John Calvin Commentary Genesis 3:7

"And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig-leaves together, and made themselves aprons." — Genesis 3:7 (ASV)

And the eyes of them both were opened. It was necessary that the eyes of Eve should be veiled until her husband also was deceived; but now both, being alike bound by the chain of an unhappy consent, begin to be aware of their wretchedness, although they are not yet affected by a deep knowledge of their fault.

They are ashamed of their nakedness, yet, though convinced, they do not humble themselves before God, nor fear His judgments as they ought; they still resort to evasions. Some progress, however, is made; for whereas recently they would, like giants, assault heaven by storm, now, confounded by a sense of their own ignominy, they flee to hiding places.

And truly, this opening of the eyes in our first parents to discern their baseness clearly proves that they were condemned by their own judgment. They are not yet summoned to the tribunal of God; there is no one who accuses them. Is not the sense of shame, which rises spontaneously, then a sure sign of guilt?

The eloquence, therefore, of the whole world will be of no avail to deliver from condemnation those whose own conscience has become the judge compelling them to confess their fault. Rather, it is fitting for us all to open our eyes, so that, being confounded by our own disgrace, we may give God the glory that is His due.

God created man flexible. He not only permitted but willed that man should be tempted. For He adapted the serpent's tongue beyond the ordinary use of nature for the devil’s purpose, just as if someone were to furnish another with a sword and armor. Then, although the unhappy event was foreknown by Him, He did not apply the remedy, which He had the power to do.

On the other hand, when we speak of man, he will be found to have sinned voluntarily and to have departed from God, his Maker, by a movement of the mind no less free than perverse. Nor should we call that a light fault which, refusing to believe God's word, exalted itself against Him through impious and sacrilegious emulation, would not be subject to His authority, and finally, both proudly and perfidiously revolted from Him.

Therefore, whatever sin and fault there is in the fall of our first parents remains with them. However, there is sufficient reason why the eternal counsel of God preceded it, though that reason is concealed from us.

Indeed, we daily see some good fruit springing from such a dreadful ruin, as God instructs us in humility through our miseries and then more clearly illustrates His own goodness. For His grace is more abundantly poured forth upon the world through Christ than it was imparted to Adam in the beginning. Now, if the reason for this lies beyond our reach, it is not surprising that the secret counsel of God should be like a labyrinth to us.

And they sewed fig leaves together. What I recently said—that they had not been brought to repentance by either true shame or serious fear—is now more evident. They sew together for themselves girdles of leaves. To what end? So that they might keep God at a distance, as if by an invincible barrier!

Their sense of evil, therefore, was only confused and combined with dullness, as is usually the case in restless sleep. We all smile at their folly, since, certainly, it was ridiculous to place such a covering before the eyes of God. Meanwhile, we are all infected with the same disease; for, indeed, we tremble and are covered with shame at the first compunctions of conscience, but self-indulgence soon creeps in and leads us to resort to vain trifles, as if it were an easy thing to delude God.

Therefore, unless conscience is more closely pressed, no shadow of an excuse is too faint and fleeting to gain our acceptance. Even if there is no pretext whatever, we still create pleasures for ourselves and, by a three-day oblivion, imagine that we are well covered. In short, the cold and faint knowledge of sin, which is inherent in the minds of men, is described here by Moses so that they may be rendered inexcusable. Then, as we have already said, Adam and his wife were still ignorant of their own vileness, since they attempted to hide themselves from the presence of God with such a light covering.