In the garden of Eden, did the tree of knowledge represent a metaphor for a sex act?

Question

But wait a minute...did not God tell Adam N Eve to go forth and multiply?

Was the part about the Tree of Knowledge a metaphor of some kind, or did it literally mean that there was an actual tree that, if one were to partake of its fruit, one could gain knowledge of good and evil (or knowledge of something else utterly)?

And, what kind of fruit was it?

Answer 1

No metaphor. Whoever told you that is on crack. It was an actual tree that had fruit on it. What type of fruit no one knows and one Im sure doesnt exist now. This is the reason we are born with sin because of this defiant act. The argument comes up well I didnt do it but given the chance we all would have done it. Peace out...............

Answer 2

The bible is both symbolically (spiritually) and literally (physically) true. Both aspects are just as real (literally doesn't always mean, "more real"). This is the case with the scripture about the "Tree of Knowledge of good and evil" also.
G-d gave everyone free will from the beginning, which is in part, evidenced by G-d placing the tree there in the garden to begin with. If He wanted to totally control them, he would not have put the tree there. To know the difference between right and wrong is a good thing, but only if you are in a sin-filled world that has wrong in it. G-d knew that innocence and protection from evil is best, that is why He told them not to eat. It was not a matter of sex.

Answer 3

To answer your last question first, i do not think it matters what kind of fruit it was considering the ramifications that the bible says occurred upon the consumption of the fruit.

God also recognized Adam's need for companionship by creating Eve. Secondly the command to be fruitful and multiply was a command given before the fall. Implying that God does not disapprove of sex. Gen. 1:22-23, 27-28. The texts of the King James Version, Jewish Publication Society Bible and the American Standard Version all call Adam and Eve man and wife in Gen 2. (And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. Gen 2:25) The Bible supports sex between man and wife. It does not permit it outside marriage i.e. in the form of adultery or fornication. Therefor it is only logical, based on the information given in the Bible, that it was not a sex act, that in fact, sexual activity was not only encouraged by God, but commanded. I think the mistake you made in asking this question was that you were not practicing exegesis, meaning taking meaning from the text, but exegesis, which obviously means assigning meaning to the text. I would, in conclusion, suggest that the tree is not a metaphor for a sex act due to the following.
1) God commanded, them to multiply before the fall
2) They were called man and wife, which is a holy union permitting sex
3) the following ramifications of the two eating the fruit clearly suggests that it was not a sex act, but yielding to some form of temptation by Satan, and breaking a commandment of God, hence bringing about the birth of sin into the world.

Answer 4

It has nothing to do with sex. Isn't that a Catholic teaching, that the fruit was sex?

As you stated, God told them to be "fruitful and fill the earth".

The tree of knowledge of good and bad was a test of obedience for Adam and Eve. Satan told Eve that she would be like God if she ate from the tree. Of course, that was the first lie ever told. Once they ate from the tree, they realized that they had sinned and that they were naked and made coverings for themselves and hid from God.

Yes, there was a tree and once Adam and Eve were thrown out of the Garden of Eden, Cherubs guarded the tree of knowledge.

The bible doesn't tell us what kind of fruit it was. It could have been a unique one of a kind fruit, that doesn't exist today. Does it really matter?

Answer 5

You already got it, Roos. Genesis isn't unclear. "Multiply" means...yes...yes...PROCREATING! ( and you know what THAT means!) Where did you get this idea that the tree is connected to, well, you know, s.......e.....x.....?
X that out. The "knowledge of good and bad" was discovered to be what it is: by them and we experience it today as a result of their greed; taking what didn't belong to them (stealing). They flunked a simple test of loyalty to their Father and Creator. This was bad. VERY bad. The result was Adem, in a sense "manufactured" imperfection within himself by disobeying what he was instructed. As his legacy, you and I have literaly inherited his imperfection as any product of the original mold would from an assembly line. If the original mold possessed a crack, shall we say, then, naturally all subsequent castings would possess that same flaw ( or sin). This explains why our marvelous bodies, which replace most cells within 7 yrs. still continue to deteriorate dispite this wonderful mechinism. Remember, (Gen. 2:17), "the day you eat from it you positively will die." So, what if he had NOT eaten of the tree? Then, he positively would NOT have died. The marvelous mechinisms God had instilled in our first father would have kept him, not just ticking along till now, but ticking along as a young man IN HIS PRIME! Great Great Great...Grandpa Adem would have been here to tell you how long it took him to name all those animals and why he named a skunk as he did, etc. He would relate all kinds of stories, as how long he waited to recieve his bride, how old he was when he had Cain. How, what we call preditors, acted with all the others when all were at peace.

