1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the LORD.” 2 Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD. 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. Genesis 4:1–5 (NKJV) 

1 And Adam knew Eve, his wife, and she conceived and brought forth Cain and said, “I have acquired a man through God.” 2 And she proceeded to bring forth his brother, Abel. Abel became a herdsman of sheep, and Cain was working the earth. 3 Now this happened after a number of days: Cain brought some of the fruit of the earth as an offering for the Lord, 4 and Abel himself also brought some of the firstborn of his sheep and some of their hard fat parts. God looked upon Abel and upon his gifts, 5 but he did not pay attention to Cain and upon his offerings. He grieved Cain very much, and he fell in face. Genesis 4:1–5 (LES2) 

The MT says Eve acquired a son through YHVH. The LXX says through theos – God. Jesus told us to call God “Father,” thus settling forever what is the proper name for us to use for God.

Eve understood that all life derives from God, even though we participate in the process. 

God’s lack of respect for Cain’s offering, according to the LXX grieved, saddened, or vexed Cain greatly. 

6 So the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” Genesis 4:6–7 (NKJV) 

6 The Lord God said to Cain, “Why have you become deeply grieved, and why has your face fallen? 7 Have you not sinned if you offer rightly but do not divide rightly? Calm down! His recourse will be to you, and you will rule him.” Genesis 4:6–7 (LES2) 

God’s question was not to discover what was wrong with Cain. He knew. He was trying to help Cain. There was some aspect of Cain’s offering that was not pleasing to God. It was not “divided” rightly. I am not sure what that meant in the case of a food offering, but apparently Cain understood. There is a right thing to do, but it also must be done the right way, at the right time by the right person or people. (A Table Has Four Legs Teaching).

The MT translates verse 7 in a way that does not make sense to me. The admonition for Cain to “rule over” sin is not a command anyone could keep, aside from the Lord Jesus. Now that our Lord has conquered the power of sin on our behalf, we also can experience his victory, which includes being released from sin’s dominion. (Romans 6:14) At this point in history, however, Cain had no ability to conquer sin on his own. He could resist and turn to God for help, but was not able to rule over it. I prefer the LXX, which is more believable. God did not coddle Cain in his depression. Instead he rebuked him, while reassuring him that this rejection of his offering did not take away Cain’s firstborn authority. Abel was still the second born and was accountable to Cain. Sadly, this did not change Cain’s heart or mind which morphed from pain, to bitterness, to murder, just as happened later to Absalom.

8 Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. Genesis 4:8 (NKJV) 

8 And Cain said to Abel, his brother, “Let’s walk through the field.” And this happened while they were in the field: Cain rose against Abel, his brother, and he killed him. Genesis 4:8 (LES2) 

As was the case with Joseph’s brothers later, Cain’s bitterness against God morphed into hatred for the one God favored, his brother Abel. The MT passively says, “they were in the field,” but the LXX says Cain took the initiative to lead Abel into the field and kill him. This was premeditated murder.

This foreshadowed how the leaders of Israel chose to put the favored Son, our Lord Jesus, to death, rather than listen and respond properly to God’s words..

9 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. 11 So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.” 13 And Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is greater than I can bear! 14 Surely You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground; I shall be hidden from Your face; I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me.” 15 And the LORD said to him, “Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the LORD set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him. Genesis 4:9–15 (NKJV) 

9 Then God said to Cain, “Where is Abel, your brother?” But he said, “I don’t know. I’m not my brother’s guardian, am I?” 10 God said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the earth. 11 Now, accursed are you upon the earth, which opened its mouth wide to receive the blood of your brother from your hand, 12 because you will work the earth; it will not proceed to give its strength to you. You will moan and tremble upon the earth.” 13 Cain said to the Lord, “My guilt is too great for me to be forgiven. 14 If you throw me out today from the face of the earth, and I will be hidden from your face, then I will be moaning and trembling upon the earth, and anyone who finds me will kill me.” 15 The Lord God said to him, “It will not be like that. Anyone who kills Cain will release seven reprisals. The Lord God has placed a sign for Cain so that none who find him would kill him.” Genesis 4:9–15 (LES2) 

Perhaps Cain did not realize at this point that God knows all things. He certainly was not repentant. We learn here that innocent blood cries out to God for justice. The MT uses two different words for ground (adamah) and earth (eretz), but the LXX consistently uses the Greek word ge, which can mean either earth or land, in every verse.

