Some complementarian theologians argue that since the context of Genesis 4:7 is that sin desires to dominate Cain and he must resist it, the meaning of Genesis 3:16 must be that the woman wrongly desires to dominate the man.
In 2016, English Standard Version translators seemingly made this interpretation more explicit by changing the wording to “your desire shall be contrary to your husband.” Now, the TOC is changing the wording back to the more generic phrasing, making it open to other interpretations.
Christian blogger Marg Mowczko celebrated the recent change from the ESV, despite not being a fan of that Bible translation. She explains her view of Genesis 3:16 in a post titled, “Teshuqah: The Woman’s ‘Desire’ in Genesis 3:16.”
Kirk E. Miller, editor of digital content at digital Bible study platform Logos, created a short video explaining the ESV’s recent changes to Genesis 3:16 and 4:7. “Admittedly, the prior rendering, or the current rendering, I should say, is injecting a bit of an interpretation into the translation,” said Miller. “This is a viable way to interpret this passage, but it is admittedly sort of importing that into the translation itself.”
The ESV recently announced updates to its translation. @KirkMiller_ highlights one of the more notable changes.
What do you make of the proposed adjustment to Genesis 3:16? pic.twitter.com/Rh2eRDCWly
— Logos Bible Study Platform (@Logos) February 12, 2025
Many of the revisions the English Standard Version is rolling out are minor changes to prepositions or to footnotes. The committee did decide to change a heading in Exodus 22:15–16 that currently says, “Laws About Social Justice,” to, “Laws for a Just Community.”
“Another notable update appears in John 1:18,” the committee said in its announcement. “‘The only God’ has been updated to ‘God the only Son,’ with ‘God’ corresponding to theos and “only Son” to monogenēs (as in John 1:14).”
“This translation incorporates the concept of descent (which is an implication of monogenēs in context) and maintains concordance with the other occurrences of monogenēs in the New Testament,” said the TOC.
Here is a full list of the ESV’s new revisions. “Given that more than 540 editions of the ESV are currently in print worldwide, the rollout of the text update will take nearly two years to complete,” said the TOC. “The first copies of the new ESV text editions will be released in the spring of 2025, and, Lord willing, almost all of them will be published by the fall of 2026.”
The TOC quoted the ESV’s preface, saying, “We know that no Bible translation is perfect, but we also know that God uses imperfect and inadequate things to his honor and praise.”
“So to our triune God and to his people, we offer what we have done,” the quote continued, “with our prayers that it may prove useful, with gratitude for much help given, and with ongoing wonder that our God should ever have entrusted to us so momentous a task. To God alone be the glory!”
 of the Bible will change Genesis 3:16 from saying, “Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you," back to the ESV’s 2001 translation, “Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.”){kind=link}