.
The Serpent was somehow aware the fruit posed no danger to the woman;
so if he could get her to try it, and see for herself it was safe to eat, then the
Serpent would have the ally he needed to persuade the man to do something
contrary to his better judgment.
But I think Adam was at least cautious at first, and kept a wary eye on his
wife for some time waiting to see if she would get sick; and when she didn't,
he surely had to wonder if maybe he misunderstood God.
I think most husbands would sympathize with Adam. I mean: he was told by
a supposedly competent source that the forbidden tree was unfit for human
consumption. But here's your unashamed naked wife happily munching
away and she's still healthy, lucid, and exhibiting no ill side effects. How is a
rational man supposed to argue with empirical evidence as good as that?
That event is handy for showing just how stupid men can be when it comes to
their association with women. For example:
● Gen 6:1-2 . . Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face
of the land, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw that
the daughters of men were good; and they took wives for themselves,
whomever they chose.
The characteristics of the "sons of God" have been debated. Some say they
were members of the aristocracy of that day who married attractive women
from among the commoners. Others say they were renegade spirit creatures
who donned fully functioning human avatars so they could cohabit with
women; thus producing a hybrid strain of hominid freaks. Others say they
were God-fearing men who threw caution to the wind and built themselves
harems of pagan women.
The latter seems the more likely seeing as how intermarriage between
believers and unbelievers is often frowned upon in both the Old Testament
and the New.
* The label "sons of God" is somewhat versatile in the Old Testament. For
example in Job 1:6 & Job 38:7 it pertains to angels, whereas in Ex 4:22-23
an entire people are identified as God's son, and in Psalm 82 authorities are
sons of God, while in Psalm 89 king David is God's son.
Anyway: hooking up men of faith with infidel women is a proven tactic for
watering down, compromising, and even extinguishing Bible beliefs and
practices (e.g. Num 31:7-16). The people of God are strictly, unequivocally,
and clearly forbidden to marry outside their faith, and that goes for
Christians too. (Deut 7:1-4, 2Cor 6:14-18)
Women can be very effective in influencing an otherwise pious man to
compromise his convictions; for example Solomon got off to a good start but
down the road accumulated a harem of foreign women who led him into
idolatry; which subsequently caused The Lord to engineer rebellion in the
kingdom. (1Kgs 11 & 12)
Anyway: the sons of God in Noah's day-- whose wives were chosen based
solely upon sensual allure sans any spiritual prudence whatsoever --all
perished in the Flood right along with their infidel wives and children. Not
even one of them had the good sense to go aboard the ark with Noah.
Chantilly lace and a pretty face,
And a ponytail hangin' down.
A wiggle in her walk and a giggle in her talk,
Make the world go 'round, round, round.
Ain't nothing in the world like a big-eyed girl,
To make me act so funny, make me spend my money.
Make me feel real loose like a long necked goose,
Oh baby, that's a-what I like!
Chantilly Lace 1958
Song by J.P. Richardson, a.k.a. The Big Bopper
_
