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My husband is convinced that Adam and Eve were commanded not to eat of EITHER tree of the garden... The tree of Knowledge And of The Tree of Life.

My husband is convinced that they never ever ate of The Tree of Life.

I personally think that they were not told that they couldn't eat of the Tree of Life and did eat of it... Thus the reason why they lived so long. He thinks if they had that they would have lived forever by just eating of the fruit just one time. I am not convinced. Please share with me supporting scripture of either.

The confusion arises because of the words of the serpent :

Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? [Genesis 3:1 KJV]

Could this confusion be clarified from scripture, please ?

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    Yes, your husband's right. Look, if they DID eat the fruit of life and that's the reason why they lived so long, then what do you think about Methuselah who lived for almost 1000 years. Methuselah was born long after Adam and Eve were banished from the garden which, had the tree of Life. Moreover, If you read the Bible you'll find that the main reason why God banished them from the garden was to make sure that they don't eat the fruit of life and become immortal.
    – lee
    Dec 28, 2020 at 15:44
  • @lee The main reason? It was the only reason!
    – Dave
    Dec 28, 2020 at 17:38
  • Yeah, it was the only reason. @Dave
    – lee
    Dec 29, 2020 at 9:27
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    Thank you for the clarification @NigelJ, just voted to reopen. Dec 30, 2020 at 14:25
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    @TiagoMartinsPeres李大仁 Thank you. Appreciated.
    – Nigel J
    Dec 30, 2020 at 14:40

2 Answers 2

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But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. [Genesis 2:17 KJV]

The only prohibitive command was not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? [Genesis 3:1 KJV]

The serpent questioned the command. There was no need to answer the serpent but the correct answer would have been 'No, we are allowed to eat of every tree of the garden'. For the tree of knowledge of good and evil is not stated to be in the garden.

The question is deliberately confusing.

But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. [Genesis 3:3 KJV]

Eve confused the two trees. She thought the forbidden tree was in the midst. It was not. The tree of life was in the midst. The serpent did not correct her. He left her confused.

And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. [Genesis 3:6 KJV]

The woman ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil only. There is no record of she or her husband partaking of the tree of life.

And Jehovah God saith, `Lo, the man was as one of Us, as to the knowledge of good and evil; and now, lest he send forth his hand, and have taken also of the tree of life, and eaten, and lived to the age,' [Genesis 3:22 Young's Literal Translation]

Young's Literal Translation indicates that now, the man was no longer as God (in respect of the tree of knowledge of good and evil) so the man is banished lest he also reach out and take of the tree of life and live for ever.

Whether he can or not, whether he is willing to or not, whether he is of a mind to do so or not, is completely irrelevant.

He will not be permitted to do so.

He had, as yet, clearly not done so. He could have done so, but now, having first taken of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, he is not permitted to - as well - take of the tree of life. He has made his choice and he cannot change it.

Mankind, in Adam, will never partake of the tree of life. He will age and he will sweat for his food and he will die.

But a provision is made for these two individuals, personally. God makes a sacrifice on their account and clothes them with skins.

And Adam believes the promise (of a seed yet to come through woman) and Adam calls her 'the mother of all living'.

And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living. [Genesis 3:20 KJV]

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Regarding the Tree of Life, there is further clarification in the Book of Revelation. Here those who wash their robes are given the right to the Tree of Life (22:14). Earlier (14:14) they are referred to as being as being sexually chaste and undefiled.

The implication is that the attainment of the Tree of Life was barred to Adam and Eve due to their violating the commandment against eating the Tree of Knowledge. The right to the Tree of Life is finally restored to them at the end of history. In a sense, the entire Bible is the story of the loss and restoration of the Tree of Life.

Other biblical references to the tree of life (whether the Tree in the Garden or not):

  • Genesis 3:24 He drove out the man; and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

  • Proverbs 3:18 She [Wisdom] is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called happy.

  • Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, but lawlessness takes away lives.

  • Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

  • Proverbs 15:4 A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.

  • Revelation 2:7 To him who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’

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In Jewish mysticism, the Tree of Life is represented by the ten sefirot, representing divine energies. It symbolizes both the "broken vessels" of God's cosmos and their manifestation in the microcosm of man.

The Tree of Life refers to much more than a physical tree. It describes a system of divine energy, flowing from the boundless Light of the Godhead (Ohr Ein Sof) into the created universe through medium of the ten Sephirot, the closest of which is the Shechinah, the indwelling presence of God in the world. Furthermore, this energy system is replicated in the microcosm of our own bodies and emotions. (See: The Tree of Life in Kabbalah)

The restoration of perfected humanity thus becomes the restoration both the cosmos and God.

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