And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.
Parallel translations
- WEB The man said, “I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.”
- BSB “I heard Your voice in the garden,” he replied, “and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.”
- NKJV So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”
- NASB He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.”
- NLT He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The man admits he hid out of fear because he was naked. Sin has produced fear, shame, and alienation from God.
Overview
The man confesses that he hid because he was afraid and aware of his nakedness, revealing the fear and shame that sin has introduced. The relationship once marked by unashamed openness (2:25) is now marked by dread of God's presence. This honest yet incomplete confession shows the damage sin does and the need for a remedy beyond the sinner's own efforts.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Gen 2:25And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
- Ps 119:120My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy judgments.
- Isa 57:11And of whom hast thou been afraid or feared, that thou hast lied, and hast not remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart? have not I held my peace even of old, and thou fearest me not?
- Isa 47:3Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man.
- Job 23:15Therefore am I troubled at his presence: when I consider, I am afraid of him.
- Exod 3:6Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
- 1 Jn 3:20For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
- Isa 33:14The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?
- Exod 32:25And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:)
- Rev 16:15Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
- Gen 3:7And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
- Rev 3:17–18Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
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Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 3:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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