Genesis 3:16 King James Version (KJV) Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

Genesis 3:16 English Standard Version (ESV) To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.”

I do not remember reading this verse in any translation other than the KJV. Yesterday the ESV was used by a dear friend and it took me by surprise. Surprises can be good or bad. This one said to me that I have in my pass taken it for granted and accepted simple conclusions.

Here is a situation that is anything but simple. ‘ēl is used in 38 different ways. How do you pick the right one to relay a truth in a matter? It is interesting in the verse that God speaks to two distinct areas of life. One is physical and the other is emotional. God demonstrates the ability to control the physical aspects but when He speaks to woman about her desire there are so many variations within the context of ‘ēl that we have to know a woman to understand how her desire affects the relationship with the husband.

My young life assumed that my wife would have a physical desire for me according to my KJV understanding and my marriage proved to be much more complicated. I was wrong to assume that God would control free will in this matter. Emotions are a matter of free will. My first wife exercised her free will in the matter of ‘ēl in at least a dozen of the ways if not all 38. I was left not understanding my wife.

That explains one thing. Don’t get comfortable in assumptions.