“So He drove out the man and stationed cherubim on the east side of the Garden of Eden, along with a whirling sword of flame to guard the way to the tree of life.”
Genesis 3:24
BSBGo deeper on this verse (4)
- The Fall of Man: The First Promise God Made in the Ruins (Genesis 3)
- Did God Really Say? How the Serpent Bent One Sentence in Genesis 3
Connection with Hagar sent away
The verb for "drove out" is garash. Cain uses it too: "this day You have driven me from the face of the earth" (Genesis 4:14). Both times God provided for the one sent out, with garments of skin and a mark of protection. Sarah used this same verb when she told Abraham to send Hagar and her son away (Genesis 21:10).
Read the whole studyConnection with Abraham sending his sons east
In Genesis east is the direction people go when they leave the place of blessing: here the cherubim guard Eden's east side, Cain settles east of Eden (Genesis 4:16), and Lot sets out east for Sodom (Genesis 13:11). Abraham sent Keturah's sons east with gifts (Genesis 25:6), a real kindness that still showed where the promise was not going.
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Read Genesis 3:24 and keep notes on it in Doxa's Daily Faith Steps.
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Cross-References
Barred from tree of life — blessed are those who may go through the gates and eat from the tree of life
“Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by its gates.”
Read next
How to Hear God’s Voice: A Practical Guide for BelieversScripture is the record of a God who speaks. This guide covers how to hear Him today and keep what He says.Engage with Genesis 3:24 in a fresh way
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