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[Yup]

What was the "forbidden fruit" Adam and Eve actually ate in the Garden of Eden?


Genesis 3:6 (King James Version) just says "fruit" — it never names the type. Yet "apple" has become the default image almost everywhere. So the debate is: where did that assumption come from, and what does the text actually support?


Points people raise on different sides:

• Apple — the popular tradition, likely tied to a Latin wordplay (malum can mean both "apple" and "evil"), not to anything in the Hebrew text.
• Fig — right after eating, Adam and Eve cover themselves with fig leaves (Genesis 3:7), which some take as a clue the tree was nearby, or even the source.
• Grape — some point to Noah and wine later in Genesis as a thematic link, though this is a stretch from the actual passage.
• Pomegranate or citron — favored in some Jewish tradition, based on regional fruits in the ancient Near East.
• Not a literal fruit at all — some argue "fruit" here is symbolic of the act of disobedience itself, not a specific food.

 

[HealthAndHappiness]

@Yup ,

I see you are Canadian.
We are praying for your forest fires to be extinguished.
We got some heavy rains across these states and Canada right afterwards. We hope at least the smoke has been knocked down and safe air now.

 

[HealthAndHappiness]

What was the "forbidden fruit" Adam and Eve actually ate in the Garden of Eden?


Genesis 3:6 (King James Version) just says "fruit" — it never names the type. Yet "apple" has become the default image almost everywhere. So the debate is: where did that assumption come from, and what does the text actually support?


Points people raise on different sides:

• Apple — the popular tradition, likely tied to a Latin wordplay (malum can mean both "apple" and "evil"), not to anything in the Hebrew text.
• Fig — right after eating, Adam and Eve cover themselves with fig leaves (Genesis 3:7), which some take as a clue the tree was nearby, or even the source.
• Grape — some point to Noah and wine later in Genesis as a thematic link, though this is a stretch from the actual passage.
• Pomegranate or citron — favored in some Jewish tradition, based on regional fruits in the ancient Near East.
• Not a literal fruit at all — some argue "fruit" here is symbolic of the act of disobedience itself, not a specific food.

As to the fruit, I don't see any reason to believe that the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil was an apple. That's a legend and artists renditions, but based on nothing Scriptural.
It's kind of like the Renaissance paintings depicting the imaginations of their painters.
Now people think He had long hair in spite of the fact that nature shows that it's a shame for a man to have long hair.

When I took Art History and visited museums art galeries, there were pictures depicting Adam and Eve in the garden with Eve holding fruit. I will guess that's where the idea began.

Genesis 2 is what we are given as details.

16And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 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.

So according to God, the fruit is from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This tree is extinct. The fruit no longer exists.

 

[Yup]

@Yup ,

I see you are Canadian.
We are praying for your forest fires to be extinguished.
We got some heavy rains across these states and Canada right afterwards. We hope at least the smoke has been knocked down and safe air now.

Thank you there's been a lot displaced because of it

 

[Yup]

As to the fruit, I don't see any reason to believe that the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil was an apple. That's a legend and artists renditions, but based on nothing Scriptural.
It's kind of like the Renaissance paintings depicting the imaginations of their painters.
Now people think He had long hair in spite of the fact that nature shows that it's a shame for a man to have long hair.

When I took Art History and visited museums art galeries, there were pictures depicting Adam and Eve in the garden with Eve holding fruit. I will guess that's where the idea began.

Genesis 2 is what we are given as details.

16And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 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.

So according to God, the fruit is from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This tree is extinct. The fruit no longer exists.

 

[Yup]

The Bible doesn't say the tree of good and evil was destroyed. It just stops mentioning it after Genesis 3.


Here's what the text actually says:


Genesis 3:22-24 — After Adam and Eve ate from the tree, God said they must not also eat from the Tree of Life and live forever in their sinful state. So He drove them out of the garden and put cherubim with a flaming sword to guard the way to the Tree of Life.


