“Neither shall ye touch it” were the words Eve added. As noted, we don’t see adverbs like “she spoke defensively” in the Bible. However, her defenses were clearly up. She didn’t doubt God’s goodness yet. She may have even known something was wrong with what the devil had said. But, she didn’t go to someone to get a clarification. Instead, she relied on her own strength, though the devil’s misquote had caused her to stumble.
Several things need to be considered first to explain this point.
First, was it sin to add to God’s Word? The answer is no, it couldn’t have been. There were no false prophets, because there was no need for prophets. True prophets told people God’s Word, and warned of God’s judgment, because people didn’t have direct access to God. Eve did, however. She hadn’t yet been separated from God by sin.
Others have said this was Adam’s doing. They say he either told her more than was needed out of protectiveness, or he explained it wrong. Both seem dubious at best.
One possibility is that Adam told Eve the rule, but also said that, for her own protection, she should think of it as not being able to touch the fruit of that tree. I don’t think this can be true, though it has the greatest chance of anything if it was Adam’s doing. For one thing, Eve quotes God; not Adam. Second, Eve was bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh. There was perfect trust between Adam and Eve. Since Adam trusted her so much, why would he feel the need to tell her something different? He may have had the same boundary in his own mind. And, boundaries are important in any relationship. So, I don’t totally discount it. The error of relying on one’s own strength could have been Adam’s to begin with. But, it was more likely Eve’s.
Some say there could have been miscommunication. Adam may have confused the rule when he repeated it to Eve. But, this doesn’t seem possible. Communication problems began when sin entered into the world. They don’t exist in a perfect world. Adam had perfect recall of what God had said.
It wasn’t possible for Adam to lie, either. Lying is the worst form of miscommunication; it is deliberately misleading someone. Adam and Eve had a perfect relationship, though, before sin entered into the world. It’s one thing if he told Eve, “We’re not allowed to eat of it, so for our own sake, let’s both vow not to touch it.” It’s a totally different thing if he told Eve the wrong rule on purpose. Lying is a sin. Since lying is a sin, it was something that came into the world by Adam’s act. But, if he had committed that sin and lied, he would have already fallen, and the devil would have had no need to tempt Eve.
You may wonder, then, why Eve’s misquote was not lying? A paraphrase is different from a total lie, for one thing. She likely added the “Neither shall ye touch it” herself. Consider this: Your friend tells you that he bought a new car. You learn from a mutual friend that he has since begun to build a house. Now, a different mutual friend asks you how this person is doing. It would be very proper, grammatically, to say, “Our friend told me he bought a new car. He is also building a new house.”
It’s still the error of legalism, though, because legalism isn’t necessarily adding to God’s Word, although it can be, and cults often do this. Legalism is often adding mankind’s rules to God’s rules, and making them as if they are God’s rules.
Only God’s rules are perfect. Because Eve trusted in her own strength, a seed of doubt was placed, wondering if God’s Word was enough. If we wonder if God’s Word is enough, we wonder if it is right. And, if we wonder if God’s Word is right, we began to wonder if it is even true. God’s Word must not be added to or taken from; that is why our Lord says that "Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." (Matt. 5:18)
