Biblical Hebrew Forum

[K Randolph <kwrandolph AT gmail.com>]

Norman:

First of all, does this verse justify a misogynistic attitude? No way. That’s something that misogynistic or controlling individuals read into the passage.

One thought comes to mind: God made mankind in God’s “image”—which is not a physical image but a functional one—one of the functional aspects is that God gave mankind free will. So likewise Adam, though he was with the woman, gave her free will. He then willingly put himself under the same curse because of his love for his woman. With this, I see nothing of misogyny nor of “temptress”, rather love.

Karl W. Randolph.

On Thu, Jan 10, 2013 at 9:31 AM, Norman Cohn <normanncohn AT yahoo.com.br> wrote:

…

4. So, how do you think this passage should be read? Was Adam with Eve when the serpent tempted her? More important: do you think that Adam being present at that fateful moment changes the meaning of the passage? If so, in what ways? Do you think the traditional reading fosters a mysoginistic view of the world?

Thank you and best regards!

Norman Cohn,

SP - Brazil