Notice it only says God guarded the way to the Tree of Life — not the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The tree of knowledge just disappears from the story. No verse says it was cut down, burned, or removed.

 

[Yup]

As to the fruit, I don't see any reason to believe that the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil was an apple. That's a legend and artists renditions, but based on nothing Scriptural.
It's kind of like the Renaissance paintings depicting the imaginations of their painters.
Now people think He had long hair in spite of the fact that nature shows that it's a shame for a man to have long hair.

When I took Art History and visited museums art galeries, there were pictures depicting Adam and Eve in the garden with Eve holding fruit. I will guess that's where the idea began.

Genesis 2 is what we are given as details.

16And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 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.

So according to God, the fruit is from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This tree is extinct. The fruit no longer exists.

As to the fruit, I don't see any reason to believe that the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil was an apple. That's a legend and artists renditions, but based on nothing Scriptural.
It's kind of like the Renaissance paintings depicting the imaginations of their painters.
Now people think He had long hair in spite of the fact that nature shows that it's a shame for a man to have long hair.

When I took Art History and visited museums art galeries, there were pictures depicting Adam and Eve in the garden with Eve holding fruit. I will guess that's where the idea began.

Genesis 2 is what we are given as details.

16And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 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.

So according to God, the fruit is from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This tree is extinct. The fruit no longer exists.

The Bible doesn't say the tree of good and evil was destroyed. It just stops mentioning it after Genesis 3.


Here's what the text actually says:


Genesis 3:22-24 — After Adam and Eve ate from the tree, God said they must not also eat from the Tree of Life and live forever in their sinful state. So He drove them out of the garden and put cherubim with a flaming sword to guard the way to the Tree of Life.


Notice it only says God guarded the way to the Tree of Life — not the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The tree of knowledge just disappears from the story. No verse says it was cut down, burned, or removed.

 

[GWH]

What was the "forbidden fruit" Adam and Eve actually ate in the Garden of Eden?


Genesis 3:6 (King James Version) just says "fruit" — it never names the type. Yet "apple" has become the default image almost everywhere. So the debate is: where did that assumption come from, and what does the text actually support?


Points people raise on different sides:

• Apple — the popular tradition, likely tied to a Latin wordplay (malum can mean both "apple" and "evil"), not to anything in the Hebrew text.
• Fig — right after eating, Adam and Eve cover themselves with fig leaves (Genesis 3:7), which some take as a clue the tree was nearby, or even the source.
• Grape — some point to Noah and wine later in Genesis as a thematic link, though this is a stretch from the actual passage.
• Pomegranate or citron — favored in some Jewish tradition, based on regional fruits in the ancient Near East.
• Not a literal fruit at all — some argue "fruit" here is symbolic of the act of disobedience itself, not a specific food.

The fruit was "knowledge of good and evil", which is obviously not a physical fruit but refers to immorality/sin.
At the moment they sinned A&E died spiritually by becoming separated from God's HS and condemned unless/until
they repented/accepted His Lordship/cooperated with GW/plan of salvation (proto-gospel).

 

[Suze]

What was the "forbidden fruit" Adam and Eve actually ate in the Garden of Eden?


Genesis 3:6 (King James Version) just says "fruit" — it never names the type. Yet "apple" has become the default image almost everywhere. So the debate is: where did that assumption come from, and what does the text actually support?


Points people raise on different sides:

• Apple — the popular tradition, likely tied to a Latin wordplay (malum can mean both "apple" and "evil"), not to anything in the Hebrew text.
• Fig — right after eating, Adam and Eve cover themselves with fig leaves (Genesis 3:7), which some take as a clue the tree was nearby, or even the source.
• Grape — some point to Noah and wine later in Genesis as a thematic link, though this is a stretch from the actual passage.
• Pomegranate or citron — favored in some Jewish tradition, based on regional fruits in the ancient Near East.
• Not a literal fruit at all — some argue "fruit" here is symbolic of the act of disobedience itself, not a specific food.