God cursed Cain. A biblical curse from God is essentially the pronouncement of a judgment incurred by our sin. This is quite different from a curse spoken by someone practicing some form of witchcraft. The MT says that Cain was cursed from the ground (adamah), but the LXX says he was cursed upon the earth (ge). The LXX makes more sense to me. The curse came from God and affected him while he lived on the earth. The earth would not produce like it did before, and Cain would “moan and tremble” in fear, according to the LXX. That is quite different from the MT’s saying he would be a fugitive and vagabond. 

Verse 13 is very different. The MT has Cain saying that his punishment is too great to bear, but the LXX has him saying that his guilt is too great to bear. His great fear is that someone will do to him what he did to Abel. God assured him that this would not happen because of a mysterious mark or sign God placed on him. It is remarkable to me that God would so protect him.

25 And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, “For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed.” 26 And as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on the name of the LORD. Genesis 4:25–26 (NKJV) 

25 Adam knew Eve, his wife, and, once she conceived, she brought forth a son and called his name Seth, saying, “Because God raised up another offspring for me in the place of Abel, whom Cain killed.” 26 Seth had a son, and he called his name Enosh. This one hoped to invoke the name of the Lord God. Genesis 4:25–26 (LES2) 

14 So the LORD God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.” Genesis 3:14–15 (NKJV)

14 The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, accursed are you of all the livestock and of all the wild animals of the earth. You will go upon your chest and belly, and you will eat earth all the days of your life. 15 I will place enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he will watch your head carefully, and you will watch his heel carefully.” Genesis 3:14–15 (LES2) 

This is the first time we encounter prophecy in the Bible, which is where we see the biggest contrasts between the MT and LXX. I believe this is because prophecy is the testimony of Jesus, according to Revelation 19:10. The translators of the MT were Jews who most likely held a strong antipathy toward Christ. Consciously or unconsciously, this hatred of Christ, and ultimately of God the Father (John 15:23), seems to have prompted them to change what the prophetic scriptures declare.

The first change is slight, but perhaps quite significant. The MT says the serpent will eat dust all his days, but the LXX says he will eat “earth,” which is the word for the world in which we live. The New Testament declares that Satan goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. (1 Peter 5:8) The entire earth has come under a curse, giving the devil permission, within limits, to destroy it and its inhabitants. This continues to this day.

A marked difference occurs at the end of verse 15. The familiar words of the MT do not agree with the LXX. Rather than the “seed” of the woman, who we understand to be Christ, bruising the serpent’s head, the LXX says he will “carefully watch” his head. The serpent, instead of bruising the heel of this man will carefully watch it. How can we explain this?

Perhaps Peter gave us the answer.

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 1 Peter 5:8–9 (NKJV) 

Vigilance is keeping a careful watch. God keeps an eye on Satan and his minions. Nothing ever surprises him. Jesus was not surprised when Judas betrayed him in the garden when the soldiers came to arrest him. He was not surprised when he had to endure the fiery ordeal of the cross. We are supposed to be likewise vigilant and ready.

12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; 1 Peter 4:12 (NASB95) 

Satan, for his part, likewise tries to keep up with what is happening regarding the seed of the woman. Over the centuries he unsuccessfully did his best to eliminate the promised seed altogether. When Christ finally appeared, he first tried to murder him at Herod’s hands. He later tempted Jesus to betray God and made other attempts to kill him. Finally he arranged to have him crucified, thinking that by this he won. 

