Bible Stumper Forum

Question Of The Month

In Genesis 3:16, God laid a curse on women by saying to Eve that "your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you." That first part doesn't sound like a curse to me. What's so bad about a woman's desire being for her husband? How can that possibly be a curse?

The Hebrew word used here for "desire" (tshuwqah) is only used in two other places in the Old Testament and is the key to what this curse is all about. "Tshuwqah" means to "stretch out after; long, yearn, or desire for." In Song of Songs 7:10, the word is used in the context of a romantic poem … that "I belong to my lover, and his desire is for me." Nothing too earth shattering there. (Unless you're Solomon or his lover.)

It's in Genesis 4:7, however, that we get the insight we need to more fully understand the curse of Genesis 3:16. God is speaking to Cain - after the young man's offering was rejected - and warns that "sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you." The context of this verse offers a different way to view the word "tshuwqah." This kind of desire is obviously one that is possessive and controlling. A true-to-context paraphrase might read something like, "sin is crouching at the door and wants to possess or control you." (Don't we all know that that's the very nature of sin!)

Let's take that same Genesis 4:7 flavor of the word "desire" back to the curse in chapter three and see if it can clear things up a bit. Many people use the Song of Songs sexual or romantic flavor of "tshuwqah" to interpret this curse, but it honestly doesn't fly. A woman gaining a strong sexual desire for her husband is a bad thing? (No comments from the men, please.) But when we insert the "possessive" or "controlling" flavor of this word to interpret the curse, our ducks begin to line up. God is pronouncing that a woman will desire to possess, control, or rule her husband, but (and here's the rub) the husband has been ordained to rule over her. Talk about potential conflict! Have you ever seen the fruit of this curse at work in the world today? (Can you say "women's lib?") Have you ever seen the fruit of this curse at work in your own life? (Can you say, "Yes dear?") Praise God we can live under the cross instead of the curse.

                                                                                                      -  GSD

(Note: The opinions expressed in this Bible Stumper Forum are not necessarily those of other Hakka Church Planting Ministries team members. So there.) 

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