Genesis 3:17

And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

Cross-reference

Genesis 3:6 Historical context

Genesis 3:6 describes the disobedient act that directly causes the curse in Genesis 3:17.

Genesis 3:11 Historical context

Genesis 3:11 questions Adam about his disobedience, leading to the condemnation in 3:17.

Genesis 2:17 Historical context

Genesis 2:17 warns of death for eating from the tree, which is enacted in Genesis 3:17.

Genesis 5:29 directly names the cursed ground and painful toil from the Fall, and hopes Noah (whose name means 'rest') will bring relief from it.

Genesis 2:16 Historical context

Genesis 2:16 gives the freedom to eat, whose violation is punished in Genesis 3:17.

In Genesis 4:12, the ground's curse intensifies for Cain, echoing and expanding on Adam's judgment.

In Genesis 8:21, God promises not to curse the ground again, reversing the earlier judgment despite ongoing evil.

Ecclesiastes 1:2 Related theme

Ecclesiastes 1:2 declares all labor 'vanity' — a verdict on the same futility built into cursed toil that began when the ground was turned against Adam.

In Romans 8:20-22, creation's subjection to decay and groaning is traced back to this curse, awaiting liberation.

John 16:33 Contrast

In John 16:33, Jesus acknowledges life's troubles but offers victory, contrasting the curse of toil with spiritual overcoming.

Isaiah 24:5 Allusion

Isaiah 24:5 explicitly says the earth is cursed because its inhabitants transgressed God's laws — directly echoing the ground cursed due to Adam's disobedience.

In Ecclesiastes 2:23, the grief and restlessness in labor reflect the painful toil from the Fall.

Ecclesiastes 2:22 questions the fruitlessness of toil, echoing the labor under the curse.

Ecclesiastes 2:11 Related theme

Ecclesiastes 2:11 says all Solomon's labor 'under the sun' yielded no lasting profit — a direct experience of the cursed, fruitless toil begun here.

Ecclesiastes 1:13 calls God-given labor a 'grievous task' — Solomon is living out the very curse of painful toil pronounced on Adam here.

In Psalm 90:7-9, life under God's wrath due to sin mirrors the cursed toil here.

Hebrews 6:8 Allusion

Hebrews 6:8 directly alludes to the fall: land producing thorns and thistles 'is in danger of being cursed' — echoing the exact language of Genesis 3:17.

Job 31:40 Allusion

In Job 31:40, Job invokes agricultural ruin as a self-curse, mirroring the ground's curse in Genesis 3:17.

In 1 Samuel 15:24, Saul blames the people for his disobedience, mirroring Adam's blame-shifting after his failure.

In Matthew 11:28, Jesus offers rest to the weary and burdened — directly addressing the painful toil pronounced as consequence in the fall.

In Deuteronomy 28:16, curses for disobedience include various contexts, echoing the foundational curse from Genesis 3:17.

Mark 4:7 Allusion

In Mark 4:7, thorns choke the seed's growth — directly echoing the thorns and thistles God cursed the ground to produce against Adam.

Jeremiah 7:24 echoes this rebellion — Israel 'went backward' despite God's commands, mirroring Adam's disobedience that brought the ground's curse. Both show the pattern of ignoring God's word.

Psalm 127:2 Allusion

Psalm 127:2 portrays anxious toiling for bread as vain — God provides for His own even in sleep, addressing the same wearisome labor imposed after the curse.

Isaiah 24:6 Allusion

In Isaiah 24:6, a curse consumes the earth, echoing the divine judgment on creation due to human sin.

Ecclesiastes 5:17 depicts eating with frustration and anger, paralleling the painful toil in obtaining food.

Jeremiah 7:23 emphasizes obedience for blessing, contrasting with the curse from disobedience here.

Job 2:10 Parallel

In Job 2:10, Job accepts trouble from God, resonating with the cursed world introduced in Genesis 3:17.

Job 5:6 Contrast

In Job 5:6, hardship is not seen as arising from the soil, contrasting with the cursed ground here.

Job 5:7 Parallel

In Job 5:7, human destiny to trouble parallels the toil pronounced here due to the Fall.

Ecclesiastes 2:17 Related theme

Ecclesiastes 2:17 says Solomon 'hated life' because of grievous toil — the emotional weight of living under the painful labor pronounced in Eden's curse.

Job 14:1 Parallel

In Job 14:1, the brevity and trouble of life reflect the toil introduced here.

Ecclesiastes 1:3 Related theme

Ecclesiastes 1:3 asks what profit there is in toil — reflecting on the same fruitless labor cursed in Eden, where work yields pain rather than ease.

Proverbs 24:31 describes a neglected field with nettles, aligning with the cursed ground yielding thorns.