The reason a serpent would watch a heel would be to strike at it and to prevent its head from being crushed, which is the message of the MT. The LXX says so much more, however, while implying what the MT says. Ultimately, the privilege and responsibility of crushing Satan will fall to the church. (Romans 16:20)

16 To the woman He said: “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you.” Genesis 3:16 (NKJV) 

16 He said to the woman, “Multiplying, I will multiply your pain and your moaning. You will bring forth children in pain, and your recourse will be to your husband, and he will be master over you.” Genesis 3:16 (LES2) 

Once again we see significant differences in this verse. The MT says that the woman’s conception will be multiplied, but the LXX says her moaning or groaning during labor will be multiplied.  The Greek word translated “recourse” is apostrophe, which means literally “turning back.” The woman would look to her husband for aid and security. The MT says the woman’s longing will be for her husband. Both the MT and LXX agree that the husband will have authority over the wife. 

This verse in the MT is often compared to Genesis 4:7, where we see another stark contrast between the MT and LXX. Whereas the MT says that sin desires Cain, but he must rule over it, the LXX says that Abel will have recourse to Cain (be submitted to him), but Cain will have the authority of the firstborn over Abel. 

17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. 18 Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field. 19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:17–19 (NKJV) 

17 And he said to Adam, “Because you obeyed the voice of your wife and ate from the tree of which I commanded you, ‘From only this one, do not eat,’ you ate from that one, the earth is accursed by your works. In pain you will eat it all the days of your life. 18 Thorns and thistles will grow up for you. You will eat the herbs of the field. 19 You will eat your bread by the sweat of your face until you return into the earth from which you were taken; because you are earth, and you will depart into the earth.” Genesis 3:17–19 (LES2) 

Adam is addressed as the one chiefly responsible for what happened. He was the “first born,” so to speak, the first person created. Once again, the MT uses a rather generic form of “ground” which is cursed because of Adam’s sin. The LXX uses the broader word for the earth itself, which includes the ground. The entire earth came under a curse because of Adam’s sin. Therefore the entire earth will need redemption, which Christ provided. At the culmination of time, God will destroy the old heaven and earth and recreate something brand new. (2 Peter 3:13)

Both the MT and LXX agree that Adam will derive sustenance from the earth in pain until he dies and returns to the earth from which his body was derived. At this point, God did not permit Adam to eat animals. That came after the flood.

20 And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. 21 Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them. Genesis 3:20–21 (NKJV) 

20 Adam called the name of the woman Zoe, because she was mother of all the living. 21 The Lord God made tunics of skin for Adam and his wife, and he put them on them. Genesis 3:20–21 (LES2) 

The LXX makes it clear that “Eve’s” name means life. This gives us insight into the role of the woman. She is a life giver and nurturer. 

God covered Adam’s and Eve’s nakedness with something more durable than leaves, but doing this required animals to die. Blood had to be spilled to cover their shame. This foreshadowed Christ’s offering of himself as God’s Lamb. He shed his blood to cover our sin and shame. (1 Peter 1:19)

22 Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”—23 therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. 24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life. Genesis 3:22–24 (NKJV) 

22 And the Lord God said, “Look, Adam has become like one of us, knowing good and evil; so now may he never stretch out his hand and take from the tree of life and eat, and will live forever.” 23 So the Lord God sent him away from the luxurious garden to work the earth from which he was taken. 24 So he threw Adam out and settled him opposite the luxurious garden and stationed the cherubim and the flaming, turning sword to guard the way to the tree of life. Genesis 3:22–24 (LES2) 

In the aftermath of the fall of man, God took action to prevent Adam and his descendants from partaking of the tree of life and living forever in a state of sin and separation from God. They were expelled from the garden they had been assigned to keep. Henceforward, the cherubim would serve in that function. 

The cherubim still guard the way into the “holy of holies.” They were embroidered into the curtain of the temple, signifying that only the high priest could enter once a year. Ezekiel saw them beneath the firmament, the barrier between heaven and earth. When Christ died the temple veil was torn in two from top to bottom, signifying the end of the Old Covenant barrier. When he ascended to the Father after his resurrection, he opened the way for us to enter God’s presence which had previously been barred to us. Now those who are in Christ are free to come into God’s presence. (Hebrews 4:16, Ephesians 2:18) When we die, we will go to be with the Lord in heaven, where we now dwell spiritually. (2 Corinthians 5:6-9)

1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” Genesis 3:1 (NKJV) 

1 The two were naked, both Adam and his wife, and they did not feel shame. Now the serpent was wiser than all the wild animals that were upon the earth that the Lord God made. And the serpent said to the woman, “Why is it that God said, ‘You may not eat from every tree of the garden?’ ” Genesis 3:1 (LES2) 

The LXX puts the last verse of the previous chapter of the MT as the lead in to chapter 3, which provides a stark contrast to the shame felt by Adam and Eve in the aftermath of their sin.

