Because Adam and Eve did not die on the exact day that they ate of the forbidden fruit, it is sometimes claimed that since one day is with the Lord as a thousand years (2 Pet 3:8) and Adam lived less than a thousand years (Gen 5:5), Adam, therefore, did die within that one-thousand-year “day.” Another common explanation is that Adam and Eve beganto die immediately. A third view is that the death penalty was commuted because God promised a Savior in Genesis 3:15. However, a correct understanding of the Hebrew expressions in the passage points to another possibility.

On day six of the creation week, God placed Adam in the garden of Eden and told him that he could freely eat of every tree in the garden except one—the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Before Adam and Eve “could be rendered eternally secure,”¹ their loyalty had to be tested. The warning given was clear and straightforward: “in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

The Meaning of “in the Day That”

In Hebrew, the expression “in the day that” occurs five other times in Genesis (2:4; 3:5; 5:1, 2; 21:8). A comparison of different translations of these verses reveals that it is variously translated as “in the day that,” “when,” “as soon as,” etc., depending on the context. One reason for the different translations is that the Hebrew for “in the day that” (b^eyom + infinitive) is frequently imprecise as to the exact point or period of time referred to. It may be a moment, a day, or some other unspecified time. A similar use of b^eyom occurs in Genesis 30:33, in which the expression b^eyom machar(literally, “in a day of tomorrow”) means “at a future time,” referring to an unspecified time in the future, not to a specific day. Therefore, unless the context indicates otherwise, the expression b^eyom + infinitive simply means “when.”² Although the translation “in the day that” seems literal, it misleads the English reader into thinking that it refers to a specific “day.” Rather, a translation that does not use the word “day,” such as, “when,” “as soon as,” “whenever,” etc., captures better the intent of the Hebrew.

The Meaning of “You Shall Surely Die”

In Hebrew, “surely” is expressed by an infinitive absolute of “to die.” It reinforces the “notion of certainty.”³ In Genesis 2:17, its function is to highlight the certainty of death, not the time of death.

An interesting parallel to Genesis 2:17 in 1 Kings 2 may help to explain this. According to 1 Kings 2:36–46, Solomon placed Shimei under house arrest, with a stern warning that contains grammatical parallels to Genesis 2:17, “For it will happen on the day you go out [b^eyom + infinitive] and cross over the brook Kidron, you will know for certain [infinitive + finite verb] that you shall surely die [infinitive + finite verb]; your blood shall be on your own head” (1 Kgs 2:37 author’s translation; cf. v. 42).

Three years later, two of Shimei’s servants ran away. Shimei went to Gath and brought them back home. Sometime after Shimei’s return, Solomon was told about the incident and had Shimei arrested and executed. Though it is not stated how long it took for all this to transpire, such a series of events would normally entail a number of days, which means that Shimei’s execution did not occur on the day of his departure. Therefore, Solomon’s words of warning in verse 37 (“On the day . . . you shall know for certain that you shall surely die”) did not mean that Shimei would “surely die” on the day of his departure. Instead, Solomon’s words emphasized the certainty of Shimei’s death penalty rather than the time of its execution. That is, as soon as he violated his agreement, Shimei was destined to die, even if his execution did not take place on that very day.

God’s Words Were True

God’s words in Genesis 2:17 did not mean that Adam’s death would occur on the day he ate the forbidden fruit, but rather that the moment he ate of it his death would be certain. The Hebrew may be appropriately rendered, “As soon as you eat of it, you are surely destined to die.” That is why the serpent’s counterclaim was not that Adam and Eve would not die “on that day,” but that they would “surely not die” (Gen 3:4). As it turned out, Genesis 2:17 was, in fact, fulfilled. Adam and Eve were expelled from Eden and did die. Although the serpent’s words were partially true (i.e., their eyes were opened, knowing both good and evil, Gen 3:5, 22), God’s words were not partially, but completely, true.

The death of Adam and Eve testifies to the reality that “the wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23). Nevertheless, “as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Cor 15:22 KJV).

This article was originally published as Tarsee Li, “Why Didn’t Adam and Eve Die Immediately?,” in Interpreting Scripture: Bible Questions and Answers, ed. Gerhard Pfandl, Biblical Research Institute Studies 2 (Silver Spring, MD: Biblical Research Institute, 2010), 126–128 and is reprinted with slight changes.