GOD DID NOT CURSE EVE

So over the past couple of months we have been talking a lot about the roll of women in the Bible and in ancient mythology. I find myself always going back to Genesis to look at what exactly happened there.  There are still things I am trying to figure out.  I have talked a bit about the fact that God did NOT curse Eve. {He only cursed the devil}I've talked about the Sumerian goddess Inanna and the myth of her garden tree. Now I want to put everything all together. I'm not totally sure on all my thoughts but really just thinking out loud and working some ideas out. As we approach good Friday I think it is important to see what Jesus accomplished and fulfilled on the cross in regards to women. So here are my latest thoughts on the subject.

In my research yesterday I came across a woman named Katharine Bushnell. She was a bible scholar, doctor and missionary in China in the early 1900s. She helped translate the Bible into Chinese{Mandarin or Cantonese; I'm not sure}. She has come across several interesting findings that co-inside with what we have been discussing. I have just begun to uncover her writings. So far I am in agreement with what she has to say about what happened in Eden and especially the mistranslation of Genesis 3:16. Which we will get to in a moment.

First let's recap some of the things that we have discussed in the other posts on Eden. I think that Eve was the one tempted by the Devil because of her dominion and her ability to bring forth life. I also believe that Eve could see in the spirit differently than Adam. This could of been part of how she was to "help" Adam, just as the Spirit a "helper" of God and those that yield to him. It's curious that Adam never mentions the serpent and I think that is because he couldn't see him. Notice it wasn't until after Adam ate the fruit that "both their eyes were opened" maybe Eve's eyes already were.

After sinning God first addresses Adam since it was his responsibility to tell Eve not to eat from the tree. That command had been given to Adam before Eve was made. The words of Eve about the command in Gen 3:2 sound a little mixed up, so it must have been Adam's incorrect interpretation. Since he was the one that would have told her the command. After they sin Eve tells God exactly what happened;that she was deceived by the serpent {the Devil} and disobeyed God. In this way she repents for her wrong choice. Notice Adam does not "repent" or tell the whole truth. He doesn't even mention the serpent, he just blames it all on Eve and God for giving him "the woman". Again giving Adam the benefit of the doubt, maybe he could not see the serpent. Now lets take a closer look at what happens to Eve and some of the mistranslation of the verses.

"Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children;..." Gen 3:16a {KJV}

"To the woman he said, Great will be your pain in childbirth; in sorrow will your children come to birth;..." Gen 3:16 {BBE}

First of all the Basic English Bible is correct in not including the "I". The "I" is not in the Hebrew. God did not curse Eve or Adam for that matter. The only thing God "did" was towards the Devil.

"And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou [art] cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." Gen. 3:14-15

Genesis 3:16-19 are the curses of the Devil not of God. These are the consequences of sin=death. Sin is the punishment. OK? Now let's look at Gen 3:16a a little closer.

el- 413 toהָאִשָּׁ֣ה ha·'i·shah 802 the woman
אָמַ֗ר a·mar 559 saidהַרְבָּ֤ה har·bah 7235 will greatly
אַרְבֶּה֙ ar·beh 7235 multiplyעִצְּבֹונֵ֣ךְ i·tze·vo·v·nech 6093 your pain
וְהֵֽרֹנֵ֔ךְ ve·he·ro·nech, 2032 childbirth
בְּעֶ֖צֶב be·'e·tzev 6089 painתֵּֽלְדִ֣י te·le·di 3205 will bring
בָנִ֑ים va·nim; 1121 children{Hebrew Transliteration with Strong's Numbers}

