The ancient Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria grappled with this very question. Philo, living in the 1st century CE, sought to reconcile Jewish scripture with Greek philosophy. He asked, how can we reconcile these seemingly human traits attributed to God with the fundamental belief that God is perfect and without flaw?
Philo, in his writings, tackles this head-on. "For there is no uncertainty and no envy in God," he states plainly. Of course not! But then, what are we to make of these passages? Philo suggests that God often "employs ambiguous things and expressions, assenting to them as a man might do."
Think of it like this: sometimes, the Divine Providence acts as God, in all God's majestic otherness. But sometimes, it acts more like a parent instructing a child. "As a man instructs his son, so likewise should the Lord God give warning to you." It’s a form of divine pedagogy, a way of communicating with us on our level.
That phrase, "lest perchance," isn't about God's hesitation, Philo argues. It's about ours. It reflects the inherent uncertainty in human nature. When something new appears before us, we immediately feel drawn to it. That initial impulse then triggers a second, more hesitant thought: is this good for me? Should I pursue it?
And it is this point, according to Philo, that God is addressing. God isn't capable of cunning, malevolence, or wickedness. It's impossible for God to envy anyone's immortality or good fortune. How could He? It was God, after all, who created the world out of sheer generosity, transforming a chaotic, suffering essence into something beautiful and harmonious. God, in his own luminous being, planted the Tree of Life. He didn't need anyone to convince him to give humanity the gift of incorruptibility.
So, what went wrong? According to Philo, the problem arose when humanity turned toward depravity, craving mortal things and straying from the path of immortality. Immortality isn't a reward for wickedness. In fact, it would be a curse! "For the longer the life is which is granted to the wicked and depraved man, the more miserable is he than others, so that his immortality becomes a grave misfortune to him."
Philo's interpretation offers a powerful message. It suggests that God's "human-like" pronouncements are not signs of divine weakness or flaw, but rather compassionate adaptations to our human condition. They are a reminder that true immortality isn't just about living forever, but about living a life of piety and virtue. It's a life where we actively choose to align ourselves with the Divine, rather than succumbing to the fleeting temptations of the mortal world.
Perhaps that's the real lesson hidden within those seemingly simple words in Genesis. It's not about God being afraid of us becoming immortal. It's about us choosing the right kind of life, a life worthy of eternity.
What is the meaning of the words, "Lest perchance he put forth his hand and take of the tree of life, and eat and live for ever;" for there is no uncertainty and no envy in God? (Genesis 3:23).
It is quite true that God never feels either uncertainty or envy; nevertheless he often employs ambiguous things and expressions, assenting to them as a man might do; for, as I have said before, the supreme providence is of a twofold nature, sometimes being God, and not acting in any respect as a man; but, on some occasions, as a man instructs his son, so likewise should the Lord God give warning to you. Therefore the first of these circumstances belongs to his sovereign power, and the second to his disciplinary, and to the first introduction to instruction, so as to insinuate into mans heart a voluntary inclination, since that expression, "lest perchance," is not to be taken as a proof of any hesitation on the part of God, but in relation to man, who, by his nature, is prone to hesitation, and is a denunciation of the inclinations which exist in him. For when any appearance of anything whatever occurs to any man, immediately there arises within him an impulse towards that which appears, being caused by that very thing which appears. And from this arises the second hesitating kind of uncertainty, distracting the mind in various directions, as to whether the thing is fit to be accepted, or acquired, or not. And very likely present circumstances have a respect to that second feeling; for, in truth, the Divinity is incapable of any cunning, or malevolence, or wickedness: it is absolutely impossible that God should either envy the immortality or any other good fortune belonging to any being. And we can bring the most undeniable proof of this; for it was not in consequence of any one's entreaties that he created the world; but, being a merciful benefactor, rendering an essence previously untamed and unregulated, and liable to suffering, gentle and pleasant, he did so by a vast harmony of blessings, and a regulated arrangement of them, like a chorus; and he being himself the only sure being, planted the tree of life by his own luminous character. Moreover, he was not influenced by the mediation or exhortation of any other being in communicating incorruptibility to man. But while man existed as the purest intellect, displaying no appearance either of work or of any evil discourse, he was certain to have a fitting guide, to lead him in the paths of piety, which is undoubted and genuine immortality. But from the time when he began to be converted to depravity, wishing for the things which belong to mortal life, he wandered from immortality; for it is not fitting that craft and wickedness should be rendered immortal, and moreover it would be useless to the subject; since the longer the life is which is granted to the wicked and depraved man, the more miserable is he than others, so that his immortality becomes a grave misfortune to him.
