Genesis 3:4
New International Version
“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman.

New Living Translation
“You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman.

English Standard Version
But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.

Berean Standard Bible
“You will not surely die,” the serpent told her.

King James Bible
And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

New King James Version
Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.

New American Standard Bible
The serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die!

NASB 1995
The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die!

NASB 1977
And the serpent said to the woman, “You surely shall not die!

Legacy Standard Bible
And the serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die!

Amplified Bible
But the serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die!

Christian Standard Bible
“No! You will certainly not die,” the serpent said to the woman.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
No! You will not die,” the serpent said to the woman.”

American Standard Version
And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

Contemporary English Version
"No, you won't!" the snake replied.

English Revised Version
And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"You certainly won't die!" the snake told the woman.

Good News Translation
The snake replied, "That's not true; you will not die.

International Standard Version
"You certainly will not die!" the Shining One told the woman.

Majority Standard Bible
“You will not surely die,” the serpent told her.

NET Bible
The serpent said to the woman, "Surely you will not die,

New Heart English Bible
And the serpent said to the woman, "You won't surely die,

Webster's Bible Translation
And the serpent said to the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

World English Bible
The serpent said to the woman, “You won’t really die,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And the serpent says to the woman, “Dying, you do not die,

Young's Literal Translation
And the serpent saith unto the woman, 'Dying, ye do not die,

Smith's Literal Translation
And the serpent will say to the woman, Dying ye shall not die.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the serpent said to the woman: No, you shall not die the death.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Then the serpent said to the woman: “By no means will you die a death.

New American Bible
But the snake said to the woman: “You certainly will not die!

New Revised Standard Version
But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the serpent said to the woman, You shall not surely die;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the Serpent said to the Woman, “You shall not really die:
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And the serpent said unto the woman: 'Ye shall not surely die;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the serpent said to the woman, Ye shall not surely die.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Serpent's Deception
3but about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You must not eat of it or touch it, or you will die.’ ” 4“You will not surely die,” the serpent told her. 5“For God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”…

Cross References
John 8:44
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies.

2 Corinthians 11:3
I am afraid, however, that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may be led astray from your simple and pure devotion to Christ.

Revelation 12:9
And the great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

Revelation 20:2
He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.

2 Thessalonians 2:9-10
The coming of the lawless one will be accompanied by the working of Satan, with every kind of power, sign, and false wonder, / and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them.

1 Timothy 2:14
And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman who was deceived and fell into transgression.

Matthew 4:3-4
The tempter came to Him and said, “If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” / But Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Romans 5:12
Therefore, 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.

Romans 16:20
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

1 John 3:8
The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil.

Revelation 13:14
Because of the signs it was given to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived those who dwell on the earth, telling them to make an image to the beast that had been wounded by the sword and yet had lived.

Isaiah 14:12-15
How you have fallen from heaven, O day star, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the ground, O destroyer of nations. / You said in your heart: “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of assembly, in the far reaches of the north. / I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” ...

Ezekiel 28:13-17
You were in Eden, the garden of God. Every kind of precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald. Your mountings and settings were crafted in gold, prepared on the day of your creation. / You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for I had ordained you. You were on the holy mountain of God; you walked among the fiery stones. / From the day you were created you were blameless in your ways—until wickedness was found in you. ...

Numbers 23:19
God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?

Psalm 58:3
The wicked are estranged from the womb; the liars go astray from birth.


Treasury of Scripture

And the serpent said to the woman, You shall not surely die:

serpent.

John 8:44
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Ye.

Genesis 3:13
And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

Deuteronomy 29:19
And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst:

2 Kings 1:4,6,16
Now therefore thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And Elijah departed…

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Death Die Dying Serpent Snake Surely Won't
Genesis 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.














You will not surely die
This phrase is a direct contradiction to God's command in Genesis 2:17, where He warned Adam that eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil would result in death. The Hebrew word for "die" here is "mûth," which implies not just physical death but a separation from the life-giving presence of God. The serpent's statement is the first recorded lie in the Bible, introducing the concept of deception and the distortion of God's truth. This lie is foundational in understanding the nature of sin and temptation, as it appeals to human pride and the desire for autonomy from God. Theologically, this moment marks the beginning of spiritual death, which is a separation from God, and sets the stage for the need for redemption through Christ.

the serpent
The serpent is a pivotal figure in this narrative, representing more than just a creature but a vessel for Satan's deception. In the ancient Near Eastern context, serpents were often seen as symbols of chaos and evil. The Hebrew word "nāḥāš" is used here, which can mean serpent or snake, but also has connotations of enchantment or divination. This aligns with the serpent's role in beguiling Eve. In Revelation 12:9, the serpent is identified as Satan, the adversary of God and humanity. This connection underscores the spiritual battle that begins in Genesis and continues throughout the biblical narrative, highlighting the need for vigilance against deception.

told the woman
The serpent's direct communication with Eve is significant. In the cultural context of the time, women were often seen as secondary in societal roles, yet here, Eve is the primary target of the serpent's deception. This interaction suggests a subversion of the created order, as the serpent bypasses Adam, who was given the original command, and instead engages Eve. The Hebrew verb "ʾāmar," meaning "to say" or "to speak," indicates a deliberate act of communication, emphasizing the serpent's cunning nature. This moment foreshadows the ongoing struggle between truth and lies, and the importance of discernment and adherence to God's word.

Verse 4. - And the serpent said unto the woman. "As God had preached to Adam, so Satan now also preaches to Eve... The object of Satan was to draw away Eve by his word or saying from that which God had said" (Luther). Ye shall not surely die. Lo-moth temuthun (the negative 16 preceding the infinitive absolute, as in Psalm 49:8 and Amos 9:8; its position here being determined by the form of the penalty, Genesis 2:17, to which the devil's language gives the direct negative. Vide Ewald, 'Hebrews Synt.,' § 312). Thus the second step in his assault is to challenge the Divine veracity, in allusion to which it has been thought our Savior calls Satan a liar (cf. John 8:44: ὅταν λαλῇ τὸ ψεῦδος ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων λαλεῖ ὁτι ψεύστης ἐστιν καὶ ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ). "Here, as far as we know, is his first begottten lie" (Bush).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“You will not
לֹֽא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

surely
מ֖וֹת (mō·wṯ)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill

die,”
תְּמֻתֽוּן׃ (tə·mu·ṯūn)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural | Paragogic nun
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill

the serpent
הַנָּחָ֖שׁ (han·nā·ḥāš)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5175: A serpent

told
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

[her].
הָֽאִשָּׁ֑ה (hā·’iš·šāh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female


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OT Law: Genesis 3:4 The serpent said to the woman You (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 3:3
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