Notice again no "I". God is not saying "I" am doing this. He is simply telling Eve this is what is going to happen as a result of your bad choice. So the consequence for sin is NOT God's plan it is the Devil's plan. This is happening to Eve because the Devil is pissed at Eve! Why is the Devil so pissed? Because Eve was brought back from his side to the side of God. "I will put enmity between you and the woman". Moreover it is through the woman that the Devil will be defeated. So really in Gen 3:15 God is saying "Devil, this is what will happen to you by the woman" and Gen 3:16 "Eve, this is what will happen to you by retaliation of the Devil." Because really why would God tell of the wonderful prophecy of Jesus that the woman will bring about, then tell her "but I'm going to cripple you in pain for it". That is not loving and that is not God! That is however a destructive, pissed off Devil that has made war against the women ever since this episode in the garden. {Rev. 12:13-17}

Now I want to show you the insight that I gained from Katherine Bushnell on these verses. Look again at the Hebrew words in Gen. 3:16a.

el- 413 to
הָאִשָּׁ֣ה ha·'i·shah 802 the woman
אָמַ֗ר a·mar 559 said
הַרְבָּ֤ה har·bah 7235 will greatly
אַרְבֶּה֙ ar·beh 7235 multiply
עִצְּבֹונֵ֣ךְ i·tze·vo·v·nech 6093 your pain
{Hebrew Transliteration}

See the words harbah and arbeh. They are given the same Strongs # 7235 but they are two different words. Harbah #7235 means become great, multiply. Arbeh is actually #697 meaning swarm of locust and is a root word of harbah. But what Katherine Bushnell proposes is that the word arbeh should really be 'arab #693 meaning ambush, lie in wait, lurk. Here is the explanation from Pat Joyce on Ms. Bushnell's findings. To read the whole article click here.

"The translation of five words or phrases in this verse should be questioned. They are shown in bold. Let's start with the phrase, “I will greatly multiply your sorrow . . .”

In the explanation below, Upper case represents the original Hebrew letter. Lower case represents vowel signs, which are a relatively recent invention added to make the language easier to read. Remember, if you read the original Hebrew, there are no vowel signs.
Bushnell holds that the first section should be translated “a snare has increased your sorrow . . ." She gets “snare” from the Hebrew word ARB (ARB) translated “ambush” and” liers in wait” or “in ambush” fourteen times in Joshua and Judges. The difference is between the two translations given below is only in the vowel signs.

HaRBeh, AaRBeh, "multiplying I will multiply," which is usually translated as I will greatly multiply your sorrow and HiRBah AoReB, "has-caused-to multiply a lying-in-wait.” Remember that lyer-in wait can also be translated an ambush or snare" So it can be translated “a snare has increased your sorrow," or it is also possible to read here, "A lyer-in-wait (the subtle serpent) has increased your sorrow." Regardless it does not say that God is planning to greatly multiply her sorrow. It is falling for Satan’s snare that has put her in this place."Isn't that interesting! So not only does that confirm to me that God was not saying "I am the one cursing you" it gives a great reference point as to what we found in the myths of Inanna. Click here and here. It was the child-killing demon Lilitu that made her nest in the tree of Inanna. Just as the devil made his nest in the tree in the garden. The devil had set up the tree of the knowledge of good and evil as an ambush to get dominion and control of the seed. Remember in the myth of Inanna she made her throne{power} and her bed{seed} in the tree. When Eve repented and didn't go along with the devils plan he was pissed and subsequently created his own goddess. He cursed woman for it! {Read all the "goddess" posts}.

I love the fact that Eve means "life or living". Adam gives her this name just before they leave the garden "because she was the mother of all living". Maybe this Adam's way of saying sorry to Eve for blaming her in the whole fiasco. She will be the one that delivers him from death via the birth of the Savior. Adam walks out of the garden with the curse of death on his shoulders and Eve walks out with the promise of Life. Notice God never kicks Eve out of the garden {Gen 3:23-24} It is man that is driven out "to work the ground from which he was taken" and to which he will return. But Eve knows that if she is to fulfill the prophecy she needs Adam and Adam needs her. Eve honors God and her husband and so leaves paradise to fulfill her call; to bring life in the physical and to help man see life in the spiritual.

To be continued....