Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil
The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil was the tree in Eden from which God commanded Adam not to eat. It marked a clear test of obedience, and eating from it was the occasion of humanity’s fall into sin.
At a Glance
The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil was the tree in Eden from which God commanded Adam not to eat. It marked a clear test of obedience, and eating from it was the occasion of humanity’s fall into sin.
Description
The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil is the tree God placed in the Garden of Eden and explicitly forbade Adam to eat from (with Eve later receiving and hearing that command as well). In the biblical account, the tree is not presented as evil in itself, but as the focal point of God’s command and therefore a real test of human obedience, dependence, and trust. After the serpent’s temptation, Adam and Eve ate from it in rebellion against God, and that act marked the entrance of sin and death into the human race. Interpreters have differed over the full nuance of the expression “knowledge of good and evil,” but the safest conclusion is that the tree signified a boundary God set for His image-bearers and that taking its fruit represented morally accountable disobedience rather than innocent curiosity. The main theological importance of the tree lies in the fall narrative of Genesis 3 and its implications for sin, judgment, and humanity’s need for redemption.
Study-aid notice
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Data
Machine-readable JSON for Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil