1.7 KiB
Adam
The name Adam is the same as the Hebrew word for "man." Some translations say "Adam" and some say "the man." Either form is acceptable as it refers to the same person.
you have listened to the voice of your wife
"you have obeyed what your wife said"
have eaten from the tree
"have eaten the fruit of the tree" or "have eaten some of the fruit of the tree"
You may not eat from it
This could be translated as "You must not eat from it" or "Do not eat its fruit."
Cursed is the ground
"The ground is cursed" or "I am cursing the ground." This is a curse formula in Hebrew, with the word "curse" coming first in the sentence. If possible, translate it in a way that emphasizes the curse.
In painful toil
This could be translated as "By doing hard work."
you will eat from it
The word "it" refers to the ground. People would eat parts of the plants. The plants grow on the ground.
the plants of the field
Possible meanings are 1) "the plants that you take care of in your fields" or 2) "the wild plants that grow in the open fields."
by the sweat of your face
This can be translated as "by doing hard work that makes your face sweat."
you will eat bread
Here the word "bread" refers to food in general.
until you return to the ground
"until you die and your body is put in the ground." In some cultures, they put the bodies of people who have died in a hole in the ground. Man's hard work does not end until the time of his death and burial.
For dust you are, and to dust you will return
"I made you from soil, so your body will become soil again." Translate both occurrences of "dust" with the same word in order to show that man begins and ends in the same condition.