2009-03-08 20:08: Reference number 303
This is a difficult question and I am not sure there is just one answer. The biblical nature is not lost, the statement itself is as if someone is hearing the words of god. We do not know the context for these words, we can guess at it, but ultimately we do not know it. The words are simply given.
> Do you know what is the sin?
> It isn't because you ate the forbidden fruit.
>
> Do you know what is the sin?
> It isn't because you listened to the serpent.
>
> You still don't know what is the sin?
> Then, that itself is your sin.
If you read the original storey, 3:12, man, confronted by god, blames woman. 3:13, woman, confronted by god, blames the snake. My immediate view here is that neither one admited guilt, ie. "I was wrong, please forgive me." They tried to justify their misdeed, this is why they were punished. Had they admitted guilt, that in itself would be punishment enough. The sin is 'pride'.
By another interpretation, the sin would be non-temperance or 'lack of judgement', but this would be paradoxical since neither man nor woman could be expected to practice judgement before the act. Both had will, but no judgement. So the first interpretation seems the most obvious.
