Why Eve ate the Forbidden Fruit

Satan is a predator, preying on human souls. The apostle Peter warned us, saying, “Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8 / KJV). Satan is at war with God but has no power to directly attack his Creator. Instead, he attacks God indirectly by seeking to destroy people created in His image. We must therefore be on guard against our enemy’s cunning aggression. Satan has many stratagems and weapons he uses in his warfare against God and people. This post examines the various devices Satan used to tempt Eve to eat the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, during his first battle against mankind (Genesis 3:1-6).

Introduction

In the beginning, the eternal, all-knowing, infinitely-powerful God created the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything in them (including angels and people) in six days, and everything was very good (Gen 1:1-31: Ex 20:11a). God created people in His image, starting with one man, Adam. God formed Adam’s body from the dust of the ground, then brought him to life by breathing into him the breath of life, giving him a living soul (Gen 1:26-27; 2:7).

Like everything else, God created Adam perfect. He too was “very good” and without sin. God gave Adam everything he needed to enjoy abundant life but added one simple command to test him. He must not eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen 2:8-9; 15-17). After having Adam name the animals in the garden, God made a companion (Eve) for him from one of his ribs (Gen 2:18-22).

Everything remained “very good” until Lucifer, one of the highest angels in heaven rebelled in pride, wanting to take his Creator’s place as God (Isa 14:12-15; Ezek 28:12-19). So, Lucifer became, God’s adversary, “Satan,” the enemy of people created in His image. And Satan began his attack on God by corrupting the people created in His image, to whom He had given dominion over the earth (Gen 1:26-28), by deceiving Eve.

SATAN’S Temptation of Eve

We will start by examining the methods Satan used in his temptation of Eve.

The Serpent Was Satan

To examine the devices Satan used to tempt Eve in the garden, we must first realize that the Devil was the true power behind the serpent. It was Satan, not merely an animal, that spoke to Eve.

Satan in the Garden

In Ezekiel 28, Ezekiel prophesied judgment against the King of Tyrus. From the context of verses Ezek. 12:12-19, it is obvious that God spoke not to a human King, but to Satan, the spiritual power behind the man. Here God said, “Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God” (Ezek. 28:13). This clearly indicates that Satan had been in the garden of Eden.

Satan in the Serpent

Several things demonstrate that Satan was indwelling the serpent; it was not merely an animal. The first proof is simply that the serpent attacked God. The physical world, including all animals, was created “very good” (Genesis 1:31), and had not yet been corrupted.

Second, animals can’t speak. The fact that this serpent spoke is enough to prove that there was more to it than a mere animal. The only other time an animal has ever spoken was when God himself opened the mouth of Balaam’s donkey (Num. 22:28-30). Only God, people and angels can speak.

Third, Satan is referred to as a serpent elsewhere in scripture. Two passages in the book of Revelation are particularly clear. “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out . . .” (Rev. 12:9 / KJV). “And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years” (Rev. 20:2 / KJV).

Satan’s Devices

Now that it has been demonstrated that Satan was the tempter who spoke to Eve, the methods he used will be examined.

Weakness Exploited

Predators don’t attack strong opponents. They seek weaker prey, often the young, old, sick or lame. Similarly, Satan is not so foolish as to start his attacks by directly confronting strength. He looks for some weakness or preexisting flaw which he can exploit.

In the garden, Satan began by attacking the woman, who was the “weaker vessel” (1 Peter 3:7). Eve was easier prey because she was created after Adam. She was not there when God commanded Adam not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16-17). Adam would have known that animals cannot talk because he named them, but Eve was not alive yet when he did so. Eve was the weaker prey because she had less knowledge and experience.

While alone

Predators do not attack a whole herd at once. They seek one prey to pounce on, or they single one prey out from the rest of the herd. Likewise, Satan rarely attacks a person while they are surrounded by friends capable of giving good advice. He rarely tempts a person to sin when they would be observed. Satan waits to pounce until a person is alone.

So it was in the garden. The serpent came to Eve while she was alone without Adam or God present to help or observe her. God, being omnipresent and omniscient, was there of course and did observe her. However, Eve was probably not aware of that.

You may think Adam was present during Eve’s temptation because your Bible says Adam “was with her” when she ate the forbidden fruit. If so, that is because that English version is inaccurate in its translation of Genesis 3:6. Many modern versions promote this false interpretation by supplying two words, “who was,” that are not in the original Hebrew narrative. The Hebrew text merely says she “also gave unto her husband with her.”  The errant translations say Eve gave to “her husband ‘who was‘ with her.” The addition of “who was” is interpretive rather than being an accurate translation.

