There is a “linchpin” literary pattern used in line one of Genesis 3:16 that pulls in information from the surrounding verses (3:15 and 3:17) to enrich the meaning of the line.
In Man and Woman in Biblical Unity – Theology from Genesis 2-3, (Bloomington, IN: WestBow Press, 2013, pp. 29-30), Dr. Joy Fleming describes a linchpin pattern as follows: A linchpin is “a linking device more technically described as the ‘interlocking crossover point’ of an introversion or chiasm.”
Dr. Isaac Kikawada identified two such a linchpin constructions in Genesis 11:8 in the center of the Tower of Babel story and in Genesis 2:7-9. The use of a linchpin he identified in Genesis 2 is important in understanding Genesis 3. This is because chapters 2-3 form a large parallel structure where the parts mirror each other.
The accompanying diagram was developed by Dr. Joy Fleming in her book.
The linchpin in Genesis 2:8 is mirrored by the linchpin Genesis 3:16a. Any interpretation of Genesis 3:16a that does not correspond to what is present in Genesis 2:8 is thrown into question and is shown to be invalid.
THIS MEANS THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE CURRENT BIBLE VERSIONS ARE INCORRECT IN THEIR TRANSLATIONS OF GENESIS 3:16a.
More to come on the linchpin construction in Genesis 3:16a in the next posts.
The book by Dr. Fleming is available at this link on Amazon.com.
