Tree of life (biblical)
Biblical tree of life guarded after the fall of man.
The tree of life (Hebrew: עֵץ הַחַיִּים, romanized: ‘ēṣ haḥayyīm; Latin: Lignum vitae) is a biblical motif first described in chapter 2, verse 9 of the Book of Genesis as being 'in the midst of the Garden of Eden' alongside the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. After the fall of man, cherubim and a flaming sword were placed at the east end of the Garden to guard the way to the tree of life, preventing humans from eating its fruit and living forever. The tree appears elsewhere in the Bible, including Proverbs, Revelation, and the apocryphal books 2 Esdras and 4 Maccabees, and has been the subject of debate regarding whether it is the same as the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
- First described
- Genesis 2:9
- Location
- Midst of the Garden of Eden
- Hebrew name
- עֵץ הַחַיִּים (‛ēṣ haḥayyīm)
- Latin name
- Lignum vitae
- Also called
- Tree of Mercy (in Greek Apocalypse of Moses)
- Guardians
- Cherubim and a flaming sword
- Related tree
- Tree of the knowledge of good and evil
Lore & Background
In the Book of Genesis, the tree of life is described as being in the midst of the Garden of Eden, alongside the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. After Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden tree, God placed cherubim and a flaming sword at the east end of the Garden to guard the way to the tree of life, lest humans eat from it and live forever. The tree of life also appears in Proverbs (3:18; 11:30; 13:12; 15:4) and Revelation (2:7; 22:2,14,19), as well as in the Jewish apocrypha (2 Esdras 2:12; 8:52; 4 Maccabees 18:16). According to the Greek Apocalypse of Moses, the tree of life is also called the Tree of Mercy, and Adam believed its oil would relieve his ailments, sending Seth and Eve to beg for some at the doors of the Garden.
Reader's Guide
The tree of life has been interpreted variously within Judaism and Christianity. In Catholic tradition, the tree of life in Revelation 2:7 is understood as the Eucharist. Eastern Orthodox theology traditionally sees it as a prefiguration of the Cross, accessible only after the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Western Christian thinkers such as Augustine of Hippo allowed for spiritual interpretations while maintaining the narrative's historical reality. Thomas Aquinas argued the tree served to maintain Adam's biological processes, not grant immortality, while John Calvin viewed it as a sacramental symbol of God's covenantal grace. In Jewish mythology, the tree of life is associated with the 'tree of souls' that produces new souls, which are stored in the Treasury of Souls (Guf). The tree also appears in ancient iconography, such as Judahite pillar figurines of Asherah, and is central to Kabbalah, where it is represented as a diagram of ten sefirot (divine emanations). The tree of life has also appeared in popular culture, including the 2006 film The Fountain and the 1995 anime Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Did You Know?
- The tree of life is also called the Tree of Mercy in the Greek Apocalypse of Moses.
- Karl Budde proposed in 1883 that the Genesis narrative originally contained only one tree, portrayed in two ways.
- In the Catholic Church, the tree of life in Revelation 2:7 is understood as the Eucharist.
- The tree of life appears in Judahite pillar figurines of Asherah iconography, resembling the menorah.
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