Genesis 3:7

KJV

And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they [were] naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

KJV (with Strong's)

And the eyes {H5869} of them both {H8147} were opened {H6491}, and they {H1992} knew {H3045} that they were naked {H5903}; and they sewed {H8609} fig {H8384} leaves {H5929} together {H8609}, and made themselves {H6213} aprons {H2290}.

Complete Jewish Bible

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together to make themselves loincloths.

Berean Standard Bible

And the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; so they sewed together fig leaves and made coverings for themselves.

American Standard Version

And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig-leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Genesis 3:7 powerfully narrates the immediate and devastating consequence of humanity's first act of disobedience: a profound and painful shift from innocent nakedness to self-conscious shame. Following their transgression, Adam and Eve's eyes were "opened" not to divine enlightenment, but to a bitter awareness of their fallen state, prompting their futile attempt to conceal their guilt and vulnerability with hastily sewn fig leaves. This verse vividly illustrates the instantaneous spiritual and psychological fallout of sin, setting the stage for humanity's pervasive struggle with shame and its desperate, yet ultimately insufficient, attempts at self-atonement.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This pivotal verse immediately follows the account of Adam and Eve's direct disobedience to God's command in the Garden of Eden, where they succumbed to the serpent's temptation and ate from the forbidden tree ([Genesis 3:1-6](/genesis/3-1-6 "Genesis 3:1-6 - The Temptation and Fall")). It stands in stark contrast to their previous state of perfect innocence and unashamed nakedness described at the end of the creation narrative ([Genesis 2:25](/genesis/2-25 "Genesis 2:25 - Adam and Eve's Innocent Nakedness")). Genesis 3:7 thus serves as the dramatic turning point, revealing the instantaneous internal and relational consequences of their rebellion, leading directly into God's confrontation with them in the subsequent verses ([Genesis 3:8-13](/genesis/3-8-13 "Genesis 3:8-13 - God Confronts Adam and Eve")). It initiates the narrative of humanity's fall and the subsequent need for redemption.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** While Genesis 3 describes primordial events, the concept of covering and shame is deeply rooted in human experience across cultures. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, nakedness could symbolize vulnerability, humiliation, or punishment, particularly in a public context. Clothing, conversely, often signified status, protection, or honor. The act of "sewing fig leaves" reflects a primitive, immediate, and culturally understandable response to perceived exposure and shame. It highlights a universal human impulse to cover what is considered shameful or vulnerable, a practice that predates complex societal structures and points to an innate awareness of one's own inadequacy when confronted with a sense of moral or spiritual nakedness.
* **Key Themes:** Genesis 3:7 contributes significantly to several foundational themes within the book of Genesis and the broader biblical narrative. It underscores the theme of **disobedience and its immediate consequences**, demonstrating how a single act of rebellion against God's clear command brings about profound internal and external changes. It introduces the theme of **shame and guilt** as direct results of sin, replacing the original state of unblemished innocence. Furthermore, it highlights humanity's **futile attempts at self-salvation or self-atonement**, as seen in the inadequate covering of fig leaves, setting up the contrasting theme of **divine provision** that will be revealed later in the chapter ([Genesis 3:21](/genesis/3-21 "Genesis 3:21 - God Provides Garments of Skin")). This verse also marks the beginning of humanity's **separation from God** and the subsequent brokenness in human relationships and with creation, themes that resonate throughout the rest of Scripture.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Eyes (Hebrew, _ʻayin'_):** This word (H5869) literally refers to the physical organ of sight, but in this context, it carries a profound figurative meaning. Prior to the Fall, Adam and Eve's eyes were physically open, allowing them to perceive the world and God's glory. Here, "eyes were opened" signifies a new, tragic form of awareness—not an enlightenment to divine wisdom as the serpent promised ([Genesis 3:5](/genesis/3-5 "Genesis 3:5 - The Serpent's Deception")), but a painful, condemning realization of their own fallen state, vulnerability, and sin. It is a knowledge born of experiential loss and guilt.
* **Knew (Hebrew, _yâdaʻ'_):** The verb (H3045) "to know" encompasses a wide range of meanings, from intellectual understanding to intimate, experiential knowledge. Here, it is profoundly experiential. They "knew" their nakedness not as a mere observation, but as an agonizing, internal realization of their exposed sin and lost innocence. This knowledge was transformative and negative, ushering in shame and guilt where none existed before. It was a "knowing" of evil through participation, rather than a detached, divine understanding.
* **Aprons (Hebrew, _chăgôwr'_):** This term (H2290), also translated as "belt" or "girdle," refers to a covering for the waist or loins. The choice of "aprons" implies a minimal, inadequate covering, hastily constructed. It symbolizes humanity's earliest, instinctual, and ultimately futile attempt to cover its own sin and shame through self-effort. The flimsiness and temporary nature of fig leaves underscore the inadequacy of any human work to address the deep spiritual breach caused by sin.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And the eyes of them both were opened":** This clause is profoundly ironic. The serpent's temptation in [Genesis 3:5](/genesis/3-5 "Genesis 3:5 - The Serpent's Promise") promised that eating the forbidden fruit would "open your eyes" and make them "like God, knowing good and evil." While their eyes were indeed opened, it was not to divine wisdom or greater understanding in a positive sense, but to a painful, condemning awareness of their own fallenness. This new "openness" brought not enlightenment but a bitter realization of their vulnerability, guilt, and separation from God. It was a knowledge born of sin, not of revelation.
* **"and they knew that they were naked":** This "knowing" was not merely a physical observation but a profound, experiential realization of their exposed sin, their lost innocence, and their profound spiritual vulnerability before a holy God. The nakedness became a potent symbol of their shame and guilt, a direct consequence of their broken relationship with their Creator. The unashamed nakedness of [Genesis 2:25](/genesis/2-25 "Genesis 2:25 - Adam and Eve's Original State") was instantly replaced by a tormenting awareness of their exposed condition, marking the entry of shame into the human experience.
* **"and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons":** This immediate, instinctual action represents humanity's earliest, and ultimately futile, attempt to cover its own sin and shame through self-effort. The act of sewing together flimsy fig leaves underscores the inadequacy of any human work to address the deep spiritual breach caused by sin. It highlights a fundamental human tendency to hide from God and to craft our own insufficient coverings rather than seeking His divine provision, a pattern that would repeat throughout biblical history.

