In Genesis, how could Adam and Eve have known it was wrong to disobey God?

Question

If they had absolutely no knowledge of right or wrong before they ate from the Tree of Knowledge, how could they have possibly known that it was wrong to disobey God?

The Bible says, in no uncertain terms, that they did not know right from wrong or good from evil.

They could not have known that rules were not to be broken, because that would imply knowledge of "wrongness"

Answer 1

Adam: The original Sin



One of the 3 fundamental issues that Islam and Christianity disagree about is the original sin of Adam. The Quran describes the event of the creation of Adam, his sin and its outcome in various places in the Quran.


Adam Sins.
Adam's sin, and its outcome is depicted in the following verse of the Quran:
"O Adam dwell with your wife in the Garden and enjoy as you wish but approach not this tree or you run into harm and transgression. Then Satan whispered to them in order to reveal to them their shame that was hidden from them and he said:

'Your Lord only forbade you this tree lest you become angels or such beings as live forever.'

And he swore to them both that he was their sincere adviser. So by deceit he brought them to their fall: when they tasted the tree their shame became manifest to them and they began to sew together the leaves of the Garden over their bodies. And their Lord called unto them:

'Did I not forbid you that tree and tell you that Satan was your avowed enemy?' " (Quran 7:19-22).


Adam and Eve Repent and God Accepts.
When Adam and Eve realized that they have disobeyed God by eating the fruit they called:
"They said:
'Our Lord we have wronged ourselves souls. If You forgive us not and bestow not upon us Your Mercy, we shall certainly be of the losers' " (Quran 7:23)

And God accepts their plea:

".. Thus did Adam disobey his Lord, so he went Astray. Then his Lord chose him, and turned to him with forgiveness, and gave him guidance." (Quran 20:121-122)


The Outcome.
Adam and Eve were instructed not to eat from a certain tree. Satan deceitfully tricked them into disobeying their Lord and as a result:
"(God) said:

'Get down (from the Garden), one of you an enemy to the other [i.e. Adam, Eve, and Satan]. On earth will be a dwelling-place for you and an enjoyment -- for a short time'. He (God) said:

'Therein you shall live, and therein you shall die, and from it you shall be brought out [i.e. resurrected].' "
(Quran 7:24-25).

Adam and Eve were ordered to leave the Garden which they where in and descend to earth where they and their children will live and die, and where Satan will also be.


The Sin in the Bible.
The Judeo-Christian conception of the creation of Adam and Eve is narrated in detail in Genesis 2:4-3:24. God prohibited both of them from eating the fruits of the forbidden tree. The serpent seduced Eve to eat from it and Eve, in turn, seduced Adam to eat with her. When God rebuked Adam for what he did, he put all the blame on Eve:
"The woman you put here with me she gave me some fruit from the tree and I ate it." Consequently, God said to Eve:

" I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband and he will rule over you."

To Adam He said:

"Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree .... Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life..."

In Islam (as depicted by the Quranic verses above) Adam doesn't blame Eve for their fault. Both share the responsibility and both receive blame, equally. Furthermore, God doesn't curse Eve for her mistake by "increasing her pains in childbearing". This concept was a contributing factor for the unequal treatment of women in early Christianity (for more info follow this link ). Most importantly, God does not curse Adam for committing a sin and that sin in not inherited by the whole world.


Every Person is Responsible for Their Action.
This is what Islam preaches. This is what people throughout the world preach. We consider fair that no person be held accountable or responsible for someone else's mistake. That if blame is due, then it is due on who deserves it. That if punishment is to be made, it ought to be on the one who wronged. We consider that to be fair.
The Quran states:

"That no burdened person (with sins) shall bear the burden (sins) of another. And that man can have nothing but what he does (of good and bad). And that his deeds will be seen, Then he will be recompensed with a full and the best recompense [fair] " (Quran 53:38-41)

The Quranic message is: whatever it is that you do, you are alone will be held responsible for, not your brother, not your father, not your children. This is only fair, and God is Fair. Adam sinned, we agree. But why do his children have to bear something they took no part in? Why is a sacrifice needed to please a Most Merciful God? A Muslim will answer there is no need for any of that.