Yes , it is a bit of a coincidence that they tried to cover themselves with fig leaves . I don't believe in coincidences we will not know in this life , Which fruit it was , I lean towards fig but , I could b totally wrong and , it doesn't really matter does it ? The fruit symbolised knowledge , knowledge is not wisdom . For me , the fruit and the eating of it symbolises the beginning of science , trying to figure out how everything works . Experimental behaviour , if we do this what will happen ? If we do that what will happen ? How can I change this ? How can I make that ? etc . Which , of course , leads eventually , to the whole theory of evilution ( yes I spelt it wrong but I prefer my spelling ) and the desperate desire by some to disprove the existence of God and glorify human achievement .
I feel so sorry for Adam and Eve , they ruined everything and somehow , I feel , that at some point in their lives , they might have realised exactly what they had done and just how enormous the consequences of their actions were . That's a terrible burden for them to bear and I hope that , at some point , either when they were alive in the flesh or , in the world to come , they r forgiven by God, and that they can forgive themselves .
I know the burden I carry , which is guilt because of sin , that's bad enough , but poor Adam and Eve their burden must have distressed them enormously . Maybe they never fully understood ? I kind of hope not but , the massive change in their lifestyles and environment would probably indicate to them , the seriousness of their offence .

 

[HealthAndHappiness]

The Bible doesn't say the tree of good and evil was destroyed. It just stops mentioning it after Genesis 3.


Here's what the text actually says:


Genesis 3:22-24 — After Adam and Eve ate from the tree, God said they must not also eat from the Tree of Life and live forever in their sinful state. So He drove them out of the garden and put cherubim with a flaming sword to guard the way to the Tree of Life.


Notice it only says God guarded the way to the Tree of Life — not the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The tree of knowledge just disappears from the story. No verse says it was cut down, burned, or removed.

If God expelled them from the garden to not return, what evidence do we have that it still exists?

Can you point to a verse that confirms it's existence today?

 

[DavidLamb]

What was the "forbidden fruit" Adam and Eve actually ate in the Garden of Eden?


Genesis 3:6 (King James Version) just says "fruit" — it never names the type. Yet "apple" has become the default image almost everywhere. So the debate is: where did that assumption come from, and what does the text actually support?

I understand that the idea of it being an apple came from the Latin word for "evil" is the same as the Latin word for "apple." Both were "malum." There was a time when the only Bible translation was the Latin one.

Points people raise on different sides:

• Apple — the popular tradition, likely tied to a Latin wordplay (malum can mean both "apple" and "evil"), not to anything in the Hebrew text.
• Fig — right after eating, Adam and Eve cover themselves with fig leaves (Genesis 3:7), which some take as a clue the tree was nearby, or even the source.
• Grape — some point to Noah and wine later in Genesis as a thematic link, though this is a stretch from the actual passage.
• Pomegranate or citron — favored in some Jewish tradition, based on regional fruits in the ancient Near East.
• Not a literal fruit at all — some argue "fruit" here is symbolic of the act of disobedience itself, not a specific food.

There were many fruit trees in Eden, so I don't think we can assume the forbidden fruit must have been a fig, just because we read that Adam and Eve cover themselves with fig leaves. We are not told what kind of fruit it was. However, the fact that nowhere in the Bible are we forbidden to eat apples, figs, grapes, pomegranates, citrons, or other known fruits would indicate that the forbidden fruit was not one of those.