While this is not an exhaustive list, the NIV, ESV, HCSB, BSB, CJB, ISV, NET, and NRSV are among the English translations that inappropriately add the words, “who was”. The KJV, LSB, NASB, NKJV, and WEB accurately translate the passage without this addition. A better translation would be, “then she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.” After she ate the forbidden fruit, Eve found Adam and give him the fruit to eat also.

Throughout the temptation narrative in Genesis 3:1-6, the serpent spoke to “the woman” (Gen 3:1 & 4) and the woman spoke to the serpent (Gen 3:2). The man is never mentioned. If Adam were present, then the Serpent would have been speaking to the man and woman (them), not just the woman. There is nothing in this narrative that indicates that Adam was present during their discussion.

And 1 Timothy 2:14 says, “Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.” Since Adam was not deceived, why would Adam stand silently by while his wife was deceived and ate the forbidden fruit? He wouldn’t!

Their questioning and judgment described in Genesis 3:8-19 also indicates that the serpent tempted Eve alone. When asked about eating the forbidden fruit, Eve blamed the serpent. saying it deceived her (Gen 3:13). She didn’t try to defend herself by saying Adam was with her. Adam said nothing about the serpent, instead he blamed the woman for giving it to him.

Eve ate the forbidden fruit because she listened to the serpent’s lying voice. Adam’s judgment was based on his listening to the voice of his wife, rather than obeying God (Gen 3:17).

Adam was not with Eve when Satan deceived her. But after eating the forbidden fruit, Eve found Adam, gave him the fruit, and enticed him to eat it with her. Satan used the woman to get to the man, but that is Adam’s sin story.

Near the object of temptation

Satan frequently makes his attack while you are physically near an object of temptation. In this way he can appeal to “the lust of the eye” (1 Jn. 2:16). Proximity makes transgression easier and reduces the likelihood of interference. It is likely that Eve was near the tree of the knowledge of good and evil when Satan tempted her.

Disguise

Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44) and a master of deceit. He adopts any disguise necessary to support his subterfuge so you will believe his lie. The devil pretends to be good to cover his diabolical intent.

“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness . . .” (2 Cor. 11 :13-15 / KJV).

Satan appeared to Eve with his true identity and malevolent purpose hidden. He came pretending to be a friendly animal with her best interests in mind. His evil intent was cloaked with deceit, flattering words, and the flesh of a serpent.

Depersonalization of God

Another technique Satan used here was to depersonalize God. Throughout chapter two and elsewhere in the chapter three narrative, God was referred to by the more personal name of Yahweh (LORD / Jehovah). However, in Genesis 3:1 & 5, Satan called Him by the more general, less personal, term for deity, “Elohim.” By referring to her Creator as God (Elohim) instead of by His name (Yahweh / LORD / Jehovah), Satan minimized the personal relationship between Eve and her Heavenly Father. It is significant to note that Eve followed the serpent’s example (Genesis 3:3).

God’s Word Questioned

Now that the stage had been set, Satan began his direct attack by questioning God’s Word. “Yea hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” (Gen. 3:1 / KJV). The devil used this question to determine how well Eve understood God’s command, discover her feelings about it, and get her to start questioning it as well.

“Has God really said?“

The serpent began by misquoting God’s command and questioning its truth. Different English versions translate the Serpents question a variety of ways, but the meaning is the same: “Yea, hath God said” (KJV), “Has God indeed said” (NKJV), “Did God actually say” (ESV), “Indeed, has God said: (NASB & LSB), “Did God really say” (NIV). Satan questioned whether God actually gave the command, in a way that expressed surprise and unbelief. This planted the seed of doubt regarding the truth of God’s Word in Eve’s heart.

Satan continued his attack on God’s character by implying He was too strict by misquoting God’s command in a way that grossly exaggerated the restriction. Satan exaggerated God’s command by continuing, “that God has said, “ye shall not eat from any tree” in the garden.” By presenting God’s prohibition in this distorted manner, Satan caused Eve to reexamine God’s command in a tainted light and to question His motives. As a result, her faith waivered and she began to doubt God’s goodness.

