His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains that when God asked Adam, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9), it was not because God lacked knowledge, but because He wanted to lead Adam to self-awareness, confession, and repentance.

1. God Is Omniscient:
God knows all things; He cannot be ignorant of Adam’s location.
The question was not geographical but spiritual — meant to confront Adam with his fall.

2. The Purpose of God’s Question:
“Where are you?” was a call to repentance, not an inquiry.
It was God’s gentle way of awakening Adam’s conscience and giving him the chance to admit his sin.

3. Similar Examples in Scripture:

• God asked Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” (Genesis 4:9), not because He didn’t know, but to expose Cain’s guilt, as seen when He said, “Your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.”

• God asked Job, “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” (Job 38:4), to humble him and remind him of human limitation before divine wisdom.

4. Literary Use of Questions:
In Scripture and classical language, questions often serve purposes other than seeking information:

• For rebuke or irony, as in: “Does the buzzing of a fly harm anyone?” — a rhetorical way to show contempt.

• For praise or wonder, as in: “Where is a father like mine?” — expressing pride, not inquiry.
  Likewise, God’s questions are didactic and moral, not inquisitive.

5. Spiritual Meaning of “Where Are You?”
It is as though God said:

“Where are you, Adam, from the grace you once enjoyed? From the obedience you once had?”
It was not about physical location but spiritual distance — a question directed to every human soul that strays from God.

Faith Message:
God never asks because He is unaware; He asks because He cares.
His questions are the voice of divine love, calling humanity back to repentance.
Every divine question is an invitation to return, not an investigation of facts.

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