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Genesis 3:22

EOB (Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible):

And God said, “The man has become like us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand, take from the tree of life, eat, and live forever.”

EOB Footnote:

The MT includes “from the tree of life” (literally “from the tree of the lives”) where the LXX reads simply “of the tree of life.” The MT also has “and eat” as a distinct verbal phrase, while the LXX integrates this into the participial construction. The phrase “one of us” in both traditions has been debated regarding whether it implies plurality within the divine council or is an emphatic singular; the translation follows the most natural reading of the Greek, which parallels the Hebrew. The LXX phrase rendered “has become like one of us” translates a Greek perfect tense indicating completed action with ongoing relevance. The Hebrew uses a similar construction. “Knowing good and evil” is a participial phrase in both traditions describing the acquired state of the human.

Other Translations:

KJV (King James Version):

And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

WEB (World English Bible):

“Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand, and also take of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever—”

Benton LXX (Vaticanus):

And the Lord God said, Behold, Adam is become as one of us, to know good and evil; and now, lest at any time he stretch forth his hand, and take of the tree of life and eat, and so he shall live forever—

Douai-Rheims (Vulgate):

“And he said: Behold Adam is become as one of us, knowing good and evil: now therefore lest perhaps he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever.”

Apostoliki Diakonia (LXX):

And the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. And now, lest he stretch out his hand and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”—

YLT (Young Literal Translation )(MT):

And Jehovah God says, “Behold, the man has become as one of Us, to know good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever—”

BBE (Bible in Basic English):

And the Lord God said, Now the man has become like one of us, having knowledge of good and evil; and now, to keep him from putting out his hand and taking of the tree of life, and eating, and living forever.

EOB COMMENTARY:

EOB Commentary:

Genesis 3:22 Commentary

The Divine Council and Human Divinization

This verse presents one of the most theologically significant statements in Genesis, as God speaks in the plural (“one of us”), echoing the plural of Genesis 1:26. The Fathers consistently interpreted this as a revelation of the Holy Trinity, with the Father addressing the Son and the Holy Spirit. Saint John Chrysostom emphasizes that this plural form indicates the equality and unity of the divine Persons, not a deliberation with angels, as some heterodox interpreters suggested.

The Knowledge of Good and Evil

The phrase “knowing good and evil” requires careful interpretation. The Fathers understood this not as a positive acquisition of wisdom but as an experiential knowledge of evil through transgression. Saint Gregory the Theologian explains that Adam gained knowledge of his own nakedness and vulnerability—a tragic awareness born of disobedience rather than divine gift. This contrasts sharply with the true knowledge that comes through communion with God.

The Tree of Life and Christological Significance

The mention of the Tree of Life carries profound typological meaning for Orthodox theology. The Fathers, including Saint Irenaeus of Lyon, identified this tree as a prefiguration of the Cross of Christ and the Eucharist. When humanity was barred from the original Tree of Life, this was not merely punishment but also mercy—preventing fallen humanity from being eternally fixed in a corrupted state. Christ, the true Tree of Life, would later offer immortality through His death and resurrection.

In the Orthodox liturgical tradition, the hymns of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross explicitly connect the tree in Paradise with the wood of the Cross. The Paschal services proclaim that through the Cross, life has come to the world, reversing the exclusion from the Tree of Life.

Divine Economy and Pastoral Care

Saint Ephrem the Syrian beautifully notes that God’s action in barring access to the tree demonstrates divine pedagogy. Humanity needed purification and transformation before receiving immortality. The incarnation of Christ accomplishes what Adam’s premature grasping could not—true theosis, or divinization, through grace rather than through autonomous human effort.

Liturgical Connections

The Forgiveness Vespers of Cheesefare Sunday, commemorating the expulsion from Paradise, draws heavily on this passage. The Church sings of Adam weeping before the gates of Eden, longing for the Paradise he lost. Yet Orthodox hymnography always points forward to Christ, the New Adam, who reopens Paradise to humanity. The good thief’s entry into Paradise on Great Friday demonstrates the fulfillment of what this verse anticipates—restored access to eternal life through Christ.

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