The MT says the serpent was more cunning than the other animals, but the LXX says it was more intelligent. The MT uses the word “field” or “land” to describe its habitat, but the LXX uses the broader word “world.” The serpent was more intelligent than any other animal in the world and was, apparently in this case, filled by Satan.

Was it unusual for a serpent to talk, or was Eve simply not familiar with what animals could and could not do?

As usual, Satan goes after whomever he thinks is most susceptible. Eve had not received a direct word from God. She only knew what Adam had told her about the trees in the garden. We are not sure what sort of experience she had with God at this point either. Did she know the Lord as Adam did?

The question asked in the MT is different from that of the LXX. In the MT the serpent asks, “Has God said,” but in the LXX he asks a deeper question, “Why is it that God said?” The LXX has the serpent luring Eve into questioning God’s motives while also misstating his words, which is very clever indeed. To be fair, it is also possible to translate the Greek word “tis” as “what.” That would make it read, “What is it that God said?” which is comparable to the MT.

2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” Genesis 3:2–3 (NKJV) 

2 The woman said to the serpent, “From every tree of the garden we may eat, 3 but from the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden God said, ‘You will not eat from it, nor may you touch it, in order that you might not die.’ ” Genesis 3:2–3 (LES2) 

It is interesting that the forbidden tree was in the middle of the garden, not on its edge. Eve correctly responded that she was permitted to eat from “every” tree except the one, contradicting the serpent’s wording which was intended to seem more limiting, which, of course, was the tempter’s design. He wanted Eve to focus on the one thing forbidden instead of all that was permitted.

Eve added that God also forbade touching or grasping the fruit, something that God did not say. We do not know if she fabricated this prohibition herself, or was it what Adam told her to try to further fence off the tree from her. Legalism always goes beyond what God says. As a result, when she touched the fruit and did not die, it might have emboldened her to believe the devil’s lie that eating it would not result in death either.  

4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 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.” Genesis 3:4–5 (NKJV) 

4 The serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die; 5 for God knows that in the day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be as gods who know good and evil.” Genesis 3:4–5 (LES2) 

In this passage, the MT uses the Hebrew word elohim for God in both places, which is a plural. The LXX uses the singular theos at the beginning of verse 5 for God himself, but uses the plural of that word when describing how Adam and Eve could become “gods.”

The Hebrew uses the plural Elohim with a singular verb. The Greek, however, uses the singular theos with a singular verb and the plural of theos with a plural verb. Christians understand that the plural Elohim reveals the mystery of the Triune God, who is one God, but three distinct persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Greek does not communicate that subtlety.

The temptation was to rebel against being in the humble position of a created being, who is completely dependent upon God, in order to become more self-sufficient, especially in the realm of knowledge. Why knowing evil was a temptation is somewhat of a mystery. Perhaps it was mainly a temptation to be godlike, no matter what the cost.

6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. Genesis 3:6–7 (NKJV) 

6 The woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was pleasing to the eyes to look at and it was seasonable to look at, and after taking some of its fruit, she ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and they ate. 7 Then the eyes of the two were opened, and they realized that they were naked, and they sewed together fig-tree leaves and made for themselves loincloths. Genesis 3:6–7 (LES2) 

The contrast here is interesting. The MT says that the tree was “desirable to make one wise.” The LXX, in the Lexham translation, however, says it was “seasonable to look at.” The Greek word horaios can also mean “beautiful to contemplate” and “full of the vigor of life.” I rather think that Eve saw it as being the very opposite of what God said. Rather than being something to cause death, it appeared to be full of life. This was a situation beyond Eve’s capacity to discern and reveals why she, and we, desperately need to rely on what God says rather than our own judgment when the two are at odds.

