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Genesis 3:17

EOB (Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible):

And God said to Adam, “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree I commanded you not to eat from, the ground is cursed because of you. You will eat from it through painful labor all the days of your life.”

EOB Footnote:

The MT includes the phrase “because you listened to the voice of your wife” before “and ate from the tree,” which is also present in the LXX. The MT specifies “the ground is cursed because of you” where the LXX reads similarly but uses a different construction for “because of you.” The MT phrase “in toil you shall eat of it” uses a word for “toil” or “painful labor” that emphasizes hardship, which the LXX renders with a term meaning “sorrows” or “griefs.” The MT concludes with “all the days of your life,” matching the LXX.

Other Translations:

KJV (King James Version):

And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

WEB (World English Bible):

“Because you have listened to your wife’s voice, and have eaten from the tree, about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ the ground is cursed for your sake. You will eat from it with much labor all the days of your life.”

Benton LXX (Vaticanus):

Cursed is the ground in thy labours; in pain shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life.

Douai-Rheims (Vulgate):

And to Adam he said: Because thou hast hearkened to the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat, cursed is the earth in thy work; with labour and toil shalt thou eat thereof all the days of thy life.

Apostoliki Diakonia (LXX):

To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife’s voice and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat from it all the days of your life.”

YLT (Young Literal Translation )(MT):

And to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree concerning which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life.”

BBE (Bible in Basic English):

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EOB COMMENTARY:

EOB Commentary:

Commentary on Genesis 3:17

The Curse Upon the Ground and Its Cosmic Significance

In this verse, God pronounces judgment not merely upon Adam but upon the very earth itself, establishing a profound connection between human sin and cosmic disorder. The ground (adamah) from which Adam (adam) was formed now becomes cursed on his account, revealing the intimate bond between humanity and creation that Orthodox theology consistently affirms.

Patristic Interpretation: Saint John Chrysostom teaches that the cursing of the ground was an act of divine mercy rather than mere punishment. By making labor toilsome and the earth resistant, God prevented humanity from becoming entirely absorbed in earthly pleasures and forgetting their heavenly calling. The thorns and thistles serve as constant reminders of the Fall and the need for repentance. Saint Ephrem the Syrian similarly notes that the earth, which had freely yielded its abundance, now withholds its gifts, teaching humanity dependence upon God.

Christological Fulfillment: The Orthodox Church sees this curse as directly addressed in Christ’s redemptive work. When our Lord was crowned with thorns before His crucifixion, He literally wore upon His sacred head the very curse pronounced in Eden. The thorns that sprang from cursed ground became His crown, transforming the symbol of the curse into an instrument of salvation. Christ, the New Adam, takes upon Himself the consequences of the first Adam’s transgression.

Liturgical Connections: During Great Lent, the Church emphasizes the theme of return to Paradise, and this verse provides the backdrop for understanding what was lost. The Paschal celebration proclaims that through Christ’s Resurrection, creation itself begins its liberation from bondage. The blessing of fields and crops in Orthodox practice acknowledges both the continuing effects of the curse and God’s mercy in providing sustenance despite it.

Ascetical Theology: The toil mentioned in this verse becomes, in Orthodox spirituality, a means of sanctification. The monastic tradition particularly embraces manual labor as both penance and prayer. What was given as consequence of sin becomes, through grace, an opportunity for theosis. The sweat of one’s brow, offered to God, participates in the redemptive suffering of Christ.

Cosmic Redemption: Saint Paul’s teaching in Romans 8 that creation groans awaiting liberation finds its origin here. Orthodox eschatology anticipates not merely individual salvation but the transfiguration of all creation, the healing of this primordial wound. The new heavens and new earth represent the final reversal of this curse, when thorns shall give way to the Tree of Life and toilsome labor to eternal sabbath rest in God.

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