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Did Adam and Eve actually walk in the garden with God?

Update:

Check Genesis, the answer might surprise you.

Update 2:

It is clear from Scripture that God communicated with a close relationship to Adam and Eve. If there was any kind of "walking, strolling around" it would have been with the pre-incarnated Christ (a theophany). Like Abraham met God and two angels (Genesis 18). However the first chapters in Genesis does not support this view. That was kind of new to me:)

Update 3:

Several great answers and comments. Thank you all for answering.

14 Answers

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  • 7 years ago
    Favourite answer

    The footnotes in my New Living Translation (2008) suggest not. The 2 verses in question (in Genesis) that imply that Adam and Eve walked with God in Eden arise in Genesis 3 vss 8 and 10.

    The NLT reads, "When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. Then the Lord God called to the man, 'Where are you?'

    He replied, 'I heard you walking in the garden so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked."

    The footnotes say, "The Hebrew has traditionally been interpreted as referring to the cool part of the day, most likely the evening. Others think that the language refers to a powerful manifestation of God's presence (a theophany) as a storm. If this view is correct, the man and the woman were hiding from the sound of the Lord appearing in judgment.

    The Bible has many examples of God coming in judgment, this being associated with powerful winds. Even when Elijah was to die, God sent a whirlwind to lift him up from the Earth. The Holy Spirit came as a powerful, rushing wind at Pentecost.

    And that makes me point out one answerer who claimed that humans cannot be in God's presence, so she concluded: "That God's spirit was present there with Adam and that they communicated with each other" - she believes God never actually appeared in any form in Eden, that it was 'God's spirit' speaking with Adam. Does she not realize that she is calling the Holy Spirit God? The Bible text says GOD was being hidden from, not God's 'spirit'. The Bible text says GOD spoke, not God's 'spirit'. Acts 5:1-4 certainly says that to lie to the Holy Spirit is to lie to God, so I hope she will put 1 and 1 together and get 2, not 1.

    Well, I'm sticking to what my Bible says - that God manifested Himself in such a way that the man, who had just sinned, felt frightened and ashamed and tried to hide. In order to hide, Adam must have had some idea where God was, in the Garden. And Adam heard the very voice of God question him, and Adam replied.

    It was not so much a walk as God entering into the Garden to judge the new sinners, and they knew it. A strong wind may well have been associated with this, but it was God who entered into the scene and spoke. Prior to that, we only hear of God speaking to the man and bringing the animals to Adam to name them, then God brought Eve to him. I am confident this shows direct communication with God in Eden though nothing is said about Adam actually seeing God with his eyes. Yet I find it strange to read all that and NOT connect a glorious visual presence, prior to Adam sinning. Only sin ruins our relationship with God, so I think God actually was present in a way Adam could both hear and see, prior to him sinning. But Genesis 3:8-10 introduce the chill wind of God's judgment, after sin entered in, and Adam may no longer have seen his Creator, only hearing Him in that chill wind. See also the link below.

    Source(s): http://midwestapologetics.org/blog/?p=1349 Tim Chaffey of Midwest Apologetics
  • 7 years ago

    I would say yes, First the Scriptures Said ("They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day")

    Hmm, Adam and Eve knew that when they heard the LORD coming, He would want to be with them. This was how the LORD had fellowship with Adam and Eve, in a very natural, close, intimate way.

    The almost casual way in which this is remarked indicates that this did not occur for the first time just then … There is extreme likelihood that the Almighty assumed some form analogous to the human form which was made in His image."

