Overview
God commanded Adam not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, warning that disobedience would bring death. The serpent deceived Eve by denying God's word and suggesting that eating the fruit would make them wise like God. Eve ate the fruit and gave it to Adam, and both immediately experienced shame and fear, hiding from God's presence.
Key Scriptures
"And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, 'From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.'" (Genesis 2:16-17, NASB)
"Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, 'Did God really say, "You must not eat from any tree in the garden"?'" (Genesis 3:1, NIV)
"When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it." (Genesis 3:6, NIV)
Application
Recognize how temptation operates through doubt of God's word and promise of personal gain, and guard your heart by trusting God's commands over worldly desires.