#### Literary Devices
Genesis 3:7 employs several significant literary devices. **Irony** is central to the phrase "their eyes were opened," as what was promised as enlightenment leads instead to a painful awareness of sin and shame, directly contradicting the serpent's deceptive assurances. **Symbolism** is pervasive, with "nakedness" representing not just physical exposure but spiritual vulnerability, lost innocence, and guilt before a holy God. The "fig leaves" are also highly symbolic, representing humanity's self-generated, inadequate attempts to cover its sin and shame through its own works or efforts. This act of self-covering also functions as **Foreshadowing**, anticipating humanity's persistent struggle to achieve righteousness through self-reliance, a theme explored throughout the Old Testament Law and critiqued in the New Testament. The contrast between the flimsy fig leaves and God's later provision of animal skins ([Genesis 3:21](/genesis/3-21 "Genesis 3:21 - God's Gracious Provision")) also sets up a powerful **Contrast** between human futility and divine grace.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Genesis 3:7 is a foundational text for understanding the nature of sin and its immediate, devastating effects on humanity. It reveals that sin is not merely an outward act but profoundly impacts our inner being, leading to shame, guilt, and an innate desire to hide from God and each other. This verse marks the catastrophic loss of humanity's original state of purity, innocence, and unblemished relationship with God, introducing the concept of a fallen human nature. The futile attempt to cover themselves with fig leaves highlights a persistent theological theme: humanity's inability to atone for its own sin or achieve righteousness through self-effort, setting the stage for the necessity of divine intervention and provision.

