Commentary: Eve Quotes God in the Plural — God Spoke to Both

Ardavanis claims Eve "added" the phrase "or touch it" to God's command, implying she garbled what Adam relayed to her. But the Hebrew text reveals something he doesn't address.

The Singular-to-plural Shift

God's original command (Ge 2:16-17) uses exclusively second person masculine SINGULAR verb forms — addressed to Adam alone: - "you may freely eat" (achol tochel, 2ms) - "you shall not eat" (lo tochal, 2ms) - "you shall surely die" (mot tamut, 2ms)

Eve's quotation (Ge 3:2-3) uses exclusively PLURAL forms: - "we may eat" (nochel, 1st person common plural) - "you [plural] shall not eat" (lo tochlu, 2mp) - "you [plural] shall not touch" (lo tigg'u, 2mp) - "lest you [plural] die" (pen temutun, 2mp)

Eve does not quote God speaking to Adam in the singular. She quotes God speaking to THEM in the plural. The serpent also addresses them in the plural (3:1).

Three Possibilities for "or Touch It"

1. Eve added it

2. Adam added it when relaying to Eve

3. God spoke the full command to both of them after Eve's creation

Option 3 is the strongest reading because: - The "touch" clause is in the PLURAL, consistent with the rest of Eve's quotation. If Adam had added "don't touch" as his own instruction to Eve, it would logically be singular, not plural. The consistent plural argues the entire statement came from one source: God speaking to both. - If Eve added to God's words in God's presence, why didn't He correct her? Pr 30:6 says God reproves those who add to His words — but no reproof comes. - No witness in the text — not the serpent, not Adam, not God — ever charges Eve with misquoting. - Ge 1:28-29 already shows God speaking directly to both man and woman about what they may eat. Why would He withhold the prohibition from Eve? - Was adding to God's words a sin before the fall? If so, why is it never mentioned? If not, why use it to impugn Eve?

The only reading that doesn't create problems is that God spoke the full command to both of them after Eve was created, and the plural forms in Eve's quotation accurately reflect this.