Answer 2

You are wrong in your asumption they did not know right from wrong. Genesis 2: 16-17 And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." Adam and Eve knew they were not allowed to eat from the Tree of Knowledge, but choose to give into their own desires and disobeyed God. If you read Genesis ch. 3 you will clearly see that they knew they should not eat of the tree, but were decieved and choose to do so. So please get you facts straight before you make an assumption on what the bible says.

Answer 3

When you were 5 years old and your mother told you "don't play in the street," you didn't know WHY mom told you thus, you just knew she didn't want you playing in the street.
God told Adam not to eat of the fruit and he chose to do it anyway, he actively CHOSE to disobey God. That's what sin is, and that's why it's called the "Fall of Man," because it was Adam that chose to sin, Eve was deceived.

Good question, as a Christian I am glad you are thinking about these things.

Answer 4

What do u mean "How could they have known it was wrong to disobey God"? God gave them life and asked them very little in return. One thing he did ask is for them to not eat from a certain tree. Why couldn't they just have done what their creator asked of them? It doesn't sound like a big request. Do you thinkk it was a set-up? I know we learn moral codes and "right and wrong" as we mature but this act was a very simple "do as you're told" test.
What I want to know is *was* the tree the Tree of Knowledge? I don't think God said that, He just said not to eat from the tree. Was it not the Serpant (Satan) who said to Eve "You know why God doesn't want you to eat from that tree? It's because He doesn't want you to become as powerful as He" But he could easily have been lying just to tempt her. What do you think?

Answer 5

They knew it would displease him. He told them that and Adam brought it up before he too ate the fruit. It doesn't say they didn't know what is right or wrong. Just because it was the tree of knowledge doesn't mean they were ignorant of what was and wasn't pleasing to God.

Answer 6

In Islam, we know that their disobedience wasn't intented. in the Quran Adam and Eve forgot with time, like we forget also.
but still a minor disobedience, because God forgave him when Adam asked for forgivness.

the problem here is that they didn't know that there is lie, they don't know yet what is lying. so when Satan came to them and told them to eat from the tree they trusted him, it was the first lie for them.

But God most wise already knew what will happen, that's why he created the universe and earth before even creating Adam.

This life is meant to seperate the arrogant people from the believers from the offspring of Adam.
God the most just, didn't want to let arrogant people live with Adam and Eve in Heaven, that's why he made this life a test for us, and we have to chose between him and our desires. and for that even paradise and hell were already created before creating Adam.
and God the most just didn't want to punish these atheists and polytheists and dibelievers hypocrites in the hell for no reason. this life is a prove for or against.

God is wise and know already who is from the people of paradise and from hellfire.

Like you see Satan created rom fire can't be a fallen Angel, like Adam is the father of mankind, Satan is the father of devils kind. we both have a will.
the angels created from light, don't have a will, they just obey, they don't know disobedience, they are not created for judgement.
Satan will be from the people of hell fire with disbelieving devils.

Why jesus didn't die for their sins?
Devils also will go to paradise and to heaven.

Think about it.

Answer 7

hah, I love your question man. Although I might edit it a bit. God did tell them that they should not eat from that tree, so i think that had an idea of right or wrong in a way. But how were they to know that God was perfect and that he said only things that were true, and that he had perfect understanding of right and wrong? Besides, don't we have to make these decisions for ourselves anyway? I am right with you man, and original sin just blows my mind with how silly it is to me.

Answer 8

Because God said in Genesis 2:16-17 If you eat of this tree you shall surely die.

Answer 9

Satan decieved Eve, Eve told Adam what happened and Adam willingly sin, by doing the same thing.

Answer 10

GOD made one rule for them- to not eat of the forbidden fruit. They knew it was wrong, but fell to the temptation of the snake(which was the devil in disguise).