Whether the Particular Punishments of Our First Parents Are Suitably
Appointed in Scripture?
Objection 1: It would seem that the particular punishments of our
first parents are unsuitably appointed in Scripture. For that which
would have occurred even without sin should not be described as a
punishment for sin. Now seemingly there would have been "pain in
child-bearing," even had there been no sin: for the disposition of
the female sex is such that offspring cannot be born without pain to
the bearer. Likewise the "subjection of woman to man" results from
the perfection of the male, and the imperfection of the female sex.
Again it belongs to the nature of the earth "to bring forth thorns
and thistles," and this would have occurred even had there been no
sin. Therefore these are unsuitable punishments of the first sin.
Obj. 2: Further, that which pertains to a person's dignity does not,
seemingly, pertain to his punishment. But the "multiplying of
conceptions" pertains to a woman's dignity. Therefore it should not
be described as the woman's punishment.
Obj. 3: Further, the punishment of our first parents' sin is
transmitted to all, as we have stated with regard to death (A. 1).
But all "women's conceptions" are not "multiplied," nor does "every
man eat bread in the sweat of his face." Therefore these are not
suitable punishments of the first sin.
Obj. 4: Further, the place of paradise was made for man. Now nothing
in the order of things should be without purpose. Therefore it would
seem that the exclusion of man from paradise was not a suitable
punishment of man.
Obj. 5: Further, this place of the earthly paradise is said to be
naturally inaccessible. Therefore it was useless to put other
obstacles in the way lest man should return thither, to wit the
cherubim, and the "flaming sword turning every way."
Obj. 6: Further, immediately after his sin man was subject to the
necessity of dying, so that he could not be restored to immortality
by the beneficial tree of life. Therefore it was useless to forbid
him to eat of the tree of life, as instanced by the words of Gen.
3:22: "See, lest perhaps he . . . take . . . of the tree of
life . . . and live for ever."
Obj. 7: Further, to mock the unhappy seems inconsistent with mercy
and clemency, which are most of all ascribed to God in Scripture,
according to Ps. 144:9, "His tender mercies are over all His works."
Therefore God is unbecomingly described as mocking our first parents,
already reduced through sin to unhappy straits, in the words of Gen.
3:22, "Behold Adam is become as one of Us, knowing good and evil."
Obj. 8: Further, clothes are necessary to man, like food, according
to 1 Tim. 6:8, "Having food, and wherewith to be covered, with these
we are content." Therefore just as food was appointed to our first
parents before their sin, so also should clothing have been ascribed
to them. Therefore after their sin it was unsuitable to say that God
made for them garments of skin.
Objection 9: Further, the punishment inflicted for a sin should
outweigh in evil the gain realized through the sin: else the
punishment would not deter one from sinning. Now through sin our
first parents gained in this, that their eyes were opened, according
to Gen. 3:7. But this outweighs in good all the penal evils which are
stated to have resulted from sin. Therefore the punishments resulting
from our first parents' sin are unsuitably described.
_On the contrary,_ These punishments were appointed by God, Who does
all things, "in number, weight, and measure [*Vulg.: 'Thou hast
ordered all things in measure, and number, and weight.']" (Wis.
11:21).
_I answer that,_ As stated in the foregoing Article, on account of
their sin, our first parents were deprived of the Divine favor,
whereby the integrity of human nature was maintained in them, and by
the withdrawal of this favor human nature incurred penal defects.
Hence they were punished in two ways. In the first place by being
deprived of that which was befitting the state of integrity, namely
the place of the earthly paradise: and this is indicated (Gen. 3:23)
where it is stated that "God sent him out of the paradise of
pleasure." And since he was unable, of himself, to return to that
state of original innocence, it was fitting that obstacles should be
placed against his recovering those things that were befitting his
original state, namely food (lest he should take of the tree of life)
and place; for "God placed before . . . paradise . . . Cherubim, and
a flaming sword." Secondly, they were punished by having appointed to
them things befitting a nature bereft of the aforesaid favor: and
this as regards both the body and the soul. With regard to the body,
to which pertains the distinction of sex, one punishment was
appointed to the woman and another to the man. To the woman
punishment was appointed in respect of two things on account of which
she is united to the man; and these are the begetting of children,
and community of works pertaining to family life. As regards the
begetting of children, she was punished in two ways: first in the
weariness to which she is subject while carrying the child after
conception, and this is indicated in the words (Gen. 3:16), "I will
multiply thy sorrows, and thy conceptions"; secondly, in the pain
which she suffers in giving birth, and this is indicated by the words
(Gen. 3:16), "In sorrow shalt thou bring forth." As regards family
life she was punished by being subjected to her husband's authority,
and this is conveyed in the words (Gen. 3:16), "Thou shalt be under
thy husband's power."
Now, just as it belongs to the woman to be subject to her husband in
matters relating to the family life, so it belongs to the husband to
provide the necessaries of that life. In this respect he was punished
in three ways. First, by the barrenness of the earth, in the words
(Gen. 3:17), "Cursed is the earth in thy work." Secondly, by the
cares of his toil, without which he does not win the fruits of the
earth; hence the words (Gen. 3:17), "With labor and toil shalt thou
eat thereof all the days of thy life." Thirdly, by the obstacles
encountered by the tillers of the soil, wherefore it is written (Gen.
3:18), "Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to thee."
