Genesis 3:5 kjv
For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
Genesis 3:5 nkjv
For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
Genesis 3:5 niv
"For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
Genesis 3:5 esv
For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
Genesis 3:5 nlt
"God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil."
Genesis 3 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Satan's Deception and Nature as a Liar | ||
| Gen 3:13 | "The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."" | Eve acknowledges the serpent's deception. |
| Jn 8:44 | "He was a murderer from the beginning and has nothing to do with the truth... he is a liar and the father of lies." | Jesus identifies Satan as the father of lies. |
| 2 Cor 11:3 | "But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning..." | Paul warns against deception akin to Eve's. |
| 2 Cor 11:14 | "And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light." | Satan's deceptive appearance. |
| Rev 12:9 | "the ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world..." | Satan as the universal deceiver. |
| 1 Jn 2:21 | "no lie is of the truth." | Contrasts truth with falsehood. |
| 1 Pet 5:8 | "Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." | Satan's malicious intent. |
| Desire to Be "Like God" / Self-Exaltation | ||
| Isa 14:12-15 | "You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high... I will make myself like the Most High.'" | Lucifer's attempt to usurp God's place. |
| 2 Thess 2:3-4 | "the man of lawlessness... opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God." | Antichrist's ultimate self-exaltation. |
| Forbidden Knowledge and Moral Autonomy | ||
| Gen 2:17 | "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." | God's prior explicit prohibition. |
| Deut 1:39 | "your children, who today have no knowledge of good or evil..." | Refers to children's innocence from moral understanding. |
| Heb 5:14 | "solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." | True, mature discernment of good and evil, contrasted with Gen 3:5. |
| Consequences of the "Opened Eyes" and Acquired Knowledge | ||
| Gen 3:7 | "Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths." | Immediate consequence: awareness of shame and sin, not divine enlightenment. |
| Rom 5:12 | "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—" | Sin and death entered through this act. |
| Rom 6:23 | "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." | The consequence of choosing self over God. |
| Ps 51:5 | "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me." | Acknowledgement of inherited sinful nature post-fall. |
| Eph 2:1 | "And you were dead in the trespasses and sins..." | Spiritual death as a consequence of sin. |
| True Wisdom vs. Satan's Lies | ||
| Prov 1:7 | "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." | True knowledge begins with reverence for God. |
| Prov 9:10 | "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight." | True wisdom sourced from God. |
| James 1:5 | "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him." | God grants true wisdom freely. |
| Jer 17:9 | "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" | Humanity's deceitful heart post-fall. |
| Jn 10:10 | "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." | Contrast between Satan's destructive aims and Christ's life-giving purpose. |
Genesis 3 verses
Genesis 3 5 Meaning
Genesis 3:5 captures the serpent's deceptive lie to Eve, suggesting that God has withheld a beneficial secret from humanity. The serpent claims that if Adam and Eve eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, their "eyes will be opened," they will become "like God," and they will gain the ability to discern good from evil. This promise is a twisted portrayal of God's character and intention, implying envy and selfishness on God's part while promising forbidden autonomy and wisdom.
Genesis 3 5 Context
Genesis 3:5 is a pivotal point in the biblical narrative, representing the culmination of the serpent's deceptive temptation of Eve. Preceding this verse, God had given a clear command in Genesis 2:17, stating that eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil would lead to death. The serpent, introduced in Genesis 3:1 as cunning, initiates a direct challenge to God's word, subtly questioning its truthfulness and God's benevolence (Gen 3:1, 3:4). The historical-cultural context reveals a stark contrast with common ancient Near Eastern myths, where divine beings often guard secrets or powers out of self-interest, and humanity's attempts to gain them are either punished severely or result in a tragic usurpation. The serpent's lie exploits this pagan perception of a jealous deity, presenting God as envious and restrictive, withholding something vital for human flourishing, rather than a benevolent Creator establishing protective boundaries. The serpent thus aims to foster mistrust and doubt in God's word and character, promising an independent "god-like" status and comprehensive understanding of existence.
