And the LORD God said to the woman, What is this that you have done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
What.
Genesis 4:10-12 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground…
Genesis 44:15 And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine?
1 Samuel 13:11 And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash;
The serpent.
Genesis 3:4-6 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: …
2 Corinthians 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
1 Timothy 2:14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
“What is this you have done?”
This question is not for God's information but serves as a means for the woman to acknowledge her actions. It echoes God's earlier question to Adam, emphasizing personal responsibility. The question is reminiscent of God's inquiry to Cain in Genesis 4:10, "What have you done?" It underscores the seriousness of sin and the need for confession and accountability.
“The serpent deceived me,” she replied,
The woman's response points to the serpent's role in the deception. This reflects the theme of temptation and the cunning nature of the serpent, which is later identified as Satan in Revelation 12:9. The act of deception is central to the narrative, illustrating the introduction of sin into the world through lies and manipulation. This also connects to 2 Corinthians 11:3, where Paul warns of being led astray as Eve was.
“and I ate.”
The admission "and I ate" is a straightforward acknowledgment of her disobedience. Eating the forbidden fruit represents the act of sin, which brought about spiritual death and separation from God. This act is pivotal in the biblical narrative, as it sets the stage for the need for redemption and the eventual coming of Jesus Christ, the "second Adam" (1 Corinthians 15:45), who would restore what was lost through His obedience and sacrifice.
• God Himself confronts the woman, underscoring that every person answers directly to Him (Genesis 3:9; Romans 14:12).
• His personal address shows that He takes sin seriously and does not overlook it (Psalm 50:21; Job 38:1–3).
• By speaking to the woman after addressing Adam, the Lord confirms shared responsibility within the human family (1 Peter 3:7).
• The question is not for God’s information but for the woman’s self-examination (Joshua 7:19; 2 Samuel 12:9).
• It highlights the gravity of a single act of disobedience in a perfect environment (James 2:10).
• The inquiry invites confession, paving the way for God’s righteous judgment mingled with grace (Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 1:9).
• The woman points to an external tempter, acknowledging real spiritual deception (2 Corinthians 11:3; Revelation 12:9).
• While identifying the serpent’s role, she exposes the age-old strategy of Satan: lies that twist God’s word (John 8:44).
• Her words reveal the danger of dialoguing with temptation rather than resisting it (Ephesians 6:11; James 4:7).
• Despite shifting blame, she confesses the act itself—personal choice remains at the core (James 1:14–15).
• The simple phrase links temptation to concrete rebellion, the entry point of sin into human history (Romans 5:12).
• By stating the fact without excuse, she unknowingly foreshadows the need for a Redeemer who will one day undo the damage (Genesis 3:15; Galatians 4:4–5).
Genesis 3:13 shows a holy God confronting human sin, drawing honest confession, and exposing both the deceiver’s craft and the sinner’s choice. The woman’s admission, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate,” unites external temptation with personal responsibility, highlighting humanity’s need for divine rescue—fulfilled in Christ, the promised Seed who crushes the serpent’s head.
Verse 13. - And the Lord said unto the woman - without noticing the excuses, but simply accepting the admission, and passing on, "following up the transgression, even to the root - not the psychological merely, but the historical (Lange): What is this that thou hast done? Or, "Why hast thou done this?" (LXX., Vulgate, Luther, De Wette). "But the Hebrew phrase has more vehemence; it is the language of one who wonders as at something prodigious, and ought rather to be rendered, ' How hast thou done this?'" (Calvin). And the woman said (following the example of her guilty, husband, omitting any notice of her sin in tempting Adam, and transferring the blame of her own disobedience to the reptile), The serpent beguiled me. Literally, caused me to forget, hence beguiled, from נָשָׁה, to forget a thing (Lamentations 3:17), or person (Jeremiah 23:39; Stanley Loathes, 'Gram.,' App. 197); or, caused me to go astray, from נָשָׁא (unused in Kal), kindred to כָשָׁה, perhaps to err, to go astray (Gesenius, Furst); ἠπατήσε (LXX.), ἐξαπάτησεν (2 Corinthians 11:3). And I did eat. "A forced confession, but no appearance of contrition. 'It's true I did eat, but it was not my fault'" (Hughes).