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Genesis 3:16 – Translation Bias
Word choice, punctuation, chapter and verse enumeration play a bigger role in interpretation than we probably notice. I suggest for your consideration this is true of Genesis 3:16. Notice these two translations which give a negative connotation, one to the second clause, the other to the third:
- ESV (2017) – To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.”
- HCSB (2004) – “He said to the woman: I will intensify your labor pains; you will bear children in anguish. Your desire will be fore your husband, yet he will dominate
The ESV took a lot of flak for this new rendering which was very different from past, neutral, editions. As for the HCSB (2004), “dominate” looks very negative until you notice it is the way the Hebrew is translated in the same edition in Genesis 1:8 concerning the sun and moon have dominion. Admittedly though, it still doesn’t sound pleasant and does lean towards how some interpret the third phrase (and second) to mean marital conflict
While words are more obvious, what is less noticeable is the punctuation:
- The ESV places a semicolon after the first clause; then a period following the second half of the first clause: “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children.
- The ESV ends the second clause with a comma. This suggests to the reader the translators do not consider the latter two as separate clauses. That is common among the translations.
As we can see, both word choice and punctuation are functions of interpretation. There are various ways of interpreting this verse which becomes evident now that we know to look for various ways it is translated.
OBVIOUS – “Desire” (Control – Neagtive) or “Rule” is Negative
- ESV (2017) – To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.”
- “but” he shall rule implies the husband pushes back to regain control.
- NLT – Then he said to the woman, “I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.”
- NET – To the woman he said, “I will greatly increase your labor pains; with pain you will give birth to children. You will want to control your husband, but he will dominate you.”
OBVIOUS – “Desire” is Positive (Sexual)
- CEV – Then the LORD God said to the woman, “You will suffer terribly when you give birth. But you will still desire your husband, and he will rule over you.”
- GNT – And he said to the woman, “I will increase your trouble in pregnancy and your pain in giving birth. In spite of this, you will still have desire for your husband, yet you will be subject to him.”
- God’s Word Translation – He said to the woman, “I will increase your pain and your labor when you give birth to children. Yet, you will long for your husband, and he will rule you.”
SUBTLE – “Desire” (Control) or “Rule” is Negative
- HCSB (2009) He said to the woman: I will intensify your labor pains; you will bear children in anguish. Your desire will be for your husband, yet he will rule over you.
- CSB (2017) He said to the woman: I will intensify your labor pains; you will bear children with painful effort. Your desire will be for your husband, yet he will rule over you.
SUBTLE – “Desire” is Positive (Sexual)
- NASB (1995) To the woman He said, “I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you.”
- Based solely on the punctuation, “Yet” might not refer back to the pain in childbirth. The NASB has one long sentence with the first two clauses connected and probably the last two as well.
UNSPECIFIED
- NIV – To the woman he said, “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”
- KJV – 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 beto thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
- JPS (1917) – Unto the woman He said: ‘I will greatly multiply thy pain and thy travail; in pain thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.’
- ASV – Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy pain and thy conception; in pain thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
- Jubilee Bible 2000 – Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth sons; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
- The reason this translation says “sons” is because the Hebrew is the plural of ben/son.
Based upon the LXX, there is an entirely different reading. Pay close attention to the second section which in Hebrew means “desire” but in the Greek means “submit”
- Brenton Septuagint Translation – And to the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy pains and thy groanings; in pain thou shalt bring forth children, and thy submission shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
- Douay-Rheims Bible – To the woman also he said: I will multiply thy sorrows, and thy conceptions: in sorrow shalt thou bring forth children, and thou shalt be under thy husband’s power, and he shall have dominion over thee.
Based upon various ways of punctuating and phrasing, there are either three parts or two within what God says to Eve. If two, then each part has two. I‘ll use the NIV to demonstrate:
- A – “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe;
- A’ – with painful labor you will give birth to children.
- B – Your desire will be for your husband,
- B’ – and he will rule over you.”
If two, then desire is either negative (i.e. she seeks to rule over him) with the ruling also negative; or is as the LXX renders this unusual word and therefore harmonizes subjection with rule.
- A – “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe;
- A’ – with painful labor you will give birth to children.
- B – Your desire will be for your husband,
- B’ – and he will rule over you.”
- A – I will greatly multiply thy pains and thy groanings;
- A’ – in pain thou shalt bring forth children,
- B – and thy submission shall be to thy husband,
- B’ – and he shall rule over thee.
If there are three parts to what God says to Eve, then that lends itself to “desire” being comforting, while rule is a command, with both being positive. This is the NIV:
- A – “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe;
- A’ – with painful labor you will give birth to children.
- B – Your desire will be for your husband,
- C – and he will rule over you.”
As seen above with the various translations, with the varying punctuation and word choices, one can rightly conclude there is no definitive way to interpret this text; however frustrating that is. That is why it is wise for the translators to leave it up the reader. Hopefully through careful study we can come to meeting of the minds in interpreting and applying Genesis 3:16.
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