Mark

pinklight,

what made her see the fruit was good? The conversation led her there. Or had she never physically looked at the tree before in your view? You said her “perception was now in a state of deception”, but how did she get there if not through the conversation? It might help to look at what the biblical commentators say on this one?

you said “Why don’t you answer some of my specific questions?”

Please don’t start taking Cheryl’s approach to discussions. You asked me in #37 talk about the ‘stingy’ aspect and i did, so please don’t start giving the indication as if i am not answering the questions you pose. It’s not a helpful tactic to take.

Now about the chronology. I have not said that Gen 1 is not historic so don’t read me that way. What i am saying is that grammatically you are inserting the narrative of Gen 1 which is supposed to act like an overview, into the middle of 2 and 3. IF you continue to want to make a literal chronology of events, then please start showing how the animals are made before Adam in Gen 1 but after in Gen 2, or how the plants are made on day 3 but not there until the man is made in Gen 2.
Gen 1 is not meant to be squeezed into the picture the way you and Cheryl try. It is a differant literary genre designed for a seperate purpose- an overview. Therefore your view leads to the logical conclusion that God gave some command not recorded, but which is vital in understanding Gen 3- just seems abit obscure to take that approach, when we have the prohibition recorded in Gen 2.

Now some of your specific questions…
“Were they BOTH not able to eat from trees of the garden? You tell. Was this incorrect? Was she not given all trees on the earth?”

Yes they were both prohibited from eating the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The plural in Gen 3 of ‘you’ indicates that. Plus they both sinned by eating the fruit, therefore both were not allowed to eat it.

NO she was not given every tree on the earth. They were both given trees and plants with ‘seeds’ to eat. But i am sure that is what you meant anyway.