Does the Bible Say “Adam and Eve Ate an Apple?”

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.” Genesis 3:1-7

When considering the story of Adam and Eve, we must admit there has been an assumption that the fruit that came from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was an apple. Since I was in confirmation classes, it has been an apple. Since I have been out of college, it has been an apple. Since I have been married, it has been an apple. But when we read carefully, we see that the Bible does not say it was an apple. In fact, there are really good theories that it most likely was not an apple. For example, the Latin word for evil is “malum” and the Latin word for apple is “malus”. There is a good chance that medieval monks were playing a word-game between these words, suggesting the apple (malus) brought evil (malum) into the world. (Tracking Down the Forbidden Fruit, May 19, 2007, Paul Edwards)

But if it is not an apple, then what? Perhaps they were grapes – which of course give us wine. That might make some sense.

Why wasn’t the fig tree the obvious choice, since it was the leaves of the fig tree they used to make coverings for their bodies?

Some have suggested the Etrog (citron). Etrog trees are small and shrubby. The new growth and flowers are a purple color. The leaves are oblong but slightly pointed and somewhat serrated. The fruit looks somewhat like an oblong lemon, but with a shape that approximates the flame of a candle. The mature fruit is considerably larger than a lemon. The rind is yellow, glossy, thick and bumpy. It is very fragrant, with a distinctive aroma of violets. The pulp is pale yellow and acidic, but not very juicy. So why do some people think the fruit was the Etrog? Here is one explanation:

“Etrog is related to the Aramaic word for “desire.” Thus, in the verse “G-d caused to spring up from the soil every type of tree, desirable to look at and good to eat…,” the Targum translates the word “desirable” as dimeragag, which shares a root with the word etrog. This is the source for the custom that some pregnant women have, to bite off the tip of an etrog on the last day of Sukkotas a remedy to ease the pains of labor.” (Was the Forbidden Fruit Really an Apple? On the Identity of the Tree of Knowledge, Yehuda Shurpin)

No matter what it was, it was good to eat – and Eve wanted to share it with Adam. In my mind, it doesn’t matter what the fruit was. The result was the introduction of sin for which all of humanity suffers.

Pastor Dave

Does the Bible Say “This Is The Official List of the Ten Commandments?”

“Then God spoke all these words:

You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name. Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” Exodus 20:1-17

When considering the “commandments” the Lord gave to Moses and to the Israelites, there is disagreement on the arrangement and the emphasis. One group of Christians lists ten, which include two about “having no other gods” and one about “coveting” – and the other group lists one commandment about “other gods” and two commandments about “coveting”. When you study the 20th chapter of Exodus, you will find thirteen, maybe fourteen “do’s and don’ts” – some of which explain in more detail what you are to “do or not do”. The Jews will eventually come up with 613 Commandments from the entire breadth of the Torah – things that will make up their “laws for living” including their Sabbath laws. It will be when Moses secures the “second set of Stone Tablets” that the Lord will mention that there are “Ten Words” And he (Moses) wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the ten commandments (words). (Exodus 34:28).

No matter how many we decide upon, the tradition has been ten – but there are two sets of Ten Commandments, depending on your Christian Tradition. Everyone should be aware of this fact, because if there is an argument about the 4th commandment, you better ask if they are talking about “Honoring your Father and Mother” or “Remember the Sabbath”. There are only Ten Commandments, but how many can you name (without cheating and looking it up)?

Pastor Dave