Why was it wrong for Adam and Eve to know good and evil?
Genesis 3:22
ESV - 22 Then the Lord God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever -
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Asked August 30 2013
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Anonymous (via GotQuestions)
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S. Michael Houdmann
Supporter
In Genesis 3:22 God says, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil." Knowledge in itself is not wrong (see Luke 2:52), so what was so bad about man "knowing good and evil"? It ...
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Jack Gutknecht
Supporter
Genesis 3:22 discusses the moment when God acknowledges that Adam and Eve, having eaten from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, now "know good and evil." This knowledge, however, is not presented as a positive or beneficial trait in this context. Instead, it marks the moment of their disobedience, as they chose to act contrary to God's direct command. In Genesis 2:16-17, God specifically commanded Adam not to eat from this tree, warning that doing so would lead to death. When Adam and Eve ate from it, they not only disobeyed God but also took it upon themselves to decide what is good and evil, rather than relying on God's perfect wisdom and authority. This act of choosing self-determination over divine command represents the core of what is often described as "the Fall" — their rebellion against God’s rule.
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