Likewise a triple punishment is ascribed to them on the part of the
soul. First, by reason of the confusion they experienced at the
rebellion of the flesh against the spirit; hence it is written (Gen.
3:7): "The eyes of them both were opened; and . . . they perceived
themselves to be naked." Secondly, by the reproach for their sin,
indicated by the words (Gen. 3:22), "Behold Adam is become as one of
Us." Thirdly, by the reminder of their coming death, when it was said
to him (Gen. 3:19): "Dust thou art and into dust thou shalt return."
To this also pertains that God made them garments of skin, as a sign
of their mortality.
Reply Obj. 1: In the state of innocence child-bearing would have been
painless: for Augustine says (De Civ. Dei xiv, 26): "Just as, in
giving birth, the mother would then be relieved not by groans of
pain, but by the instigations of maturity, so in bearing and
conceiving the union of both sexes would be one not of lustful desire
but of deliberate action" [*Cf. I, Q. 98, A. 2].
The subjection of the woman to her husband is to be understood as
inflicted in punishment of the woman, not as to his headship (since
even before sin the man was the "head" and governor "of the woman"),
but as to her having now to obey her husband's will even against her
own.
If man had not sinned, the earth would have brought forth thorns and
thistles to be the food of animals, but not to punish man, because
their growth would bring no labor or punishment for the tiller of the
soil, as Augustine says (Gen. ad lit. iii, 18). Alcuin [*Interrog. et
Resp. in Gen. lxxix], however, holds that, before sin, the earth
brought forth no thorns and thistles, whatever: but the former
opinion is the better.
Reply Obj. 2: The multiplying of her conceptions was appointed as a
punishment to the woman, not on account of the begetting of children,
for this would have been the same even before sin, but on account of
the numerous sufferings to which the woman is subject, through
carrying her offspring after conception. Hence it is expressly
stated: "I will multiply thy sorrows, and thy conceptions."
Reply Obj. 3: These punishments affect all somewhat. For any woman
who conceives must needs suffer sorrows and bring forth her child
with pain: except the Blessed Virgin, who "conceived without
corruption, and bore without pain" [*St. Bernard, Serm. in Dom. inf.
oct. Assum. B. V. M.], because her conceiving was not according to
the law of nature, transmitted from our first parents. And if a woman
neither conceives nor bears, she suffers from the defect of
barrenness, which outweighs the aforesaid punishments. Likewise
whoever tills the soil must needs eat his bread in the sweat of his
brow: while those who do not themselves work on the land, are busied
with other labors, for "man is born to labor" (Job 5:7): and thus
they eat the bread for which others have labored in the sweat of
their brow.
Reply Obj. 4: Although the place of the earthly paradise avails not
man for his use, it avails him for a lesson; because he knows himself
deprived of that place on account of sin, and because by the things
that have a bodily existence in that paradise, he is instructed in
things pertaining to the heavenly paradise, the way to which is
prepared for man by Christ.
Reply Obj. 5: Apart from the mysteries of the spiritual
interpretation, this place would seem to be inaccessible, chiefly on
account of the extreme heat in the middle zone by reason of the
nighness of the sun. This is denoted by the "flaming sword," which is
described as "turning every way," as being appropriate to the
circular movement that causes this heat. And since the movements of
corporal creatures are set in order through the ministry of the
angels, according to Augustine (De Trin. iii, 4), it was fitting
that, besides the sword turning every way, there should be cherubim
"to keep the way of the tree of life." Hence Augustine says (Gen. ad
lit. xi, 40): "It is to be believed that even in the visible paradise
this was done by heavenly powers indeed, so that there was a fiery
guard set there by the ministry of angels."
Reply Obj. 6: After sin, if man had [eaten] of the tree of life, he
would not thereby have recovered immortality, but by means of that
beneficial food he might have prolonged his life. Hence in the words
"And live for ever," "for ever" signifies "for a long time." For it
was not expedient for man to remain longer in the unhappiness of this
life.
Reply Obj. 7: According to Augustine (Gen. ad lit. xi, 39), "these
words of God are not so much a mockery of our first parents as a
deterrent to others, for whose benefit these things are written, lest
they be proud likewise, because Adam not only failed to become that
which he coveted to be, but did not keep that to which he was made."
Reply Obj. 8: Clothing is necessary to man in his present state of
unhappiness for two reasons. First, to supply a deficiency in respect
of external harm caused by, for instance, extreme heat or cold.
Secondly, to hide his ignominy and to cover the shame of those
members wherein the rebellion of the flesh against the spirit is most
manifest. Now these two motives do not apply to the primitive state.
because then man's body could not be hurt by any outward thing, as
stated in the First Part (Q. 97, A. 2), nor was there in man's body
anything shameful that would bring confusion on him. Hence it is
written (Gen. 2:23): "And they were both naked, to wit Adam and his
wife, and were not ashamed." The same cannot be said of food, which
is necessary to entertain the natural heat, and to sustain the body.
Reply Obj. 9: As Augustine says (Gen. ad lit. xi, 31), "We must not
imagine that our first parents were created with their eyes closed,
especially since it is stated that the woman saw that the tree was
fair, and good to eat. Accordingly the eyes of both were opened so
that they saw and thought on things which had not occurred to their
minds before, this was a mutual concupiscence such as they had not
hitherto."
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