EOB: Official Site of the Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible (Old and New Testament)

Genesis 2:17

EOB (Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible):

“Do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it, you will surely die.”

EOB Footnote:

The MT includes “from it” (Hebrew: *mimmennu*) after “on the day you eat,” specifying eating “from it” (referring to the tree), while the LXX reads simply “on the day you eat from it” (*ap’ autou*) — both traditions include this phrase, so there is no significant difference here. The MT phrase “you shall surely die” uses an emphatic construction (infinitive absolute followed by finite verb: *mot tamut*), which the LXX renders with a similar emphatic construction (*thanato apothaneisthe*), literally “by death you shall die.” A meaning-based rendering such as “you will certainly die” conveys the emphatic force more naturally to modern readers. No DSS manuscript witness exists for this verse.

Other Translations:

KJV (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.

WEB (World English Bible):

but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die.

Benton LXX (Vaticanus):

But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, ye shall not eat of it, for in the day that ye eat of it, ye shall surely die.

Douai-Rheims (Vulgate):

But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat. For in what day soever thou shalt eat of it, thou shalt die the death.

Apostoliki Diakonia (LXX):

But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for on whatever day you eat from it, you shall surely die.

YLT (Young Literal Translation )(MT):

but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you must not eat of it, for on the day you eat of it, you will surely die.

BBE (Bible in Basic English):

But of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you may not take; for on the day when you take of it, death will certainly come to you.

EOB COMMENTARY:

EOB Commentary:

THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE AND THE COMMANDMENT OF LIFE

This verse stands as one of the most consequential in all of Scripture, establishing the first commandment given to humanity and introducing the profound mystery of human freedom and its consequences. The phrase “in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (mot tamut in Hebrew, literally “dying you shall die”) reveals not merely a punishment but the natural consequence of separation from the Source of life.

Patristic Interpretation: The Holy Fathers understood this death in multiple dimensions. Saint John Chrysostom teaches that Adam did not physically die on that very day, but spiritual death—separation from God—occurred immediately upon transgression. Saint Theophilus of Antioch explains that the “day” spoken of refers to God’s time, wherein a thousand years are as one day, noting that Adam lived 930 years, thus dying within that divine “day.” Saint Gregory of Nyssa emphasizes that death entered as a consequence of turning away from Being itself toward non-being, for sin has no true existence but is rather a privation of good.

Christological Significance: This verse finds its ultimate resolution in Christ, the New Adam. Where the first Adam brought death through disobedience at a tree, Christ brings life through obedience on the Tree of the Cross. Saint Irenaeus develops this parallel extensively, showing how Christ “recapitulates” Adam’s failure, transforming the curse into blessing. The Apostle Paul declares: “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22).

Liturgical Connections: The Orthodox funeral service echoes this verse in its profound meditation on mortality: “I weep and I wail when I think upon death.” The Paschal celebration triumphantly proclaims victory over this very death introduced in Eden. During Holy Week, the Church sings of Christ descending to Hades to rescue Adam from the death pronounced in this commandment. The icon of the Resurrection (Anastasis) depicts Christ pulling Adam and Eve from their tombs, directly reversing the sentence of Genesis 2:17.

Spiritual Application: The Fathers see in this commandment the establishment of askesis—the spiritual discipline of self-restraint. The fast from one tree prefigures all Christian fasting, teaching humanity that not every desire should be fulfilled. Saint Basil the Great notes that fasting was the first commandment, given even in Paradise. This understanding shapes Orthodox spirituality, wherein the faithful learn through fasting to redirect desire toward God rather than created things, thereby choosing life over death, communion over separation.

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