In verse 16 God addresses the woman.

I will greatly multiply your pain in childbearing: this is not in the form of a curse, as in the case of the snake, although the content has the effect of a curse. Greatly multiply translates a Hebrew intensive construction: “I will very much increase, make worse your pain.” Pain translates a word meaning “trouble, difficulty, labor.” Childbearing is literally “conception.” The focus is not upon the act of conception but rather upon the state of pregnancy, and so Bible en français courant has “I will make your pregnancies painful,” and Good News Translation “… increase your trouble in pregnancy.”

In pain you shall bring forth children: the word pain is the same as above. Here, however, the reference is to labor pains that accompany childbirth, and these are represented as punishment for the woman’s disobedience. In translation the words for pain in both clauses should be terms associated with pregnancy and labor pains.

Yet your desire shall be for your husband: yet translates the usual Hebrew connective, but the context indicates a contrast. Good News Translation has “in spite of this.” Desire translates a noun meaning “urge, want, yearning, longing.” The sense is that of “attraction” and is used in Song 7.10 of the man’s desire for the woman. Bible en français courant translates “You will feel yourself drawn to your husband,” Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “but your desire will take you to your husband.” Since desire is a general term, it may be too vague in translation or may suggest more than is intended. In such cases it may be better to say, for example, “you will still want to be with your husband,” “you will still want to remain close to your husband.” “Still” here emphasizes the continuing of the desire. In some translations this is expressed as “you will keep on wanting your husband.” For husband see 3.6.

And he shall rule over you: and links this clause with the previous statement. The traditional understanding of the verb rendered rule over is “to dominate, control, be master over.” Rule has the sense of compelling someone to do what the ruler wishes. In some languages this idea may be expressed as “he will still be your master,” “he will have the power to command you,” or “he will be able to make you do what he wants.”

Although all modern translations understand rule over as the man dominating or controlling the woman, some scholars argue that this text, and the Old Testament generally, do not support that interpretation. The Hebrew word rendered rule over is mashal, which can also be understood to mean “to be like.” Accordingly some interpreters understand that the man will “be like” the woman in wanting to be with her just as she desires to be with him. With this in mind we may translate the last two lines of Revised Standard Version as “you will want to be with your husband just as he likewise will want to be with you” or “your desire will be for your husband, just as his desire will be for you.” If this rendering is not placed in the text, it may be placed in a footnote.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .