Genesis 2:17

tree. Note the three trees: "Knowledge" (Genesis 2:9 ), man's Ruin; "the Cross" (Acts 10:39 ; Acts 5:30 . 1 Peter 2:24 ), man's Redemption; "the Tree of Life" (Genesis 2:9 . Revelation 2:7 ; Revelation 22:2 ), man's Regeneration.

good and evil. See on "knowledge", Genesis 2:9 . Obedience proving what was "good" (Deuteronomy 6:24 ), disobedience revealing what was "evil" (Romans 3:20 ).

in the day = when. See App-18 . Compare Genesis 2:4 . 1 Kings 2:37 . Ezekiel 36:33 , &c.

thou shalt surely die. Hebrew "dying thou shalt die". Figure of speech Polyptoton, for emph. Compare Genesis 20:7 ; Genesis 26:11 .Exodus 19:12 ; Exodus 21:12 , Exodus 21:15 , Exodus 21:16 , Exodus 21:17 ; Exodus 31:14 , Exodus 31:15 .Leviticus 20:2 , Leviticus 9:10 , Leviticus 9:11 , Leviticus 9:12 , Leviticus 9:13 , Leviticus 9:15 , Leviticus 9:16 , Lev 9:27 ; Leviticus 24:16 , Leviticus 24:17 ; Leviticus 27:29 . Numbers 15:35 ; Numbers 26:65 ; Numbers 35:16 , Numbers 35:17 , Numbers 35:18 , Numbers 35:21 , Numbers 35:31 .Judges 13:22 ; Judges 15:13 ; Judges 21:5 . 1Sa 14:39 , 1 Samuel 14:44 ; 1 Samuel 22:16 . 2 Samuel 12:14 . 1Ki 2:37 , 1 Kings 2:42 ; 2Ki 1:4 , 2 Kings 1:6 , 2Ki 1:16 ; 2 Kings 8:10 . Jeremiah 26:8 , Jeremiah 26:19 ; Jeremiah 38:15 .Ezekiel 3:18 ; Ezekiel 18:13 ; Ezekiel 33:8 , Ezekiel 33:14 . See note on Genesis 26:28 for the emphasis of this Figure exhibited in other ways; and compare esp. note on Numbers 26:65 . Here marked by the word "surely", as in Genesis 2:16 by the word "freely". This certainty changed by Eve in Genesis 3:3 into a contingency.