 

[GWH]

Yes , it is a bit of a coincidence that they tried to cover themselves with fig leaves . I don't believe in coincidences we will not know in this life , Which fruit it was , I lean towards fig but , I could b totally wrong and , it doesn't really matter does it ? The fruit symbolised knowledge , knowledge is not wisdom . For me , the fruit and the eating of it symbolises the beginning of science , trying to figure out how everything works . Experimental behaviour , if we do this what will happen ? If we do that what will happen ? How can I change this ? How can I make that ? etc . Which , of course , leads eventually , to the whole theory of evilution ( yes I spelt it wrong but I prefer my spelling ) and the desperate desire by some to disprove the existence of God and glorify human achievement .
I feel so sorry for Adam and Eve , they ruined everything and somehow , I feel , that at some point in their lives , they might have realised exactly what they had done and just how enormous the consequences of their actions were . That's a terrible burden for them to bear and I hope that , at some point , either when they were alive in the flesh or , in the world to come , they r forgiven by God, and that they can forgive themselves .
I know the burden I carry , which is guilt because of sin , that's bad enough , but poor Adam and Eve their burden must have distressed them enormously . Maybe they never fully understood ? I kind of hope not but , the massive change in their lifestyles and environment would probably indicate to them , the seriousness of their offence .

The fruit was "knowledge of good and evil", which is obviously not a physical fruit but refers to immorality/sin.
At the moment they sinned A&E died spiritually by becoming separated from God's HS and condemned unless/until
they repented/accepted His Lordship/cooperated with GW/plan of salvation (proto-gospel).

 

[tablet123]

What was the "forbidden fruit" Adam and Eve actually ate in the Garden of Eden?


Genesis 3:6 (King James Version) just says "fruit" — it never names the type. Yet "apple" has become the default image almost everywhere. So the debate is: where did that assumption come from, and what does the text actually support?


Points people raise on different sides:

• Apple — the popular tradition, likely tied to a Latin wordplay (malum can mean both "apple" and "evil"), not to anything in the Hebrew text.
• Fig — right after eating, Adam and Eve cover themselves with fig leaves (Genesis 3:7), which some take as a clue the tree was nearby, or even the source.
• Grape — some point to Noah and wine later in Genesis as a thematic link, though this is a stretch from the actual passage.
• Pomegranate or citron — favored in some Jewish tradition, based on regional fruits in the ancient Near East.
• Not a literal fruit at all — some argue "fruit" here is symbolic of the act of disobedience itself, not a specific food.

The forbidden fruit is forbidden for you to know.

The Bible does not say and why do people think they can find out.

Apple who knows.

Figs, but because they sewed fig leaves together does not mean they got them from the forbidden tree.

The truth is after they ate from the forbidden tree they were ashamed and felt guilty so I doubt they would want anything to do with the tree after eating from it.

Hey we sinned and feel oh so terrible but hey let us add insult to injury by clothing in the leaves of the tree and we might as well carve our name in it Adam and Eve were here.

Unless the fig leaves were the only leaves that would work and it was the forbidden tree.

Grapes grow on vines.

The Brazilian Grape Tree is not a true grape but it actually belongs to the Myrtaceae (myrtle) family—making it closely related to guavas and eucalyptus.

Pomegranates tolerate extreme heat well, but summer highs consistently reaching 85°F to 100°F are ideal for fruit production.

I doubt the garden of Eden had such high temperatures given it was considered paradise.

They would not be trying to beat the heat.

Not a literal fruit is obsolete because God said they may eat of every tree in the garden except the forbidden tree so that tree was in the same category as the other trees literal fruit.

If it is not a literal fruit then all trees were not literal fruit.

The fruit was "knowledge of good and evil", which is obviously not a physical fruit but refers to immorality/sin.
At the moment they sinned A&E died spiritually by becoming separated from God's HS and condemned unless/until
they repented/accepted His Lordship/cooperated with GW/plan of salvation (proto-gospel).

The forbidden tree did have physical fruit.

Not a literal fruit is obsolete because God said they may eat of every tree in the garden except the forbidden tree so that tree was in the same category as the other trees literal fruit.

If it is not a literal fruit then all trees were not literal fruit.

When they ate of it then they had knowledge of good and evil because they rebelled.

 

[GWH]

The forbidden fruit is forbidden for you to know.

The Bible does not say and why do people think they can find out.

Apple who knows.

Figs, but because they sewed fig leaves together does not mean they got them from the forbidden tree.