* [Genesis 2:25](/genesis/2-25 "Genesis 2:25 - Innocent Nakedness Before the Fall")
* [Romans 3:20](/romans/3-20 "Romans 3:20 - The Law Cannot Justify")
* [Hebrews 9:22](/hebrews/9-22 "Hebrews 9:22 - Necessity of Blood for Forgiveness")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Genesis 3:7 profoundly illuminates the human condition, revealing our innate tendency to hide our flaws and attempt to cover our shame through our own efforts. It challenges us to recognize that true peace and freedom from guilt cannot be manufactured by human ingenuity, self-righteousness, or superficial coverings. This verse serves as a powerful reminder that our "fig leaves"—whether they be good works, religious rituals, self-justification, or attempts to mask our true selves—are utterly insufficient to address the deep spiritual breach caused by sin. Instead, this passage points us to the foundational truth that genuine covering, acceptance, and reconciliation must come from God alone, who graciously provides what we could never achieve on our own. It calls us to abandon our self-reliant efforts and embrace God's perfect, divinely appointed provision for our sin and shame.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what ways do I, like Adam and Eve, attempt to "sew fig leaves together" to cover my own shame or perceived inadequacies?**
* **How does the immediate consequence of sin in this verse (shame, hiding) resonate with my own experience of guilt or brokenness?**
* **What does this verse teach me about the inadequacy of human effort to address spiritual problems, and how does that lead me to rely more on God's provision?**
* **How does understanding the "opened eyes" in Genesis 3:7 help me appreciate the true spiritual sight offered through Christ?**

### FAQ
**What does "eyes opened" mean here?**

Answer: It signifies a tragic awakening to their fallen state, a painful awareness of their sin, shame, and separation from God, rather than an increase in positive knowledge or wisdom. The serpent's promise in [Genesis 3:5](/genesis/3-5 "Genesis 3:5 - The Serpent's Deception") was deceptive; the "knowledge of good and evil" they gained was experiential, through the bitter reality of disobedience, not through divine insight.

**Why did they feel shame about being naked?**

Answer: Their nakedness became a potent symbol of their exposed sin and vulnerability before a holy God, representing their lost innocence and the brokenness of their relationship with Him and each other. Prior to the Fall, [Genesis 2:25](/genesis/2-25 "Genesis 2:25 - Adam and Eve's Innocent Nakedness") explicitly states they were naked and felt no shame, indicating that shame entered the human experience as a direct consequence of sin.

**What is the significance of the fig leaves?**

Answer: The fig leaves represent humanity's immediate, natural, but ultimately futile attempt to cover its own sin and shame through self-effort. They highlight the inadequacy of human works or any self-devised solution to atone for sin or restore a broken relationship with God. This act foreshadows humanity's persistent tendency to rely on its own insufficient means rather than God's gracious provision.

**Does this verse imply that physical nakedness is inherently sinful?**

Answer: No, [Genesis 2:25](/genesis/2-25 "Genesis 2:25 - Adam and Eve's Innocent Nakedness") explicitly states they were naked and felt no shame before the Fall. The shame described in [Genesis 3:7](/genesis/3-7 "Genesis 3:7 - The Consequence of Sin") is a *consequence* of sin, not an inherent quality of nakedness itself. It is the spiritual nakedness—the exposure of their guilt and brokenness before a holy God—that causes the shame, which then manifests in their discomfort with physical nakedness.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Genesis 3:7, with its depiction of humanity's desperate attempt to cover its own shame with flimsy fig leaves, powerfully sets the stage for the ultimate divine provision found in Jesus Christ. The inadequacy of human self-covering underscores humanity's profound inability to atone for its sin or achieve righteousness through its own efforts, contrasting sharply with God's subsequent act of providing animal skins ([Genesis 3:21](/genesis/3-21 "Genesis 3:21 - God Provides Garments of Skin"))—the first instance of a blood sacrifice to cover sin. This act foreshadows the perfect and permanent covering provided by Christ. Just as Adam and Eve needed a covering they could not provide for themselves, so too does all humanity require the righteousness of Christ. He became [sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God](/2-corinthians/5-21 "2 Corinthians 5:21 - Christ Our Righteousness"), effectively replacing our inadequate "fig leaves" with His spotless robe of righteousness. His death on the cross serves as the [perfect sacrifice that cleanses us from all sin](/hebrews/9-22 "Hebrews 9:22 - The Efficacy of Christ's Blood"), fully addressing the shame and guilt that entered the world at the Fall and offering true reconciliation with God, allowing us to stand unashamed before Him ([Romans 5:1-2](/romans/5-1-2 "Romans 5:1-2 - Peace and Access Through Faith")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Isaiah 59:6

Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works [are] works of iniquity, and the act of violence [is] in their hands.

Genesis 2:25

And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

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.

Job 9:29

[If] I be wicked, why then labour I in vain?

Job 9:31

Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me.

Isaiah 28:20

For the bed is shorter than that [a man] can stretch himself [on it]: and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself [in it].

Genesis 3:10

And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I [was] naked; and I hid myself.