{Book Review} When Did Eve Sin?

Lexham Press has published a book by Jeffrey Niehaus titled, When Did Eve Sin? The Fall & Biblical Historiography.

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When Did Eve Sin?: The Fall and Biblical Historiography

This is a book about a topic that I have often thought about. Yes, Eve sinned when she actually ate of the fruit that the Lord commanded not to be eaten. However, when one sets their mind on the topic of sin, it goes much deeper than that. Didn’t Eve’s desire to do something the Lord commanded her not to do be considered sin, prior to her even eating the fruit? Well, these are the types of questions that Niehaus has likewise thought about, and he addresses them in his excellent book.

Many people will disagree with his conclusions, as he admittedly provides an interpretation of this event that differs from nearly everybody that he cites in this book. Nevertheless, the book is fascniationg, and Niehaus lays out a great argument for his thesis. That thesis, by the way, is to explain how Gensis 2:17 and 3:2-3 relate to one another. 

This is a rather short book (just over 160 pages), and it reads very quickly like a good novel. I love that Niehaus included a large discussion on the history of interpretation of these passages. He spends two out of five chapters on the Jewish and early Christians and then the Reformers and others since the 16th century addressed this issue.

I found this book to be a very nice read, and one that will help the reader to mature in your skills of biblical interpretation and exegesis. I highly recommend this book to you. 

Disclaimer: My thanks to Lexham Press for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. The opinions expressed are my own.