Genesis 3:9

Modern

But the LORD God called out to the man, “Where are you?”

Traditional

And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

Literal

And YHWH God called to the man, and He said to him, “Where are you?”

Latin

Vocavitque Dominus Deus Adam, et dixit ei: Ubi es?

Hebrew

English

But the LORD God called out to the man, “Where are you?”

Where are you?: The man's answer shows the real purpose of this question (3:10). The real meaning of the question was, "Why are you hiding?" (compare 4:9–10).
I was afraid because I was naked: Modesty was not the problem. The shame from their rebellion made Adam and his wife hide. They might have also feared punishment (see study note on 3:8).

When the man and woman rebelled against God, it disrupted their harmony with the earth, animals, each other, and God.

Theme notes and profiles

Genesis 4:9
And the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I do not know!” he answered. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
Genesis 16:8
“Hagar, servant of Sarai,” he said, “where have you come from, and where are you going?” “I am running away from my mistress Sarai,” she replied.
Genesis 18:20–21
Then the LORD said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great. Because their sin is so grievous,
Joshua 7:17–19
He had the clans of Judah come forward, and the clan of the Zerahites was selected. He had the clan of the Zerahites come forward, and the family of Zabdi was selected.
Revelation 20:12–13
And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne. And books were opened, and one of them was the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their deeds, as recorded in the books.
Genesis 11:5
Then the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the sons of men were building.

Adam: The first man, created by God