Genesis 3 5 Word analysis
For God knows: The serpent begins with a statement presented as divine insight, aiming to sound authoritative. This statement contains a kernel of truth—God is indeed omniscient—but is twisted to imply malicious intent. The serpent suggests that God's prohibition is not for humanity's protection but to prevent humanity from reaching an equivalent status. This is a subtle yet potent attack on God's benevolent character and integrity.
that in the day you eat of it: This phrase directly contradicts God's previous warning in Gen 2:17 ("in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die"). The serpent challenges the immediacy and certainty of the promised consequence, hinting that God's threat is an exaggeration or an outright lie. The "day" does not refer to a literal 24-hour period of physical death, but rather to the initiation of a process that leads to spiritual and eventual physical death.
your eyes will be opened: This promise is a perversion of a genuine human desire for knowledge and understanding. The "opening of eyes" (Hebrew: nipqəḥû ʿênêḵem) can denote gaining perception or awareness. While a form of "eyes opening" does occur after they eat (Gen 3:7), it's not the enlightened, divine perception the serpent promises, but a dreadful awakening to their shame, vulnerability, and broken relationship with God. The serpent implies a positive, enhancing transformation, but the reality is a painful, diminishing awareness of sin and loss of innocence.
and you will be like God: This is the core of the serpent's enticement.
- like God (Hebrew: kê-’ĕlōhîm): The word ʾĕlōhîm here can refer to "God" (singular, referring to Yahweh) or "gods" (divine beings, angels, or deities). In context, the serpent offers a radical shift in status. This implies autonomy, the ability to define right and wrong, and access to forbidden wisdom. The serpent promises humanity divine attributes—self-sufficiency, ultimate knowledge, and a lack of accountability—that only belong to the Creator. It’s a deceptive promise to bridge the Creator-creature distinction, bypassing God's authority and wisdom.
knowing good and evil: (Hebrew: yādəʿê ṭôḇ wā-rāʿ).
- knowing (Hebrew: yādaʿ): This term often implies intimate, experiential knowledge, not merely intellectual apprehension. It can mean to "discern" or "distinguish."
- good and evil (Hebrew: ṭôḇ wā-rāʿ): This phrase typically signifies totality or moral discernment. It suggests comprehensive knowledge, often akin to judging or arbitrating morality.The serpent's lie implies that this "knowledge" will be a superior form of wisdom, granting them independence and making them self-sufficient moral agents, no longer needing God's commands or guidance. However, the "knowledge" they gain is the experiential knowledge of their own sin and the capacity for moral evil within themselves. It's the burdensome knowledge of shame, guilt, and the constant struggle against evil, rather than a god-like power of judgment. It represents a fall from innocent dependence into a self-determining autonomy that leads to disaster.
Genesis 3 5 Bonus section
The tree itself, "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil," was not inherently evil. Its purpose was likely to represent humanity's created, dependent status and their required trust in God. Partaking from it symbolized crossing the Creator-creature boundary. The serpent's emphasis on "knowing good and evil" highlights the difference between theoretical knowledge (which God likely allowed them to develop within parameters) and the experiential, sovereign right to define or arbitrate what is good and evil. Humanity was given the freedom to choose, but not the freedom to define moral reality independently of their Creator. This narrative underscores the importance of a true fear of the Lord (reverence and submission to His authority) as the starting point of genuine wisdom, directly counteracting the serpent's deceptive proposal of gaining wisdom by defying God.
Genesis 3 5 Commentary
Genesis 3:5 represents the deceptive strategy of temptation: the twisting of truth to create mistrust in God. The serpent skillfully combines a true statement (God knows) with a false implication (God is selfishly withholding good). The promise of "opened eyes" and becoming "like God" (knowing good and evil) plays on inherent human desires for wisdom, autonomy, and an elevated status. This specific promise offers humanity not merely knowledge, but the authority to define good and evil, usurping God's role as the sole arbiter of truth and morality. It presents a distorted form of "enlightenment" that bypasses righteous maturity and obedient learning, offering instant divine-like attributes. The tragic irony is that the "knowledge" gained was not the anticipated omniscience or divine wisdom, but the painful, experiential knowledge of their own disobedience, nakedness, and the rupture of their perfect relationship with God. This verse encapsulates the root of sin: a desire to transcend God's created boundaries and achieve self-sovereignty, believing that one's own way is superior to God's revealed will. Practically, this verse illustrates how temptations often involve casting doubt on God's good character, misrepresenting the consequences of disobedience, and appealing to self-exaltation and independence.