Genesis 3:13 kjv

And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

Genesis 3:13 nkjv

And the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

Genesis 3:13 niv

Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

Genesis 3:13 esv

Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this that you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

Genesis 3:13 nlt

Then the LORD God asked the woman, "What have you done?" "The serpent deceived me," she replied. "That's why I ate it."

Genesis 3 verses

Genesis 3 13 Meaning

Genesis 3:13 describes a pivotal moment following the disobedience in the Garden of Eden. God, addressing the woman (Eve) after her husband Adam had blamed her, directly asks her to account for her actions. Eve responds by acknowledging her sin of eating the forbidden fruit, but she attributes the primary cause of her transgression to the serpent's deceptive influence. Her statement highlights the serpent's active role in leading her astray and her subsequent act of partaking of the fruit.

Genesis 3 13 Context

Genesis 3:13 is a direct exchange between the LORD God and Eve, forming part of the divine interrogation of humanity after their disobedience in the Garden of Eden. The preceding verses describe God's call to Adam, Adam's confession of hiding due to nakedness, and his subsequent blame-shifting onto Eve (and indirectly, God Himself). In this verse, God directly addresses Eve with a question demanding an account for her specific actions related to the forbidden tree.

The broader chapter context details the introduction of sin into the world, the serpent's cunning temptation, the human pair's choice to disobey God's direct command, and the immediate consequences—shame, fear, and now the process of divine judgment and pronouncement of curses. This divine interrogation process highlights God's initiative in seeking out the offenders and giving them an opportunity, not necessarily for full repentance in the way salvation is understood later, but at least for confession and understanding the gravity of their actions.

Genesis 3 13 Word analysis

• And the LORD God said: Hebrew Yĕhowih Elohim (יהוה אלהים). "LORD" (Yahweh) signifies God's personal, covenantal name, indicating a relationship. "God" (Elohim) denotes Him as the Creator and Sovereign. The combination implies a personal, authoritative, and judicial questioning by the ultimate sovereign. This phrase underscores the divine initiative and authority in the interrogation, moving directly to confront the act of disobedience.
• unto the woman: Refers to Eve, the one directly implicated by Adam in Gen 3:12. This shows God's specific and individual addressing of each party involved in the transgression, upholding personal accountability.
• What is this that thou hast done?: Hebrew Ma-zot asit? (מַה־זֹּאת עָשִׂית). This is an interrogative question, not borne of ignorance on God's part, but a judicial or forensic inquiry. Its purpose is to elicit an admission, confession, or explanation from the accused. It directly demands accountability for a specific, identifiable action.
• And the woman said: Eve's direct verbal response, acknowledging the inquiry.
• The serpent: Hebrew Ha-nahash (הַנָּחָשׁ). The definite article "the" indicates a specific, already identified entity from Gen 3:1. This is the creature described as "more subtil" (Gen 3:1), an agent of temptation used by an unseen evil force, later understood to be Satan (Rev 12:9, 20:2).
• beguiled me: Hebrew hishiani (הִשִּׁיאַנִי), from the root nasa' (נָשָׁא), meaning "to deceive, trick, mislead, beguile, entice." This term suggests a profound act of trickery, not just simple temptation or persuasion. It implies active seduction or drawing one away from the truth by cunning means. Eve admits to being intellectually or spiritually tricked, having her judgment distorted by the serpent's lies.
• and I did eat: Hebrew va'okhel (וָאֹכֵל). A simple past tense, "and I ate." This is Eve's admission of the physical act of eating the forbidden fruit. It's a factual confession of the transgression itself, albeit qualified by the preceding statement of deception. It indicates her agency in the final act, despite being deceived.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "What is this that thou hast done?": This phrase is a powerful legal-style inquiry, establishing the ground for accountability. It bypasses any prior blame-shifting and forces the individual to confront their own deed. It is a fundamental divine demand for transparency and confession in the face of sin.
• "The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.": This complete statement from Eve functions as a partial confession. She acknowledges the act ("I did eat") but mitigates her personal responsibility by foregrounding the deception by the serpent. It’s an admission that contains an implicit justification or explanation, showcasing the human tendency to deflect blame, even when admitting a transgression.

Genesis 3 13 Bonus section

• Divine Forensic Process: God's questioning sequence in Genesis 3 (first Adam, then Eve) is a structured judicial inquiry. He seeks not merely information but confession and self-confrontation from the wrongdoers, offering an opportunity to acknowledge guilt before judgment is pronounced. This methodical approach highlights God's justice and fairness, giving humanity a chance to respond.
• Severity of Deception: Eve's emphasis on "beguiled" underscores the significant role of intellectual and spiritual deception in her sin. This wasn't merely a moment of weakness or craving, but a manipulation of truth that led to a flawed decision. This foreshadows the ongoing battle between truth and lies, God's word and Satan's falsehoods, throughout biblical history.
• Foundation for Understanding Temptation: Eve's response establishes a foundational understanding of temptation's process: an external influence (serpent's deception) interacts with internal desires/choices, leading to an action (eating the fruit). Later scriptures like James 1:14-15 further unpack this internal process of desire, enticement, and sin.

Genesis 3 13 Commentary

Genesis 3:13 encapsulates humanity's first documented interaction with sin and its aftermath, revealing several key theological truths. God's questioning of Eve, "What is this that thou hast done?", is not born of ignorance but from a desire to elicit an admission and facilitate accountability. It underscores God's commitment to justice and righteousness, even amidst sin.

Eve's response, "The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat," is a layered confession. She admits the overt act of eating the fruit, directly affirming her disobedience. However, her inclusion of "the serpent beguiled me" highlights the deceptive influence that led to her transgression. The Hebrew word hishiani (beguiled/deceived) signifies more than simple temptation; it indicates active trickery that distorted her understanding and judgment. This detail becomes critical in later New Testament theology (1 Tim 2:14, 2 Cor 11:3), distinguishing Eve's form of culpability from Adam's direct, undeceived disobedience.

Despite the profound deception, Eve's statement still includes her direct participation: "and I did eat." This demonstrates that even under duress of deception, human choice and responsibility are still present. Her response is a prime example of human nature seeking to lessen blame or transfer responsibility to an external cause, yet still confessing the outcome. While the serpent initiated the sin by lying, Eve's final decision was her own. This verse therefore simultaneously emphasizes the potency of spiritual deception and the unshakeable principle of personal accountability before a holy God.