Bible Strands
Genesis 2:17
but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — YHWH speaks to the man in the garden, immediately after granting permission to eat from every tree. This is the single restriction within an otherwise open mandate.
The words — תֹאכַל (to.Khal), the jussive of H398 (ʾākal, "to eat"), is a strong imperative, not a suggestion; paired with לֹא (loʾ, "not") it forms a prohibition of the highest grammatical force.
The thread — The stated consequence, death, is the same death sin produces in Romans 6:23 and James 1:15, and the man's return to dust in Genesis 3:19.
Why it lands — The verse asks a reader to weigh a command's stated consequence before acting, not after.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
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.
Cross-references
- Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
- James 1:15 Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
- Genesis 3:19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread, until you return to the ground—because out of it were you taken. For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.”
- 1 Corinthians 15:56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
- 1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
- Galatians 3:10 All who rely on works of the law are under a curse. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”
- Revelation 21:8 But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”
- Colossians 2:13 When you were dead in your trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our trespasses,
- 1 John 5:16 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he should ask God, who will give life to those who commit this kind of sin. There is a sin that leads to death; I am not saying he should ask regarding that sin.
- Genesis 3:17 And to Adam He said: “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat, cursed is the ground because of you; through toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.