Genesis 2:17

There is only one tree that you can’t eat its fruit. You can’t eat the fruit from that tree that lets you know if the things you do are good, or if they are bad. I’m telling you, if you eat any fruit from that tree, you will die, for sure.”

Plain English Version

In The 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.

In Context

16And God told the man, “You can eat fruit from the trees in this garden.

18And God said, “It is not good for this man to be by himself. I’m going to make somebody else to be a mate for the man, somebody that will be good for him.”

Read all of Genesis 2

Cross References

Genesis 3:1You know, God made lots of animals, but the snake was more smart than all the other animals. He was really smart and tricky. One day, the snake went to the woman and said to her, “Did God say, ‘You can’t eat fruit from any of the trees in the garden’? Is that true?”

Genesis 3:11God asked the man, “How do you know that you are naked? Did you eat some of that fruit from the tree that I told you not to eat from?”

Genesis 3:19You will work very hard to get your food, so you will get hot, and you will sweat a lot. And later on, you will die. I made you from the dirt, and after you die, your body will turn back into dirt.”

Matthew Henry on Genesis 2:17-18

The Tree of Knowledge Prohibited. ( b. c. 4004.) 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 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. Observe here, I. God's authority over man, as a creature that had reason and freedom of will. The Lord God commanded the man, who stood now as a public person, the father and representative of all mankind, to receive law, as he… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Genesis 2:17