What Did God Clothe Adam and Eve With?

By Linda Kirby/WGON

In Genesis 3:21, we find: "And the LORD God made coats of skin for Adam and for his wife and clothed them." However, the specific type of animal skin used is not mentioned.

This passage presents a profound type and shadow. Humanity entered into sin when Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge and shared it with Adam, leading to both partaking in the act that condemned mankind to sinfulness. In His mercy, God provided humanity with a covering for those sins so they would not face eternal separation from Him. This act is symbolized by the coats of skin given to Adam and Eve, representing a covering for sin.

From that point onward, sacrificial lambs and the shedding of blood became the atonement for humanity’s sins. Yet, this atonement was temporary and required repetition year after year.

Speculations on the Type of Skin

Many theories arise concerning what skin God used. One traditional Jewish explanation suggests it was the skin of a snake, aligning with the description of "animal skin." However, this interpretation poses challenges. Snakes naturally shed their skin, meaning no death or shedding of blood would have occurred—elements essential to the type and shadow presented here. Without death or bloodshed, the snake is inconsistent with God’s intention in this account.

Other ideas range from the skin of trees to miraculous clothing provided directly by God. However, none align with the type and shadow representing the gospel message in this narrative.

The Gospel Foreshadowed

The omission of the specific type of animal is significant. Through this type and shadow, God foreshadows the ultimate atonement for sin—Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. The necessity of death and the shedding of blood to cover sin points directly to the Lamb of God, who would take away the sins of the world permanently, not temporarily. Once you accept Jesus’ sacrifice, you no longer have to be repeatedly covered by the blood, because Jesus accomplished this once and for all for all who accept His blood.

It is reasonable to infer that the animal used to create the coats of skin may have been a lamb. This aligns with the consistent theme throughout scripture of Jesus as the sacrificial Lamb.

Genesis 3:21 provides the first instance of the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. Types and shadows of Christ’s coming and His atoning death are woven throughout the Old Testament. In keeping with this consistency, it is compelling to believe that the clothing given to Adam and Eve was made from the skin of a lamb.