Genesis 3:20 kjv
And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.
Genesis 3:20 nkjv
And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.
Genesis 3:20 niv
Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.
Genesis 3:20 esv
The man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.
Genesis 3:20 nlt
Then the man ? Adam ? named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all who live.
Genesis 3 20 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 3:15 | "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." | Promise of life/deliverance through woman's seed. |
| Gen 1:28 | "God blessed them and said to them, 'Be fruitful and increase in number...'" | Original mandate for procreation and life. |
| Gen 4:1 | "Adam lay with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, 'With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.'" | Eve's first act as 'mother of living.' |
| Rom 5:12 | "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—" | Adam's sin brings death to all. |
| Rom 5:15 | "...how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!" | Christ brings life despite Adam's sin. |
| 1 Cor 15:21-22 | "For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive." | Contrast of Adam's death with Christ's life. |
| Gen 5:29 | "He named him Noah and said, 'He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the Lord has cursed.'" | Prophetic naming, related to the curse. |
| Is 7:14 | "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." | Prophetic naming and God with us. |
| Matt 1:21 | "She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." | Name Jesus means 'Yahweh saves.' |
| Heb 11:1 | "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." | Adam's act of faith amidst dire circumstances. |
| Heb 11:6 | "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." | Faith in God's promises. |
| John 11:25 | "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;'" | Jesus is the ultimate source of life. |
| Eph 2:4-5 | "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved." | Made alive by God's grace. |
| Col 3:3-4 | "For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." | Christ as our true life. |
| Gen 3:21 | "The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them." | God's provision and grace after the Fall. |
| Ps 127:3 | "Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him." | Children as a gift, validating 'mother of living'. |
| 1 Tim 2:15 | "But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety." | Woman's role and potential for salvation linked to childbearing (pointing to Christ). |
| Rom 4:18-21 | "Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed... fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised." | Parallel to Adam's faith in procreation/life despite curses. |
| Gen 6:9 | "Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God." | Continuity of life through specific individuals despite general sin. |
| Ps 36:9 | "For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light." | God is the ultimate source of all life. |
Genesis 3 verses
Genesis 3 20 Meaning
Genesis 3:20 records Adam's naming of his wife, immediately following God's pronouncements of judgment on humanity after their disobedience. Adam names her "Eve," a name closely connected to the Hebrew word for "life," because he recognizes her foundational role as the biological "mother of all living" human beings. This act by Adam, in the midst of curses and the grim prospect of death and return to dust, reflects a profound statement of faith and hope in God's continuing plan for life and progeny, especially in light of the promise of a future deliverer from the woman's seed (Gen 3:15). It affirms the perpetuation of the human race and points to the life that would ultimately overcome the death introduced by sin.
Genesis 3 20 Context
Genesis 3:20 occurs at a pivotal moment immediately after the Fall of humanity and God's pronouncement of judgments upon the serpent, the woman, and the man. Prior to this verse, Adam and Eve have disobeyed God by eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. God confronts them, and they offer excuses. Subsequently, God declares the curses: the serpent is cursed above all creatures (Gen 3:14), the woman's pain in childbearing will be increased, and her desire will be for her husband, who will rule over her (Gen 3:16). The man is cursed with laborious toil from the ground, thorns and thistles will grow, and he will eventually return to dust (Gen 3:17-19).
Crucially, in the midst of these judgments, God also provides a glimmer of hope: the Protoevangelium in Gen 3:15, which prophesies a future descendant of the woman who will ultimately triumph over the serpent. It is against this backdrop of curse and promise that Adam names his wife. The name change signifies a reorientation of their identity and future, from one of judgment and death to one centered on life, procreation, and the hope embedded in the promise of the "seed of the woman." It marks Adam's comprehension and acceptance of this enduring divine plan despite their newfound reality of sin and mortality.
Genesis 3 20 Word analysis
- And Adam called: (וַיִּקְרָא הָאָדָם, vayyiqra ha'adam). This action signifies Adam's role and perception. The man, Adam, who himself was just cursed to return to dust, is the one initiating this naming. In ancient Near Eastern thought, naming was an act of power and defining identity. Here, it also implies recognition of God's revealed plan, showing Adam's acceptance and perhaps a spark of faith in the promise of Gen 3:15. It shifts from God naming things to man responding to God's decrees.
- his wife’s name: (שֵׁם אִשְׁתֹּו, shem ishto). Previously, she was "woman" (
ishshah), derived from man (ish). This new name establishes a distinct identity for her, one not merely derived from her origin, but reflecting her intrinsic, future-oriented purpose. The marital bond remains intact despite the Fall. - Eve: (חַוָּה, Chavvah). The Hebrew name "Chavvah" is derived from the root hayah or havah, meaning "to live." It carries the connotation of "life-giver" or "source of life." This is not a randomly chosen name; it's a profound, prophetic declaration about her identity and purpose in salvation history. It's a wordplay that directly links her new identity to her primary function in the continuity of the human race.
- because she was: (כִּ֛י הִ֥יא הָיְתָ֖ה, ki hi haytah). The Hebrew particle ki "because" provides the direct explanation and justification for the naming. The phrase emphasizes a truth about her essence or destiny; she has become, or inherently is, aligned with the concept of "life."
- the mother: (אֵ֥ם, em). A fundamental and universal term for one who gives birth. This underscores the physical reality of procreation. This biological role becomes spiritually significant, particularly for the lineage through whom salvation will come.
- of all living: (כָּל־חָֽי, kol-chai). "All" emphasizes the comprehensive scope—she is the ancestral mother of every single human being who will ever live, connecting humanity back to her. The word chai ("living" or "life") again links directly back to her name "Chavvah," making the meaning explicit and unmistakable. This affirms God's commitment to perpetuate humanity, despite the curse of death.
Genesis 3 20 Bonus section
The naming of Eve can be seen as Adam exercising his God-given dominion in a moment of crisis, specifically aligning it with God's announced purpose for the woman as the one from whom the 'seed' would come. This underscores God's persistent commitment to life even amidst the dire consequences of rebellion. The focus on Eve as the "mother of all living" also indirectly pushes back against pagan creation myths prevalent in the ancient Near East, where fertility and life were often attributed to various capricious deities or chaotic natural forces. Here, life continues and is stewarded through the divinely ordered process of human procreation, affirming God as the singular source and sustainer of life, working through humanity.
Genesis 3 20 Commentary
Genesis 3:20 is a profound verse, often understated in its theological weight. Following the Fall, where death entered the world and judgment was pronounced, Adam's act of naming his wife "Eve" (meaning "Life") stands as an incredible paradox and a testament to God's enduring grace. It demonstrates Adam's understanding and acceptance of the hope implicit in the earlier promise (Gen 3:15), recognizing that despite sin and mortality, life would continue and through the woman's offspring, a deliverer would arise.
This naming is an act of faith, looking beyond the immediate desolation and physical cursings to God's faithful preservation of humanity and His redemptive plan. Adam perceives that despite the increased pain in childbearing for Eve and his own return to dust, the continuity of human life through her is assured. It re-establishes the dignity and vital role of the woman in God's continuing purpose, even after the events of the Fall. It is a beacon of hope illuminating a dark moment, signaling that the story is not over, and that God's plan for life will ultimately triumph over death.