And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
Parallel translations
- WEB Yahweh God commanded the man, saying, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden;
- BSB And the LORD God commanded him, “You may eat freely from every tree of the garden,
- NKJV And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat;
- NASB The Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may freely eat;
- NLT But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden—
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God grants the man freedom to eat from every tree of the garden. God's command begins with generous provision, not restriction.
Overview
God freely permits the man to eat from every tree in the garden, emphasizing his abundant generosity before any prohibition is given. This sets the tone for the relationship between God and humanity: lavish provision precedes and frames the single boundary that follows. It reminds us that God's commands flow from his goodness and care for our flourishing.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- 1 Sam 15:22And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
- 1 Tim 4:4For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
- 1 Tim 6:17Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
- Gen 2:9And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
- Gen 3:1–2Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Lay
The single best free starting point for Genesis 1–11 — clear, visual, and faithful to the literary design.
Pastoral
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Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 2:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.