphasizes the covenantal, personal, yet sovereign and just nature of God. The act of "sending forth" (Hebrew shâlach) is an authoritative and decisive expulsion, not a gentle dismissal. It signifies a profound and tragic separation—a loss of immediate, unhindered fellowship with God, access to effortless provision, and the idyllic environment where humanity was meant to flourish. This expulsion is both a judgment for disobedience and a merciful act to prevent humanity from gaining eternal life in their fallen state by eating from the tree of life (Genesis 3:22).
"to till the ground"
This phrase defines Adam's new, altered purpose. While Adam's original commission in Eden involved "dressing and keeping" the garden (Genesis 2:15), the "tilling" (Hebrew 'abad) outside the Garden is fundamentally transformed by the curse. It is now a laborious, burdensome task, characterized by struggle, sweat, and the resistance of a ground that will "bring forth thorns and thistles" (Genesis 3:18). This redefines humanity's relationship with labor, shifting it from joyful cultivation to arduous toil, a direct consequence of sin.
"from whence he was taken"
This poignant concluding phrase serves as a powerful reminder of Adam's origins. Having been "formed of the dust of the ground" (Genesis 2:7), Adam is now sent back to the very earth from which he came, but under vastly different, harsher conditions. This connection underscores humanity's humble, mortal nature and highlights the pervasive reach of sin's consequences, affecting not only humanity's spiritual state but also their physical existence and the very ground that sustains them. It foreshadows the return to dust at death, completing the cycle of mortality introduced by the Fall.
Literary Devices
Genesis 3:23 masterfully employs several literary devices to convey its profound theological message. The most prominent is Consequence, as the entire verse functions as the direct and unavoidable outcome of the disobedience described earlier in the chapter. The expulsion is a tangible manifestation of God's judgment and the broken covenant. Symbolism is also heavily at play: the "garden of Eden" symbolizes paradise, unhindered fellowship with God, and effortless provision, while "the ground" outside the garden symbolizes a cursed world, arduous labor, and mortality. The contrast between these two spaces powerfully conveys the loss. There is also a strong sense of Irony in Adam being sent "to till the ground from whence he was taken." The very earth that gave him life now demands his laborious toil and will ultimately reclaim him in death, a stark reversal of his original idyllic existence. Finally, the verse contains elements of Foreshadowing, setting the stage for the recurring biblical theme of exile and the longing for restoration, which permeates Israel's history and humanity's ultimate hope for a new creation.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Genesis 3:23 is a foundational text for understanding the pervasive nature of sin and its consequences. It unequivocally demonstrates God's unyielding holiness and justice, revealing that His perfect presence cannot coexist with unrepentant sin. The expulsion from Eden signifies humanity's spiritual death and physical separation from the source of life and blessing, initiating a long history of human alienation from God and from the ideal environment He intended. This verse fundamentally alters humanity's relationship with creation, transforming joyous stewardship into burdensome toil, a reality that continues to impact human experience. It also introduces the theme of exile, a recurring motif throughout the biblical narrative, highlighting humanity's longing for a return to a state of unhindered fellowship with God and a restored creation.
Reflection and Application
Genesis 3:23 confronts us with the stark reality of sin's immediate and pervasive consequences, explaining why our lives are often marked by struggle, our work by toil, and our world by brokenness. It serves as a profound reminder that separation from God's perfect design leads to hardship and alienation. Reflecting on this verse encourages us to acknowledge the deep-seated brokenness within ourselves and the world around us, fostering a greater appreciation for our inherent need for redemption and restoration. While labor remains a part of our existence, this passage reminds us that the toil we experience is a consequence of the Fall, prompting us to long for the day when the curse will be fully undone, and all creation will be restored to its intended harmony and fellowship with God. It invites us to find purpose and meaning even in our toil, understanding it as a reminder of our dependence on God and our need for His grace.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did the LORD God expel Adam from the Garden?
The expulsion was a multifaceted act of divine justice and mercy. Primarily, it was a direct and just consequence for Adam and Eve's deliberate disobedience to God's command not to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. However, it was also a merciful measure to prevent fallen humanity from eating from the Tree of Life and thus living eternally in their sinful, corrupted state, as explicitly stated by God in Genesis 3:22. This prevented an even greater, eternal tragedy.
Was "tilling the ground" always a punishment?
No, "tilling the ground" was not inherently a punishment. Adam was originally placed in Eden "to dress it and to keep it" (Genesis 2:15), which implies joyful, purposeful, and unburdened work as a co-laborer with God in His perfect creation. After the Fall, due to the curse pronounced on the ground in Genesis 3:17-19, this same labor transformed into arduous toil, marked by struggle, sweat, and the resistance of thorns and thistles. The nature of the work changed from effortless stewardship to burdensome necessity.
What is the significance of "from whence he was taken"?
This phrase is a poignant and deeply significant reminder of Adam's origins. He was "formed of the dust of the ground" (Genesis 2:7), highlighting humanity's humble, mortal nature and their intrinsic connection to the earth. The irony and tragedy lie in the fact that Adam is now sent back to the very earth from which he was created, but under the curse of sin. This connection underscores that the consequences of the Fall extend not only to humanity's spiritual state but also to their physical existence and the very environment that sustains them, foreshadowing the return to dust at death.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Genesis 3:23 powerfully sets the stage for the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Adam's expulsion from Eden highlights humanity's lost access to God's immediate presence, the burden of a cursed creation, and the introduction of toil and mortality. Jesus, often referred to as the "second Adam" (as seen in Romans 5:12-21 and 1 Corinthians 15:45-49), fulfills the profound need created by this expulsion. He reverses the curse through His atoning sacrifice on the cross, bearing the full weight of sin's consequences, including the curse of the law and the ground (Galatians 3:13). Through His death and resurrection, Christ provides believers with new and living access to God's presence, tearing down the veil of separation that began in Eden. Furthermore, His work anticipates the ultimate restoration of creation, promising a new heaven and new earth where the curse will be no more, and humanity will once again dwell in perfect, unhindered fellowship with God, fulfilling the longing for paradise lost (Revelation 22:3).