Discovery BoxGenesis 3:3 
Context3:3 but concerning the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the orchard God said, ‘You must not eat from it, and you must not touch it, 1 or else you will die.’” 2
Genesis 3:22
Context3:22 And the Lord God said, “Now 3 that the man has become like one of us, 4 knowing 5 good and evil, he must not be allowed 6 to stretch out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.”
1 sn And you must not touch it. The woman adds to God’s prohibition, making it say more than God expressed. G. von Rad observes that it is as though she wanted to set a law for herself by means of this exaggeration (Genesis [OTL], 86).
2 tn The Hebrew construction is פֶּן (pen) with the imperfect tense, which conveys a negative purpose: “lest you die” = “in order that you not die.” By stating the warning in this way, the woman omits the emphatic infinitive used by God (“you shall surely die,” see 2:17).
3 tn The particle הֵן (hen) introduces a foundational clause, usually beginning with “since, because, now.”
4 sn The man has become like one of us. See the notes on Gen 1:26 and 3:5.
5 tn The infinitive explains in what way the man had become like God: “knowing good and evil.”
6 tn Heb “and now, lest he stretch forth.” Following the foundational clause, this clause forms the main point. It is introduced with the particle פֶּן (pen) which normally introduces a negative purpose, “lest….” The construction is elliptical; something must be done lest the man stretch forth his hand. The translation interprets the point intended.
