how is it that the forbidden fruit is also called the fruit of knowledge?

Answer 1

Great question ! Those who teach the bible say that most people read this passage and translate the word "knowledge "very literally
ie: knowledge as education, books etc
The translation must be based on the times it was written ( no such schools were present) and the words "to know " translates loosely to disobedience, good and bad that resulted in the loss of innocence

Answer 2

The "fruit" you are refering to is the "Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil." It is called the forbidden fruit because the Creator in the Old Testament forbade Adam and Eve - the first humans - from eating it, thus learning the knowledge of good and evil.

Answer 3

God set the rule about the fruit. The knowledge of good and evil was to be forbidden to mankind so that we would be innocent, also so God alone would have the knowledge of good and evil and the judgment of same.

The consequence of eating the fruit is that we have free will and understand the difference
between right and wrong. There for we are each judged and may fall short, through having made wrong choices, i. e sinning.

Answer 4

hi,
Although the apple is often represented as the' forbidden fruit'.
I have read that the tomatoe may have also been seen as an apple like fruit. And just as Buddha sat under a tree , and an interesting tree he sat under, especially for its fruit of dates or what we might call figs.

Real knowledge or perhaps enlightenment , might be that fresh fruit and even veg is good for us even if some of us prefer different things. Hay what about the humble peach.... he,he,

Answer 5

'Forbidden fruit' equated with the fruit of knowledge is an idea that has persisted, because it was useful for it to persist. Many ideas that have an religious association are promoted, or have been promoted, because they have an ideological function which is enhanced by the religious authority they carry.

The hymn that starts out "All things bright and beautiful..." used to have the words "The rich man in his castle, the poor man at his gate, God made them high and lowly, and ordered their estate..." but that verse is now customarily missed out from hymnals because it is is far too blatant in what it is legitimating.

So, to equate knowledge with forbidden fruit is to discourage 'the masses' from acquiring too much knowledge because there is a vested interest in them staying pretty ignorant. In an exploitative society to acquire knowledge of how you are exploited is to be in a position to change things...

Answer 6

Actually that is not correct.

In Orthodox Jewish tradition, the forbidden fruit refers NOT to knowledge but to absolute perfection (a state apparently required for man to commune with good).

In orthodox Christianity, the forbidden fruit is closely aligned with the idea of "original sin" which again, is NOT about knowledge but is about the inherently flawed nature of man (the god-vs-evil debate)

Now, here's the kicker that most Christian followers will be up in arms about........the forbiden fruit as knowledge is actually an element of gnosticism which was intially a fringe group of the early christians and some of the doctrines have since been incorporated into traditional/orthdox christian texts..........the concept of knowledge as an ideal state of man is of course borrowed from the ancient Greeks and amongst gnostics, knowledge or wisdom is the final and lowest emanation of God and the only state that man can aspire to in order to commune with God. So to seek knowledge is to see the worldly form of God........ (in gnosticism he has many forms and some of them are beyond man's capabilty to understand. The Sophia or wisdom is the lowest version he has since it is the closest to man).

Answer 7

This is found in the Garden of Eden,in the beginning.

After God made all the plants and animals he got lonely and made man
(the Womens Right movement loves this part)
When man got lonely, God Made Women from Addams rib.
( I never understood why God didn't just snap his fingers!)

Here's the part we're interested in.

God made the Tree of Life the fruit of which was called The Fruit of Knowledge and God told Addam that he couldn't eat from the Tree of Life unless he (God) was around.

The fruit was forbidden ar Forbidden Fruit.

Answer 8

Okay Prakash,

I am going to have to use the Indian in me for this one. Of course my indian is navajo and cherokee and Apache
Anyway, the forbidden fruit referred to in the Old Testament of the Bible some believe is an apple. The apple. Okay, let's start there. The apple is Red. Red being a color that we associate both with Love and Danger. Some say that a serpent or asp or snake depending again on what language or culture you follow, tempted Eve to eat an apple or piece of forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Eve ate it and thought it was so good that she told Adam to quite simply....try this. He did.

The next passage in Genesis tells us that at that moment they realized they were naked and in trouble. Theyknew their parents caught them in the act and that they had to be punished for disobeying.
The only rule that their God, their Father and Mother, had given them. Don't disobey us. They knew they were wrong and for the first time in their life they knew shame. This shame for what they had done (probably had sex without Dad's approval) ( Didn't ask God/Father for her hand in marriage)....and then Dad said they had to leave the Garden of Eden.....(translation) shotgun wedding and get out of my house.....no man is ever good enough for a girls Daddy unless he respects the Dad and the girl. Mommy said Oh ..........................she loves him, and she's with child and so we had the first shotgun wedding. Cain a product of love and sin and ABle a child of Pure Love.

Adam and Eve went out from the garden and had to spread their seed to populate the world. They had two sons. Cain and Able
The two sons were the first real examples of Sibling Rivalry. IN the story Cain killed ABle and when asked about it he responded, "AM I my brother's keeper." God's answer was pretty much yes so he lays down the next law....the golden rule....treat others the way you wan tot be treated. Cain was not happy with this law and God said he would Mark him and the world would see him for what he was....a murderer. Old Testament followers believe that Adam and Eve populated the whole earth after that and the Bible goes into one story after of what is today beleived to be the history of both the Jewish and Christian faiths. There are other beliefs that art the older brothers and sisters of history and time and religion these are shown metaphorically all throughout the Bible and every other book of faith throughtout the world.

Answer 9

As we learn more (via knowledge) we become aware of a wider, or deeper, universe/world/reality that surrounds us.
Often we have to cross previously uncharted territories (in our own minds, or others') in order to gain this knowledge.
Perhaps this thirst for knowledge might make us question the very fruit we are consuming.
I could be dark in my answer and suggest that the christian system suggests its followers are forbidden to taste that knowledge and questioning in order to keep them more sheep-ly. But actually I like this question, it is hard to say how that scintillating fruit is just out of reach (forbidden) so that you have to stand on your toes (do some work) to eat it up (gain knowledge).
Yes this is my answer: To really learn (educationally or spiritually) we must work hard and push a bit harder than usual. :)

Answer 10

God told Eve not to eat the apple from the tree of knowledge. It was the forbidden fruit. The devil (in the form of a snake) tempted her to try it. Out of curiosity she did & was punished by being cast out of paradise. Ignorance is bliss. Knowledge is misery.