We’ve been warned about this; the very first lines of Paradise Lost are

Of Man’s first disobedience, and the fruit
Of that forbidden tree whose mortal taste
Brought death into the World.

The repetition of “dis”-words may seem cheap, but Milton is showing his masterful punning skills. Dis was also another name for Hell (such as the City of Dis in Dante’s Divine Comedy), so the repetition covertly draws a direct line between disobedience, Hell, and all sorts of DIStatesful things that happen after the fall when the world becomes effectively Satan’s.

“Except much younger, and with better defined abs”

This is primary verse behind the concept of Imago Dei, which says that because all humans are made in the image of God, all humans have inherent value.

By way of contrast, in Islam the concept of Imago Dei does not exist, as God does not have a form.

To some readers, the plural pronouns in this line dispute the notion of monotheism just twenty-six verses into the book. A traditional Jewish reading is that God is referring to himself plus the host of angels, while a traditional Christian reading is of an early indication of the Trinity. This line can also be read as a usage of the “royal we”.

The Greek word for “stranger” (“xenos”) is often translated as “guest-friend” – back then, it was considered nice, not creepy, to invite strangers into one’s home (unless they were the wrong race or something).

Some translations just say “brothers”, but feminist biblical historians relish the fact that the Greek word can be used for both genders