    We can assume this is God, in the Person of Jesus Christ, (a Christophony) appearing to Adam and Eve before His incarnation and birth at Bethlehem, because of God the Father it is said, "No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him" (John 1:18), and no man has ever seen God in the Person of the Father. (1 Timothy 6:16)

  • 7 years ago

    I have read Redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb's answer also Grey Towers answer. I read Annsan_In_Him's answer also. I like each of the answers and who knows for sure. ""No one has seen God at any time. " is very compelling and I think in a way Annsan shares that view. I think of it this way and by no means is this a best answer to the question. I think that since the fall, the presence and voice of God has been less and less in a regressive state. I think at the time of Adam and Eve the presence of God was very Strong and his voice was heard extremely well. We, way down the fallen state line, can not even imagine what it would be like to know God that well as to feel his presence so vividly or hear his voice as clear as you hear your brother or sister voice. Was he physically there? I know He was there as the Bible says He was. But, and that is the big question. Was it physical, No! Was it in some state of spiritual form, a manifestation or merely a presence within their brains or heart? Was it the Holy Spirit I couldn't even begin to make a guess. However it is such a great question that brings brothers and sister together and research this question which brings us each a little bit closer to God. I would say our walk with God is much different today.

  • Anonymous
    7 years ago

    Opinion is divided as to whether God appeared in physical form (a theophany) or whether his presence was felt. I really liked Annsan's answer on this. I found an article that is similar and it's okay to copy and paste the entire article providing the source is given:

    Genesis 3:8 says, “And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.” We know that God is spirit (John 4:24), so how exactly could He be “walking” in the garden?

    First, it is clear from Genesis 3:8 that God��s approach in the garden was heralded by a “sound” or a “voice.” The verse begins by stating, “They heard the sound” of the Lord God. Whatever form God took, it certainly allowed for the physical production of sound. His walk was audible; He was making noise.

    The verse also mentions the “presence” of God “among the trees” of the garden. It was a presence that Adam and Eve acknowledged and thought they could hide from. So, God’s garden walk included both sound and some sort of presence among the trees.

    Even given these two statements, interpretations differ greatly. Some emphasize the fact that God the Father is invisible and cannot be seen by humans. According to this view, God did not appear in the flesh; rather, He took on a symbolic, incorporeal appearance, such as a cloud, much like He did with the Israelites in the desert with Moses (Deuteronomy 31:15).

    Others suggest that the idea of God “walking” refers to a theophany—an appearance of God in a tangible, human form. Theologians who hold this view point to a parallel in Genesis 18, where God appears as one of three (seemingly human) visitors to Abraham.

    Another theory is based on the Hebrew phrase translated “the cool of the day.” This could be literally translated “the wind of that day.” Some think this might refer to a strong wind. If so, Adam and Eve’s reaction makes more sense. They heard God’s approach as a terrible wind lashed the trees of the garden, and they took cover. God called (using a Hebrew word that also means “to summon”) Adam to face judgment. Acts 2 records an interesting parallel: the coming of the Holy Spirit was accompanied by “a sound like the blowing of a violent wind” (verse 2). Also, God spoke to Job “out of the whirlwind” (Job 38:1).

    Regardless of whether God appeared in human form or in a cloud, or whether He made His presence known by a windstorm, it is clear God Himself confronted the sinners and issued judgment. To the praise of His grace, this judgment also included the promise of a future Redeemer (Genesis 3:15). Thus began a great saga that ultimately led to Jesus Christ, the perfect sacrifice for sin and substitute for sin’s judgment. Through Christ, those who believe are forgiven of sin and receive eternal life (John 3:16).

  • Anonymous
    6 years ago

    Yes Jesus Christ did walk with Adam & Eve in the garden of Eden.

  • 7 years ago

    There are many different stories about many very different gods. Nothing indicates that any of these stories is true.

    Gods exist only in stories. Adam and Eve also exist in some of these stories, they were never real.

  • 7 years ago

    Since Adam and eve had not sinned, before the fall, God did communicate with them, it is only after they fell from grace, they were ashamd of their disobedience. So they must have feared Him when they heard His voice.

  • 7 years ago

    .

    While it says that Adam "walked with God" it wouldn't have meant that God was physically present in a human type form that "walked". ... In other verses, we are told " NO man can see God and yet live." ...Humans can not physically be in God's presence.

    What does the scripture mean then? That God's spirit was present there with Adam and that they communicated with each other.

    .

  • 7 years ago

    If they did they were naked in a garden that must have been extremely uncomfortable dodging the nettles and thorn trees.

  • ?
    Lv 7
    7 years ago

    They spoke and walked together for many years until the sin came

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