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The Septuagint 3.16 · 3.16

In pain you shall bring forth children

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καὶ τῇ γυναικὶ εἶπεν Πληθύνων πληθυνῶ τὰς λύπας σου καὶ τὸν στεναγμόν σου· ἐν λύπαις τέξῃ τέκνα, καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα σου ἡ ἀποστροφή σου, καὶ αὐτός σου κυριεύσει.

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καὶkaìandτῇtêito theγυναικὶgynaikìwomanεἶπενeîpenhe saidΠληθύνωνPlēthýnōnGreatlyπληθυνῶplēthynôwill I multiplyτὰςtàstheλύπαςlýpaspainsσουsouyourκαὶkaìandτὸνtòntheστεναγμόνstenagmóngroaningσουsouyour·ἐνeninλύπαιςlýpaispainτέξῃtéxēiyou shall bring forthτέκναtéknachildren,καὶkaìandπρὸςpròstoτὸνtòntheἄνδραándrahusbandσουsouyourtheἀποστροφήapostrophḗturningσουsouyour,καὶkaìandαὐτόςautósheσουsouyourκυριεύσειkyrieúseiwill rule.

The setting

The woman's sentence falls in two clauses: pain multiplied in childbearing, and a reordered relationship with her husband — ἡ ἀποστροφή σου, "your turning/recourse," and κυριεύσει, "he shall rule/lord it over." The precise sense of ἀποστροφή here (turning back to, or turning away from) has been argued for centuries; whichever way it is taken, the verse describes a rupture in what had been, before the fall, an unqualified "one flesh" partnership (2:24).

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The Septuagint 3.16 — The Great Library Project interlinear edition · greatlibraryproject.com/book/septuagint/3.16/