Genesis 3 · Verse 8

Genesis 3:8

And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.
Genesis 3:8, King James Version

Genesis 3:8 in other translations

BSBThen the man and his wife heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the breeze of the day, and they hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
WEBThey heard the LORD God’s voice walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
ASVAnd they heard the voice of Jehovah God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Jehovah God amongst the trees of the garden.
YLTAnd they hear the sound of Jehovah God walking up and down in the garden at the breeze of the day, and the man and his wife hide themselves from the face of Jehovah God in the midst of the trees of the garden.
DARBYAnd they heard the voice of Jehovah Elohim, walking in the garden in the cool of the day. And Man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Jehovah Elohim, in the midst of the trees of the garden.
BBEAnd there came to them the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the evening wind: and the man and his wife went to a secret place among the trees of the garden, away from the eyes of the Lord God.
WebsterAnd they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

What does Genesis 3:8 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
8. they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden--The divine Being appeared in the same manner as formerly--uttering the well-known tones of kindness, walking in some visible form (not running hastily, as one impelled by the influence of angry feelings). How beautifully expressive are these words of the familiar and condescending manner in which He had hitherto held intercourse with the first pair. in the cool of the day--literally, "the breeze of the day," the evening. hid themselves amongst the trees of the garden--Shame, remorse, fear--a sense of guilt--feelings to which they had hitherto been strangers disordered their minds and led them to shun Him whose approach they used to welcome. How foolish to think of eluding His notice (Psa 139:1-12).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 8 The voice of the Lord - The voice is properly used here, for as God is an infinite Spirit, and cannot be confined to any form, so he can have no personal appearance. It is very likely that God used to converse with them in the garden, and that the usual time was the decline of the day, לרוח היום leruach haiyom, in the evening breeze; and probably this was the time that our first parents employed in the more solemn acts of their religious worship, at which God was ever present. The time for this solemn worship is again come, and God is in his place; but Adam and Eve have sinned, and therefore, instead of being found in the place of worship, are hidden among the trees! Reader, how often has this been thy case!

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 3:6-8

Observe the steps of the transgression: not steps upward, but downward toward the pit. 1. She saw. A great deal of sin comes in at the eye. Let us not look on that which we are in danger of lusting after, Mt 5:28. 2. She took. It was her own act and deed. Satan may tempt, but he cannot force; may persuade us to cast ourselves down, but he cannot cast us down, Mt 4:6. 3. She did eat. When she looked perhaps she did…

Read the full comment on Genesis 3:6-8 →

Genesis 3:8 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֞וּvai.yish.me.'Uand they heardH8085
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
ק֨וֹלKol[the] sound ofH6963
יְהוָ֧הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אֱלֹהִ֛ים'E.lo.HimGodH430
מִתְהַלֵּ֥ךְmit.ha.Lekhwalking aboutH1980
בַּגָּ֖ןba.Ganin the gardenH1588
לְר֣וּחַle.Ru.achto [the] wind ofH7307
הַיּ֑וֹםhai.Yomthe dayH3117
וַיִּתְחַבֵּ֨אvai.yit.cha.Be'and he hid himselfH2244
הָֽאָדָ֜םha.'a.Damthe manH120
וְאִשְׁתּ֗וֹve.'ish.Toand wife hisH802
מִפְּנֵי֙mi.pe.Neifrom beforeH6440
יְהוָ֣הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אֱלֹהִ֔ים'E.lo.HimGodH430
בְּת֖וֹךְbe.Tokhin amongH8432
עֵ֥ץ'etz[the] tree[s] ofH6086
הַגָּֽן\׃ha.Ganthe gardenH1588

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 3:8

  • Jeremiah 23:24

    Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord.

  • Hebrews 4:13

    Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

  • Proverbs 15:3

    The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.

  • Job 34:21-22

    For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings. There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

  • Psalms 139:1-12

    To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. …

  • Genesis 3:10

    And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

  • Romans 2:15

    Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)

  • Jonah 1:9-10

    And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land. Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.

  • Amos 9:2-3

    Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down: And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them:

  • Job 31:33

    If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom:

  • Jonah 1:3

    But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.

  • Deuteronomy 5:25

    Now therefore why should we die? for this great fire will consume us: if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any more, then we shall die.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
And they.
10; De 4:33; 5:25
cool of the day. Heb. wind.
Job 34:21,22; 38:1
hid.
Job 22:14; 31:33; 34:22; Ps 139:1-12; Pr 15:3; Jer 23:24; Am 9:2,3
Jon 1:3,9,10; Ro 2:15; Heb 4:13

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Genesis 3:7

    And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

  • Genesis 3:8

    And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.

  • Genesis 3:9

    And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

Read all of Genesis 3

Genesis 3:8 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y oyeron la voz de Jehová Dios que se paseaba en el huerto al aire del día: y escondióse el hombre y su mujer de la presencia de Jehová Dios entre los árboles del huerto.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et ils entendirent la voix de l’ Éternel Dieu qui se promenait dans le jardin au frais du jour. Et l’homme et sa femme se cachèrent de devant l’ Éternel Dieu, au milieu des arbres du jardin.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und sie hörten die Stimme Jehovas Gottes, der im Garten wandelte bei der Kühle des Tages. Und der Mensch und sein Weib versteckten sich vor dem Angesicht Jehovas Gottes mitten unter die Bäume des Gartens.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et cum audissent vocem Domini Dei deambulantis in paradiso ad auram post meridiem, abscondit se Adam et uxor ejus a facie Domini Dei in medio ligni paradisi.