Genesis 3:17To Adam he said, "Because you have listened to your wife's voice, and have eaten of the tree, of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it,' cursed is the ground for your sake. In toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.
The setting
Garden of Eden, modern-day Iraq. First pronouncement of judgment after humanity's disobedience...
The emotion here: heartbroken but maintaining justice
The original word
itsabon (עִצָּבוֹן) — painful toil, sorrowful labor with emotional grief
Why it matters
This is the first mention of cursed ground in Scripture
Read with care
What most readers miss in Genesis 3:17
God curses the GROUND, not Adam himself — the earth becomes humanity's adversary
Common misconceptionPeople think God is punishing Adam for listening to his wife, but the Hebrew shows God is grieving that Adam chose rebellion over relationship.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Genesis 3:17
Bible Genome reading
Genesis 3:17 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Genesis 3:17 comes from the book of Genesis, written during the Patriarchal period. These words are attributed to God. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include consequence, work, toil, ground, disobedience. Notable phrases: cursed is the ground; in toil you will eat; all the days of your life.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grieving
“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you…”
— Genesis 3:19
“Jesus wept.”
— John 11:35
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”
— Psalms 22:1
“They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”
— Psalms 22:18
“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”
— Romans 3:23
Your reflection
What does Genesis 3:17 mean to you, today?
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