What does the apple in Genesis symbolize?

Question

I'm thinking it is sex. Sex creates life ( the tree of life).
Cain was bad so it could be that he was Satans son as he had sex with Eve first.

Answer 1

knowledge

Answer 2

It wasn't an "apple." The type of fruit is never specified, just that it grows on the tree of "the knowledge of good and evil." Medieval painters used an apple because everyone is familiar with it . . . and because apples are featured in the pagan mythologies they had not ALL that many generations ago converted from.

And . . . if Cain had sex with Eve FIRST . . . where did CAIN come from? LOL!

Answer 3

reproduction already implies sex. the church considers sex as holy. So I don't see the theological basis of your theory, besides being raised to think of sex as dirty or sinful.

according to certain theologians, the more complete symbol is the "eating of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil"

the goodness or evil of a choice should not be determined by mere appetites or desire (as in choosing food), but should be a conscious, rational, loving choice, a choice according to God's commandments for our own good. That said, the genesis story illustrates that when people, in their sometimes misguided desires, choose to try and "become God" and decide what is good without weighing the bad, they share even less in the perfection of the Divine.
They become alienated from God, from themselves, and from each other.

David L,
Excuse me? We should NOT interpret the symbols of the creation story? The creation story is a multilayared and rich faith myth full of meaning. And you want to go fundamentalist and say that the fruit and Adam and Eve really existed at the beginning of time, which was creation in seven days? You want to read genesis the same as you read a newspaper or a science book? You expect the human writer of the Genesis to be present at the beginning of time, hiding in some bushes, watching and recording it all LITERALLY?

So, according to you view, the story has absolutely no relevance to us at present, only a supposedly reliable explanation as to why people die. Sorry, but I prefer science in explaining that, and critically examined religion to explain deeper matters. Really sorry for you.

Answer 4

Genesis does not say it was an apple! It was a piece of fruit hanging delectibly from a tree. Why does it have to symbolize anything? What if it was just what Genesis says it was - a piece of fruit?

The sex idea is rubbish. Before God told Adam not to eat of that particular fruit tree, he blessed him and Eve and TOLD them to multiply! That means sex, you know! So, they got the green light to have sex so the forbidden fruit could not have been sex! Why do people have to complicate simple things? Why can't we just take God at his word? Ah! I'm forgetting.... Adam and Eve couldn't take God at his word either, which is why they disobeyed him. Right enough - we're all children of Adam.

Answer 5

I believe it is either Sexual or Spiritual because
1st
They knew they where naked " either naked without clothes, or naked in their spirit "ashamed"

Maybe Knowledge of Good and Evil

Forbidden FruitWhat was the fruit that Eve ate in the garden of Eden? .... Look at verse 7: They sewed fig leaves together. There's a fig tree in that garden! ...

Gen. 3:22
Man has become like us to know Good and Evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever.

2nd
They God cursed woman with childbirth of twin boys after he clothed them with FIG leaves ( Maybe Tree of Life )

3rd
Eve had twin boys, Cain came first then Able, She reproduced children yet one was spiritualy evil and one was spiritualy good ( we have good and evil )

4th
Cain (evil) killed Able (Good) and God gave us Seth

5th
Fallen Angels did have sex with woman

Genesis 6:4
There were giants (fallen angels) in the earth in those days; and also after that when the sons of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

Genesis 6:5
And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every emagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually
( this is spiritual evil or Soul of Man, I think)


I have wondered if it couldn't be both, Sexual and Spiritual?

This is just a thought, I am not saying for sure

Answer 6

This is an example of not reading for yourself, just taking someone's word.

An apple is not mentioned. It said fruit of a certain tree. One specific tree out of all others in the garden. That was their one law.

The penalty was death. Sex was part of what they were supposed to do. "Multiply and fill the earth." Sex is how people do that.

Answer 7

Interesting theories...but I don't agree.

I think the fruit of the tree in the Garden of Eden was exactly what it said it was--it was a fruit.
The nature of this fruit was such that it made Adam and Eve, who were essentially immortal, into mortals. It was not suited to the nature of their bodies.

I don't think we need to take the fruit as allegorical or metaphorical or symbolic at all.

Answer 8

The Bible never mentions it was an apple.

It was the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Answer 9

Why the apple?
Well, many other fruits are suggested,
including the tomato!
In ancient lore the apple had various
meanings and were a tempting love fruit
with possible sexual overtones.

:)

Answer 10

What apple?And the fruit wasn't symbolic of anything.And you got the wrong tree.

Answer 11

fruit. There is nothing in there from the context that could in any way indicate it was related to sex.