Her first action was to take the fruit. She believed that the act of touching it would kill her; so, this must have been quite a bold thing to do. She must have felt further emboldened when she did not immediately die, which probably encouraged her to go ahead and eat it. 

Adam was with her, apparently acting as the proverbial passive husband while his wife took the lead. He followed her example and also ate, choosing loyalty to her over God. Probably instantly, or at least quite soon, they were filled with shame, a previously unknown emotion that came as a result of their sudden awareness of their nakedness. This takes us back to the first verse of the LXX, which says they were naked and unashamed, which was their condition as God made them. Naked and ashamed was their new condition as a result of knowing good and evil. 

Their first action was to try to cover their nakedness with a kind of primitive clothing made of leaves, which would have been not very durable.

8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” 11 And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” Genesis 3:8–11 (NKJV) 

8 They heard the sound of the Lord God walking about in the garden in the evening, and both Adam and his wife hid from the face of the Lord God in the middle of the tree of the garden. 9 And Lord God summoned Adam and said to him, “Adam, where are you?” 10 He said to him, “I heard the sound of you walking about in the garden, and I was afraid because I am naked, and I hid.” 11 He said to him, “Who told you that you are naked? Unless you have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you ‘From this one alone, do not eat.’ ” Genesis 3:8–11 (LES2) 

Literally verse 8 says they hid in the middle of the tree in the garden, indicating they hid in the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God was walking about, which indicates he had a body, which makes one suppose that this was a pre-incarnate appearance of our Lord Jesus. What Adam said, probably without his being aware of it, revealed his new fallen condition. He was naked, afraid, and hiding. This is what sin does to people. Unless God comes looking for us, we will never find him. (John 6:44)

God knew that Adam and Eve could never have known of their nakedness unless someone had told them or if they had eaten from the forbidden tree. Perhaps both were true. It is possible, though not recorded, that the serpent told them they were naked. The Bible identifies the devil as the “accuser of the brethren” (Revelation 12:10), who routinely points out our sin and fallen condition.

God knew what had taken place, but tested his creatures to see if Adam and Eve would take responsibility for their sin.

12 Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” 13 And the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Genesis 3:12–13 (NKJV) 

12 Adam said, “The woman with me, whom you gave, she gave me something from the tree, and I ate.” 13 The Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Genesis 3:12–13 (LES2) 

7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. Genesis 2:7 (NKJV) 

7 And God formed the human with dust from the earth and blew the breath of life into his face, and the human came into being as a living soul. Genesis 2:7 (LES2) 

I covered Genesis Chapter One in great detail in my biblical cosmology series.

In general, the MT and LXX agree in Genesis 2:7, but the LXX adds some interesting insights. The MT says Adam was formed from the dust of the ground, but the LXX says from the dust from the earth [Greek – ge], the same word that is used for the world in which we live, not just the dirt under our feet. The MT and LXX agree that God blew or breathed the breath of life into Adam. The MT says it was into his nostrils, but the LXX says into his face, which of course includes the nose. The result was that Adam became a living soul or being.

From this passage we learn that humans are composed of a spirit, a soul, and a body (1 Thessalonians 5:23, Hebrews 4:12), the soul being the result of the combination of spirit to the body. When the spirit leaves, the soul departs, leaving the body as a lifeless shell awaiting the resurrection.

8 The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. 9 And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Genesis 2:8–9 (NKJV) 

8 The Lord God planted a paradise in Eden toward the east and there he placed the human that he formed. 9 And God further brought up from the earth every tree beautiful to the sight and good for food, and the tree of life in the midst of the paradise, and the tree for knowing what is known of good and of evil. Genesis 2:8–9 (LES2) 

10 Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became four riverheads. 11 The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one which skirts the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 And the gold of that land is good. Bdellium and the onyx stone are there. 13 The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one which goes around the whole land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is Hiddekel; it is the one which goes toward the east of Assyria. The fourth river is the Euphrates. Genesis 2:10–14 (NKJV) 

