How can Adam live for 930 years after eating that fruit when he had to die the same day?

Question

Bible says Adam lived for 930 years or so and in this verse,

Genesis 2:17 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.

The above verse says that if you eat from tree of knowledge you shall die the same day, within the same day.

Clearly, Adam did eat the fruit and yet went on living for over 900 damn years!

Whopper!!!

LOL Sawyer, where in scripture does it say about 1000 year day?

Answer 1

Which is completely bass-ackwards -- lifespans have been getting longer, not vice versa.

Don't take that crap literally. You'll go nuts.

Answer 2

If Adam and Eve had not eaten the forbidden fruit, they could have lived forever. Genesis 2:16 says the Lord God gave man this order " You are free to eat from any of the trees of the garden 2:17 except the tree of knowledge of good and bad , From that tree you shall not eat, the moment you eat from it you are surely doomed to die. God did not mean that they would die right after they ate the fruit, He meant they they would not live forever! Adam lived for a very long time, but eventually died.The Bible is a very complicated book and many can read it and get a different idea of what things might mean. That is why it is good to read from it, but not to teach from it!

Answer 3

Adam and Eve brought the punishment of death upon the earth.

17But 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.

Where does it say they would die that day? It doesnt. It does say that they will surely die. But it does not say that they would die that day

Answer 4

In the bible it talks about death in lots of different ways. Sometimes when it talks about death, it means spiritual death. In the case of Adam and Eve, they knew nothing but perfection. They lived in an absolute perfect place and had all their needs taken care of for them. They did not have to work hard, they did not have to wonder where there next meal was going to come from, even the most vicious of animals were tame and lovable in those days. But, Eve decided to disobey God. They died, symbolically. Literally, their eyes were opened and they realized that they were naked and they were ashamed. They were kicked out of the garden and they died to the life that they knew. They all of a sudden had to work hard and till the soil, had to deal with illness and vicious animals and harsh weather. Perfection DIED when Adam and Eve disobeyed.


Edit: Gerry, the poster above me, has a good point of view also.

Answer 5

Yes he did eat the fruit and yes the culmination for Adam & Eve was death. The bible DOES NOT say immediate death--it does say people will die. Adam & Eve are not still alive. You argument goes to time implementation--not soon enough for you. The fulfillment of time is in God's hands not ours.

Answer 6

2 Peter 3:8 However, let this one fact not be escaping YOUR notice, beloved ones, that one day is with Jehovah as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day.

Day in the Sthrong's Exhaustive Concordance refers to the Hebrew/Aramaic word (#3117) yowm. The definitions provided include: to be hot, a day (as the warm hours) whether literally (from sunrise to sunset or from one sunset to the next) or figuratively (a space of time defined by an associated term),[often used adv.],:-age+always,+chronicles, continually (-ance) daily,([birth] each, to) day.
The term we are looking for must fit the context of the verse.
As such the correct understandiing must be 'figurative' because of course Adam did not die that literal day, but he died after the indeterminate time of over 900 years.

Answer 7

Let me give you some idea of the "not obvious fact of the matter". But you will know these things if you are an avid fan of God who will reveal many things to you...i.e...if you are willing to accept Him in your heart and hoping to know Him well in a humble way.
It is in the bible passages that says: what maybe 1 day to God may mean 1000 years to human lives. (it is understandable because God is infinite/eternal/continuous...without beginning & end of times. While human lives are numbered just in years and should be shortened comparing to His angels lives. How it is numbered ?... by the cycle of day & night (for a day), the cycle of moon movement (for months & years.) But nobody can number or limit God`s existence. Isn`t it?
God`s original plan for adam & eve is eternal/infinite existence with Him (though man is in human form & body)... should be like His eternal angel (in spirit form) in Heaven. When God witnessed that a newly created man cannot resist temptations from satan and obviously will become a sinner...then He change His treasured plan by numbering man`s lives and should be shortened in comparison to His angels lives.
That is why God always referred His punishment to men who sinned saying: you will surely die physically (shortened life span) & spiritually (the chance of forgiveness is nil when satan tricked you to think you will die in old age so you won`t take an effort in asking forgiveness right after sinning for the grace of God to be returned to your body)

Answer 8

Funny thing about Hebrew 'days'. They can also mean 'times'. So basically all it says is if he eats, he will die. Sometime. As opposed to never dying, which was the original plan. This is what happens when you insist on taking ancient scriptures and putting modern meanings to them. It just doesn't work that way.

Answer 9

No, Adam didn't die that day. And, no, Adam didn't die spiritually that day. In fact, some interpretations say that Adam was spiritually born that day, he became a god. Whatever the concept of god was to people at that time in history.

Answer 10

Here is some other translations. If you are going to study the Bible it is often good to look at more than one translation.
(NIV)
16 And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;
17 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."

and New Living Translation
17 except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”

Young's Literal Translation
16And Jehovah God layeth a charge on the man, saying, `Of every tree of the garden eating thou dost eat;
17and of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou dost not eat of it, for in the day of thine eating of it -- dying thou dost die.'
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%202%20;&version=15;

He started dying from the moment he ate it no different than we are now. He did die and up until that point he wasn't going to die but live in the garden with Eve and God actually visiting them.

"100 per cent of us die, and the percentage cannot be increased." - C.S. Lewis

"Christ died for men precisely because men are not worth dying for; to make them worth it." - C.S. Lewis

Answer 11

God did not say he would die the same day. Once Adam ate the fruit, he no longer had eternal life. He would die in the future.

Gen 3:19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food UNTIL YOU RETURN TO THE GROUND, since from it you were taken: for dust you are and to dust you will return.