He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”
English Standard Version (ESV)
God’s question, “Who told you that you were naked?” isn’t just about Adam and Eve suddenly realizing their physical state; it points to the deeper truth that their awareness of nakedness, and the shame that followed, was a direct consequence of their disobedience. The realization of nakedness wasn't a neutral discovery but a symptom of their broken relationship with God, directly linked to their choice to disobey the command.
He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”
English Standard Version (ESV)
After Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, they suddenly became aware of their nakedness and hid from God's presence. God calls out to Adam, and in their exchange, Adam blames Eve, and Eve blames the serpent. This is the moment of confrontation where God directly questions them about their disobedience, seeking to expose the root of their actions rather than just the outward shame.
After Adam and Eve sinned, they hid from God. But God called out to Adam, and his response reveals something profound about the dawn of shame and fear.
God’s question, 'Who told you that you were naked?' isn't about information God lacks. He already knows what happened. Instead, it’s a divine probe into Adam's inner state.
Immediately after asking about nakedness, God points directly to the forbidden tree. This isn't random; it connects Adam's awareness of shame to his specific act of disobedience.
God’s second question, 'Hast thou eaten of the tree...?' is crucial for understanding the nature of sin and guilt.
Ask a follow-up
Understand the original words
êyrom · Hebrew Adjective
The state of being unclothed, often used metaphorically in Scripture to represent vulnerability, exposure to God’s judgment, or the loss of glory and innocence following the fall.
akal · Hebrew Verb
The act of consuming food; in this context, it represents the specific act of disobedience to God’s explicit prohibition, serving as the catalyst for human rebellion and the introduction of sin into the world.
This verse captures the pivotal moment of divine confrontation after humanity's first act of rebellion. God's questions aren't for His own information, but to expose Adam's sin and shattered state, revealing the immediate consequence of disobedience: a loss of innocence and an attempt to hide from the Creator.
c. 4000 BC
Creation of Humanity
God creates Adam and Eve, placing them in the Garden of Eden with a single prohibition regarding the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
c. 4000 BC— this verse
The Fall
Adam and Eve disobey God's command by eating from the forbidden tree, leading to their awareness of nakedness, shame, and alienation from God.
c. 4000 BC
God Confronts Adam
God calls out to Adam in the garden, initiating a dialogue that reveals Adam's fear, his misplaced shame, and his attempt to shift blame.
c. 4000 BC
Pronouncement of Curses
God pronounces curses upon the serpent, the woman, and the man, detailing the consequences of their disobedience and introducing the promise of a future redeemer.
c. 4000 BC
Expulsion from Eden
God banishes Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden to prevent them from accessing the tree of life and to signify their separation from God's immediate presence.
Adam's immediate response after realizing his nakedness shows a similar deflection of responsibility, citing fear and his state of undress rather than admitting his sin.
Genesis 3:12-13Adam and Eve's subsequent blame-shifting directly echoes the theme of not owning one's actions that God probes in this verse.
Joshua 7:20-21Achan's confession after being confronted by God mirrors Adam's initial evasion, where he acknowledges the transgression but immediately blames external factors ('the woman,' 'the tree').
Romans 5:12This verse explains the consequence of Adam's sin, revealing that the knowledge of nakedness and shame introduced by the forbidden fruit had far-reaching effects on all humanity.
1 Samuel 15:22-23Saul's attempt to justify his disobedience to God by blaming the people and the spoils echoes Adam's failure to take full responsibility for his actions.
wesleyGenesis 3:11: "And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?"
3:11 Who told thee that thou wast naked? - That is, how camest thou to be sensible of thy nakedness as thy shame? Hast thou eaten of the tree? - Tho' God knows all our sins, yet he will know them from us, and requires from us an ingenuous confession of them, not that he may be informed, but that we may be humbled. Whereof I commanded thee not to eat…
calvinGenesis 3:1-24: "Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?"
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
Porro serpens erat callidior omni bestia agri, quam fecerat Jehova Deus: et dixit ad mulierem, Etiamne dixit…
God’s question, “Who told you that you were naked?” isn’t just about Adam and Eve suddenly realizing their physical state; it points to the deeper truth that their awareness of nakedness, and the shame that followed, was a direct consequence of their disobedience. The realization of nakedness wasn't a neutral discovery but a symptom of their broken relationship with God, directly linked to their choice to disobey the command.
After Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, they suddenly became aware of their nakedness and hid from God's presence. God calls out to Adam, and in their exchange, Adam blames Eve, and Eve blames the serpent. This is the moment of confrontation where God directly questions them about their disobedience, seeking to expose the root of their actions rather than just the outward shame.
After Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, they suddenly became aware of their nakedness and hid from God's presence. God calls out to Adam, and in their exchange, Adam blames Eve, and Eve blames the serpent. This is the moment of confrontation where God directly questions them about their disobedience, seeking to expose the root of their actions rather than just the outward shame.
"He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”" — God’s question, “Who told you that you were naked?” isn’t just about Adam and Eve suddenly realizing their physical state; it points to the deeper truth that their awareness of nakedness, and the s…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026