But he did what he did, and that is why there is such premium on the sacrificial death of God's "only begotten" son: Jesus payed the price for ALL humanity for their each being born flawed. Any who accept this "coupon" for life, by acknowledging God's provision of his precious son, follow his teachings, and are baptized in his name, will be rewarded with life without end. Hope to see you there, Rooster!

Answer 6

No the tree was definitely just a tree it wasn't a metaphor or anything. God said that if Adam and Eve ate the fruit then they would die but Satan said that they would gain the knowledge of good and evil, im not sure if they were both talking about the same thing as Satan could be lying to tempt eve to eat the fruit as he does that alot.

Answer 7

No, not representative of a sex act. He did command them to "be fruitful and multiply", so sex itself isn't a sin. It's a loving act created by God.

The tree of the knowledge of good and bad was a literal tree that represented God's right to choose right and wrong and to establish limits for His creation. As the Almighty and Creator of us all, only He has the right to determine good and bad, right and wrong. By partaking of the tree, Adam and Eve basically told God to shove off, and that they wanted to "see good and bad" for themselves. They wanted to be their own moral compass- look at all the good it did! (sarcasm)

No one knows what kind of fruit it was, or if the variety is even on the Earth today. The Bible gives no specifics and the whole apple nonsense is just an uneducated guess that has lingered.

Answer 8

Alot of people like to suppose that sex was involved but this is just lack of understanding or sometimes stinkin thinkin on their part.
God created everything and said that it was good and this applies to sexuality as well.
The apple may well be a metaphor but it is not sex,in fact an apple is never mentioned in Genesis,it is the fruit of the tree of good and evil ,that is mentioned.
But wether it was a kind of fruit or not the fact remains that through it Adam and Eve disobeyed God and gave such offence to the majesty of God that in the fullness of time only the Son of God could repair the damage that was done.

Answer 9

I have a little theory that has sort of the same question and this why if this is a sex act and Eve got pregnant from the serpent and Cain was the first born and Adams son Able were the 2 of the son in the next story of God, on Cain killing Able over his offering unto the Lord my question is were did the thought and action of Cain come from did that thought and action come from God's seed or did it come from Satan the devil if Cain could have been a child of the serpent.

Answer 10

I am sure it is not about sex. Eve was not yet there when He told Adam about the Tree. If you really have the keen eyes and mind to see the events between male and female whom God said go forth and multiply and the events when Adam was made, you may also come to know that the sins of Adam and Eve is nothing but plain disobedience. Though there might be truth to tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, the message that clearly represent there is to find whether man is capable of following or not a simple rule. Up to this generations man is always challenged by a rule whether it is to be followed or to be broken.

Answer 11

There were actually 2 trees there in the garden they could not touch.
#1 The tree of knowledge of good and bad
#2 Tree of Life

If they passed the test and ate from all the trees except for the "Tree of Knowledge of Good and Bad"..they would eventually be able to eat from the "Tree of Life".

God told them to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and have in subjection the animals.

When they sinned by eating from the tree God drove them out of the garden and told eve she would have children and he would increase the pain of her labor.

Sex was not the cause of their sin since God married them and told them to have children.

No one knows what fruit it was. Only that it was desirable to look at because Satan made her want it. She started looking at it in a different way.