Genesis 3:11 kjv

And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

Genesis 3:11 nkjv

And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?"

Genesis 3:11 niv

And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?"

Genesis 3:11 esv

He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?"

Genesis 3:11 nlt

"Who told you that you were naked?" the LORD God asked. "Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?"

Genesis 3 verses

Genesis 3 11 Meaning

Genesis 3:11 reveals God's divine inquiry to Adam after his act of disobedience. The verse signifies God's direct confrontation with man, pinpointing the source of Adam's newly perceived nakedness as a consequence of his violation of the divine command. It's a rhetorical question posed by God, not out of ignorance, but to elicit confession from Adam regarding his rebellion and its resulting spiritual state. The essence of the verse conveys that sin introduces shame and separates humanity from its intimate relationship with God, leading to a fear and realization of their vulnerable state that was not present in their innocent obedience.

Genesis 3 11 Context

Genesis 3:11 is a pivotal moment following the temptation and fall of humanity. Immediately after Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden tree (Gen 3:6), their eyes were opened, and they realized their nakedness, prompting them to fashion fig leaf coverings (Gen 3:7). When God walked in the garden, they hid themselves (Gen 3:8). God's initial call, "Where are you?" (Gen 3:9), sought to draw them out. Adam's response of fear and awareness of his nakedness (Gen 3:10) directly leads to God's pointed question in Genesis 3:11. This verse marks God moving from seeking their whereabouts to directly probing the cause of their shame, thereby initiating the process of accountability and judgment for their disobedience against the explicit command given in Genesis 2:17.

Genesis 3 11 Word Analysis

• And He said: (וַיֹּאמֶר - vayyomer) - This introduces God's direct speech, demonstrating His immediate and personal engagement with humanity following their transgression. It highlights God's sovereignty and His role as the ultimate authority and judge.
• Who told you: (מִי הִגִּיד לְךָ - mi higgid lekha) - This is a rhetorical question from God. It's not a query born of ignorance (for God is omniscient, Ps 139:1-4), but rather a means to prompt Adam's confession and to establish the chain of accountability. הִגִּיד (higgid) from the root נגד (nagad) means "to make known," "to inform," or "to tell." The phrasing suggests that this newfound knowledge of "nakedness" – not as a neutral state but as a state of shame and fear – came from an outside, illegitimate source, implicitly pointing to the serpent's deceptive influence and the breaking of God's command.
• that you were naked: (כִּי עֵירֹם אַתָּה - ki ‘erom ‘attah) - The word עֵירֹם (‘erom) refers to a state of bareness or exposure. Before sin (Gen 2:25), Adam and Eve were naked and unashamed. Their nakedness then was natural and innocent, indicative of purity and transparency before God and each other. Here, however, it's paired with shame and fear (Gen 3:7, 10). God's question links this newly experienced "nakedness" – this perception of shame and vulnerability – directly to an act of disobedience. It highlights the profound change wrought by sin: a shift from innocent freedom to self-conscious, guilty exposure. This "knowledge" of nakedness is not innate but a consequence of a spiritual defilement.
• Have you eaten: (הֲמִן הָעֵץ אָכַלְתָּ - Hămin-ha‘ets ‘akalta) - God's rhetorical question progresses from the symptom (shame-filled nakedness) to the cause (eating from the forbidden tree). The prefixed הֲ (ha) is an interrogative particle, turning the statement into a direct question, often expecting an affirmative answer in this context. The verb אָכַלְתָּ (’akalta) means "you ate," specifically in the past tense, indicating a completed action.
• from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat: (אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִיךָ לְבִלְתִּי אֲכָל מִמֶּנּוּ - ’asher tsivvitikha ləbilti ‘akhol mimmennu) - This phrase directly links Adam's current predicament back to God's explicit prohibition in Gen 2:17. The verb צִוִּיתִיךָ (tsivvitikha) means "I commanded you," emphasizing divine authority and the clear, unambiguous nature of the covenant established between God and Adam. לְבִלְתִּי (ləbilti) is a negative infinitive, meaning "not to" or "in order not to." This highlights that Adam’s act was a deliberate transgression against a known and divinely instituted boundary, defining his action as sin. This wasn't merely a mistake, but a violation of a specific directive from his Creator.

Genesis 3 11 Bonus Section

• God's Pedagogical Interrogation: The structure of God's questioning (from effect to cause, from symptom to root sin) demonstrates a pedagogical approach. It's a guiding method to lead Adam through the logical steps of recognizing his transgression, similar to a parent asking leading questions to a child who has done wrong, providing an opportunity for them to understand their fault. This divine questioning serves as a model for how repentance begins – with an honest appraisal of one's actions in light of divine command.
• The Nuance of "Knowledge": The tree was the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil" (Gen 2:17). Before sin, Adam and Eve knew good from God's instruction and evil by inference (what God forbade). After sin, they knew "good and evil" experientially, including the bitter knowledge of evil's consequences (shame, guilt, fear, mortality). God's question implies that this "knowledge of nakedness" was an unintended and negative byproduct of acquiring forbidden knowledge, showing that not all knowledge gained is beneficial or from God's intended path for humanity.
• Covenant Relationship: This verse strongly implies a violated covenant. God had provided abundant provisions and a singular prohibition. Adam's transgression broke this original covenant of works, initiating a new era in human-divine interaction marked by consequence, grace, and new covenants (cf. Hos 6:7 where Israel's transgression is likened to Adam's covenant breaking).
• The Shame of Sin: The immediate effect of sin, shame (nakedness), illustrates how sin fundamentally distorts our perception of self and our comfort in divine presence. Before the fall, openness defined the relationship; afterward, hiding and covering became instinctual, indicative of the internal disarray and the external rift with God.

Genesis 3 11 Commentary

Genesis 3:11 captures a profound theological moment, illustrating God's attributes and the immediate consequences of humanity's sin. God's questioning, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?", is far from an admission of ignorance. Instead, it serves multiple divine purposes:

Firstly, it is an invitation to confession. God, being omniscient, already knew what Adam had done. His question is designed to prompt Adam to acknowledge his sin freely and accept responsibility, a crucial first step towards repentance and reconciliation. This highlights God's justice in demanding accountability and His patience in offering a chance for admission before judgment is pronounced.

Secondly, the question exposes the spiritual consequences of sin. Before the fall, nakedness was innocent (Gen 2:25); after eating the fruit, it became a source of shame and fear. This transition underscores how sin corrupts one's self-perception, their relationship with others, and their standing before God. The newfound knowledge of nakedness is a symbol of their broken relationship with God, no longer comfortable in His presence but instead fearful and hiding.

Thirdly, it underscores the nature of disobedience. The second part of God's question directly references the broken command (Gen 2:17). This emphasizes that Adam's sin was not an accident or a small oversight but a deliberate violation of a clear divine directive. It was a rebellion against God's sovereignty and wisdom, a choosing of human will over divine command.

Ultimately, Genesis 3:11 lays the groundwork for the ensuing judgment (Gen 3:14-19) but also foreshadows the divine plan for redemption. God, though confronting sin, remains actively engaged with humanity. His search and interrogation are not merely judicial but also profoundly relational, demonstrating that even in their fall, God had not abandoned humanity, setting the stage for the promised Redeemer in the very next verse cluster.