This creation account emphasizes knowledge for many reasons. Specifically, God tells Adam not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, not simply the Tree of Knowledge. Before Adam and Eve are tricked by the serpent, all is good. They only see the good and live in bliss. They do not see evil, and therefore evil does not exist. When the fruit is eaten, Legapsi explains that the burden of mortality and knowledge to differentiate and view good and evil is communicated to Adam and Eve. God warns Adam that death will ensue if he were to eat from this tree; however, Eve is tricked by the serpent and gives Adam fruit and eats some herself. When Adam and Eve gain knowledge of evil, they are essentially unable to remain free from it. I think eating is a good way to convey this message, as opposed to touching or looking at an object. As they consume the fruit, they are physically being filled just as they are being filled with this knowledge. Also, because Adam and Eve become mortal, it can be interpreted in a way that they are poisoned by the fruit and sentenced to death.
Adam and Eve eat the fruit in order to become “wiser”, the serpent even promising that they can become like God. Another way to describe the failure of Adam and Eve is by thinking about their motivations. Humans always long for something more, it is simply inherent in our being. We are curious, and most of the time, this is not related to evil motivations. I do not think that Adam and Eve had bad intentions, but by allowing themselves to give into temptation, they are disobedient to their creator. This act makes Adam and Eve more god-like in the terms of their self awareness and knowledge, but less god-like in that they make this poor decision. God is intentional and inherently good, and by making this mistake, Adam and Eve are not being intentional nor good. It may be merciful that God banishes Adam and Eve from the Garden in that He protects them from further harm to themselves. By banishing Adam and Eve, God prevents them from knowledge of greater evil and essentially the knowledge and burden that God Himself carries, which can definitely be seen as an act of mercy, though he is harsh.
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