Questions and Answers | Cursed is the Ground
After the fall, were Adam and Eve also cursed or only the land?
The fact that you asked this question implies that you have read the Bible carefully and noticed significant details. The passage you refer to, Genesis 3:14-19, narrates the events following God’s confrontation with Adam and Eve after they disobeyed Him by eating fruit from the forbidden tree.
In this passage the serpent and the ground are cursed but not Adam and Eve. In Genesis 3:14, God says plainly to the serpent, “Because you have done this, ‘Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals!’” He continues, noting the hostility that will arise between the woman, her seed, and Satan. In Genesis 3:17–18, God tells Adam, “Cursed is the ground because of you.” The ground will consequently produce “thorns and thistles,” implying it will be difficult to obtain food for survival.
The word “cursed” is used specifically for the serpent and the land and not in reference to Adam and Eve. Only the consequences of their sin are stated: Eve will suffer anguish in labor; Adam will have difficulty providing for his family. Important to note is that in Genesis 2:17 God said to Adam, “[B]ut you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it, you will certainly die.” Here Adam and Eve’s fate for disobedience was given forcefully.
BY Dr. Rosalie de Rosset
Dr. Rosalie de Rosset has been teaching at Moody Bible Institute in the Communications Department for over five decades. She is occasionally featured on Moody Radio. Rosalie is a published author, respected speaker, and talented writer. She lives on the northside of Chicago, a city she enjoys for its natural beauty and multi-faceted art offerings.