Eve’s Response

Eve quickly corrected Satan’s exaggeration, saying, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden” (Genesis 3:2). Eve knew the Serpent’s question about God’s command was inaccurate. She therefore should not have trusted what the devil said next.

But Eve added to God’s Word. Eve did not merely correct the Serpent about which fruit they were forbidden to eat; she added a prohibition about not even touching the tree. God gave the command not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil to Adam before Eve was created (Gen 2:15-18). It could be that Adam added ‘not touching the tree’ as a precaution when he told Eve of God’s command not to eat its fruit. We can’t know why for sure, but Eve added a legalistic prohibition that was not included in God’s command. Adding to God’s Word is dangerous, We must not add to or take away anything from God’s Word (Deut 4:2; 12:32; Prov 30:5-6; Rev 22:18-19).

Eve also reduced the certainty of the consequences for disobedience. When God gave Adam the command in Genesis 2:17, He stressed the certainty of death as a penalty for eating the forbidden fruit, saying “in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (KJV). Hebrew repeats words for emphasis. The Hebrew reads, “dying ye shall die.” This was an emphatic statement of the certainty of death as the penalty.

In her response, Eve made the consequences less certain, say, “lest ye die” (Gen 3:3 / KJV). The Hebrew word for dying is not repeated, taking away the emphasis on, and certainty of ensuing death.

God’s Word contradicted

After Eve corrected the Serpent as to the extent of their fruit restriction, but legalistically added a prohibition about touching the tree and watering down the certainty of death, Satan proceeded to directly contradict God’s Word. Having instilled doubts in Eve’s mind, Satan flatly called God a liar and substituted his lie for God’s truth.

It is interesting to note that Satan did not contradict Eve’s weaker statement cautioning about possible death rather than certain death. Satan quoted God’s command to Adam, emphasizing the certainty of death, but adding a negative to deny it. Saying, “You shall not surely die.” (you shall NOT dying die.)

‘The father of lies’ attacked God’s righteousness by calling Him (the author of truth and life) a liar. Eve was then forced to choose who she would believe, the God who created her or the serpent she just met.

Partial truth

The Enemy knows the power of words and the value truth. So, he employs the use of partial truths to make his lies sound legitimate. After directly denying the consequences of rebellion, Satan impugned God’s motives using lies dressed in partial truths. Satan wanted to be like the Most High (Isa. 14:14); So, he recommended his evil ambition to the woman. “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: (Gen. 3:5 / NKJV).

There was some truth in this statement because God does know good and evil. Being Good is essential to who God is, so He loves it. Evil is contrary to God’s nature; therefore, He hates it. There is a big difference between knowing something and being it. Our omniscient God knows everything including evil, but He Himself is not evil in any way.

Satan also misrepresented what she would come to know by eating the fruit. Eve may not have realized it, but she already knew “good”. She was created good, lived in a “very good” creation (Genesis 1:31), and knew God who is perfectly good.

Eve was still innocent. She did not understand that evil incarnate (in the form of the serpent) was talking with her, seeking to make her evil by getting her to join him in rebelling against her Creator. Eve did not yet “know” evil, so she did not recognize Satan’s disguise or understand his lies.

What Satan said about their eyes being opened and their knowing evil on the day they ate the fruit was accurate. When they ate the forbidden fruit their eyes were opened (Gen 3:7). Adam and Eve then understood evil because they had become evil.

The “truth” Satan offered was not what Eve understood. She thought eating the forbidden fruit would somehow bestow God-like knowledge and understanding. Instead, her disobedience ripped away her innocence by experiencing the doing of evil, thereby making her evil.

Eve’s rebellious act immediately severed her spiritual connection with her Creator. She died spiritually. She got what she sought. She now knew good and evil, but as a fallen creature like Satan.

Three Temptations – Genesis 3:6

We have discussed the stratagems Satan used to deceive Eve, but the story of Eve’s fall also illustrates three major types of temptation we fall prey to. The apostle John warned us, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” (1 John 2:15-16 / KJV)

In Genesis 3:6 we see that these three temptations were all active in Eve’s decision to eat the forbidden fruit. “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat . . .” (Gen 3:6 / KJV). There is no mention of the serpent in this verse. It just describes Eve’s inner struggle with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life.

The Lust of the Eye

People are visually oriented. Sight is our primary sense by which we operate, and we are often tempted by what we see. “Oh be careful little eyes what you see.” Eve “saw” that the tree was “pleasant to the eyes.”

