Adam and Eve question

[Zeke365]

In Genesis 3:6 The woman approached the tree, eyed its fruit, and coveted its mouth-watering, wisdom-granting beauty. She plucked a fruit from the tree and ate. She then offered the fruit to her husband who was close by, and he ate as well.

okay in every bible cartoon I have seen it has always shown Eve somewhere else or not even near her husband but in the bible it said he was nearby or next to her in some translations and was wondering why is Eve always alone in each version either on bible cartoon or movie? Is it just a Hollywood interpretation of it to tell a better story?

Just curious cause this has been bothering me for some time.

[Kraavdran]

Excellent question!

I had a professor that talked about this issue. Some people in the Christian tradition look down on women because they were the first to sin. That didn't sit well with him. And here's basically what he explained.

Adam was there with Eve. He didn't say anything. My professor speculated that he was quiet and just waiting to see what happened because he was just as curious as Eve about the idea of gaining "wisdom" from the fruit. In this way, Adam is definitely equally at fault (perhaps even more so).

Now, I can't say for a fact that this is accurate because I wasn't there. And, time travel aside, I doubt that we can know for sure at this point. But this makes the most sense to me. Especially considering the verse(s) that suggest Adam was close by, like the one you mentioned. In terms of depictions of history (especially biblical history), Hollywood does not do the best job in terms of accuracy. Along the same lines, the fruit they ate probably wasn't an apple. It is commonly depicted as a red apple because it is a common fruit, it doesn't have to be peeled, and it makes a nice crunch for dramatic effect.

I hope that helps.

[Rusty Claymore]

I believe the language of the Bible indicates he was right there, and was probably thinking along the same lines as Eve. The separation of Adam and Eve in movies and cartoons probably intends a, "If only Adam had been there..." vibe, kinda like we could've done it on our own. But the reality was a total and absolute flop for mankind.

[Nate]

I think Kraavdran is right that it's probably done to make Adam seem more blameless and really try and pin the fault on Eve, since sexism is a thing. Having Adam just standing there saying nothing would probably make people go "Well wait Adam was just standing there like an idiot, why didn't he try and do something to stop her?" and then it's not as easy to go "Eve was the first to sin and so everything bad is all the fault of women and that's why they're not as good as men."

[Zeke365]

thanks for all the answers

[Zeke365]

okay was just thinking of something could Adam have been by his flesh the same way Eve was tempted by the fruit. Meaning she looked even more beautiful after she ate and there was no words to describe it that why he took the fruit. Just a thought.

[Kraavdran]

Hey Zeke,

So you are suggesting that Eve looked more beautiful after sinning, and that is why Adam ate the fruit? That is the first time that I've heard of that idea and now I'm curious, where did you hear that idea?

Now, don't get me wrong, I wasn't there. So I can't speak with absolute authority. But, based on what I know, I'd say that that is not very likely. One reason is that there is no evidence in the Bible (to my knowledge) that would suggest that. And, looking at it from a practical standpoint... what are the implications of having a fallen person look more attractive than their pre-fallen state (especially to a pre-fallen Adam)? A further implication would be that woman's beauty is the reason why man fell, not for any other reason. And that, I think, would be harsh towards women and imply a sense of superiority/arrogance for men. After all, it puts most of the responsibility on Eve... and I think that it is clear that they are equally responsible because they (probably) ate the fruit for the same reasons.

Well, there's my two cents.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Prolly cause patriarchy. Culture like to fault women and raise men as heroes.

[Lynna]

It's gross sexism that I have noticed ever since I was a child. The narrative itself doesn't make any excuses for Adam. It's people who like to portray him more sympathetically because they can't wrap their minds around shared responsibility. I actually once read a poem written by a woman in the 1500s (I think) that complained against this, and then went on to say that if Eve sinned by eating a piece of fruit, then how much more have the men in the church sinned by oppressing the women around them. It wasn't the most theologically sound thing I've ever read but I could sympathize.

[SierraLea]

Some of it might just be vast ignorance too. The people making the movies perhaps didn't know the theology behind that passage and so just assumed Eve was alone. Media especially does that a lot with the Bible, taking things at face value instead of diving deeper.