WAS THE SNAKE RIGHT?

God warned Adam not to eat the forbidden fruit, saying, “For in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die” (Gen 2:17). The serpent, however, contradicted God’s warning, telling Eve, “You will not surely die” (3:4). The record shows that Adam actually lived nearly a thousand years after the Fall (5:5), not dying on the very day they disobeyed God. Was the serpent correct in saying they would not die immediately if they ate the fruit?

“IN THE DAY”—A HEBREW IDIOM

Scholars offer different explanations. Some suggest that the author was using a common idiom of the time, which implies certainty, not immediacy. When God spoke, He wanted to emphasize the certainty of the consequence, not the timing. Solomon also told Shimei that “on the day you go out and cross the brook Kidron, you will surely die” (1 King 2:37). It is unreasonable to take this literally and claim Shimei must die that same day; Solomon only emphasized the certainty of the penalty. Another example is Pharaoh’s warning to Moses (Ex 10:28). If this idiomatic usage is correct, then God was not wrong in saying Adam and Eve would die—He never intended to imply that physical death would occur that same day.

THEY REALLY DIED THAT DAY

The most common explanation is that they did die immediately—but spiritually, not physically. The Bible speaks of spiritual death (or being dead in trespasses and sins; Eph 2:1–3), which is separation from God. This is evident when Adam and Eve immediately hid from God after sinning (Gen 3:8). From their perfect communion with God, they now felt guilt and shame (v.10) and attempted to blame others (v.12-13). Physical death was also a consequence of the Fall: “for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (v.19). Though they did not physically die that day, the process of dying began. Out of His mercy, God delayed the penalty of physical death. God was indeed right, and Satan was lying; death entered the world through sin (Rom 5:12).

The reality of sin and death destroying God’s creation is disheartening. The good news is that God did not leave us without hope. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 6:23). Stay Curious.

Sources and Studies:

Archer, G. L. (2001). Did Adam really die when he ate of the forbidden fruit? In The New International Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties. Zondervan Publishing.
Keiser, W. C., Jr., et al. (1996). 2:17 Why didn’t Adam and Eve die at once? In The Hard Sayings of the Bible. InterVarsity Press.