Walter Vogels: Her Man with Her (Gn 3:6b)Église et Théologie, 28 (1997) 147-60The Paradise Story (Gn 2:4b-3:24), which has been read and interpreted in the most varied ways over thecenturies continues to intrigue the modern reader.1 There are 2 reasons in particular that explain the greatvariety of ways in which this biblical story has been understood. The first reason arises from the reader.2 Theinterpretation of a text is not a neutral process, but is always done by concrete individuals. Reading is neverobjective but always subjective. The reader brings to the text his or her own cultural background which ispart of the larger culture in which that person lives. It is interesting to see that a story which was consideredfor so long to be the story of the fall, has now become for some interpreters a story of human growth andliberation.3 The subjective reader should, however, try to avoid subjectivism.The second reason lies in the text itself. The story, which seems to be very simple, touches upon profoundhuman issues such as the relation between man and woman, suffering and death, labour and work. But thisstory, which treats such important questions, is rather short and contains, therefore, several gaps.4 All storieshave some, but the number of gaps that readers have suggested for the paradise story is impressive and theway they have filled them, even more so. There seems to be no limit to the imagination of the readers!These 2 reasons, which explain the great variety of readings of the story, apply in a special way to the versethat describes how the woman and the man ate of the fruit of the forbidden tree (3:6). The present study,which is limited to only part of this verse, is based upon and pursues previous studies on the paradise story.5Most scholars believe that the verse describes the sin of the woman and the man, but there has been muchdiscussion about why both of them ate. I don't pretend that this study will offer the definitive reading thatwill replace all o...