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Why would Adam and Eve be afraid of death?
Gen 2:17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned -- Scholars generally agree that death entered the creation as a result of Adam's sin. However, since there was no death at the beginning, how could Adam and Eve be threatened by dying? What would they have known of death at that time that would even get their attention? "Dying, what's that?"
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Asked November 11 2014
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Frederic A Parker
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For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
Danny Hickman
This question supposes that death wasn't explained to Adam and Eve. Just because the discussion that God had with Adam and Eve isn't outlined in scripture doesn't mean he didn't fully explain to them what would happen if they ate from the forbidden tree.
No other conversation between God and them is spoken of in scripture; it doesn't mean God didn't say anymore than what is recorded. He could have reminded them from time to time not to eat of the tree. He could have shown them what death looked like. It isn't inconceivable that he created them with a built in knowledge of what death meant. I actually believe that to be the case.
If death had never occurred then had God ever seen it? That would make it new to him too, would it not?
I believe they knew instinctively what it meant to die.
Animals know to try to protect themselves from death.
Adam and Eve knew very well what God meant when he said they would continue to live and enjoy life in the garden in which he had given them, unless they ate from the forbidden tree; they would then lose their eternal life; the day they ate of the tree was the day they would SURELY die.
To be told you will die is one thing; to be told you will SURELY die is something altogether different.
I don't think living things have to see death in order to know that they don't want to experience it. It's instinctive!
People are created in the image of God; God IS life. We know the difference between life and death, INSTINCTIVELY!