I’ve often puzzled over אַף in Genesis 3:1. I think the normal translation, “really,” is fine—“Did God really say … ?” But the point isn’t to call into question whether God actually said the command of Genesis 2:17. In the narrative world, God just said it a few verses ago. It wouldn’t make sense to question whether or not something actually happened when you just lived it 5 minutes ago.

The snake is questioning the goodness of the command, the goodness in light of the extent of the command: “Did God really go so far as to say you couldn’t eat from any tree of the garden? Man, that’s harsh.”

Of course, the snake exaggerated the command, and the woman corrects the snake. The emotive punch, however, has landed: God’s instructions can’t really be good for you. It’s a crafty way to plant the seed of doubt, and of course it works.