As our primary sense, what we see is often involved in provoking the “lust of the flesh.” This is certainly true of pornography. But it also appeared here. Eve “saw” that the tree’s forbidden fruit was “good for food.”

The Lust of the Flesh

Our physical bodies are made from the dust of this world and crave the things of this world. One of the primary necessities our flesh hungers for is food. Eating not only quiets our hunger, but for many, eating tasty food is one of our greatest pleasures in life. Eve was tempted by the forbidden fruit because it looked like good food, which she wanted to taste.

The Pride of Life

Pride was the primary reason for Satan’s fall. He was not content to be one of the most powerful beings God created and having an exalted position in heaven. He wanted to be God and have others worship him. This was the primary lust that Satan tempted Eve with, “you will be like God” (Genesis 3:5).

Eve’s pride was not as extreme as Satan’s, but one of her reasons for eating the forbidden fruit was that it would make her wise. It is generally good to desire wisdom, but not at the expense of righteousness. Fearing God is the beginning of wisdom (Ps 111:10; Prov. 1:7; 9:10). Eve’s actions demonstrated a lack of faith in and fear of God.

Eve’s response to temptation recorded in Genesis 3:6 also demonstrates that she was leaning on her own understanding. Instead of consulting with Adam or God, Eve made this decision immediately and own her own. When making life altering decisions, we should always take time to search the Scriptures, and seek wise godly counsel.

In seeking wisdom by trusting Satan’s lies, Eve became a fool (Romans 1:21-22). Beware of following her example.

Summary

Our adversary, the devil is treacherously tricky in his methods as he seeks to corrupt us (1 Peter 5:8 / KJV). In writing to the Corinthians, Paul feared that “just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (2 Cor 11:3 / NIV). Paul warned them, “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices:” (2 Cor 2:11 / KJV). Many of Satan’s devices are evident in his first attack on mankind, when he corrupted Eve from her innocence by deceiving her in the Garden of Eden.

“Forewarned is forearmed.” This article has reviewed the devices Satan used in his temptation of Eve, the first woman and mother of all living, to prepare you for temptations which you will face in your life. Beware, lest you, like Eve, fall prey to the devil’s deceptions.

• Satan tempted Eve while she was alone. We are most vulnerable to temptation when we are alone with no one to see or support us. There is strength in numbers. Beware of being alone near an object of temptation.

• Satan and his demons are masters of disguise. Satan spoke to Eve as a serpent, pretending to be a harmless animal. Beware of “wolves in sheep’s clothing.” Family, friends, teachers and even pastors may seek to lead us astray from obedience to Christ and His Word.

• Satan depersonalized Eve’s Creator as he spoke with her by referring to him generically as God. Remember, as born-again believers in Jesus Christ we are God’s children. The heavenly Father is our spiritual “Abba” (Rom 8:15), Jesus is our brother (and husband), and God’s Holy Spirit dwells within us. Beware of any who speak of your Creator and Savior merely in generic terms (e.g.: as “a god”, “a force”, or “the universe”).

• Satan questioned and mis-quoted God’s Word. Satan knows God’s Word extremely well, better than most (perhaps all) people. He is a master of twisting Scripture in deceptive ways to lead us astray. Satan even tied to tempt Jesus in the wilderness by misquoting Scripture; Jesus answered the devil by quoting Scripture accurately (Mt 4:1-11; Lk 4:1-12). Be diligent to carefully study God’s Word and hide it in your heart (Ps 119:11), that you may be approved by God (2 Tim 2:15).

• Satan contradicted God’s Word, saying it was wrong and accused God of lying. God’s Word is absolute truth (John 17:17). Anything that contradicts the Word of God must be rejected as false.

• Satan impugned God’s motives, implying that He was withholding something good from people. God is the only truly good being (Mt 19:17; Mk 10:18; Lk 18:18). God is pure and completely holy. Anyone who impugns God’s character is blaspheming; their message must be rejected.

• John warned us about loving the world and the things in it, because our fleshly desire for them comes from our fallen nature (1 John 2:15-17). The apostle James warned that “friendship with the world is enmity with God” (James 4:4). Therefore, beware of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and pride.

We all face temptation in this world. And our struggle is against dark spiritual forces (Eph 6:12). We must therefore “put on the whole armor of God” so we “may stand against the wiles of the devil” (Eph 6:11 / NKJV).

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