The Meaning of Genesis 3:8 Explained

Genesis 3:8

KJV: And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

YLT: And they hear the sound of Jehovah God walking up and down in the garden at the breeze of the day, and the man and his wife hide themselves from the face of Jehovah God in the midst of the trees of the garden.

Darby: And they heard the voice of Jehovah Elohim, walking in the garden in the cool of the day. And Man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Jehovah Elohim, in the midst of the trees of the garden.

ASV: And they heard the voice of Jehovah God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Jehovah God amongst the trees of the garden.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And they heard  the voice  of the LORD  God  walking  in the garden  in the cool  of the day:  and Adam  and his wife  hid themselves  from the presence  of the LORD  God  amongst  the trees  of the garden. 

What does Genesis 3:8 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 3:1-8 - Man And Woman, Temptation
Human love is God's best gift to man. Without it even Eden would not be Paradise. That Adam was able to name the animals, affixing a title suggested by some peculiarity or characteristic, indicated his royal supremacy, and, in so far as we live in God, that supremacy is restored. See Daniel 6:22; Mark 1:13. But what is power without love, or a throne without a consort? Eve was, therefore, given to crown his bliss; taken from his side, as afterward the Church from the opened side of Christ. See John 19:34, and Ephesians 5:25. Still God brings Eve to Adam; and such a marriage is truly blessed.
The order of temptation is always the same. The Tempter without, and within the strong desire for sensual gratification, with the secret hope that somehow the consequences may be avoided. The eye inflames passion; passion masters the resistance of the will; the body obeys its impulse; the act of gratification is followed immediately by remorse and guilt. Then we need the second Adam! [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 3:8 mean?

And they heard - the sound of Yahweh God walking in the garden in the breeze of the day and hid themselves Adam and his wife from the presence God among the trees of the garden
וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֞וּ אֶת־ ק֨וֹל יְהוָ֧ה אֱלֹהִ֛ים מִתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ בַּגָּ֖ן לְר֣וּחַ הַיּ֑וֹם וַיִּתְחַבֵּ֨א הָֽאָדָ֜ם וְאִשְׁתּ֗וֹ מִפְּנֵי֙ אֱלֹהִ֔ים בְּת֖וֹךְ עֵ֥ץ הַגָּֽן

וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֞וּ  And  they  heard 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
ק֨וֹל  the  sound 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
יְהוָ֧ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהִ֛ים  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
מִתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ  walking 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Participle, masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
בַּגָּ֖ן  in  the  garden 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: גַּן 
Sense: garden, enclosure.
לְר֣וּחַ  in  the  breeze 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common singular construct
Root: רוּחַ  
Sense: wind, breath, mind, spirit.
הַיּ֑וֹם  of  the  day 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
וַיִּתְחַבֵּ֨א  and  hid  themselves 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָבָא  
Sense: to withdraw, hide.
הָֽאָדָ֜ם  Adam 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
וְאִשְׁתּ֗וֹ  and  his  wife 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
מִפְּנֵי֙  from  the  presence 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
אֱלֹהִ֔ים  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
עֵ֥ץ  the  trees 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
הַגָּֽן  of  the  garden 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: גַּן 
Sense: garden, enclosure.