Topical Bible: Covetousness: Eve, in Desiring the Forbidden Fruit

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Covetousness, a profound and often destructive desire for what is not rightfully one's own, finds its earliest biblical illustration in the account of Eve in the Garden of Eden. This narrative, found in Genesis 3, serves as a foundational example of the human inclination to covet, leading to disobedience and separation from God.

In the Genesis account, God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, a paradise abundant with all they needed for life and happiness. They were given freedom to eat from any tree in the garden, except for one: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God commanded them, "You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it, you will surely die" (Genesis 2:17).

The serpent, described as more cunning than any other beast, approached Eve and questioned God's command, saying, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" (Genesis 3:1). This question planted seeds of doubt and desire in Eve's heart. The serpent further enticed her by asserting, "You will not surely die... For God knows that when you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:4-5).

Eve's response to the serpent's temptation reveals the nature of covetousness. Genesis 3:6 states, "When the woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom, she took the fruit and ate it." Here, Eve's covetousness is evident in her desire for what was forbidden, driven by the allure of wisdom and the promise of being like God.

This act of covetousness was not merely a desire for physical sustenance or aesthetic pleasure; it was a deeper yearning for autonomy and self-exaltation. Eve's decision to eat the fruit was a direct violation of God's command, illustrating how covetousness can lead to sin and rebellion against divine authority.

The consequences of Eve's covetousness were immediate and far-reaching. Upon eating the fruit, both she and Adam, who also partook, experienced a profound change. Their eyes were opened, and they realized their nakedness, leading to shame and fear. This act of disobedience resulted in their expulsion from the Garden of Eden and introduced sin and death into the world, as God had warned.

Eve's covetousness serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of desiring what God has forbidden. It underscores the importance of contentment and obedience to God's will, highlighting the destructive potential of covetousness when it takes root in the human heart. The narrative of Eve and the forbidden fruit remains a poignant reminder of the need for vigilance against the subtle allure of covetous desires.

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Genesis 3:6
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also to her husband with her; and he did eat.
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Library

Epistle Lxiii. Limenius, Bishop of Vercell??, Having Died, the See ...
... But fornication, and all uncleanness, and covetousness let it ... pleasure was suggested
to Adam and Eve by the ... And so like a good physician, desiring to preserve ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/epistle lxiii limenius bishop of.htm

An Exposition on the First Ten Chapters of Genesis, and Part of ...
... to God no longer than while he kept himself from eating forbidden fruit; in that ...
says, He feared lest by some means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/an exposition on the first.htm

A Few Sighs from Hell;
... honour, but behold a gallows; or our mother Eve, who conceited ... he died, he should
bring forth much fruit; that is ... at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a few sighs from hell.htm

part ii
... It is the fruit of pride, of want of ... of the passions "of pride, envy, covetousness,
malice"do ... Through what did Adam and Eve lose Paradise, through what did ...
//christianbookshelf.org/calvin/my life in christ/part ii.htm

Faustus States his Objections to the Morality of the Law and the ...
... is angry, not in the sense of desiring vengeance, but ... And by unlawful is meant what
is forbidden by the ... to Christ; lest, as the serpent had deceived Eve by his ...
/.../faustus states his objections to.htm

Some Gospel Truths Opened, According to the Scriptures; Or, the ...
... of sin, as swearing, lying, stealing, covetousness, and the ... 1. First therefore, true
faith is a fruit, work, or ... as yet any beginnings of desiring after religion ...
/.../the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/some gospel truths opened according.htm

Mr. Bunyan's Last Sermon:
... grow thereby: if you be born of God, make it manifest by desiring the breast ... evils;
thou hast forsaken the way that is good, to tread in forbidden paths; yet ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/mr bunyans last sermon .htm

Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ;
... of Mediator, and that therefore they shall be secured from the fruit and wages ... much
love, but their heart," or mind, "goeth after their covetousness." Now, all ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/come and welcome to jesus.htm