Genesis 3 · Verse 9

Genesis 3:9

And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
Genesis 3:9, King James Version

Genesis 3:9 in other translations

BSBBut the LORD God called out to the man, “Where are you?”
WEBThe LORD God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?”
ASVAnd Jehovah God called unto the man, and said unto him, Where art thou?
YLTAnd Jehovah God calleth unto the man, and saith to him, ‘Where art thou?'
DARBYAnd Jehovah Elohim called to Man, and said to him, Where art thou?
BBEAnd the voice of the Lord God came to the man, saying, Where are you?
WebsterAnd the LORD God called to Adam, and said to him, Where art thou?

What does Genesis 3:9 mean?

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 3:9-13
Observe the startling question, Adam, where art thou? Those who by sin go astray from God, should seriously consider where they are; they are afar off from all good, in the midst of their enemies, in bondage to Satan, and in the high road to utter ruin. This lost sheep had wandered without end, if the good Shepherd had not sought after him, and told him, that where he was straying he could not be either happy or easy. If sinners will but consider where they are, they will not rest till they return to God. It is the common fault and folly of those that have done ill, when questioned about it, to acknowledge only that which is so manifest that they cannot deny it. Like Adam, we have reason to be afraid of approaching to God, if we are not covered and clothed with the righteousness of Christ. Sin appears most plainly in the glass of the commandment, therefore God set it before Adam; and in it we should see our faces. But instead of acknowledging the sin in its full extent, and taking shame to themselves, Adam and Eve excuse the sin, and lay the shame and blame on others. There is a strange proneness in those that are tempted, to say, they are tempted of God; as if our abuse of God's gifts would excuse our breaking God's laws. Those who are willing to take the pleasure and profit of sin, are backward to take the blame and shame of it. Learn hence, that Satan's temptations are all beguilings; his arguments are all deceits; his allurements are all cheats; when he speaks fair, believe him not. It is by the deceitfulness of sin the heart is hardened. See Ro 7:11; He 3:13. But though Satan's subtlety may draw us into sin, yet it will not justify us in sin. Though he is the tempter, we are the sinners. Let it not lessen our sorrow for sin, that we were beguiled into it; but let it increase our self-indignation, that we should suffer ourselves to be deceived by a known cheat, and a sworn enemy, who would destroy our souls.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Genesis 3:9 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.

וַיִּקְרָ֛אvai.yik.Ra'and he calledH7121
יְהוָ֥הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אֱלֹהִ֖ים'E.lo.HimGodH430
אֶל\־'el-toH413
הָֽאָדָ֑םha.'a.Damthe manH120
וַיֹּ֥אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
ל֖וֹloto <the> him
אַיֶּֽכָּה\׃'ai.Ye.kahwhere [are]? youH335

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

Cross references for Genesis 3:9

  • Genesis 4:9

    And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?

  • Genesis 16:8

    And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.

  • Revelation 20:12-13

    And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

  • Joshua 7:17-19

    And he brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken: And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me.

  • Genesis 11:5

    And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.

  • Genesis 18:20-21

    And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
4:9; 11:5; 16:8; 18:20,21; Jos 7:17-19; Re 20:12,13

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

Context

  • 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?

  • 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.

Read all of Genesis 3

Genesis 3:9 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y llamó Jehová Dios al hombre, y le dijo: ¿Dónde estás tú?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et l’ Éternel Dieu appela l’homme, et lui dit: Où es-tu?
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Jehova Gott rief den Menschen und sprach zu ihm: Wo bist du?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Vocavitque Dominus Deus Adam, et dixit ei: Ubi es?