The Sound Of The Lord

Genesis 3:8 (ESV)

And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

The Hebrew word translated here as “sound” is usually translated as “voice”. The Hebrew translated as “cool” is usually translated as “breath” or “spirit.” 

So this verse could be translated -The voice of the Lord was walking in the in the garden as His Spirit came to visit the man and his wife. Instead of entering His presence with joy, they hid among the trees of the garden. 

They had died to the Lord in the fellowship of the Spirit and that is why the Lord called out, “Where are you?” They hid among the trees that were in the garden, but outside the intimate presence of the Lord. They were still alive in the creaturely sense and would live that way for a long time after leaving the garden.