Genesis 3:19 kjv

In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

Genesis 3:19 nkjv

In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return."

Genesis 3:19 niv

By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return."

Genesis 3:19 esv

By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return."

Genesis 3:19 nlt

By the sweat of your brow
will you have food to eat
until you return to the ground
from which you were made.
For you were made from dust,
and to dust you will return."

Genesis 3 verses

Genesis 3 19 Meaning

Genesis 3:19 describes the immediate consequence of Adam's disobedience, stating the laborious toil required for human sustenance and the eventual return of humanity to dust, from which it was formed. It fundamentally links man's sustenance to painful effort and reiterates mortality as a divinely ordained consequence of sin, specifically rebellion against God's command. This pronouncement seals humanity's physical fate in a fallen world.

Genesis 3 19 Context

Genesis chapter 3 recounts the fall of humanity. After the serpent's deception and Eve and Adam's subsequent disobedience in eating from the forbidden tree, God confronts them. The verse in question is part of God's direct curse and pronouncements to Adam, following curses upon the serpent and Eve. It immediately follows the curse upon the ground for Adam's sake (Gen 3:17-18), where it was decreed that he would eat from it "in toil." Verse 19 intensifies this by defining the nature of this toil – "in the sweat of your face" – and explicitly stating the ultimate consequence of their sin: physical mortality and return to the ground from which Adam was originally formed (referencing Gen 2:7). This pronouncement sets the stage for humanity's existence outside of Eden, marked by struggle and an inevitable end.

Genesis 3 19 Word analysis

• In the sweat of your face:
  • Hebrew: בְּזֵעַת אַפֶּיךָ (bə·zeʹ·aṯ ’ap·peʹ·ḵā).
  • בְּזֵעַת (bə·zeʹ·aṯ): "in the sweat of". Ze’ah (sweat) implies arduous physical exertion. It marks a sharp contrast to the effortless provision and delightful work envisioned in Eden before the fall (Gen 2:15).
  • אַפֶּיךָ (’ap·peʹ·ḵā): "your face" (literally "your nostrils/nose"). This specific detail emphasizes the visible and physical strain of laborious toil. It indicates that the struggle for sustenance will be personally intense and physically draining.
• you shall eat bread:
  • This phrase indicates the method of sustaining life. "Bread" represents basic sustenance. No longer freely provided by paradise, food will now be acquired through demanding effort. It speaks to a life of daily struggle for survival and provision.
• till you return to the ground:
  • Hebrew: עַד שׁוּבְךָ אֶל־הָאֲדָמָה (‘aḏ šū·ḇə·ḵā ’el-hā·’ă·ḏā·māh).
  • עַד שׁוּבְךָ (‘aḏ šū·ḇə·ḵā): "till your returning." Signifies a finite, appointed period for life and the certainty of this ultimate end.
  • אֶל־הָאֲדָמָה (’el-hā·’ă·ḏā·māh): "to the ground/earth." The adamah (ground/earth) is intimately linked to Adam's name, Adam (man), underscoring his earthly origin and ultimate destination.
• for out of it you were taken:
  • This clause is a direct theological and literary reference to Genesis 2:7, grounding humanity's fate in its origin. It highlights divine consistency: man, formed from the earth, must return to it upon judgment.
• for dust you are:
  • Hebrew: כִּי עָפָר אַתָּה (kî ‘ā·p̄ār ’at·tāh).
  • כִּי עָפָר (kî ‘ā·p̄ār): "for dust." Aphār (dust/dry earth) is a primary component of adamah. It signifies man's transient, humble, and fragile physical nature, in stark contrast to God's immortal, spiritual being. This challenges any pagan notion of inherent human immortality or godlike essence. It functions as a polemic against myths asserting divine parentage or immortal souls without divine grace.
• and to dust you shall return:
  • Hebrew: וְאֶל־עָפָר תָּשׁוּב (wə·’el- ‘ā·p̄ār tā·šūḇ).
  • This is the unequivocal pronouncement of human mortality. It is a reversal of creation in a sense – a decomposition back to original elements. It serves as a profound statement on the ultimate physical consequence of sin, and the universality of death for all humankind. This specific phrase becomes foundational for later biblical wisdom literature and New Testament theology on sin and death.

Words-group analysis:

• "In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread": This phrase encapsulates the post-fall struggle for sustenance. It points to a life where toil is not merely productive but often burdensome and difficult, a consequence of sin impacting the environment (Gen 3:17-18) and man's effort. It reflects a universal human experience.
• "till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken": This sequence grounds mortality in divine creation and justice. It states the definite lifespan and destiny, emphasizing that the material aspect of humanity originates from the earth and must revert to it. It underscores man's dependence and finitude before God.
• "for dust you are, and to dust you shall return": This declarative statement asserts the fundamental physical composition and fate of all humanity. It highlights human frailty and mortality as an inherent part of the created, yet fallen, condition. This stands as a definitive pronouncement against any human pretense of inherent immortality or self-sufficiency, redirecting focus to the Creator who grants and withdraws life. It directly refutes the serpent's promise, "You will not surely die" (Gen 3:4).

Genesis 3 19 Bonus section

• The Grace in the Curse: While a judgment, the phrase "you shall eat bread" also implies that despite the curse, God will continue to provide for humanity, though with labor. It's a provision, not annihilation, reflecting God's sustained common grace even after the Fall.
• Echoes in Human Experience: This verse provides a profound biblical explanation for the universal experience of physical labor and death that permeates all human cultures and societies, regardless of technological advancement or belief systems.
• Antidote to Human Hubris: The declaration "for dust you are, and to dust you shall return" serves as a timeless corrective against human pride and the delusion of self-sufficiency. It grounds humanity in its finite and contingent reality before an infinite and sovereign God.
• New Creation Hope: This verdict sets the stage for the profound hope found in the New Testament. Christ, the second Adam (1 Cor 15:45), fully overcomes the curse of death imposed by the first Adam's sin, promising resurrection and glorified bodies that are imperishable, triumphing over the "dust" return (1 Cor 15:53-54; Phil 3:21; Rev 21:4).

Genesis 3 19 Commentary

Genesis 3:19 delivers the severe, yet just, sentence upon Adam, and by extension, all humanity, for disobedience. It delineates two profound and universal consequences: life defined by strenuous labor ("in the sweat of your face you shall eat bread") and the certainty of physical death ("to dust you shall return"). This is not an arbitrary curse but a direct theological consequence tied to Adam's original formation from dust and his transgression against a holy God. The curse of toil means life's necessities are no longer freely provided but secured through arduous effort, reflecting the fractured relationship between humanity and a fallen creation. The sentence of death fundamentally opposes the serpent's deceitful promise of immortality, confirming that disobedience leads to the cessation of physical life as originally experienced in paradise. Yet, even in judgment, God upholds His creative order by remembering man's earthly origins ("for dust you are"), simultaneously emphasizing human humility and the divine power that can reverse even dust into life (Ezek 37, 1 Cor 15). This verse encapsulates humanity's existential reality in a fallen world – a life of struggle leading inevitably to the grave – serving as a profound reminder of the gravity of sin and humanity's inherent dependency and finitude.