Genesis 3:16 Meaning and Explanation
“Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →After the first disobedience, the gift of bringing forth life now carries pain, and the closeness between man and woman is strained.
The Context of Genesis 3:16
In Eden, just after the man and woman have eaten the forbidden fruit. God is speaking in turn to those involved. These are His words to the woman, describing the hard new shape life will take in a world that has broken with its Maker.
What Does Genesis 3:16 Mean?
God speaks plainly about a world now out of joint. The bringing forth of children, meant as pure blessing, will now come with sorrow. The bond between husband and wife, once an easy partnership, will know struggle and the painful pull of one over the other. This is description more than decree: God is naming the grief that disobedience has let loose, the way love and life themselves now ache. It is honest about real pain, the pain of childbirth, the friction in our closest bonds, and it refuses to pretend the world is unbroken.
Yet even here hope is not far off. Just before this, God promised that the woman's seed would one day crush the serpent (verse 15), and through the sorrow of childbearing the line would run that led at last to Christ. The One born of a woman entered our pain to undo it. God meets us inside the very griefs named here, and through them He was already working our rescue. The ache is real, and so is the redemption moving quietly within it.
Genesis 3:16 in the Original Language
itstsavon (עִצָּבוֹן), 'sorrow' -- painful toil, the hard labor and grief of a fallen world.
How to Apply Genesis 3:16 Today
This verse lets us be honest about pain, in our bodies, our families, and our nearest relationships, without losing hope. The same chapter that names the sorrow also points to the One who would enter it and overcome it. God does not stand at a distance from our griefs; He came into them in Christ to redeem us through them.
Frequently Asked Questions About Genesis 3:16
What does Genesis 3:16 mean?
After the first disobedience, the gift of bringing forth life now carries pain, and the closeness between man and woman is strained.
What is the context of Genesis 3:16?
In Eden, just after the man and woman have eaten the forbidden fruit. God is speaking in turn to those involved. These are His words to the woman, describing the hard new shape life will take in a world that has broken with its Maker.
How can I apply Genesis 3:16 today?
This verse lets us be honest about pain, in our bodies, our families, and our nearest relationships, without losing hope. The same chapter that names the sorrow also points to the One who would enter it and overcome it. God does not stand at a distance from our griefs; He came into them in Christ to redeem us through them.