EOB: Official Site of the Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible (Old and New Testament)

Genesis 3:2

EOB (Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible):

The woman told the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden.”

EOB Footnote:

The woman’s response in the LXX follows the MT closely with no significant textual variants among the major LXX manuscripts (Alexandrinus, Vaticanus, Sinaiticus) for this verse. No Dead Sea Scrolls manuscript preserves Genesis 3:2.

Other Translations:

KJV (King James Version):

And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

WEB (World English Bible):

“The woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat fruit from the trees of the garden,’”

Benton LXX (Vaticanus):

And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden.

Douai-Rheims (Vulgate):

And the woman answered him, saying: Of the fruit of the trees that are in paradise we do eat:

Apostoliki Diakonia (LXX):

The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden”

YLT (Young Literal Translation )(MT):

The woman said to the serpent, “Of the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat.”

BBE (Bible in Basic English):

The woman said, We may take of the fruit of the trees in the garden:

EOB COMMENTARY:

EOB Commentary:

The Woman’s Response and the Boundaries of Paradise

In this verse, Eve responds to the serpent’s cunning question by affirming that God has indeed permitted the eating of fruit from the trees of the garden. Her response reveals both knowledge of God’s command and the beginning of a fateful dialogue that will lead to the fall of humanity.

Patristic Interpretation: The Church Fathers observed that Eve’s willingness to engage in conversation with the serpent marked the first step toward transgression. Saint John Chrysostom notes that she should not have entered into dialogue with the creature at all, for by entertaining the serpent’s question, she opened herself to deception. Saint Ephrem the Syrian similarly emphasizes that the woman’s response, while initially correct, demonstrated a dangerous familiarity with the tempter that would prove her undoing.

The fathers also note that Eve accurately recalls the permission given by God—the abundance of divine generosity in allowing humanity to eat freely from the garden’s trees. This abundance stands in contrast to the single prohibition, highlighting that God’s commandments are not burdensome but are given within a context of overwhelming blessing and freedom.

Christological and Ecclesial Significance: The Orthodox tradition sees in this passage a foreshadowing of the New Eve, the Theotokos. Where Eve engaged with the serpent and was led astray, the Virgin Mary received the word of the Archangel Gabriel with faithful obedience. The dialogue in the garden finds its redemptive counterpart in the Annunciation, where Mary’s response reverses the trajectory begun by Eve’s conversation with the deceiver.

Liturgical Connections: The contrast between Eve’s dialogue with the fallen angel and Mary’s dialogue with Gabriel appears prominently in Orthodox hymnography, particularly during the feast of the Annunciation. The liturgical texts frequently juxtapose these two conversations, celebrating how the curse brought through Eve’s exchange is undone through Mary’s faithful response.

Spiritual Application: For the Orthodox spiritual life, this verse teaches discernment regarding which voices we entertain in our hearts. The ascetic tradition warns against engaging with tempting thoughts (logismoi), teaching instead that we should reject them immediately rather than entering into dialogue with them. Just as Eve’s conversation with the serpent led progressively toward sin, so too our entertainment of sinful thoughts can lead us gradually away from God’s commandments. The Jesus Prayer and watchfulness of the heart (nepsis) serve as the Church’s remedy for this ancient pattern of temptation.

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