Bereshis 2:16

16 And Hashem Elohim commanded the adam, saying, Of every etz of the gan thou mayest freely eat;

Bereshis 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

Bereshis 2:16 In-Context

14 And the shem of the third nahar is Chiddekel (Tigris [see Daniel 10:4]): that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth nahar is Euphrates.

15 And Hashem Elohim took the adam and put him in the Gan Eden la’avod (to till, to work) it and to be shomer over it.

16 And Hashem Elohim commanded the adam, saying, Of every etz of the gan thou mayest freely eat;

17 But of the Etz HaDa’as Tov v’Rah, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the yom that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

18 And Hashem Elohim said, It is not tov that the adam should be alone; I will make him an ezer (a helper) suitable for him.