Genesis 3:16 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

We have here the sentence passed on the woman: she is condemned to a state of sorrow and subjection: proper punishments of a sin in which she had gratified her pleasure and her pride. I will greatly multiply thy sorrow In divers pains and infirmities peculiar to thy sex; and thy conception Thou shalt have many, and those oft-times fruitless conceptions and abortive births. In sorrow shalt thou bring forth children With more pain than any other creatures undergo in bringing forth their young: a lasting and terrible proof this that human nature is in a fallen state! Thy desire shall be to thy husband That is, as appears from Genesis 4:7, where the same phrase is used, Thy desires shall be referred or submitted to thy husband's will and pleasure, to grant or deny them as he sees fit. She had eaten of the forbidden fruit, and thereby had committed a great sin, in compliance with her own desire, without asking her husband's advice or consent, as in all reason she ought to have done in so weighty and doubtful a matter, and therefore she is thus punished. He shall rule over thee Seeing for want of thy husband's rule and guidance thou wast seduced, and didst abuse the power and influence I gave thee, by drawing thy husband into sin, thou shalt now be brought to a lower degree; and whereas thou wast made thy husband's equal, thou shalt henceforward be his inferior, and he shall rule over thee As thy lord and governor.