Dr. Dylan Johnson

It no longer has arms and legs.

It must eat the dust.

Remember, the dust is out of which man is first created.

So that's the snake's punishment.

The woman's punishment is childbirth.

Childbirth is going to be particularly painful.

And to suffer from her husband, who will hold dominion over you.

And remember, the woman is created from man.

So her punishment is to suffer from man.

And then man's punishment is to suffer from the earth from which he springs.

So to toil the earth forever.

And now he's no longer working in the garden.

He must toil, bear the toil of the land forever.

And so all of the characters in the garden receive these punishments.

And then we get this very interesting notice at the end that they are driven from Eden, lest they reach out their hand, take a fruit from the tree of life and live forever.

From the other tree and live forever.

Right.

And then we get these strange plurals, and become like one of us, like a god.

So the fear, the rejection, or the expulsion from Eden is not just a punishment, but a real concern of God, who's apparently up there with some other divine beings, that by gaining immortality, human beings will become gods.

Exactly.