(See end of this blog post for links to resources for further study)
A major river caught fire in 1969. The source of the pollution came from upstream. It was found and corrected. The Clean Water Act was passed to fight further pollution.
Genesis 3:16 has also been polluted.The Tru316 Project (Tru316.com) has been launched to clean up the word pollution of Genesis 3:16 and seven related passages. Here they are:
1. Genesis 2
2. Genesis 3
3. Ephesians 5:15-6:9
4. 1 Timothy 2:8-3:7
5. 1 Corinthians 11:2-16
6. 1 Corinthians 14:34-40
7. 1 Peter 3:1-7
Exercise #1: Identify the main doctrine or teaching you are familiar with for each passage. How does each doctrine link back to Genesis 3:16?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Exercise #2: Why don’t our translations do better?
1. Read Genesis 3:9-12.
a. Which questions does the man answer? Which does he avoid? Why?
b. Who does the man name in his answer? Who does he not name? Why?
c. How might John 3:20 and John 8:44 with Genesis 3:15 provide insight into the man’s behavior and answer?
d. How does the man’s answer reveal his new loyalties?
2. Read Genesis 3:13-16.
a. How thoroughly did the woman answer God’s question?
b. How are the woman’s loyalties revealed in her answer?
c. How might the woman’s loyalties relate to God’s word to her in Genesis 3:16?
3. Read Genesis 2:25
Genesis 2-3 is formed as a chiasm. Genesis 2:1-24 is the upward curve of God at work, and Genesis 3:1-24 is the downward curve of sin at work. Genesis 2:25 is at the summit. Compare the two sides of this chiasm. What do you see?
a. Genesis 2:5-15 with Genesis 3:8-24 (A and A’)
b. Genesis 2:16-17 with Genesis 2:6-7 (B and B’)
c. Genesis 2:18-24 with Genesis 3:1-5 (C and C’)
d. How does Genesis 2:25 act as the summit? (D)
The first four Hebrew words spoken to the woman in Genesis 3:16 are:
(word #1) Multiplying
(word #2) I-will-multiply
(word #3) Your-sorrowful-toil (in fieldwork)
This Hebrew word links down to the exact same word spoken to the man in verse 17.
(word #4) And-your-conception
This Hebrew word links back to the word seed/offspring in verse 15.
Yet, modern translations pollute words #3 (‘itsabon) and #4 (heron) by covering them over with one very different and incorrect idea which is equivalent to a curse: your pain in childbearing
Exercise #3: How is your understanding of God’s pronouncement to the woman affected when the translation is cleaned of its pollution?
Genesis 3:15-17
15 “I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her-offspring;
he will bruise you on the head,
and you will bruise him on the heel.”
16 To the woman he said,
(Line 1) “I will greatly multiply your-sorrowful-toil and-your-conception;
(Line 2) with-effort you-will-give-birth-to children.
(Line 3) Your affection is for your husband
(Line 4) but he will rule over you.”
17 And to the man he said,
“Because you listened the voice of your wife and ate from the tree
About which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it,’
cursed is the ground because of you;
in sorrowful-toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.”
See below for links to resources for further research.
1. Blog post on the True 2 Hebrew Words (https://tru316.com/blog/f/gods-two-most-important-words-to-the-woman-in-genesis-316?blogcategory=Favorite+Articles)
2. Easy diagram of Genesis 3:16 (https://tru316.com/blog/f/focus-on-the-main-idea?blogcategory=Favorite+Articles)
3. Dr. Joy Fleming’s doctoral research: The e-book summary in 48 pages (https://www.amazon.com/Man-Woman-Biblical-Unity-Theology-ebook/dp/B0792MSWBP/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1546467124&sr=8-1&keywords=Joy+Fleming+Man+and+woman)
4. Bruce C. E. Fleming’s Workshop video summarizing Genesis 3 with slide presentation (https://youtu.be/g0_gvC28CdA)
5. Join the Tru316 Project! (https://www.patreon.com/Tru316Project)
6. Podcast weblinks: www.TheEdenPodcast.com or www.Tru316.com