10 But a river goes out from Eden to water the paradise; from that place it separates into four sources. 11 The name of the one is Pishon; this is the one encircling all the land of Havilah, there where the gold is. 12 But the gold of that land is beautiful; and the carbuncle and the green stone are there. 13 The name of the second river is Gihon; this is the one encircling all the land of Cush. 14 The third river is the Tigris; this is the one going opposite the Assyrians. And the fourth river, this is the Euphrates. Genesis 2:10–14 (LES2) 

15 Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Genesis 2:15–17 (NKJV) 

15 The Lord God took the human that he formed, and he placed him in the paradise to work and to keep it. 16 The Lord God commanded Adam, saying, “From every tree that is in the paradise you may eat for food, 17 but from the tree for knowing good and evil, you will not eat from it. And on whichever day you eat from it, you will surely die.” Genesis 2:15–17 (LES2) 

The MT and LXX essentially agree in this passage. The MT, however, says that Adam was permitted to “freely” eat of all the trees except one. The LXX leaves out the word “freely” and adds the purpose – “for food.” This is not a huge difference, since it is obvious they were free to eat from the permitted trees. However, it is never wise to add to God’s words, subtract from them, or change them, something the MT does regularly.

You may wish to read my article showing my reasons for making the above statement. Just click on the link above.

It is clear that God knew they would eat from the forbidden tree. He had already prepared a plan to redeem fallen mankind.

18 And the LORD God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” 19 Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him. Genesis 2:18–20 (NKJV) 

18 The Lord God said, “It is not good that the human is alone; let us make for him a helper like him.” 19 And God further formed from the earth all the wild animals of the field and all the birds of the heavens. And he led them to Adam to see what he would name them, and anything, whatever Adam named it as a living soul, this was its name. 20 Adam gave names to all the livestock and to all the birds of the heavens and to all the wild animals of the field, yet for Adam, no helper resembling him was found. Genesis 2:18–20 (LES2) 

The MT says the woman would be fashioned as a helper comparable to Adam. The LXX says she would be in Greek a boethos kata, a helper  “according to, with respect to, or against” him. The Greek word boethos and related words are used frequently to describe someone, particularly God, who helps, protectors, and guards, such as in Psalm 120.

2 My help [Greek – boetheia] is from the Lord, who made the heavens and the earth. Psalm 120:2 (LES2) 

So the woman was to assist Adam in a godlike way. This makes what happened an even greater tragedy. The one God gave to Adam as his helper led him astray..

21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. 23 And Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.” 24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. Genesis 2:21–24 (NKJV) 

21 So God laid a trance upon Adam and put him to sleep; and he took one of his ribs and filled up the flesh in the place of it. 22 The Lord God built the rib that he took from Adam into a woman, and he led her to Adam. 23 And Adam said, “Now this is bone from my bones and flesh from my flesh; she will be named ‘Woman’ because she was taken from her man.” 24 For this reason a man will leave behind his father and his mother and will cleave to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. Genesis 2:21–24 (LES2) 

The LXX adds that God “laid a trance” [Greek – ekstasis] upon Adam, which is an alternate state of mind. We derive our English word “ecstasy” from it. This word is used elsewhere when God is revealing something special, as in Genesis 15:12 and Acts 10:10. Both agree that Adam was “put to sleep” for an “operation” through which God took one of Adam’s ribs and fashioned or “built” it into Eve. So she was literally made from Adam’s bones and flesh.

The LXX says she was “taken from her man.” This foreshadows how God created his church, Christ’s bride, by extracting her from the pierced side of our Lord while he “slept”. The church also was taken from “her man,” and Jesus will cleave to his bride. As our Lord said, no one can snatch her from his hand. (John 10:28)

10 And it came to pass after seven days that the waters of the flood were on the earth. 11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. 12 And the rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights. Genesis 7:10–12 (NKJV) 

10 And this happened: after the seven days, the water of the deluge came upon the earth. 11 In the six hundredth year in the life of Noah, during the second month, on the twenty-seventh of the month, on this day all the springs of the deeps burst forth, and the waterfalls of the heavens were opened. 12 And the rain came upon the earth for forty days and forty nights. Genesis 7:10–12 (LES2)

The Greek word for deluge in the LXX can also mean inundation. Both the MT and LXX say the flood came when Noah was 600 years old, but the MT says it came on  the 17th day of the second month, while the LXX says it was the 27th. Both agree that the springs in the abyss or great deep burst forth. In addition to the water coming from below, the MT says the “windows” or flood gates in heaven were opened. The LXX says that they “waterfalls” (literally cataracts) of heaven were opened. This was much more than a simple rain. 

