Why Jesus Apologetics

“And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
Hebrews 4:13 (ESV)

One of the core attributes of God in the Christian faith is His omniscience i.e. His all-knowing nature. The Bible consistently portrays God as possessing perfect knowledge of all things, past, present, and future. However, critics, including some from Muslim perspectives, have pointed to Genesis 3:9, where God asks Adam, “Where are you?” after the Fall, as evidence that the God of the Bible lacks omniscience. They argue this question implies God did not know Adam’s location, thus challenging His all-knowing nature.

This blog post seeks to address this critique thoroughly, demonstrating that the Bible unequivocally affirms God’s omniscience and that the question in Genesis 3:9 does not undermine this doctrine. By examining the biblical text, its context, and theological implications, we will show that God’s question to Adam reflects His relational nature and pedagogical purpose, not a limitation in His knowledge.

The Biblical Affirmation of God’s Omniscience

Before addressing the specific verse in question, let’s establish the Bible’s clear teaching on God’s omniscience. The Scriptures consistently affirm that God possesses complete and perfect knowledge:

Psalm 139:1-4:

“O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar… Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.”

This passage highlights God’s intimate knowledge of every aspect of human life, including thoughts and actions.

Isaiah 46:9-10:

“I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.’”

God’s ability to foretell the future demonstrates His knowledge of all events across time.

Hebrews 4:13:

“And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

This underscores that nothing escapes God’s knowledge.

1 John 3:20:

“For whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.”

This verse explicitly states that God’s knowledge is comprehensive.

These passages, among many others, establish that the God of the Bible is omniscient, knowing all thing, visible and invisible, past, present, and future. With this foundation, let’s turn to the specific verse critics cite: Genesis 3:9.

Understanding Genesis 3:9 in Context

In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve disobey God by eating the forbidden fruit. After their sin, they hide from God among the trees of the Garden of Eden. The text reads:

“But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, ‘Where are you?’”

(Genesis 3:9, ESV)

Critics argue that God’s question implies He was unaware of Adam’s location, thus contradicting the doctrine of omniscience. However, a careful examination of the context, language, and purpose of the question reveals a different picture.

The Relational Nature of God’s Question

God’s question, “Where are you?” is not a literal inquiry about Adam’s physical location. Instead, it serves a relational and theological purpose. God, being omniscient, knew exactly where Adam and Eve were hiding. The question was a rhetorical device, designed to engage Adam in self-reflection and to initiate a conversation about his spiritual state.
After eating the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve experienced shame and guilt, prompting them to hide from God (Genesis 3:8). By asking, “Where are you?” God was drawing attention to their attempt to distance themselves from Him due to their sin. The question was less about geography and more about their broken relationship with their Creator. It was an invitation for Adam to acknowledge his sin and take responsibility for his actions. Simply put, it was about holding Adam and Eve accountable for what they had done. Let’s now examine these questions and the responses they elicited:

Question #1 (to Adam):

“Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9)

Prompted Answer:

“I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself” (Genesis 3:10).

God’s question was not about Adam’s physical location. He knew exactly where Adam was, as His omniscience ensures no one can hide from Him (Psalm 139:7–12). Instead, the question addressed Adam’s spiritual state. By hiding, Adam revealed his guilt and alienation from God. The question invited Adam to acknowledge his fear and shame, initiating a dialogue about his sin.

Questions #2 and #3 (to Adam):

“Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded you that you should not eat?” (Genesis 3:11)
Prompted Answer:

“The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat” (Genesis 3:12).

These questions further probe Adam’s actions, urging him to admit his disobedience. God knew Adam had eaten the fruit, as He knows all things (1 John 3:20). The questions served to confront Adam with the reality of his sin and its consequences, awareness of nakedness and violation of God’s command. Adam’s response, though deflecting blame to Eve, confirms his guilt, fulfilling the purpose of God’s inquiry.

3.  Question #4 (to Eve):

“What is this that you have done?” (Genesis 3:13a)
Prompted Answer:

“The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat” (Genesis 3:13b)

Directed to Eve, this question similarly calls for accountability. God was fully aware of Eve’s role in the transgression, but by asking, He prompted her to confess her deception by the serpent and her choice to eat the fruit. Like Adam, Eve’s response shifts blame but admits her action, aligning with God’s intent to bring their sin into the open.

