“Who told you that you were naked?” What Genesis 3 says about shame

Shame tells you there is something wrong with who you are. It makes you want to hide. The Bible traces it back to a garden, and to a question God asked.

Before shame

The story starts with identity. God created people in his own image (Genesis 1:27). When he looked at everything he had made, he saw that it was very good (Genesis 1:31).

Then comes a short verse that is easy to skip:

“And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.” (Genesis 2:25, NKJV)

They had nothing to hide from God or from each other.

How shame came in

Genesis 3 opens with the serpent. Its first move is a question about what God said. It asks the woman whether God really told them not to eat from any tree in the garden (Genesis 3:1). She puts it right. They can eat from the trees, she says, apart from the one in the middle of the garden (Genesis 3:2-3).

Then the serpent contradicts God outright. It says they will not die, and suggests God is holding something back. If they eat, it says, their eyes will be opened and they will be like God (Genesis 3:4-5).

They eat. Their eyes are opened, and the first thing they notice is that they are naked. They stitch fig leaves together to cover themselves (Genesis 3:6-7). When they hear God walking in the garden, they hide among the trees (Genesis 3:8).

God’s questions

God goes looking for them. He calls to the man and asks where he is (Genesis 3:9). The man says he was afraid because he was naked, so he hid (Genesis 3:10).

Then God asks him who told him that he was naked (Genesis 3:11).

Their bodies were the same as they had been the day before. What had changed was how they saw themselves. A new voice had spoken, and they had believed it.

Blame follows quickly. The man blames the woman, and describes her as the woman God gave to be with him. The woman blames the serpent (Genesis 3:12-13).

Where shame still speaks

In episode 5 of Tea Time With Thandie, Who Told You That, Thandie walks through Genesis 2:25 to 3:13. She starts with identity before shame and the way the serpent questioned God’s word. The episode also connects the story to comparison and worth.

God’s question is worth asking about your own shame. A lot of what we believe about ourselves was first said to us by someone. It might have come from a parent, a teacher, an ex or a group chat. It might have come from your own inner critic.

Try asking:

• What do I believe is wrong with me?
• Who told me that, and when did I first hear it?
• Does it match what God has said about me?
• What have I been hiding because of it?

Write the answers down. Seeing them on paper can show you how old some of those voices are.

How God responds

God’s questions in Genesis 3 call Adam and Eve out of hiding. The story does not end with fig leaves either. Before they leave the garden, God himself makes clothes for them (Genesis 3:21). We look at that verse in Covering is not healing.

The New Testament speaks to shame directly. Paul writes that those who are in Christ Jesus face no condemnation (Romans 8:1). Read What does “identity in Christ” actually mean? for more of what God says about you.

Shame can also show up as comparison: the feeling that everyone else is doing better than you. If that sounds familiar, read How to stop comparing yourself to other people.

When shame will not lift

Long-term shame can wear down how you see yourself. The NHS says that when low self-esteem becomes a long-term problem, it can harm your mental health and lead to problems such as depression and anxiety (NHS). Talking to a trained counsellor can help. Read Can Christians go to therapy?

If you need help now

• If your life is at risk, or you do not feel you can keep yourself safe, call 999 or go to A&E (NHS).
• For urgent help with your mental health, call NHS 111 and choose the mental health option, or use 111 online.
• Call Samaritans free on 116 123, at any time of day or night.
• Text SHOUT to 85258 for free, confidential support by text, 24 hours a day (Shout).

To hear the whole conversation, listen to episode 5 of Tea Time With Thandie.