Well-Known Relationships in the Bible: Adam and Eve

In between the Psalms and words of wisdom, a host of well-known relationships have dotted the pages of the Bible. In this article, we will take a look at the infamous duo, Adam and Eve , who gave a new meaning to the word ‘temptation.’

One of the most important couples to not only grace the Bible, but also appear in many other books (like the Quran, the Talmud, and Gnostic texts) is Adam and Eve , the first male and female humans. According to the Bible, all other humans have descended from this well-known religious couple. When following the Bible, God created Adam and Eve to take care of His creation, add numbers to the earth, and communicate with Him. Their names also indicate the roles that they would take on:

Adam , The Hebrew form of ‘adomah’ , meaning ‘man.’
Eve , Hebrew for ‘life.’

Who Were Adam and Eve?

Besides being the first humans on earth, Adam and Eve were also the first individuals to garden, as they dwelled in the Garden of Eden , where no thorns or weeds were found. The plants provided an ample supply of fruit. The passage found in Genesis 2:15-20 reveals that God instructed Adam to tend to the garden, give the animals names, and eat the fruit that came from the garden. He also told Adam to never eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

In Genesis 2:16-17, we learn that Adam and Eve were also the first people to disobey God. He told the pair that they were free to eat from every tree in the garden, except for one. God stated that death would come to whoever ate the fruit from the forbidden tree. The kind of fruit that the tree produced is not conclusively known, yet the thought that it was an apple has survived throughout time. Later on, Satan used a serpent to speak to Eve, deceiving and convincing her to eat the fruit.

The Consequences of their Actions

Eve then took the fruit to Adam, who also consumed it even though he knew what he was doing was wrong. Since the two disobeyed God after he had made it quite clear not to do so, they started to undergo not only a spiritual death, but also a physical death. Adam and Eve were then dismissed from the garden for placing their wants higher than what God had instructed them to do. Because of this act, sin had impacted the world.

As a result, harvesting fruit became much harder. Planting and harvested became hindered by thorns and weeds. In order to eat, men were required to work. When women gave birth, they would experience pain. The animals that once left the humans alone could now cause harm and also became carnivorous.

Milton’s Take

Oftentimes, a great deal of preconceived notions regarding the story of Adam and Eve have emerged partly due to the description of the Garden of Eden, as given by John Milton, who wrote an epic poem on the subject. Published in 1667, “Paradise Lost” is centered on the Genesis story, but has many creative insertions throughout. Milton’s version delivers imaginary conversations that he anticipated God, Satan, and certain angels to have had. His account is so vivid that a number of people believe that Milton’s take is actually part of the Bible.

Adam and Eve are also known as the first parents on earth. According to religions (such as the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic faiths), all people are descendants of the two. When following Jewish tradition, it is said that Adam and Eve had 56 children with Adam living to become 960 years old.