The truth is after they ate from the forbidden tree they were ashamed and felt guilty so I doubt they would want anything to do with the tree after eating from it.

Hey we sinned and feel oh so terrible but hey let us add insult to injury by clothing in the leaves of the tree and we might as well carve our name in it Adam and Eve were here.

Unless the fig leaves were the only leaves that would work and it was the forbidden tree.

Grapes grow on vines.

The Brazilian Grape Tree is not a true grape but it actually belongs to the Myrtaceae (myrtle) family—making it closely related to guavas and eucalyptus.

Pomegranates tolerate extreme heat well, but summer highs consistently reaching 85°F to 100°F are ideal for fruit production.

I doubt the garden of Eden had such high temperatures given it was considered paradise.

They would not be trying to beat the heat.

Not a literal fruit is obsolete because God said they may eat of every tree in the garden except the forbidden tree so that tree was in the same category as the other trees literal fruit.

If it is not a literal fruit then all trees were not literal fruit.


The forbidden tree did have physical fruit.

Not a literal fruit is obsolete because God said they may eat of every tree in the garden except the forbidden tree so that tree was in the same category as the other trees literal fruit.

If it is not a literal fruit then all trees were not literal fruit.

When they ate of it then they had knowledge of good and evil because they rebelled.

The Bible clearly says the forbidden fruit was "knowledge of good and evil", which is obviously not a physical fruit but refers to immorality/sin, which was forbidden because at the moment they desired to eat it they sinned/died spiritually by becoming separated from God's HS and condemned unless/until they repented/accepted His Lordship/cooperated with GW/plan of salvation.

The category of the story is parable, told to teach truthseekers not to sin/ignore GW, which is the way to life.

 

[rewriter]

This is an intriguing question without a clear answer, especially if one takes the account as a parable.

But I will admit that a group I was in back in the day was debating for a time getting t-shirts made with the phrase "I ate the apple" and identifying our group, but while we agreed on the apple being a red delicious, we could not agree if it should be one bite or two.

 

[GWH]

This is an intriguing question without a clear answer, especially if one takes the account as a parable.

But I will admit that a group I was in back in the day was debating for a time getting t-shirts made with the phrase "I ate the apple" and identifying our group, but while we agreed on the apple being a red delicious, we could not agree if it should be one bite or two.

Two, but focusing on the physical misses the spiritual truth of the parable/story.

 

[Yup]

The fruit was "knowledge of good and evil", which is obviously not a physical fruit but refers to immorality/sin.
At the moment they sinned A&E died spiritually by becoming separated from God's HS and condemned unless/until
they repented/accepted His Lordship/cooperated with GW/plan of salvation (proto-gospel).

Can you back that up with scripture

 

[GWH]

Can you back that up with scripture

Yep, if you tell me the antecedent(s) for "that".
The first and foremost Scripture is Gen. 3:1-6.

 

[Yup]

Two, but focusing on the physical misses the spiritual truth of the parable/storyboard

 

[Yup]

A parable is a specific literary form in the Bible, and it's always marked as one. Jesus's parables are introduced that way — "And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying..." (Matthew 13:3, KJV). The text tells you when something is a parable.


Genesis 2-3 isn't presented that way. It's written as straight narrative — connected to genealogies, timelines, and generations that continue right through the rest of Genesis and into the historical books. Genesis 5 opens with "This is the book of the generations of Adam" (Genesis 5:1, KJV) and lists Adam as a real person with a lifespan: "And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died" (Genesis 5:5, KJV).


The New Testament treats it the same way — as history, not metaphor. Paul writes in Romans 5:12 (KJV): "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." His whole argument about sin and salvation rests on Adam being a real man who did a real thing. Same in 1 Corinthians 15:22 (KJV): "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."


So calling it a "parable/story" to soften it isn't something the text supports — it's a label added from outside. The tree is real, the eating is real, the consequence is real. What's not given is the species of fruit, and that's the one detail scripture leaves out on purpose.