Genesis 1:6 tells us that earth is surrounded by water.

The waters above are held in place by the solid dome of the firmament. God opened the firmament so that some of those waters flooded the earth from above while simultaneously great volumes of water burst forth from below. Since the biblical earth is a level plain enclosed by the firmament, it is not hard to imagine the water’s rising above the mountains while being contained by the walls of the firmament. It is much more of a problem conceiving of such a thing on the imaginary globe earth. The psalmist tells us that those waters above the firmament are still there (Psalm 148:4), having been replaced or simply recycled via whatever ever system God has in place. 

It is impossible for us to imagine the magnitude and rapidity of the deluge of the earth. The rain continued forty days and nights, but the flood was not simply a matter of a gradual rise of water.

17 Now the flood was on the earth forty days. The waters increased and lifted up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. 18 The waters prevailed and greatly increased on the earth, and the ark moved about on the surface of the waters. 19 And the waters prevailed exceedingly on the earth, and all the high hills under the whole heaven were covered. 20 The waters prevailed fifteen cubits upward, and the mountains were covered. Genesis 7:17–20 (NKJV) 

17 And the deluge happened upon the earth, for forty days and forty nights upon the earth. And the water increased, and it lifted the ark. and it was raised up from the earth. 18 And the water prevailed and increased very much upon the earth, and the ark was being carried upon the water. 19 The water prevailed extremely over the earth and covered up all the high mountains that are under the heavens. 20 The water rose up fifteen cubits, and it covered all the high mountains. Genesis 7:17–20 (LES2) 

Language matters. Active and passive voices are important. Singulars and plurals are significant. The MT routinely changes such things. An example of this is found in verse 18. The MT says the ark moved about on the surface of the waters, but the LXX says it was carried upon the water. The ark was not in control. It had no engine or sail. It was at the mercy of the flood.

Verse 19 says the flood waters covered all the lofty mountains under the heavens. This is an example of the importance of up and down in the Bible. Heaven is always up, above the firmament, and the earth is always below or down. Underneath the earth is Sheol and the great deep. This layered creation is referenced from Genesis to Revelation and supports the Bible’s testimony regarding shape of the earth.

1 Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, 2 that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose. Genesis 6:1–2 (NKJV)

1 And Noah lived five hundred years, and Noah fathered three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And it happened when humans began to become numerous upon the earth, and they had daughters, 2 the angels of God, having seen the daughters of humans, that they were beautiful, took for themselves women from all whom they picked out. Genesis 6:1–2 (LES2)

Verse one of chapter six in the LXX is the last verse of chapter five in the MT.

The big difference here is that the MT uses the indefinite term “sons of God,” which can mean angels or men; whereas, the LXX uses the word “angels,” leaving no doubt. 

Chapter six of the Book of 1 Enoch describes a conspiracy of fallen angels who took an oath to bind themselves to disobey God and transgress in this regard, bringing judgment on themselves and catastrophe upon the earth and its creatures. First Enoch is quoted (Jude 14-15) and referenced (Matthew 19:28, 22:30, 25:31-32, 1 Peter 3:19-20, 2 Peter 2:4-5, 3:13, Jude 6, and Revelation 21) in the New Testament, even though it is not considered canonical. The early church was familiar with it and apparently thought it was the Word of God. The Ethiopian Church still considers it to be part of its canon of scripture.

3 And the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” 4 There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown. Genesis 6:3–4 (NKJV) 

3 The Lord God said, “My breath will certainly not reside in these humans for very long because they are flesh, but their days will be one hundred and twenty years.” 4 Now giants were upon the earth in those days, and after that, whenever the sons of God entered into the daughters of humans, they fathered children for themselves; those were the giants who were from long ago, the people of renown. Genesis 6:3–4 (LES2)

Here the MT says God’s Spirit will not strive with man forever, but the LXX says God’s breath (the same word as spirit) will not remain in men for very long, which seems to fit better with what follows – the limiting of the lifespans of humans. 

