Reversing the curse?
When Adam and Eve sinned, Yahweh cursed the ground on account of/in relation to Adam (Gen 3:17). Following the flood and in response to Noah’s offering, He declares “I will no more curse the ground on account of man” (ADAM; Gen 8:21). Though the word for “curse” differs in these two passages, the preposition used in conjunction with the verb is the same - “on account of/in relation to.”
Gen 8:21, further, occurs in a passage that clearly renews Noah in Adamic status: He is told to be fruitful, told that he will have dominion over the animals, is given a food law. And this is quickly followed by the fall of Ham.
It appears that the curse laid down in Gen 3:17 is somehow, to some extent, reversed by the process of flood-and-sacrifice.
Peter Leithart
Peter J. Leithart is President of Theopolis Institute. He is the author of numerous books on theology, literature, and culture, including Theopolitan, Defending Constantine, and Baptized Body.
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