Blurb:

The text translated in this chapter is a short excerpt of Saadia Gaon’s (882-942 CE) Judeo-Arabic commentary on Genesis 3. This excerpt focuses on the punishments of Adam, Eve, and the serpent. It is organized in the form of questions and answers, posed by an anonymous adversary and answered by Saadia. One of the major exegetical difficulties with which Saadia deals here is that of theodicy. Innocent beings seem to be punished for the sins of their fathers, the serpent is punished for telling what is, allegedly, the truth, and various other creatures carry the burden of the serpent’s punishments although they were not involved in its mischief. Saadia’s ethical discussion in this excerpt reflects his deep commitment to the Jewish tradition, as well as the influence upon his thought of contemporaneous trends in the Islamicate world.