Page:A critical and exegetical commentary on Genesis (1910).djvu/178

 been a common idea both among Jews and Christians (Ber. R., Ra. IEz. Milton, etc.), but is not true to the intention of the narrative.—7. the eyes opened] The prediction of the serpent is so far fulfilled; but the change fills them with guilty fear and shame.—they knew that they were naked] The new sense of shame is spoken of as a sort of Werthurtheil passed by the awakened intelligence on the empirical fact of being unclothed. A connexion between sexual shame and sin (Di.) is not suggested by the passage, and is besides not true to experience. But to infer from this single effect that the forbidden fruit had aphrodisiac properties (see Barton, SO$1$, 93 ff.; Gressmann, p. 356) is a still greater perversion of the author's meaning; he merely gives this as an example of the new range of knowledge acquired by eating of the tree. It is the kind of knowledge which comes with maturity to all,—the transition "from the innocence of childhood into the knowledge which belongs to adult age" (Dri.).—foliage of the fig-tree] To the question, Why fig-leaves in particular? the natural answer is that these, if not very suitable for the purpose, were yet the most suitable that the flora of Palestine could suggest (Di. Dri. Ben. al.). An allusion to the so-called fig-tree of Paradise, a native of India (probably the plantain), is on every ground improbable;—"ein geradezu philisterhafter Einfall" (Bu.). For allegorical interpretations of the fig-leaves, see Lagarde, Mitth. i. 73 ff., who adds a very original and fantastic one of his own.

8-13. The inquest.—Thus far the narrative has dealt with what may be called the natural (magical) effects of the eating of the tree—the access of enlightenment, and the disturbance thus introduced into the relations of the guilty pair to each other. The ethical aspect of the offence comes

Aram. it means 'to look at,' but only in Hithp. (Ithp.). On the other view the Hiph. is intrans. (= 'for acquiring wisdom': Ps. 94$8$) rather than caus. (= 'to impart wisdom': Ps. 32$8$ etc.).—Gu. considers the clause a variant from another source.—] G$L$ + .—] [E]G .—7. ] See on 2$25$.—] coll.; but some MSS and [E] have.