Does God tell Eve that because she sinned, Adam will rule over her?

Adam and Eve chose to disobey God’s direction (Gen. 2:15-17) and ate the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. As a result, the perfect relationship between humanity and God, humanity and creation, and man and woman was ruptured. When God asked them what happened, Adam refused to accept responsibility and blamed both God and Eve. 

The Man said, “the woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.”

Genesis 3:12 (NRSV)

Eve did not dare blame God, but she did admit to her sin.  

God had to explain the horrible consequences that would result because of human disobedience. Where there had once been cohesion between humanity and animals, now there would be enmity. Humanity’s own created bodies would now struggle as Eve would suffer in childbirth and Adam would suffer to bring forth food. Not only would the consequences be physical, but they would also be spiritual. Eve would now turn her focus from God to man for fulfillment, making it easy for him to rule her. But it is important to remember that these were not curses, they were consequences. Only two were cursed in Scripture: the serpent and the land. The curse on the land will cause an endless struggle for sustenance. The serpent, cursed to crawl on its belly and eat dust, will eventually be crushed by the seed of the woman.

What is more, human rebellion is the cause of male-rule (or patriarchy). God warned Eve, “your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you” (Gen. 3:16b). This was not God’s original design, yet male-rule became a terrible consequence of the sinful choice of both man and woman. But just as parents do all they can to work with wayward children toward restoration, so too, God would move heaven and earth to redeem and transform human sin through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Gender hierarchy is a result of sin, not a command of God.  God’s work in Christ is against the effects of sin. Jesus came to restore relationship between God, humanity, and creation.