Genesis 2:16

16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou may freely eat;

Genesis 2:16 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 2:16

And the Lord God commanded the man
Over whom he had power and authority; and he had a right to command him what he pleased, being his Creator, benefactor, and preserver; and this is to be understood not of man only, but of the woman also, whose creation, though related afterwards, yet was before this grant to eat of all the trees of the garden but one, and the prohibition of the fruit of that; for that she was in being, and present at this time, seems manifest from ( Genesis 3:2 Genesis 3:3 ) saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
a very generous, large, and liberal allowance this: or "in eating thou mayest eat" ^F25; which was giving full power, and leaving them without any doubt and uncertainty about their food; which they might freely take, and freely eat of, wherever they found it, or were inclined to, even of any, and every tree in the garden, excepting one, next forbidden.

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 (lkat lka) "comedendo comedas", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Drusius

Genesis 2:16 In-Context

14 And the name of the third river is Hiddekel; this is that which goes toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.

15 And the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou may freely eat;

17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou dost eat of it thou shalt surely die.

18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him.