What is the meaning of Genesis 3:5? For God knows - The serpent begins with a truth: God indeed knows all things (Psalm 147:5, Job 28:24). - Yet he twists this truth to imply God is withholding something good, sowing distrust (compare Genesis 2:16-17 where God had already shown generosity). - Satan’s tactic is the same today—questioning God’s motives rather than His commands (John 8:44; 2 Corinthians 11:3). that in the day you eat of it - The phrase fixes the moment of disobedience: the very day they cross God’s boundary (Genesis 2:17, “for on the day you eat from it, you will surely die,”). - Disobedience is never abstract; it is a definite act with definite consequences (Romans 5:12). - Sin’s lure always minimizes timing (“just once,” “right now”) while hiding long-term fallout (James 1:14-15). your eyes will be opened - The promise sounds positive, hinting at enlightenment, but it is half-true; their eyes open to shame, not glory (Genesis 3:7). - Contrast real spiritual sight that comes from God’s Word and Spirit (Psalm 119:18; Ephesians 1:18). - Beware promises of instant insight apart from obedience to God—counterfeit illumination leads to darkness (Isaiah 5:20; 2 Corinthians 4:4). and you will be like God - Here lies the core temptation: autonomy, self-exaltation (Isaiah 14:13-14; Philippians 2:6). - Humanity was already made “in the image of God” (Genesis 1:27); Satan tempts them to grasp what they already possess by grace, turning blessing into discontent. - True likeness to God comes through obedience and holiness (Leviticus 19:2; 1 Peter 1:15-16), not rebellion. knowing good and evil - The knowledge offered is not academic but experiential—learning by tasting rebellion’s bitterness (Genesis 3:22, “man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil,”). - Moral discernment divorced from God’s authority becomes moral relativism (Judges 21:25). - Christ restores proper knowledge of good and evil through redemption (Hebrews 5:14; John 10:10). summary Genesis 3:5 records Satan’s craft: mix truth with lies to paint God as restrictive and tempt humans toward proud autonomy. The promised “opened eyes” bring shame, the bid to “be like God” ends in exile, and the grasped “knowledge” ushers in death. The verse warns that real wisdom is found in trusting God’s revealed Word, not seeking independence from it. |
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