John Ball of the 1381 Peasants Revolt: Going OFF Script from Scripture

And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Genesis 3:17

 

From the "mad priest" John Ball's Infamous Sermon that eventually led to his execution:

When Adam delved and Eve span,

Who was then the gentleman?

 

"When the quotation says that Adam delved, it is saying that he delved into the soil of the

earth he farmed; this illuminates the connection with the primary meaning of delve. In other words, it is another way to say that he tilled the soil, an old male-specific metaphor for general work in English.

When it says that Eve span, it is similarly referring to a female-specific metaphor for work; not so long ago, women were largely responsible for tailoring and mending the clothing of their household, and even today hobbies like crocheting and knitting are strongly associated with the feminine sex. Weaving cloth in those days would have required a distaff and a spindle; a spindle is a weighted object that spins as it releases cloth to the loom, which explains the use of the participle span.

.... gentlemen had less of a vague meaning than today, where it can be applied to just about anybody, rich or poor.

So in other words, the quotation can be crudely paraphrased thus:

Back when our righteous forefathers worked, who among them would have been better than the other, who would have observed any class distinctions?

That message would have soundly resonated with the rebels of the Peasant Revolt John Ball was preaching to." EnglishLanguageAndUsage

 

First, the main point he was extrapolating from the text would be correct. In the eyes of God---all---both noble and peasant are equal in His eyes.

BUT---where he strayed in his sermon is where he went on to oppose private property (if God didn't believe in private property why would He have commandments against stealing and coveting?).

And then he strayed even further by calling for the death of basically the rich.....

When Adam delved, and Eve span, who was then the gentleman? From the beginning all men by nature were created alike, and our bondage or servitude came in by the unjust oppression of naughty men. For if God would have had any bondmen from the beginning, he would have appointed who should be bond, and who free. And therefore I exhort you to consider that now the time is come, appointed to us by God, in which ye may (if ye will) cast off the yoke of bondage, and recover liberty.

Source: https://quotepark.com/quotes/1928684-john-ball-priest-when-adam-delved-and-eve-span-who-was-then-the-g/

When Adam delved, and Eve span, who was then the gentleman? From the beginning all men by nature were created alike, and our bondage or servitude came in by the unjust oppression of naughty men. For if God would have had any bondmen from the beginning, he would have appointed who should be bond, and who free. And therefore I exhort you to consider that now the time is come, appointed to us by God, in which ye may (if ye will) cast off the yoke of bondage, and recover liberty.

Source: https://quotepark.com/quotes/1928684-john-ball-priest-when-adam-delved-and-eve-span-who-was-then-the-g/

When Adam delved, and Eve span, who was then the gentleman? From the beginning all men by nature were created alike, and our bondage or servitude came in by the unjust oppression of naughty men. For if God would have had any bondmen from the beginning, he would have appointed who should be bond, and who free. And therefore I exhort you to consider that now the time is come, appointed to us by God, in which ye may (if ye will) cast off the yoke of bondage, and recover liberty.

Source: https://quotepark.com/quotes/1928684-john-ball-priest-when-adam-delved-and-eve-span-who-was-then-the-g/