FIG-LEAVES
Fig leaves are the leaves Adam and Eve used to make coverings for themselves after they sinned. They can symbolize human attempts to deal with guilt and shame apart from God's provision.
At a Glance
Fig leaves are the leaves Adam and Eve used to make coverings for themselves after they sinned. They can symbolize human attempts to deal with guilt and shame apart from God's provision.
Description
Fig leaves appear in Genesis 3:7, where Adam and Eve, after disobeying God, make coverings for themselves. At the historical level, the text records their immediate response to newfound shame and guilt. In Christian interpretation, fig leaves have commonly been treated as a symbol of human self-covering—an inadequate effort to address sin, guilt, and exposure apart from the Lord's gracious provision. That application fits the broader biblical contrast between human efforts and God's saving work, especially since God later provides garments for them (Gen. 3:21). Still, interpreters should be careful not to press the symbol beyond what Scripture clearly states; the safest conclusion is that fig leaves illustrate the shame introduced by sin and man's instinctive but insufficient attempt to hide it.