# What was the purpose of the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-purpose-of-the-tree-of-the-knowledge-of-good-and-evil/980405>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [February 26, 2023, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-purpose-of-the-tree-of-the-knowledge-of-good-and-evil/980405 "2023-02-26T19:56:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 55

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**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2023, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-purpose-of-the-tree-of-the-knowledge-of-good-and-evil/980405/55 "2023-02-27T20:34:22Z")

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> [@Czarcasm](#):
>
> There are many plants/flowers that I would find pleasing to the eye that I wouldn’t let children anywhere near.

But how many of those are good for food as well? Plus Adam & Eve were not said to be children. Adam is canonically highly intelligent, as he receives divine commands and names animals according to their nature. (Eve is implied to be just as intelligent).

> [@Czarcasm](#):
>
> Besides, being GOD he could make them perfectly safe without changing how they look and smell.

Could, but why should he? Unlike Eve, the garden wasn’t necessarily created for Adam’s benefit (else why would the divine punishment be expulsion?), and I think the tree probably wasn’t, either.

~Max

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