The Temptation and Fall as Eve Tells It

Illustration of The Temptation and Fall as Eve Tells It
Era
Primeval History
Date
Adam and Eve in paradise ○ Traditional
Reference
The Life of Adam and Eve 4:1-7

In The Life of Adam and Eve, the dying Adam asks Eve to tell their children how they were deceived. Eve says she and Adam each guarded a portion of paradise, with the south and west and the female beasts in her care. The devil persuaded the serpent to become his instrument, then appeared at the wall of paradise in the form of an angel, at the hour when the angels went up to worship.

Speaking through the serpent's mouth, he promised that her eyes would be opened. Eve let him in, and he made her swear to give the fruit to her husband as well. He put on the fruit the poison of his desire, and she ate. At once she knew she was stripped of the righteousness that had clothed her. She covered herself with fig leaves, called Adam, and quickly persuaded him to eat.

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Did You Know?

1

Eve says God divided the wild beasts, giving all the males to Adam and all the females to her, and each watched a separate portion.

2

The devil told the serpent they would have Adam cast out of paradise through his wife, as they had been cast out through him.

3

Eve swore by the throne of the Lord, the cherubim and the tree of life that she would give the fruit to her husband.

4

When Eve ate, the leaves fell from every plant in her portion except the fig, and from its leaves she made a girdle.

5

The serpent, Eve and Adam each answer the tempter with the same fear, that God would be angry with them.

Key Passage

The Temptation and Fall as Eve Tells It

The Life of Adam and Eve 4:1-7

Then Eve says to them: Listen, all my children, and my children's children, and I shall relate to you how our enemy dece...

T1hen Eve says to them: Listen, all my children, and my children's children, and I shall relate to you how our enemy deceived us. It came to pass, while we were keeping paradise, that we kept each the portion allotted to him by God.

2 And I was keeping in my lot the south and west. And the devil went into the lot of Adam where were the male wild beasts; since God parted to us the wild beasts, and had given all the males to your father, and all the females He gave to me, and each of us watched his own. 3 And the devil spoke to the serpent, saying, Arise, come to me, and I shall tell you a thing in which thou mayst be of service. Then the serpent came to him, and the devil says to him, I hear that thou art more sagacious than all the wild beasts, and I have come to make thy acquaintance; and I have found thee greater than all the wild beasts, and they associate with thee; notwithstanding, thou doest reverence to one far inferior. 4 Why eatest thou of the tares of Adam and his wife, and not of the fruit of paradise? Arise and come hither, and we shall make him be cast out of paradise through his wife, as we also were cast out through him. 5 The serpent says to him, I am afraid lest the Lord be angry with me. The devil says to him, Be not afraid; only become my instrument, and I will speak through thy mouth a word by which thou shalt be able to deceive him. 6 Then straightway he hung by the walls of paradise about the hour when the angels of God went up to worship. Then Satan came in the form of an angel, and praised God as did the angels; and looking out from the wall, I saw him like an angel. 7 And says he to me, Art thou Eve? And I said to him, I am. And says he to me, What doest thou in paradise? And I said to him, God has set us to keep it, and to eat of it. The devil answered me through the mouth of the serpent, Ye do well, but you do not eat of every plant.

Read full chapter: The Life of Adam and Eve 4 →

Did You Know?

1

Eve says God divided the wild beasts, giving all the males to Adam and all the females to her, and each watched a separate portion.

2

The devil told the serpent they would have Adam cast out of paradise through his wife, as they had been cast out through him.

3

Eve swore by the throne of the Lord, the cherubim and the tree of life that she would give the fruit to her husband.

4

When Eve ate, the leaves fell from every plant in her portion except the fig, and from its leaves she made a girdle.

5

The serpent, Eve and Adam each answer the tempter with the same fear, that God would be angry with them.

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