Eve’s Sorrow

By Sara Schnelle

Eve was not only the first mother, but also the first mother to lose a child. When Cain murdered Abel, and left for Nod, Eve must have been left to pick up the pieces, as women often do in family crises. I find it strange that the story of Eve dealing with the murder is not mentioned in Genesis. Her purpose in life was to be fruitful and multiply and then her first attempts resulted in terrible loss and pain. Then I found the verse that answered my question, God warns Eve that she will experience sorrow in bringing forth children (Gen 3:16). This has long been interpreted to mean that Eve’s sin in the Garden of Eden resulted in God cursing all of womankind with labor pains. However, I feel that new light can be shown on this verse when we consider Eve’s personal pain in bringing forth her children after they fell to such a tragic fate. This painting is dedicated to mothers of children who have committed atrocities and mothers who have outlived a child.

For close-up views of this piece click here.