This interpretation aligns with how God interacts with humanity throughout Scripture. For example, in Genesis 4:9, God asks Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” after Cain murders Abel. God was not ignorant of Abel’s fate but used the question to confront Cain’s sin and elicit a response. Similarly, in Job 38–41, God asks Job a series of questions about the universe, not because God lacks knowledge, but to reveal Job’s limitations and God’s sovereignty.

These questions mirror a common human practice: we ask questions not because we lack knowledge but to encourage others to admit their actions. For example, a parent might ask a child, “What did you do?” after witnessing a misdeed, not to learn the truth but to foster accountability. Similarly, God’s omniscient questions in Genesis 3 were a gracious invitation for Adam and Eve to confront their sin, recognize their lost condition, and begin the process of restoration.

The Hebrew word ayeka

Linguistically, in Hebrew, there are two primary words for “where”: eyfo and ayeka. Eyfo is typically used when requesting a physical location i.e asking where something is. However, this is not the word used in Genesis 3:9.

The word used is ayeka, and it carries a deeper and more personal implication. It expresses not merely a search for physical whereabouts, but a concern over absence or change. In that context, when God asks Adam, “Where are you?” (Hebrew: ayeka), the question is better understood as “What has become of you?” or “Why are you no longer in your rightful place?”. It’s not about cognitive knowledge; it’s about moral and relational dislocation. The question is a divine prompt intended to stir Adam’s conscience and lead him toward confession and reconciliation.

If the critics examine the four questions God posed to Adam and Eve, along with their responses, it becomes clear that the purpose was accountability, a loving confrontation designed to bring their hidden guilt into the open and prompt a return to truth.

Anthropomorphic Language in Scripture

The Bible often uses anthropomorphic language, describing God in human terms to make His actions and character relatable to human readers. When God “asks” or “searches,” these actions reflect His engagement with humanity in a way we can understand, not a limitation in His nature. Genesis 3:9’s question is an example of such language, portraying God as a loving Father seeking His wayward children, not as a being unaware of their whereabouts.
Scholarly commentators, such as John Walton in The NIV Application Commentary: Genesis, note that God’s question reflects His desire to engage Adam relationally, not a lack of knowledge. Walton writes,

“The question is not for God’s benefit but for Adam’s. It invites Adam to consider his situation and come to terms with his alienation from God.”

Theological Purpose of the Question

God’s question in Genesis 3:9 also serves a pedagogical purpose. By asking Adam, “Where are you?” God prompts Adam to confront the reality of his sin and its consequences. The question shifts the focus from Adam’s physical hiding to his spiritual condition—his separation from God due to disobedience. This aligns with the broader narrative of Genesis 3, which emphasizes the relational rupture caused by sin and God’s initiative to restore that relationship.
Theologian R.C. Sproul explains,

“God’s question to Adam was not born of ignorance but of grace. It was an invitation for Adam to come out of hiding, to confess his sin, and to experience God’s mercy.”

Far from indicating a lack of knowledge, the question demonstrates God’s omniscience, as He fully understands Adam’s state and seeks to guide him toward repentance.

To further refute the claim that the God of the Bible lacks omniscience, consider additional biblical examples that demonstrate God’s comprehensive knowledge:

i. In Genesis 18:17-21, God reveals His plan to investigate Sodom and Gomorrah, yet the text makes clear that He already knows their sins. His “investigation” is a way of engaging with humanity justly, not a sign of ignorance.

ii. In the New Testament, Jesus demonstrates divine knowledge, such as knowing the thoughts of the Pharisees (Matthew 9:4) and predicting Peter’s denial (Luke 22:34). As the incarnate Son of God, Jesus shares the Father’s omniscience, further affirming this attribute.

iii. Prophecies throughout the Bible, such as those in Daniel or the predictions of Christ’s coming, demonstrate God’s perfect foreknowledge, which is incompatible with the idea that He lacks knowledge.

These examples, combined with the clear affirmations of God’s omniscience in Scripture, leave no doubt that the God of the Bible is all-knowing. The question in Genesis 3:9 must be interpreted in light of this broader theological framework.

Testing Omniscience in Islam: Qur’anic Passages Under Scrutiny

This is directed to Muslim critics who point to Genesis 3:9 (“Where are you, Adam?”) as evidence that the biblical God lacks omniscience. They contrast this with the Islamic conception of Allah, who is described in the Qur’an as all-knowing, for example, in Surah Al-Baqarah 2:29: “He is Knowing of all things.” They argue that God’s question in the Garden implies a deficiency in knowledge, unlike Allah’s supposed perfect awareness of all things.

