# 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\
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**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2023, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-purpose-of-the-tree-of-the-knowledge-of-good-and-evil/980405/60 "2023-02-27T21:07:46Z")

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One thing I’ll note is that the tree was there before Adam or Eve. Genesis 2:15 says that God put Adam in the Garden of Eden to till it and take care of it. I assume that includes the tree.

Now, He also said that nobody was supposed to even touch the fruit (Genesis 3:3) so presumably even going near it would be dangerous.

As to why the tree is there at all, I wonder if it was for God. Kind of like someone having a liquor cabinet and telling the kids to stay out of it.

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