Make a Fence for the Torah: A Positive Reading of the Woman's Words in Genesis 3:3

Abstract:Modern commentators inculpate the woman in Gen 3:3, accusing her of altering the divine command and insinuating God's parsimony and severity. Significant voices from ancient Judaism and early Christianity, however, notice nothing wrong with her words. Rather—to anticipate a reading akin to m. Abot 1.1—her words construct a fence around the divine command. The Targum and the LXX provide the soil for this reading; Philo and Josephus provide the light for its growth. Jubilees, Abot de-Rabbi Natan, and Ephrem the Syrian provide categories to prune modern assumptions; the Sinai narrative (specifically, Exod 19:12–13a, 23) provides the exegetical ground to spark fresh growth. The proposed reading promotes a positive account of the woman and frees her from undeserved blame, thereby showcasing her proscription as an attempt to honor God rather than smear God's integrity.