But we’d like to turn the tables and invite our Muslim friends to consider their own sacred text more carefully. If they insist that God asking Adam a question must mean He didn’t know the answer, then they should be prepared to answer similar questions about Allah’s behavior in the Qur’an.

Although Allah is theoretically presented as all-knowing, a close reading of the Qur’an reveals several verses in which Allah appears to lack knowledge of past, present, or future events, something quite unlike the consistent omniscience demonstrated by the God of the Bible.

Here are some examples from the Qur’an that Muslims should seriously reflect on:

1. Surah Al-Ma’idah 5:116 – Allah Questions Jesus About Deification

Literal Translation:

“And [mention] when Allah said, ‘O Jesus, son of Mary! Did you say to the people: Take me and my mother as two gods besides Allah?’ He said, ‘Glory be to You! It is not for me to say what I have no right to. If I had said it, You would certainly have known it. You know what is within myself, but I do not know what is within Yourself. Indeed, You are the All-Knower of the unseen.’”

This verse presents Allah asking Jesus if he taught people to worship him and Mary. If Allah is truly all-knowing, why does He ask Jesus if he taught tritheistic (Not Trinitarian) worship? The question implies a need to know or confirm, especially when paired with Jesus’ clarification that Allah would have known if he had said it. We won’t go deep into more theological issues of this verse now (maybe in the future).

2. Surah Al-Imran 3:140–142 – Allah Tests So He May Know Who Believes

Literal Translation:

“If a wound has touched you, a similar wound has touched the [disbelieving] people. These are the days We alternate among the people, so that Allah may know those who believe, and take martyrs from among you. And Allah does not love the wrongdoers. And so that Allah may purify those who believe and eliminate the disbelievers. Or did you think that you would enter Paradise while Allah has not yet known those of you who strive and He has not known the steadfast?”

Note the phrases:

• “That Allah may know” (لِيَعْلَمَ ٱللَّهُ) – future-oriented acquisition of knowledge.
• “Allah has not yet known” (وَلَمَّا يَعْلَمِ ٱللَّهُ) – This is temporal language—“not yet”, referring to Allah’s own act of knowing as something awaiting a result.
• and He has not known the steadfast?

If Allah is all-knowing, why does He need to test people to discover who truly believes? The implication is that His knowledge is conditional or incomplete prior to the test, meaning the knowledge is acquired through the outcome of the test. (Let not go too deep yet-we will do that in the future)

3. Surah Al-Imran 3:166–167 – Allah Might Know the True Believers

Literal Translation:

“That which befell you on the day the two armies met was by permission of Allah that He might know the true believers and that He might know the hypocrites…”

Again, phrases like “that He might know” imply uncertainty or the need for discovery, which contradicts the claim of perfect omniscience.

4. Surah Al-Ma’idah 5:94 – Allah Tests So He Might Know Who Fears Him

Literal Translation:

“O you who believe! Allah will surely test you with something of the game that your hands and spears can reach, that Allah might know who fears Him in secret…”

The phrase “that Allah might know” again suggests that Allah doesn’t yet know who fears Him in secret until He conducts a test.

5. Surah Ta-Ha 20:17–18 – Allah Asks Moses What’s in His Hand

Literal Translation:

“And what is that in your right hand, O Moses?”
[Moses] said, “It is my staff…”

If Allah truly knows everything, why would He ask Moses such a basic question about what he’s holding?

So, if a divine question automatically implies ignorance (as some Muslim critics claim when analyzing Genesis 3:9), then they must also conclude that Allah lacks omniscience based on these Qur’anic examples.

The biblical view, however, understands that God’s questions are not for His benefit, but for ours, to provoke reflection, confession, and relationship. This is the nature of the question in Eden: not ignorance, but invitation.

Conclusion

The questions God asked Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:9–13, “Where are you?”, “Who told you that you were naked?”, “Have you eaten of the tree?” and “What is this that you have done?”, were not inquiries born of ignorance but divine calls to accountability. Grounded in His omniscience, God used these questions to prompt Adam and Eve to admit their sin, recognize their fallen state, and engage in a relationship with Him despite their disobedience. The Bible’s consistent affirmation of God’s all-knowing nature, coupled with the contextual purpose of these questions, refutes claims that the God of the Bible lacks omniscience.

To critics, we offer this invitation: explore the Bible’s rich portrayal of God’s character. His questions in Genesis 3 reveal not a limitation but a gracious pursuit of humanity, calling us to accountability and restoration. Let’s continue to study and discuss these truths, deepening our understanding of God’s infinite knowledge and love.