The Meaning of Genesis 3:12 Explained

Genesis 3:12

KJV: And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

YLT: and the man saith, 'The woman whom Thou didst place with me -- she hath given to me of the tree -- and I do eat.'

Darby: And Man said, The woman, whom thou hast given to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.

ASV: And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the man  said,  The woman  whom thou gavest  [to be] with me,  she  gave  me of the tree,  and I did eat. 

What does Genesis 3:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 3:9-21 - God's Condemnation Of Adam And Eve
God does not wait for Adam to find his own way back, but hastens in search of him. "Where art thou" is rendered in one version, Alas for thee. Jesus met the Tempter not in a garden, but in the wilderness. He suffered being tempted, but has become to all who obey Him a Life-giving Spirit, and the Author of Eternal Salvation. Read 1 Corinthians 15:45, and Hebrews 5:9. The penalty is gone, borne by Him in His own body on the Cross. So Paul affirms in Romans 5:14, etc. Our bias toward evil is counteracted by His indwelling through the Holy Spirit; so we are taught in Romans 8:1-4. He bruises Satan beneath the feet of those who trust Him. Such is His own assurance in Luke 10:19, and Mark 16:17. He transforms the other results of sin. Through pain the mother's love is drawn out to her child. Hard work is educative and ennobling. Death is the gate of life. Where sin abounded, grace abounds much more. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 3

1  The serpent deceives Eve
6  Both she and Adam transgress the divine command, and fall into sin
8  God arraigns them
14  The serpent is cursed
15  The promised seed
16  The punishment of mankind
21  Their first clothing
22  Their expulsion from paradise

What do the individual words in Genesis 3:12 mean?

and said the man the woman whom You gave [to be] with me she gave me of the tree and I ate
וַיֹּ֖אמֶר הָֽאָדָ֑ם הָֽאִשָּׁה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נָתַ֣תָּה עִמָּדִ֔י הִ֛וא נָֽתְנָה־ לִּ֥י מִן־ הָעֵ֖ץ וָאֹכֵֽל

וַיֹּ֖אמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הָֽאָדָ֑ם  the  man 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
הָֽאִשָּׁה֙  the  woman 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  whom 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
נָתַ֣תָּה  You  gave 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
עִמָּדִ֔י  [to  be]  with  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: עִמָּד  
Sense: with.
הִ֛וא  she 
Parse: Pronoun, third person feminine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
נָֽתְנָה־  gave 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לִּ֥י  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
הָעֵ֖ץ  the  tree 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
וָאֹכֵֽל  and  I  ate 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.