In verse 4, the LXX picks up the term “sons of God,” which seems to refer back to the angels who selected women with whom to have intercourse and beget children. The LXX says that the ones the MT calls “mighty men” were in fact giants. These were the Nephilim. The human genetic line was contaminated by fallen angels, which many believe was the underlying reason behind God’s destruction of the earth. These fallen hybrids were extremely evil, influencing those around them. The fallen angels were connecting with humans, passing on their own diabolical knowledge and attitude.

It is interesting that today mRNA vaccines threaten to modify human DNA and alter the human genome. Perhaps we are very close to God’s saying, “Enough.” Satan seems to be fixated on altering the genetics of humanity. God’s kingdom will be populated by those who are “born again” by God’s Spirit.

The Book of Enoch corroborates the LXX. 

All of them together (the Watcher angels) went and took wives for themselves, each choosing one for himself. They had sex with them and defiled themselves with them. They taught them charms and spells, and the cutting of roots, and made them acquainted with plants. The women became pregnant and gave birth to large giants, whose height was three thousand ells. (1 Enoch 7:1-3)

5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7 So the LORD said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. Genesis 6:5–8 (NKJV) 

5 Now the Lord God saw that the wicked actions of humans multiplied upon the earth, and everyone was focused in his heart on evil things all their days. 6 And God reflected that he made humankind upon the earth and considered. 7 And God said, “I will discard humanity, whom I made, from the face of the earth, from human to animal, and from creeping things to winged birds of the heavens, because I am angry that I made them.” 8 But Noah found grace before the Lord God. Genesis 6:5–8 (LES2) 

Verse 6 in the LXX in the Brenton translation says:

…then God laid it to heart that he had made man upon the earth, and he pondered it deeply.

Nowhere does it say God was sorry, as if he made a mistake. Instead verse 7 in the LXX says that God was angry that he made men and at what men had become. But Noah found grace in his eyes. When God is angry, it is important to be one whom he favors!

9 This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God. 10 And Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. 13 And God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Genesis 6:9–13 (NKJV) 

9 Now these are the generations of Noah: Noah, a righteous person who was perfect among his generation. Noah was pleasing to God. 10 Noah fathered three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 11 Now the earth was marred before God, and the earth was full of wrongdoing. 12 The Lord God saw the earth, and it was corrupted because all flesh was corrupting its way upon the earth. 13 God said to Noah, “The time of all humanity has come before me because the earth was full of wrongdoing from them, and, look, I am destroying them and the earth. Genesis 6:9–13 (LES2) 

The MT says that “this is the genealogy or generations of Noah,” but the LXX says “these are the beginnings of Noah.”  If we accept that a significant part of the problem that marred the earth was the corruption of the genome by fallen angels, pure beginnings and a undefiled genetic line would have been extremely important. The LXX says he was “perfect in his genesis or beginning.” Rather than the MT’s “Noah walked with God,” the LXX says, “Noah was pleasing to God.” How did Noah please God? Was it because he was without sin? Certainly not. Was it because he was a man of faith? Yes. Was it because he was genetically intact, which was pleasing to God? Possibly.

Both the MT and LXX say basically that the earth was ruined (corrupt and marred, but these words can also mean ruined). It was filled with injustice according to the LXX, which no doubt resulted in violence. The LXX says in verse 12 that the earth was “corrupted,” which is a stronger word than “married.” It means destroyed. All mankind was destroying God’s beautiful creation called earth, which continues to this day. 

God told Noah that he decided to destroy those who were destroying the earth along with all other air breathing creatures. The earth itself would be violently altered by what was coming. He said, “Times up!” 

Putting everything together, it seems that man’s sin plus the defilement and genetic corruption introduced by the fallen angels had escalated evil on the earth to an intolerable level. God understood that the only way to prolong his earth was to destroy it and build it back. Apparently the giant DNA was not completely eradicated since they appear after the flood in various places. Perhaps one or more of the wives of Noah’s sons had been tainted, or perhaps the evil angels continued their evil ways with human women.. This is a mystery.