In addition to Scripture, it is important to recognize that the Ancient Israelites were familiar with this concept, even beyond what the Bible says. We’re also told that the walls of Solomon’s temple contained images of trees and cherubim (see 1 Kgs 6:23–35), perhaps also referring back to the Garden of Eden. The menorah placed in the tabernacle was possibly seen as a metaphor for the tree of life. While the Bible’s descriptions of the tabernacle and the first temple do not specifically mention the tree of life, several elements of those places of worship allude to it. Some Old Testament scholars believe the “tree planted beside flowing streams,” described in Psalm 1, refers back to the tree of life from the creation story. Proverbs 15:4 likens healing words to a tree of life-as opposed to a “devious tongue” that “breaks the spirit).” Proverbs 13:12 relates “a desire fulfilled” to the tree of life. Proverbs 11:30 compares “the fruit of righteousness” to a tree of life. The other references to the tree in Proverbs are decidedly less symbolic and instead more metaphorical. Because of the long-held biblical and Near East roots of the tree of life, Garrett believes, “The words hold the promise of escape from the curse of death.” 2 But he notes that it also has deeper implications beyond mere happiness. (3:18)ĭuane Garrett suggests that the author of this proverb uses the tree of life as a metaphor that reinforces the joy found in a life of wisdom. She is a tree of life to those who embrace her,Īnd those who hold on to her are happy.
Proverbs 3:13–18 describes a man who is happy that he has found wisdom, extolling many of the benefits of wisdom in our lives (including profit, long life, and honor). The book of Proverbs references the tree more generically, as “a” tree of life. … Indeed it becomes plain that the whole story has really been about this tree. The whole story moves toward its end in these verses (Gen 3:22–24).
In his book Creation and Fall, German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer describes the tree of life as a central part of the Genesis creation story: God then stations cherubim with flaming swords in front of the tree to protect it. He drove the man out and stationed the cherubim and the flaming, whirling sword east of the garden of Eden to guard the way to the tree of life.
The Lord God said, “Since the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil, he must not reach out, take from the tree of life, eat, and live forever.” So the Lord God sent him away from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. Because of this act of disobedience, God exiles the couple from the garden, specifically to keep them away from the tree of life, which the Lord ties to eternal life.
Everything changes when Adam and Eve eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Tree of life washington free#
It’s (apparently) among the trees that God tells the first couple they are free to consume. God commanded Adam and Eve not to eat from the other tree, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:16).īut God gives no such prohibition for the tree of life. Genesis 2:9 introduces the tree of life as one of two trees in the Garden of Eden. The tree of life appears seven times in the Hebrew Bible, but only in Genesis and Proverbs.
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