Genesis 3: 16 Commentary

In the first part of Gen 3:16, God lays out the consequences of the woman’s disobedience, “Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception.” In the second part of the verse, God sets straight the woman’s relationship to Adam –her disposition and her position. This was necessary because she usurped the implied relationship with Adam by leading him to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

After the fall, God also lays out the consequences of Adam’s disobedience, but God did not address Adam in terms of his relationship to the woman.

“He shall rule over thee” is a directive given by God to the woman regarding her position to Adam, her husband. Hierarchy is thus affirmed by God. The woman is to submit to her husband’s authority, Eph 5:22-24 “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.” Col 3:18 “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.”

How is this aspect of the husband/wife relationship disrupted? It can be disrupted by the husband if he demands his rule over the woman. Is there a Biblical precedent for the man to demand or aggressively take his rule over his wife? It would seem the contrary when Proverbs advises: Prov 21:9 “It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house.” Prov 21:19 “It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman.” The advice is to avoid the woman, not assert rule. It is not the place for the man nor is it effective for him to assert his rule. Demanding rule over one’s wife is to disrupt this part of the relationship.

The wife too can disrupt the “rule over thee” aspect of the relationship –and more easily because it is an act of omission. It is the wife’s burden to create this aspect of the relationship. God addressed Adam’s wife with the directive, charging her with the responsibility. Therefore, only the woman can grant or allow the man to rule over her.

Her obligation to uphold this “rule over thee” relationship is not to her husband, but to God. It was God who directed the woman in this matter. The woman is accountable to God for ensuring her husband is able to rule over her. This three-way relationship brings a practical application to Eccl 4:12 “. . . a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

So, the question is, what are the consequences to the disruption of this part of the relationship? Could it be a contributing factor to the increased divorce rate? Could it be a contributing factor in the dissatisfaction many women (and men) have with their marriages?

By Tim (wrote 1 Bible Commentary - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 12/14/2011 02:10 am

3:16 explains why women have labor pains. The people must have noticed that other animals do not go through any particular pains in child birth. There had to be a reason why our species was different. And… by the way, a good excuse was also needed to put women “in their place”!!

By Charles (wrote 1421 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 9/16/2011 02:51 am

WOMAN LOOK TO THE MIRROR
This are some of the lessons here:
The monthly menstruation is to remind women that it was she who caused the son of God to shed his blood…to menstruate is to discharge blood…
For it was the woman who was deceived and not the man (see 1 Tim. 2:11-15)she was in the transgression…

Woman should learn to be in silence and subjection..she shall be saved in childbearing (2 Tim. 2:11-15)…

By TIUCHE (wrote 2756 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 5/23/2011 17:10 pm

Well, I have some obervations to make:

Satan is cursed (3:14), the ground is cursed (3:170, but in the case of Adam and Eve, God didn’t say that they are cursed!

That the relationship of the husband and wife, husband ruling over wife and wife trying to get control of her husnabd doesn’t seem to have been stated before Adam and Eve sinned. It is stated that they will be one. Again, Eve was intended to be a helpmeet. In Hebrew the word is ‘etzer,’which we find in connection with the Lord too, namely ‘Eben-etzer’. The word Etzer therefore does not denote a source of help and not of service of a subordinate!

However, our God is God of order, and order is maintained with hiearchy. In God’s economy and adiminnstration of order the heiarchy is: God->Jesus Christ->the church-> Elders-Deacons-Family-> husband->wife->Children.

If a woman doesn’t submit to one man, she will be subject to another.

The command “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ,” precedes the command, “Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord,” and also “Children, obey your parents in the Lord.”(Eph.5:21,22;6:1) Where there is true love there would not be any problem for submission. One who has the authority could exercise it effectively in all humility. In the kingdom of God and so also in the family of God, he who is the greatest is the servant of all. This is the pre-sin condition for the redeemed of the Lord. If the balance is maintained there wo’nt be violence in the home. Again, our primary submission is to God and therefore submission to other authority in its contravention is uncalled for.

By Jayant Christian (wrote 287 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 5/5/2010 23:18 pm

I find this very interesting as a married woman. I hear God saying that this shall be the traite of the human nature in as far as woman is concerned, not wanting to be submissive or to desire to be in control over man (as per NLT bible verssion). And if this was a curse as it was it says to me that when Christ died He was restoring my original possition which is that of being under my husband’s control or not having a desire to control him. This posses a huge challenge to the “modern woman” though I must say. I think I agree with Terik Q in the statement “if you not God fearing why get married”. Whilst marriage is Gods plan instituted by Him there is a way which one needs to live it, marriage that is. No wonder God insists on telling women to submit to thier husbands. This verse really challenges me and I pray that it may produce life in the many married man & women.

By Sino M (wrote 1 Bible Commentary - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 5/5/2010 12:27 pm

Thank you, BDClark, for your comments. One difference b/w couples and Adam & Eve is that I assume they didn’t have to worry about things such as protection until after the fall. But even without those concerns they still needed each other. So, how much more so for us! To clarify, noone should marry just to get security. But part of my commentary was directed towards the sad state of modern marriage where it seems people get divorced because they are independent. Modern marriage seems to be for convience - what I can get out of it. I wrote in another commentary that many people are Christian only when it’s time for a wedding, a funeral, Christmas, and Easter. If God is not really part of your life (if not a God-fearer), why bother?

By Terik Q (wrote 65 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 3/12/2009 22:04 pm

Terik,
I feel you have captured the context of the verse very well, however, I notice a little bit of a waiver in your conviction. Why is it that now in modern times and with certain variables or issues, logic dismisses the need for marriage unless you’re ‘god-fearing folk?’

First, the comment god-fearing folk immediately sours the taste. Second, GOD is eternal and is unchanging. So why would modern times for be any different than for Adam & Eve?

Jesus’ answer [Matt 19] to marriage between man and woman is that this is the most holy covenant that can exist between GOD and mankind. The person who wishes to experience this holy covenant, will want to be what he most desires, and that is to be perfect; to be like GOD (from commentary found at link: http://www.awmi.net/bible/1co_06_13 )

Therefore, the woman will experience and endure sorrow, plus the pain of being the life-bearer/caretaker, but this is due to her original desire for her husband which will dominate all of her other desires.

GOD does not want dole out sin, nor does HE want to put measure on it so it will strike fear into our hearts. HE wants us to seek HIM, to love HIM, and to be close to HIM. Yet, due to our weakness for temptation, we are subject to pain because of our sins. This is what I believe HE is telling us here.

By BDClark (wrote 1 Bible Commentary - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 3/12/2009 12:11 pm

Who’s the Boss?
The curse on woman is pain which comes in at least two forms of child and husband. Notice that this speaks on what is important to a woman – relationships. There will be pain during the monthly cycle, labor pains during child birth, and pain as a mother raises a sinful child in a sinful world. Then the focus is on desire to the husband. Actually, it seems the modern woman is overcoming this desire. She no longer needs a man for protection, security, provision, or even for reproduction. (Of course, men have issues as well.) Logically, such a people would not ever marry. Fortunately there are still many God fearing folk who understand that the marriage covenant must involve Him.

By Terik Q (wrote 65 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 3/6/2009 19:51 pm