The Bible Book

32 THE FALL

The forbidden fruit from the Tree

of the Knowledge of Good and Evil

passes from Eve to Adam in a detail

from Cornelus van Haarlem’s The Fall

of Man, c.1592.

I

n the third chapter of Genesis,

Adam and Eve’s disobedience,

punishment, and alienation

from God pave the way for the

emergence of evil, bringing suffering,

discord, and death into a sinless

world. Until then, Adam and Eve live

and work in paradise, enjoying a

close relationship with each other

and with God. They are forbidden

only one thing—fruit from the Tree

of the Knowledge of Good and Evil,

which grows in the center of the

garden. Eating this, warns God, will

result in death. He gives no reasons

or details for His command, but

Adam obeys and avoids the Tree.

IN BRIEF

PA S SAGE

Genesis 3:1–24

THEME

Original sin

SETTING

Primeval period The

Garden of Eden during

the time covered by the first

11 chapters of Genesis.

KEY FIGURES

Serpent In the Christian view,

the embodiment of Satan, the

archenemy of God.

Adam The first man, created

by God in His own image on

the sixth day of creation.

Eve The first woman, created

as a companion for Adam,

with whom he would populate

the Earth.

It is the serpent, identified in

Genesis 3:1 as an extremely

crafty animal, that questions

God’s motives in forbidding the

fruit. It slyly implies that God is

deliberately withholding something

desirable—the means by which

Adam and Eve can obtain wisdom

and be like God. Eve needs little

persuasion. The fruit looks good

and she is tempted, so she eats

For God knows that

when you eat from it

your eyes will be

opened, and you will

be like God, knowing

good and evil.

Genesis 3:5

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